Why did you.....

[sdlivin]

buy your first Rolex and what did it mean to you?

I read once that you know you have made it, to a certain level of distinction, when you can spend afford a well made watch. For me, while I sit here and wait for my first Rolex, it means years of hard work, school, pulling myself up from a family that had no college graduates to making enough money to help put my younger siblings through college.

What are YOUR stories?

[thomaspp]

Just fell in love with the damned thing! Could have afforded one much earlier but just hadn't discovered high end watches. Congrats to you!

[SUBversive]

Vegas

[sdlivin]

Bahahahah, if all you came back from Vegas with was a watch, nice work!

[tkerrmd]

Originally Posted by sdlivin

buy your first Rolex and what did it mean to you?

I read once that you know you have made it, to a certain level of distinction, when you can spend afford a well made watch. For me, while I sit here and wait for my first Rolex, it means years of hard work, school, pulling myself up from a family that had no college graduates to making enough money to help put my younger siblings through college.

What are YOUR stories?

Same as yours

[HogwldFLTR]

For me it was a matter that started with the Bond Omega and the Bond 50th Anniversary watch. When I posted about the Bond Omega on the Martin Guitar forum I got a bunch of crap from a former TRF member about Omega not being the real Bond watch and Rolex being the one. Well, consider it a subliminal message that worked its way after a few years and ended up with me buying my first.

[skprd13]

I always loved watches and can remember my first high end purchase. It was matching Omega Seamaster Pro. for my wife and myself for our 10th wedding anniversary. After that is was Rolex for our 20th wedding anniversary. Feel in love since then.

[ExplorerChris]

http://s1266.photobucket.com/albums/...xplorerChris/?

I knew about Rolex from when I was in my 20's I was in the Canadian Armed Forces and had a buddying the service that needed cash quickly for what I never asked but he sold me his Explorer II only months old for $1000.00 how could I go wrong.
For me from that point on its been a 35 year love affair. Rolex watches and Martin guitars both symbols of rich history, quality craftsmanship and truly works of art

[GradyPhilpott]

I got interested in owning more than one watch because quartz technology made watches so inexpensive that I could have multiple watches for a song and with the work I was doing, wearing a different watch everyday, made things more interesting.

My interest in watches have been whetted, I began to visit the watch groups and began to learn a thing or two about what luxury watches were all about.

I also learned a lot about Rolex history and the entrepreneurial spirit of Hans Wilsdorf, his business model, and his dedication to innovation.

Eventually, I decided that I deserved at least one luxury watch, so I finally decided that a 114270 fit me and my budget at the time perfectly and, well, one just wasn't enough.

I still buy the less expensive watches because I love watches in general, but my Rolex collection is growing and my general interest in watches is broadening.

I've never had a single regret for buying a Rolex.

[vette boy 52]

We both bought Rolexes for our fifth wedding anniversary.

[CKL1213]

Trf

[Scott in Arizona]

I bought it because I was fascinated by watches from about age 4 or 5. But then school, marriage, and starting the family got in the way. As my mother's health failed she told me she knew I never got the nice watch I wanted. She told me that when she passed, there was some money which we children would receive. She told me that it was her wish that I would use mine to buy a nice watch. At that time, to me that meant a Rolex and I bought a preowned GMT Master from a respected dealer. Still trying to be relatively frugal then, I left the door open to maybe another. A Seamaster Pro followed and the collection began.

I learned a lot more about watches over time and have now owned several brands as the budget will allow. I'm still a bit in awe of the Breguet and the AP I owned. I still have some i need to own on my list. But the constant piece for me, perhaps because its the one my Mom would understand, is a Rolex. Only for a few months has there not been one in my collection. Breitling is close behind for me.



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[adamlea]

I've always been interested in watches, but I can't say what it was that initially appealed to me about Rolex - maybe it was one of the iconic print ads I had read somewhere. By the time I was in my early teens, I knew Rolex was one of the best and I knew that someday, I'd have one.

That someday came last year - some 30 years, more than a little floundering, 3 degrees, and a lot of hard work later. I bought it to commemorate a hard won victory in a civil rights case, where I represented a family whose son died 3 weeks before he was scheduled to be released from prison because he didn't receive adequate medical care. It reminds me that David can - and, upon occasion, does - beat Goliath.

[Thunderbird88]

Originally Posted by Scott in Arizona

I bought it because I was fascinated by watches from about age 4 or 5. But then school, marriage, and starting the family got in the way. As my mother's health failed she told me she knew I never got the nice watch I wanted. She told me that when she passed, there was some money which we children would receive. She told me that it was her wish that I would use mine to buy a nice watch. At that time, to me that meant a Rolex and I bought a preowned GMT Master from a respected dealer. Still trying to be relatively frugal then, I left the door open to maybe another. A Seamaster Pro followed and the collection began.

I learned a lot more about watches over time and have now owned several brands as the budget will allow. I'm still a bit in awe of the Breguet and the AP I owned. I still have some i need to own on my list. But the constant piece for me, perhaps because its the one my Mom would understand, is a Rolex. Only for a few months has there not been one in my collection. Breitling is close behind for me.



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This post almost made me cry! So powerful, you really made her wish come true! That watch should be passed down to you children, but that you probably already planned on doing ;)

For me, my Rolex doesnt mean very much how odd that might seem.
Im part of the younger crowd (22 years old), I worked abroad 10 months last year and I hated just seeing the money sitting in the bank account not being used.
So I wanted to buy myself a watch that could be sold at any time given so therefor I landed on Rolex even though I like Omega much more.
But now my heart is steering towards an AP RO, big money buying one.
So we will see what happens, I will have the RO one day.

[Gary.]

I'd always admired the Explorer but never quite managed to pull the trigger. There was always something else to buy and there were- as there are currently with the Daytona -rumours of a revamp around the corner. I thought I'd wait and see what turned up.
Then the new model was announced and the bracelet was beefed up but the rest of the changes somehow took it away from what I liked about the (then) current model. It seemed to me that the Explorer's character was always defined by functionality and unobtrusiveness and the increased size and replacement of the white numbers with solid white gold items represented a small but significant move away from those values. So I thought "Now or never" and took the plunge.

I grew to see the pluses in the old stamped clasp and lighter bracelet and I'd always thought the size and dial were perfect, anyway.

I'm by no means against all of the changes that Rolex have made to recent models (I've recently, painfully handed over the full, brutal RRP for a new Explorer II) but I am very happy that I got my first Rolex in what I subjectively feel is its best incarnation.

[zama]

I always liked nice watches was given a gold plated black face DeVille Omega for 21st, bought a vintage reproduction Heuer Chrono at 30, then 10 years later my wife suggested I get a Rolex for my 40th, I could not in my mind at the time justify a Rolex Sub which is what I wanted, so I went part way with a Tudor Sub. I bought my wife a DJ next, then a GP/Piaget, then my own DJ, then a Rolex Sub, Daytona, PP and that takes us to now at 43..... I think a DD may be next, time to go old school, and start winding back the spend. I really like my watches. I guess I can always move them on if I need to. My goal is probably to get to 5 watches in the end. Daytona, Sub, DD, PP and maybe an ALS......

To me my watches just make me happy

[Rusty888]

for me it was a case when my yellow gold watch no longer suited my work profession. Whilst coming from Omega I was looking at what was next and I felt it was a good reward for a successful year. After thinking of the DJII it eventually was the GMTIIc BLNR that won my heart. Both my young boys love the colour blue and I couldnt pass it up the moment I saw it.

That and my partner telling me to just buy any darn thing so I would stop going out to places so I could "pop in" to watch stores to view pieces.

I like to go with my first reason, although really it was the second reason

[sdlivin]

These are all amazing stories! Thank you all so much for sharing. It only goes to show how important the watches are not only for their horological value, but also what they represent to us, at certain times in our lives.

Amazing stories!

[amacdoniv]

I actually wanted a Rolex since i was thirteen years old and saw one in a ARD in Pennsylvania sitting in the window. I promised one day I would be able to get one. Jump ahead 35 years and now that I am making decent money and feel that I can now afford this kind of luxury I finally purchased a used/preowned date just. It was purchased to be a reminder to me, when I look down at my left wrist, the many years of persistence and determination it took to reach that milestone in my life.

[GerardoG]

I had been a fan of watches since high school, it came to a point in which I had 15 swatch (still keep some of them) and my dream was always to own a Rolex (DD).

When I got my college degree, I decided to 'man up', so I sold all my 'youngster' things (hi end car and home audio, etc) and bought myself a brand new 2T DJ that I still have. From there, it has been an ongoing love affair.

Last purchase (Friday) was a fun Britto for Technomarine World Cup Mexico edition, and I have 2 Rolex in order (no rush, likely to receive the first in a few weeks and the second in late '14 or Jan '15).

[McLovin]

As I was approaching 40, I thought it was time to kick up my look a little with a nice gold dress watch. A JLC was my first high end watch. Then I needed a SS GMT -- tried the Rolex GMT but preferred a JLC GMT, which was more legible. But after buying my dad a Submariner, I had a fascination for them, and followed up getting a TT Sub for myself. No one does TT like Rolex -- it's now my daily driver.

[locutus49]

When the first Bond movie came out in 1962 (I was 12), I immediately started reading all of the Ian Fleming books, and that was the first I heard of Rolex. Any watch that could be used as a set of brass knuckles was, for a young boy, a necessity.

Bought a TT DJ in 1974, in the Army, and after various Cartiers, etc. now finally own a Sub.

[FTX I]

I waited years and years for a Submariner that could be used by someone with small wrists, without a flimsy bracelet that required removing permanent links. Wish came true and now I adore my Subs.

[kilyung]

I wanted one so I got one

[AK797]

I was always late.

Now I just stare at my watch, miss the time completely, and am even later.

[drifter01]

My first Rolex was a old steel and gold Oyster Perpetual. It was the only one I could afford at the time and was bought just before I entered watchmaking school. It was a starting point and I have since owned 8 Rolexes. All have been sold except the two I now own, the '62 1500 and the '66 5500. I have another 5500 in parts right now as well. I bought the first Rolex because I wanted the best and Rolex was it. I fell out of love with Rolex for a while as I played with other brands, but I have regained my senses and now am a Rolex guy again. I still own other brands and wear them, but I always think..."why am I wearing this when I can be wearing my Rolex?"

Dave

[Rockrolex]

I was in my late 50's (nearly 15 years ago) when a potential client gifted me with a faux YG DD. It was a good fake, so much so that a watchmaker I took it to to have it sized thought it was the real deal. I wore it twice but couldn't bear to wear it again. However, I then started to compare it to authentic Rolex watches and found that they piqued my interest considerably. So I ended up buying a couple of TT DJs, a real YG DD, and my favorite, a Y-series SS GMT-II. My collection took off from there.

[Chad072]

I grew up in a blue collar family with parents who both worked full-time jobs just to pay what little bills they had, an occasional road trip vacation a few hours away, and to buy me a new Casio every couple of years for my birthday. They both pushed education and hard work, and they had a couple of friends who had degrees and good jobs, so being into watches, I always had an eye on what they wore. Both of the guys wore a Rolex (1 sub and 1 DJ). I guess I kind of associated success with a Rolex, and told myself I would own one one day. My watch collection began to grow after college with some Citizens and Seikos, then I bought an Omega to help push the collection up a notch. Even though I had a nice watch, I still felt incomplete since I didn't have the watch I wanted since I was small. I had the money to buy it for quite some time, but I guess my wife got tired of me talking about it and told me to quit talking and to just buy it. So I looked on TRF for a 16610 (not a fan of the ceramics) and pulled the trigger on a NIB 16610 from a TS while on vacation in Alaska. Wired the money to him when I got home and had it a few days later.

As far as what it means? I'd say I'm successful, but still have larger career ambitions and goals. I feel blessed to have bought a watch that cost more than the cars my parents drove when I was growing up. My parents also were happy for me that I was able to get one after wanting one for so long. They both started doing well in their careers when I was in college, and my dad is in the market for a nice watch for himself. I'm trying to push him to a PO since he's mentioned he liked my friends PO about a half dozen random times.

[GsurgBM]

I was never really that interested in Rolex until about a year and a half ago. My wife and I were talking about our careers and how we both felt like we were in a really good place with them. She told me that she thought I should consider getting a Rolex as a nice reward for what we had accomplished to this point. Both of her parents have Rolexes, and I guess she has always liked those. My family never had any watches like that, so I had never really thought about it. I went to the AD in Destin Florida, and walked out with a nice brand-new two-tone datejust, which seemed iconic and the definition of Rolex to someone who had never really followed the brand before. After buying that one, I joined the forum, and from there was hooked. I had a two-tone bluesy sub within another two months, and my first stainless GMT2c shortly thereafter. Also picked up a Pepsi, a sub LV, and for our 10th anniversary last month, my wife bought me a stainless Daytona. Guess once the fever bit, it created a hobby I have really enjoyed following. I have also purchased for my wife a platinum yacht master and a ladies datejust with diamond bezel, as well as a Tag automatic with diamonds that she really liked. None of our watches are irreplaceable, but we do enjoy wearing them daily and look forward to collecting more.

[Farlius]

I was for a very long time put off by the Crown with the stereotypical view of a watch is just a watch, but after insane WIS research, chatting with watchmakers and loads of 'try on' Rolex and other brand AD time my mind was changed. I was slowly saving in between buying other micro brands and g-shocks, all the while keeping an eye out for an Explorer II 16570 with the specs I wanted. I had an extensive Oakley Sunglass and gear collection collecting dust so I sold off a huge amount of it on ebay, surprisingly netted a couple grand, the type of Explorer II I wanted (Polar, lugholes, papers) magically showed up and voila, Proud owner. I'm also in the two best years of success with my job so many friends thought it was a celebratory mark but ironically it was really just the timing. I just exchanged unworn gear for more awesome gear I never wanna take off :).

I may have to get another to celebrate the achievements, ;).

Whatever you have wear it in good times!

Cheers