Incoming- The One With Yet Another Newcomer’s First Rolex

[jsw224]

Forgiveness in advance for this long yarn. In all the excitement, couldn’t resist-

Despite the seeming ubiquity of Rolex, especially as a longtime denizen of New York City, growing up I never perceived much of anything about Rolexes or watches in general. I simply had no idea of this ecosystem and world of collection and horology. In my late teens, about summer 2017, I worked at a coffee shop. One of my customers happened to be wearing a beautiful piece- I’d later learn it was a Sky Dweller 326938- and he let me try it on. Though it wore gorgeously, the size and bulk weren’t necessarily for me (I’m a 5’8” woman, fairly lengthy arms and legs). Still, this casual conversation sparked an entry into the world of watches, Rolexes specifically. As I began my descent into this interesting hobby, I would bounce around many favorites- first the iconic Black Submariner, then the Yachtmaster with sunburst blue dial, then the Bluesy, etc. Each of these had their moment in the sun, but due to my preferences expanding as I delved deeper into the wickedly wonderful world of watches, nothing truly stood out to me as an absolute hands down favorite. Too plain, too bulky, not a fan of bold Arabic numerals on the bezel, etc- nothing reigned supreme. My passion for watches also waned a bit as other interests took precedence in my life though I kept the idea on the back burner.

Fast forward to early 2019- a very close cousin of mine passed away from a rare form of cancer. The ordeal was quite harrowing to watch up close. Seeking distraction from my grief, I stumbled upon watches again. This iteration I now felt the unquelled urge to pull the trigger. I found these forums and saw a 26mm Datejust with a Rhodium dial, Roman numerals. The piece caught my eye for its clean, polished look along with the sentimental value of Roman numerals reminding me of my grandmother’s wooden clock, a cherished family heirloom on which I learned how to tell time. My family jokes that I’m like either a bodycon aficionado or an old lady in terms of dress. I can concur that my personal style is mostly filled with black and whites, houndstooth, ginghams, definitely influenced by my prep school background and then the popular TV program Scandal’s Olivia Pope. Following, I knew this particular watch, or at least a Rhodium-Roman dial with a fluted WG bezel, would go well with my wardrobe while adding a dash of polish/bling that I’m very fond of. However, upon seriously contemplating the prospect of purchasing, I quickly learned that for me, a 26mm watch would be more like a bracelet and while I’m not hugely into the trend of larger watches on women, a 31mm and then finally a 36mm seemed to be a better fit for me.

To shorten what’s already turned out to be a long ramble, I’ve been hunting for a 116234, which to my darned good luck, is now a discontinued model thereby driving the prices up and making it even more difficult to find a reasonably complete set with my intended specifications like an oyster bracelet. Nevertheless, I persevered in my pursuit and thanks to the great guys at Watch Chest, whom I checked out from their Who’s Who thread on this forum, I emerged from this long journey prosperous and insanely happy to be the proud owner of my first Rolex. Special thanks to the team at Watch Chest, in particular Corey, who guided me and answered all my questions with patience and understanding. The entire process went swimmingly- I received the watch within a very decent timeframe, it was sized, and even more beautiful in the metal than I gathered from the pictures. To put it mildly, I’m incredibly psyched.

Thank you for indulging my story and warm greetings to this community. Though I reckon with good authority that this 116234 is a lifer for me, who knows what I may end up with as accompaniment? I’m left handed and have taken to wearing it on my right wrist- maybe something will fill the left wrist sooner rather than later…😊

[DCheeta]

Congrats, that’s a beautiful DJ! I enjoyed your story. It’s great to read about a person’s journey to their first high quality watch, and your account is particularly well written.

Enjoy the Rolex, and welcome to the family!

[kieselguhr]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

That watch looks stunning on you! Congratulation! May it help you remember the good times whenever you glance at it and put a huge smile on your face.

[Number3]

That is a really beautiful piece. Understated elegance with just the right amount of ‘bling’. Perfect. Congratulations.

[Prov9]

I’m sorry for your loss.
I’ve enjoyed reading about your experience and thanks for sharing. It is a beautiful watch and I hope you will enjoy it for many years.

[42itus]

Looks great on you!


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[temporarychicken]

Lovely, suits you!

[faz]

Beautiful watch, beautiful writing (what a writeup), the watch looks great on you. Congrats on your new arrival and wear it in good health.


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[GST15]

Welcome, and beautiful watch! Loved reading your story.

[Joearch]

Super sharp. Great looking watch and excellent narrative. Enjoy!

[winst]

Looks great, classy watch - congratulations!

[jdpny]

Love it, enjoy.

[ThornappleWatch]

VERY well written story. Congratulations on the watch.

[brandrea]

I’m really sorry to hear about your cousin Jay. Cancer affects us all.

Congratulations on your DJ, it looks perfect on your wrist

Welcome to the forum

[1William]

Congratulations and welcome. Thanks for sharing your journey. Enjoy your watch.

[Harry-57]

Nice watch. Congratulations.

Sounds like you got the right watch for the right reasons.

[judson]

Welcome to the fold and enjoy your beautiful watch. May you wear it in good health.

[arcampado]

Very nice write up. The watch is a stunner on your wrist. Enjoy and wear it in good health.

[alweisenberger]

Welcome! My watch journey also started around that time :) I just got a Stowa marine 36mm all Roman (no date) which i think would look beautiful on you.

[DJH1977]

Such a refreshing post. Many congratulations, and thank you.

[alweisenberger]

Also you are very eloquent - are you a writer? Sorry if I missed that in your post :)

[GoingPlaces]

Very nice post. Sorry for your loss and what you had to go through.

Congratulations on the watch and first Rolex. It's a classic and looks great on you. Enjoy it!

[bp1000]

This is perhaps the best intro and incoming first post I've read. Beautifully written and eloquently put.

I seems like the attention to detail you put into your descriptive writing matches you perfectly with the attention to detail found in these watches. You clearly appreciate the detail.

Firstly, sorry for your loss. It certainly changes your perspective on your own life.

Secondly, when I was reading it and you mentioned 26mm and I was looking at the picture something simply didn't compute unless you have the smallest noodle wrists!

Anyhow, all became clear and you picked the perfect first watch. I love these on the oyster with fluted bezel, you get the best of casual and dressy. Extremely versatile indeed.

Size looks great, congrats.

[Laz81]

Sorry to hear about your loss. The watch looks great on you. Wear in good health. You have insanely good writing skills.

[rmlovett1]

Welcome and congratulations on a great watch!

[Avs Fan]

Congratulations and welcome!

[samson66]

Great story, and welcome to TRF!

Congratulations - you made an excellent choice. Fantastic watch and looks terrific on you

[Jpccarguy]

Very sorry to hear about your journey and your loss. OTOH, your quest is a great story. It's very interesting to see how often a Rolex comes into someone's possession associated with a life event- graduation, wedding, new job, and unfortunately, sometimes a tragedy.

Thank you for sharing and showing us how many different ways there are to join the Rolex fold. Welcome to TRF- this is an amazing source of useful information and wonderful stories, like yours.

Very best regards.

John

[StillTrying]

Great intro and story! Welcome and enjoy you DJ. It’s looks perfect on you!


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[Computantis]

Sorry for the loss.

On the other hand, congratulations on DJ! I too remember being in my teens and all of the people who entertained my interest in watches and let me try on their pieces really fueled the addiction.

Enjoy it!