My First...

[DKRanger22]

So I can't begin to explain how difficult it is to hang around this forum for 3+ years without actually buying a Rolex. Talk about an exercise in patience and restraint

Like many of us, my passion for watches began at a young age. My first actual watch was a gold-plated Mickey Mouse watch purchased for me by my parents on a trip to Disney World. As I grew older, my collection included a handful of other quartz watches and G-Shocks - typical of any young teenage boy's collection. As I began to learn more about watches, I yearned to have something "better", but quickly learned how expensive this hobby could become. My focus began to shift away from watches to other things - namely cars and girls - as is the case for most 15 year old boys. If only I could go back in time and tell myself what a bargain watches are compared to women and cars... . At this point, I stop wearing watches and take on other interests.

Fast forward a decade, and I meet a pretty gal who soon became my girlfriend. As a couple, our weekends usually included a trip to the local shopping mall where I would pass the time looking at watches in the department stores while my girlfriend tried on clothes. She quietly took notice of the watches that I was drawn to - usually anything with a blue face. Later that year at Christmas time, she surprised me with a blue dial quartz Seiko that I had admired a few months prior. As soon as I strapped it onto my wrist, my passion for watches was instantly reborn. I would spend countless hours researching various brands on the internet. Inevitably, my search would always somehow end up back at Rolex.com.

A few years later, I proposed to my watch-enabling girlfriend. On our wedding day, as I was waiting for the service to begin behind the altar in the sacristy, her brother sat down next to me and passed along a present from my bride-to-be. I opened the box and found an Invicta Sub clone. She wanted so badly to buy me a Rolex for our wedding day, but with the cost of the wedding, finances didn't allow it at the time. I was truly amazed at the thoughtfulness behind her kind gesture.

Now as a happily married couple, we still find ourselves enjoying the occasional weekend shopping excursions to the same mall that we frequented seven years ago when we first began to date. As I'm looking at the same watch cases in the same department stores, my wife says to me, "Why don't you just get your Rolex?". With the green light now in-hand, I begin to narrow down my selection.

Ideally, I really want two watches; a robust sport model as well as a more casual/dressy piece to round things out. For now, I just need to pick one. I had my sights set on either a blue dial Yachtmaster, a TT Sub or a blue Black Bay for the sport watch, and either a DJII or Skyfall Aqua Terra for the dressy piece ( I know, 5 watches is really narrowing things down, right?) I figured that I would wait for Basel to see if anything new would catch my attention before making a decision. Then, I laid eyes on the new, blue Tudor Pelagos which changed everything. I became instantly smitten and had to have one. With the watch not being released until July and in reality, not being readily available for months thereafter, I decided that the Pelagos would be my sporty, tool watch purchased later in the year and I shifted focus to obtain the casual/dressy piece now.

I reached out to the usual suspects of TRF trusted sellers. I also posted a WTB thread, which is how I came in contact with BriBoxer (aka Brian). Brian made me an offer that I couldn't refuse, and after coming to terms, I initiated a wire transfer around 5:00 PM Thursday afternoon. Much to my surprise, Brian arranged to have the watch shipped next-day delivery from California, and it was in my possession a short 16 hours later by 9:30 am Friday morning. Brian's service was incredible, and he is truly a class-act. I look forward to working with him again for the next one. Ok - enough chit-chat. Time for some pictures

I can't sneak anything past these two clowns...






Little bugger kept making off with the tags...







This has been a long but worthwhile journey, and I wouldn't have gotten here without the love and support of my beautiful wife, to whom I owe many thanks. Thank you also to Brian for you help with such a smooth transaction. And lastly, thanks to everyone here on TRF for making this such a great place to share this wonderful hobby. Cheers everyone - enjoy this beautiful weekend

[SemperFi]

Way to go Andrew! Seems like just yesterday that we were discussing this.
What a great story you told and a wonderful wife you have...very happy for you Buddy. That DJII is a gorgeous watch. Congrats and wear it well.

[DKRanger22]

Originally Posted by SemperFi

Way to go Andrew! Seems like just yesterday that we were discussing this.
What a great story you told and a wonderful wife you have...very happy for you Buddy. That DJII is a gorgeous watch. Congrats and wear it well.

Many thanks, Angelo! It was just yesterday, wasn't it?

Congrats again to you on the new Black Bay! Absolutely beautiful piece you have as well. Enjoy my friend

[Chrispare]

Wonderful story and wonderful watch !
Congrats

[jjnd08]

Great story, congrats!

[dadonn2]

Definitely a great story. Interesting how the interest sustained itself over and what a testimony to patience. Finally here and maybe overdue but on time just the same. Enjoy.

[DKRanger22]

Originally Posted by dadonn2

Definitely a great story. Interesting how the interest sustained itself over and what a testimony to patience. Finally here and maybe overdue but on time just the same. Enjoy.

My wife said the same thing. The good news is that I can blame her fully for starting this addictive passion back up again. I'll be sure to remind her of that every time she starts to question the next purchase

Thanks for the comment

[AS1]

huge congrats! have no idea how you sustained 3 years on the forum without one but props to you for doing so

[DKRanger22]

Originally Posted by AS1

huge congrats! have no idea how you sustained 3 years on the forum without one but props to you for doing so

Paying for the wedding while remodeling the house may have forced ...errr.... Helped my hand...

[Ravager135]

Sounds like you got the watch this is perfect for you. Blue dial, classic model. Now I am going to say it, after you get that blue Pelagos, you're going to find that missing something in your collection. Soon you'll be looking at black dial watches and then the sickness really sets in! Congrats. Great post.

[DKRanger22]

Originally Posted by Ravager135

Sounds like you got the watch this is perfect for you. Blue dial, classic model. Now I am going to say it, after you get that blue Pelagos, you're going to find that missing something in your collection. Soon you'll be looking at black dial watches and then the sickness really sets in! Congrats. Great post.

Absolutely perfect watch for me indeed. I will be content with just the two. Or at least that's what I tell my wife..... Shhhhhh.

Thanks again everyone!

[SemperFi]

Originally Posted by DKRanger22

Absolutely perfect watch for me indeed. I will be content with just the two. Or at least that's what I tell my wife..... Shhhhhh.

Thanks again everyone!

So Andrew, now that you've got your dress watch, will the blue Pelagos be number two? I know you said so in your initial post, but funny things can happen when you have to wait for a watch to become available.

[DKRanger22]

Originally Posted by SemperFi

So Andrew, now that you've got your dress watch, will the blue Pelagos be number two? I know you said so in your initial post, but funny things can happen when you have to wait for a watch to become available.

That's the plan as it stands today. If anything could sway me from that path, it would most likely be the Black Bay.

Do me a favor and keep the pictures of that beauty to a minimum, would ya?

[SemperFi]

Originally Posted by DKRanger22

That's the plan as it stands today. If anything could sway me from that path, it would most likely be the Black Bay.

Do me a favor and keep the pictures of that beauty to a minimum, would ya?

You mean pics like this?

[The Sub-lime One]

Great post Andrew and an absolute stunner of a watch... Enjoy that beauty!

[1st amg]

Congrats , that is nice story, beautiful watch and love the felines..

[damoore]

Awesome post. Your wife is a keeper 👍. That dial is a beauty!


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[2amwagon]

Great story and congratulations on everything!

[luvchnl]

Congratulations on your beautiful blue dial Date-Just. It looks great on you!

[x65975]

Now get it insured!!!

[domrusso10]

congrats on a beauty, mine says hi


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[DKRanger22]

Originally Posted by domrusso10

congrats on a beauty, mine says hi

Wow is that pretty! Love that combo, Dom.

[T01]

Congrats!

[adamlea]

Great story. It looks great- congrats! I see you're wearing it on the "right" wrist too, which means it's probably just the first.

[AK797]

Many congrats for your restraint and the choice of blue dial! You can change your avatar too now my friend.

[Mr. Vegas]

Great story, congrats!

[DKRanger22]

Originally Posted by The Sub-lime One

Great post Andrew and an absolute stunner of a watch... Enjoy that beauty!

Thank you, sir! Stunning is a perfect word to describe it.

Originally Posted by damoore

Awesome post. Your wife is a keeper 👍. That dial is a beauty!

She sure is. Thank you

Originally Posted by 1st amg

Congrats , that is nice story, beautiful watch and love the felines..

Thank you! Yes, yes and yes They are quite a pair and make every day quite entertaining.

Originally Posted by luvchnl

Congratulations on your beautiful blue dial Date-Just. It looks great on you!

Many thanks

Originally Posted by 2amwagon

Great story and congratulations on everything!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by AK797

Many congrats for your restraint and the choice of blue dial! You can change your avatar too now my friend.

I've contemplated doing so, but may leave it "as-is" just to keep the focus on the Pelagos for #2. In the meantime, I can't take my eyes off this DJII.... Thank you!

Originally Posted by Mr. Vegas

Great story, congrats!

Thank you!

To anyone else that I missed, thank you for the kind words.

[Afghanvet]

Welcome!

[sea-dweller]

Congrats! Nice photos and lovely feline! (I'm a cat fan, myself!)

[DKRanger22]

Originally Posted by sea-dweller

Congrats! Nice photos and lovely feline! (I'm a cat fan, myself!)

Thank you! They're quite the characters to say the least.

(Don't tell my wife they were on the counter)...