What watch before you discovered Rolexes?

[AH0RSEY]

Tissot rock watch is the first one I can remember, then my first proper watch was omega seamaster 200m in 1991

[airchitect]

Um....I had
a few casios
a timex or two
1 seiko
2 fossils
1 movado
1 swiss army
2 citizen nighthawk wr200's (lost one at a golf course, and the second is still my daily)
1 Hamilton Khaki GMT Navy Conservation Intl
1 Hamilton Khaki Officer 42mm
1 Tissot Visodate (still my favorite dressy watch, silver case/face w/brown strap)
1 GMTiic (which I unloaded and am still looking for the right GMT package for me)

I have never popped on a Tag even though countless have been offered for reasonable money. Its funny though, they seem to be the watches to own before you jump to an Omega or Rolex. Im okay with bypassing them though unless a cherry Monaco comes my way for cheap. :-)

[floater156]

Bulova

[HYPOLUXXA]

Swatch when I was 15 in the mid 80s, I bought over 50+ of them. Never wore the ones I thought might be worth some money. Fast forward to 1992 when I found out that people actually paid $300 to $1800 for watches I got for $30. I traded 6 of them for my first Rolex a 1970s Pepsi Dial GMT. Now those Swatch watched are not worth much, I'm glad I sold and traded them when I did.

[Justinsyndicate]

Tag F1 chrono, Omega Speedmaster chrono, Tag Carrera, Bell & Ross Type Marine, Breitling Colt... Expy 2 polar

[sig-x]

Brietlings and a Pam.

[DOW]

I've had Luminox, Seiko divers (SKX173) a Tag Heuer Professional 2000 series (wife unit has a matching Tag) and finally my Sub C.

[gwalker]

Tissot was my first nicer automatic. Got it in 6th grade. I also had a Luminox I LOVED. Started wearing a Rolex for special occasions (first date, Church, school dances, etc) when I was 16 and wore one daily since I was 18. Just purchased my first super expensive watch not that I dont consider a Rolex a very expensive purchase, an AP, at 27. hopefully a PP, IWC and maybe an ALS will come soon. I'm not finished with Rolex by any means but have some other brands I'd like to explore first. I'll pick up a LV and birth year watch in a year or so but the really large purchases won't be Rolex for many years.

[jstroh]

I was deep into the micro diver brands until I stopped flipping and taking the fiscal hits.

So I moved up slowly. Earlier this year, still searching for permanence, I decided to buy only those watches that moved me deeply, regardless of brand and, within reason, price. And I found that I needed only a few of them.

Those that have come and gone [in no particular order]:

Debaufre [2]
Seiko
Korsbek [2]
Kobold
Kremke
Kazimon
Breitling
Ball
RGM
Bremont
Steinhart
Glycine
BaliHa’i
Dievas
Luminox
Baume & Mercier
Zenton
Helson [2]
Ocean7 [2]
Tactico
Vollmer
Orient
Zinex/Zixen [2]
Benarus [2]
Boschett
Aquadive
Chase-Durer
Citizen
MarcelloC
Moscow Classic
Nautifish
Vostok-Europe

My current lineup:

Rolex DSSD, Omega PO 8500, UTS 4000

Mind you, this is just a 4-year journey. But I can honestly say that I have no desire to sell what I now own.

[tlbarrs]

My first was a Tag F1 back in 1998 when i was just 18 years old, then i had 2 more F1 after that then i got this Tag in 2000 and still have it although it has stooped at the moment needs a good services. I also have a nice gold Marvin but i am going to put that one up for sale. Got an Omega Seamaster last year but sold it with in 4 months and now have a Sub.

[pepefdez1]

My first one, was a Tissot, remember those days, was about 13 years old, loved it :)

[jk88]

I had an old Heuer (not TAG) dive watch (looked like a black dialed sub) and a Sector dive watch.

I still have the Sector but I lost the Heuer somewhere along the way.

[www777]

Patek. Maybe I'm regressing but I found I wasn't wearing the pateks very often for fear of damaging them. Didn't feel comfortable playing tennis, baseball or mountain biking with them but not an issue for Rolex. I just think Rolex is probably the best all around versatile watch brand.