Winding Rolex, really?

[G@tor B@it]

All:

For anyone who hasn't read one of my posts yet, the confessions:

1. Knew nothing about Rolex besides the name until a couple months ago.
2. Buying one only to impress people (yep, and probably not the only one)!
a. At least for that silly reason, I can afford it.

My goal is to buy by April, when I turn 40, as it's to be a gift to myself. So I've spent the past couple months learning and researching. I actually made a trip to meet DavidSW this past Thursday, and plan to do business with him.

So in my research, I've seen mentions of winding. I don't own any watches you have to wind... and though winding went out the window decades ago. And of course if there ever was a watch you still had to wind, surely it wouldn't be a new model of the finest watch in the world?!?! But then I see ads with mentions of "power reserve." I started to realize you might actually have to wind a Rolex. Of course when I went to DavidSW and met Nina, she confirmed.... yep, after 2 days a 11613 is going to stop running.

So if I don't wear this thing everyday, its going to stop, have to be wound, and have to be set? I just don't understand why Rolex still makes watches this way. I have 2 Citizen Ecodrives... and they don't have to be touched! The only reason I can come up with... is that winding these watches are part of the "experience." You're suppossed to love winding it and setting it once, maybe twice a week. But then think about this.... if these are the finest time pieces money can buy (just work with me here...) and they keep fantastic time... why does that even matter if you're going to have to set the time manually once a week? They might as well keep horrible time, since you're constantly setting the time.

So I'm just wondering how the fellow members deal with this. Do most of you wear yours daily? Subjecting them to elements of "wear and tear" but never have to wind them? Or do you wear them weekly, monthly, or even more sparingly, and have to wind and set them each time you put them on?

I planned to wear mine weekly... and initially I'll be proud and excited to have it on... and I'll enjoy the "experience" of setting it. But I don't see myself setting or winding it once or twice a week. All my other watches have dates... and it usually takes me at least a week (sometimes two) into the new month before I get around to changing the date on them! I can see myself wearing this $12,000 watch and not even having the right time on it! Or I may rarely wear it because I know it'll have to be set. I see people refer to their watches as "safe queens" and that's not what I want for something I'll be spending this much on. If I drop this money, its to use it. So now I'm thinking, I may not even bother.

Looking forward to your feedback!