My story

[gfengstad]

Ok.. in order to understand my story, I have to go back many, many years ago when I was 11 years old.

I had come home from school and went out to play with my friends. We lived in a small town and it was quite safe. Long story short, I was having so much fun I lost track of everything only to come home having missed dinner. My father was a very strict, tough man and when you were punished, well let me say the rod was never spared. I cried and cried at the unfairness of this proclaiming that I didn’t know the time. How could I? I didn’t own a watch.

A few days later my father came to me. He apologized for his temper and talked to me about the implode respecting dinner time. How my mother worked to prepare a meal and that it was disrespectful to miss it. At the end of that talk, he presented me with one of his watches. A Rolex Datejust. I had no idea at the time the significance of his gift.

Time passed and six years later he was killed in a work accident. I treasured that watch and wore it everyday. In my twenties, after putting myself through school, getting married and having my first child at 23, I found it increasingly difficult to support my family. Sadly, I sold my Datejust to my best friend who just happened to be a watch maker. He warned me and asked more than once if I was sure. I said that I really had no choice. He gave me what he felt it was worth for him to buy, knowing that he had to make some money reselling it.

Well, it’s been just over 30 years since that decision and I never really forgave myself. I’m looking now to buy my Rolex and have been researching a fair bit. The logical conclusion would be to by another Datejust and call it a day but I have to confess I’m really leaning towards the GMT Master II. I know that these watches are difficult to get at an AD (new) and I will likely be on a waiting list.

My question. How long do you think I’ll be waiting for this? I live in Vancouver, Canada.