Hello From New Member

[Hotrod64]

Greetings fellow Rolex enthusiasts!

I was just surfing the net for nothing in particular and came across this site. Wow, this is great! I previously joined another watch forum, but it's new and kind of boring right now. Obviously, this forum is well established.

Anyway... about myself. I am an avid watch enthusiast, aficionado, geek, lover, nut, or whichever term my wife calls me each day. I have an ever growing collection of 25 watches, having just purchased 2 more last week. Of the 25 watches, 2 are Rolexes. A Datejust Stainless Steel with Oyster bracelet I purchased in '04 for my 40th birthday, and a Datejust 18kt Rose Gold and Stainless Steel with Roman numeral dial and Jubilee bracelet I purchased last year... a present to myself for having back surgery. I didn't really like the new case at first, but it gradually grew on me. The latter Datejust is by far the most favorite watch in my collection, which also consists of models from Breitling, Baume & Mercier, TAG-Heuer, Concord, Raymond Weil, Bertolucci, Longines, and Philip Stein Teslar.

I had 2 Rolexes when I was a little younger, less mature, and didn't fully understand the value, history, and importance of them. One in particular comes to mind. Back in 1993 I bought a Datejust 18kt Gold and Stainless Steel with Oyster bracelet and a beautiful Tapestry dial. I paid $2500 for it brand new (you can't even get a new Air King for that price nowadays). I kept that watch for about three months before I sold it. I've been kicking myself in the butt and regretting it ever since. I had another stainless Datejust in which I did the same. I vowed to never do that again.

Now, my Rolexes, as well as my other watches will ALL go to my son when he becomes an adult.

I plan to purchase another Rolex in the near future, but I can't make up my mind on which model. I've always liked the Submariner, but here lately I have gained an interest in the GMT II, the Daytona, and the Cellini Prince. Although the new Turn-O-Graph is really nice, I liked the old "Thunderbird" much better, and might look for one of those.

For Christmas, one gift from my wife was a large book entitled "The Best of Time - Rolex Wristwatches - An Unauthorized History". $125 at Barnes & Noble, and Borders. May be cheaper online. I highly recommend this book to EVERY Rolex enthusiast. I know that there are other books out there, but this is a good one too.

As I said earlier, this is great. I look forward to posting more and reading more on this fantastic forum.