It's just not the same.

[ratty]

Hello to you all.

This is my first post on this forum.

I would like to start by saying that I have been reading the forum for some time but have only recently joined. It makes a nice change to see a forum that posts such good advise and on which the posters appear to be genuinely friendly with no 'agendas' to push, so well done to you all.

Right, down to business. About a year ago I bought a no date Sub from a local AD in the south of England. I've been VERY happy with the watch so far and developed a bit of an interest in Rolex watches as a result. (I had actually gone to the shop to look at an Omega Speedmaster but had ended up with the Sub on my wrist and it just felt oh so right so I bought that instead). I then developed an interest in Daytonas. As some of you may know, there is a very long waiting list for SS Daytonas in the UK. I could not make my mind up about buying a white gold version so I went to one of the watch dealers in the Burlington Arcade in London. These dealers have a selection of second hand watches, some of them unworn with the original stickers still on. I ended up buying a white faced SS Daytona from there but I still can't make my mind up about the watch. I know that it's a bit sad but when I bought my Sub from the AD it felt like an 'event'. I enjoyed actually buying the watch and I have enjoyed wearing it. My wife found the same, she has since bought a Rolex as well and we have both enjoyed the whole 'Rolex experience' of going into the AD, buying and wearing the watch. It's just not the same with my Daytona. It's to the point where I've only had the watch for about a month and I'm already thinking about selling it! I know that I was not 100% sure about buying a Daytona in the first place but I'm sure that buying it from a non AD has not helped either. I can not truthfully say that there was anything wrong with the dealer but it just was not the same as buying from an AD and I think this has turned me against the watch.

Am I going mad or has anyone else experienced this?

[SaddleSC]

I think you either love a certain watch, or you don't. Sounds like you bought into the Daytona hype and didn't really love the watch from the get go. I almost fell into the same trap because some people truly believe that every Rolex collector should aspire to the Daytona. That particular watch has just never done anything for me.

My SD on the other hand I absolutely LOVE and I did not buy it from an AD. If a watch truly sings to you, where you get it from is largely irrelevant. I could have found my 16600 in a dumpster and I would still be in LOVE with it. On the other hand I could fly to Geneva and pick up a Daytona fresh off the asembly line from the ghost of Hans Wilsdorf himself and it still wouldn't do it for me!

[Fearsome Puppy]

I know what you mean about the purchasing from a good AD where I've found the mix of anticipation and achievement in the AD environment is an experience in it's own right, whereas I've found purchasing from grey/secondhand bricks and mortar dealers more of a simply straightforward transaction (at least at the one I went to in HK).

Though I would add that the most enjoyable/memorable purchase I've made was a f2f purchase off a TRF seller where we ended up chatting about watches over a couple of pints - what more could you ask for...