My first Rolex purchase

[LazySumday]

The crisp smell of morning after a treacherous downpour the night before permeated the air as I parked at Valley Fair Shopping Center in Santa Clara California on January 8th, 2017. My New Balance sneakers quickly became water logged as I accidentally stepped into a two inch puddle. Muffled cursing under my breathe escaped me.

I was simply making my rounds through Macy's, picking up a few dress shirts and stopping by a Coffee Bean kiosk and off I would be to pick up my kids from my mom's house, who were being watched by her for a few hours. My wife was spending the weekend with two girlfriends at a spa retreat. I savored the few hours of respite, even if it happened to be in a mall. Shirts in tow, I paid for my coffee and made my way down the escalator taking a leisurely stroll enjoying my iced coffee. Then I passed it. The logo is known the world over and I have seen it countless times. It never really stirred anything more in me that curiosity, partly because I had always felt Rolex timepieces are meant to be owned by the truly rich, wealthy and successful. Anyone else wearing one was simply just a poseur. Even so, the green Rolex logo beaconed me to enter the Davidson and Litch jewelry gallery. As I entered, I was sized up by a very stoic looking security guard that was taking his job very seriously. I made my way around a circular center display case and was immediately acknowledged by a well dressed sales person, wearing no less I presumed, than a Rolex himself.

"I want to see your Rolex's."

"Do you have a particular model that interests you? "he asked

The Date Just and the Sumariner I stated, not realizing that I pronounced it Sumarine-er, a WIS faux pas. He pulled out the Submariner Date and I tried it on.

"Not Bad. It has presence that is for sure."

"Yes it does sir. It takes over a year to make one of these." I began to ask him questions about this but I forget what was asked so I will skip this part.

"How much?"

"$8500", but he made it sound like it was $13.95

"Let me try on the Date Just please"

"Certainly, I assume that your SKX009's face is the preferred size, so I will recommend that you try on the 41mm models. Two-toned or stainless steel?"

"Stainless."

I immediately liked how it looked, but I also felt that it was missing something. It looked serious and was a little out of place with my UC Santa Cruz sweatshirt and looked like it preferred a 3-piece suit to my ensemble.

"Thanks for your time, I would like your card and when I am ready, I will pick up a Submarine-er, I mean sub-MAR-iner."

He gave me his card and also gave me a Rolex magazine issue #6 that featured the submariner in it. He left me with this:

Keep in mind, there is also a no date version that is available for $7500.

My ears perked up. A Submariner at a DISCOUNT!

"Let me take a look at one."

HE then proceeded to show it to me. At first I felt like the Sub was missing something with out the date window, almost like it was missing the international poseur cyclops. But I that thought quickly dissipated when i tried it on and felt that it just looked so damn good.

I immediately felt compelled to purchase it. It was more money than I had every imagined spending on a timepiece. I justified it as it being my gift to myself for having accomplished owning my own business and all of the hard years of schooling that I went through. That was a week before I turned 39. For my 40th, I gifted myself a GMT Coke 16710. I now own my Poseur cyclops too.