How many people here started with 1 rolex and then moved up the Horology ladder?

[Stonedcl]

How many people joined the forum and bought 1 rolex thinking that would be enough and all you need is 1 great watch and then after being here you moved up the ladder? I know when I started posting I had a baume and mercier , movado and rado and thought that B@M was a great watch.. I bought my first Rolex (116200) and was hooked.. I worked hard and saved all my extra money sold a bunch of stuff on ebay and then got a 116610 and thought this was it..

I have 1 dress watch and 1 sport watch from rolex so now I am set. Then I did buy a tudor pre-tiger (loved the look) and realized there was watches that had more history and where "better" then Rolex.. like Vacheron Constantin , Jaeger-LeCoultre , Audemars Piguet and of course Patek Philippe.

I saved for the next year or so and bought a AP which I sold to fund my true grail which was a Patek 5167 , but as I know when you buy or get to your goal there is always something more..

So I ask you guys who bought a rolex or two and is now rocking a ap or patek?

If you told me 5 years ago that you spent over $15K on 1 watch I would think you were crazy and now I am the crazy one!!

What I love best about these brands is that most people have no clue. I am in sales and I talk to customers all day everyday. Sometimes when they see my rolex they think I am going to make a killing on them, and everyone knows what rolex is. When they see my 5167 they have no clue and I love that about those great watch companies..

So lets hear it, how many started with rolex and then moved up?

[jot_]

I actually started out with other brands - owned a variety of Seikos... worked my way up to a variety of Omegas.... then I bought two Rolexes - A Sub and an Air King. Ended up selling pretty much all of them except for the Air King because well, I never wore anything else after buying it! I'd say when it comes to horology, Rolex is more of an end than a beginning for me! My AK is the perfect watch for all occasions and I just can't see myself buying anything else anytime soon.

[Camel]

I started with TAG, Rado, Omega and got stuck at Rolex and I am staying right where I am !

[Rolex Freak]

Started with Sector, than Rolex, AP and than Patek. Love them all.

[cop414]

Started with Omega flipped one, got another, then on to Doxa, flipped one and got another... then to my Sub. Not ever flipping this one but I do see an Explorer I some time down the road.

[MrDoug]

Tissot to Anonimo to Omega to Bell&Ross to Rolex then Panerai and AP. I have about 18 watches now, 5 are Rolex...not a single Submariner. (Which is what I wanted in the first place.)

[floater156]

AP and PP have better looking insides, but I think Rolex is better looking on the outside. The only PPs I'd be interested are the more casual models (nautilus and aquanaut). The AP royal oak is a nice looking piece. I have 2 Rolexes. I doubt I'll ever go "up the ladder." The only watch I'd really be interested in adding to my collection at this point is the 116610.

[paverman]

That pretty much defines my journey to date. My first nice watch was a used Rolex no date Sub and I couldn't believe I was spending $2500 on a watch. A couple months later I bought a new wg DD2. I started lurking on various watch forums about that time and then the flood gates opened. Way too much enabling going on and too much time spent on "for sale" boards. Several Pateks, Lange's, rolex's, Panerai's, Jlc's, Brequet's, UN's and others followed. it doesn't seem that there is an end in sight.
Oh well, I guess I'll just have to surrender.

Ps- my that first one a $2500 sure seems cheap now. Haha

[swils8610]

Started with a Tag in the late 90's. bought and sold several Tags, Omegas and Baume Mercier. Bought my first Rolex in 2003. Still have it. Submariner 16610. Sold off any other watches I owned. Stated my Sub was the only watch I ever needed or wanted. Fast forward a few years.....added a couple Omegas and Breitlings. Flipped them and a couple Rolexes.....white dial Milgauss and a white dial Explorer. Have always kept my Sub from 2003 and have recently added a black dial Milgsuss and white dial Explorer II. So......we will see what's next!


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[Tudor66]

I started by owning what I could afford as a kid, one timex, maybe two Timex's if I saved a little extra. Then I moved to collecting anything with a military dial, all low cost but interesting watches. I finally made the move to omega about ten years ago.

The real change came 1.5 years ago when I said I must have a Rolex- the max I will spend on any watch is 4k -6k, so I will probably not graduate to Patek, or any other higher end brand, and that's OK by me....

[DrLindaPhD]

Started with a 1940 Ladies 18k precision Rolex from WWII Occupied Paris. Bought and sold about 10 more over the following two years. Now, I have 5 that I love and don't want to part with any of them.

[TempoKing]

My first Rolex ?
I was around 19-20...and for the next 45 years I was totally hooked with Rolex exclusively
Oh I bought a Patek or two, or the occasional Vacheron and Jaeger as well as AP and Cartier
but Rolex was ...and always has been my "sickness"....
Currently I am down to 30-40 Rolex watches and looking forward to reduce that to about 8
One of every sport model in mix metals and as the years pass ...even those will be reduced further

[perpetualman88]

I started with this when I was 17. Bought it for 1100 bucks


Decided I had to join the club

[jctrolex]

Originally Posted by TempoKing

My first Rolex ?
I was around 19-20...and for the next 45 years I was totally hooked with Rolex exclusively
Oh I bought a Patek or two, or the occasional Vacheron and Jaeger as well as AP and Cartier
but Rolex was ...and always has been my "sickness"....
Currently I am down to 30-40 Rolex watches and looking forward to reduce that to about 8
One of every sport model in mix metals and as the years pass ...even those will be reduced further

30-40 Rolex? That is really sick, let me sacrifice myself and help you brother, just send them all to me. I'll share your pain.

[dcash0615]

The 16610LV attracted me to Rolex. Bought one in 2006 and shortly after found this watch site. I knew when I bought that first Rolex it would not be my last.

[MP5]

Originally Posted by perpetualman88

I started with this when I was 17. Bought it for 1100 bucks


Decided I had to join the club

Hello, Good Sir, Would you like to make your money back?

[s14roller]

Pretty normal for most of the ppl here, I'd imagine.

I have gone from Movado to Omega, Rolex, Panerai, and now spend time with AP. VC doesnt get my juices going but imagine a PP will find a way into my heart in the future...and maybe a JLC to fill the dress watch slot
if needed for now.

[mrchrischen]

I have to admit. Rolex is bad medicine. I got a replica Daytona Black dial late year as a gift. It was a nice watch but couldn't deal with the fact I am wearing a fake daily. I joined TRF this year and got the first REAL Zenith Daytona this Feb and ended up with 6 Rolexes in a two month span. Is this sick or what? Hopefully I can make it to the Patek next year. Hahahahah.

[Fiery]

I've started with Tag Heuer, then got a couple of Breitlings and Omegas, then my first and so far only Rolex. After that I've had to slow things down, but an AP Royal Oak slipped in anyway Then I've slimmed down the collection to only a couple of important pieces, and waiting for Basel

[Time Exposure]

I bought a white dial V-serial Daytona to bring it all to an end.

Then I bought a 40mm ExpII in black because missed my Polar and now had a white dial Daytona. Then I bought back the 1630 Datejust I traded but missed. Then a Root Beer. Then a DJ TT I wanted for the bracelet (for the Root Beer).

I sold them all and bought a Patek Nautilus 3710 Comet to bring it all to an end.

Then I bought the OP's Royal Oak moonphase. Then I bought a bunch of Longines and Wittnauers just because I was bored...

I'm saving up then selling it all to buy a Patek Nautilus 5980. To bring it all to an end.

I think we all know where THAT idea will go...

[Matt_Regan]

Casio -> Seiko -> TW Steel -> Rado -> Casio (again) -> Rolex -> ??? God knows where it will end, I'm already looking at AP Royal Oaks & PP Nautilus! The next step isn't always onto more and more expensive watches, I'm just always looking for the next watch that takes my eye & happily enjoying the journey!

[shnxx]

Childhood: Mickey Mouse and some quartz watches

Adolescence: Rolex datejust

Adulthood (college and beyond): casio > Panerai > Patek Philippe

[F.Works]

I began with a IWC Portuguesse 7 days and then Pam 088.My first and unique Rolex is a Deep Sea and i bought 2 years ago.My wife use a senior Datejust from 1969.I like Rolex but i prefer to get more watches marks because i´m with the said:The taste is in the variety.

[RolexDivers]

You will notice that as you move up the horlogy ladder, starting from ROLEX, you start losing a lot of benefits of Rolex. Patek and AP might have one up on ROLEX, but they are not as liquid as Rolex .... so be careful ...Rolex offers the ultimate package to me: fit, finish, looks, name, horology, history and resale ... other top brands can not claim all these attributes...

[kilyung]

I refuse to answer on the grounds that it may incriminate me with the spouse.

[sea-dweller]

I started with a 14060, in 1994, which I still have. Bought several others since then.

[RolexDivers]

I did inquire about an AP ... some hot shot told me they are not as hot as the hype and come selling time, I will pay the price ... so I backed off..

[Time Exposure]

Originally Posted by RolexDivers

I did inquire about an AP ... some hot shot told me they are not as hot as the hype and come selling time, I will pay the price ... so I backed off..

I have mixed feelings on this. Yes, Rolex is far and above the most liquid of the manufacturers, but even then you have to keep your expectations in check. When I sold my Rolexes I took quite a hit since my name doesn't match the darling dealers in the community. Also, on the AP forum you read a lot about quality control issues.

I still think for the same money I'd rather have the AP product than the Rolex dollar equivalent. I also deny that I'm going to flip all that I buy. It just turns out that way. But I'm in it for the watch, not the return on investment.

[Stonedcl]

Originally Posted by RolexDivers

You will notice that as you move up the horlogy ladder, starting from ROLEX, you start losing a lot of benefits of Rolex. Patek and AP might have one up on ROLEX, but they are not as liquid as Rolex .... so be careful ...Rolex offers the ultimate package to me: fit, finish, looks, name, horology, history and resale ... other top brands can not claim all these attributes...

I think it all depends on how you buy them.. If you buy them at close to MSRP then you prob take a bath... If you do your research and buy them right then you will do fine. I bought my AP moonphase and then sold it for what I payed for it so I did ok. I prob could have made a few bucks but since it was a member I did not care to make a dollar. With my 5167 i am sure I will do OK if I ever need to sell it. With some watches like the 5711 you will do fine because you can get MSRP for them. If you do your research you will be fine.

I originally got into Rolex and wanted a Rolex because it was the flashy brand. I must admit when I first got it I did not even know what in house movement meant , I just got it because it was a rolex and everyone knew it was expensive. I bought it for all the wrong reasons and the more I learned about watches the more i started to respect the watches for what was inside and history, not for its "status". Like I said before I work in sales , I am actually a car salesman and I was getting all the wrong attention for my rolex from customers. This might sound sad but I love what I do and I do very well at it. I love the fact that every day is different and I deal with different people everyday and it is not repetitive. I did work in a office and had a cubicle and made good money but I hated it and could not stand to see the same people everyday and do the same thing. That said every time I got a comment on my rolex it was never a good one. IT usually was something like " Wow you must be taking me to the cleaners to be able to afford a rolex" or "maybe I should have negotiated a better deal or checked with another dealer before buying this car". I love the rolex and the history but in my line of work it gets too much unwanted attention and when I had my AP I only had one person comment on it and I ended up selling him a car because he was a WIS. I have yet to get a comment on my 5167 because it is a sleeper watch , nobody would think twice about it when seeing it unless it was someone that knew watches.

[mcavana]

Here is my order:
casio calculator watch.
seiko kinetic
tag heuer
(2) movados
ROLEX...

Only planned on one Rolex but I have to get the Explorer 2 as well.... got 2 boys that need watches when I die.