Wrong Choice? help!

[Hairdude1]

That is a great gift! I am sure he will wear it well!

[George Ab]

Trust you instincts Kate. You did well with an the Oyster Perpetual 116000. One of the best things about that particular model is 36mm diameter and the dial is beautiful. Well done!

[mbuckley]

What a great gift

If I received it i would be on top of the world

He will love that beautiful watch

Great choice.

[jimcameron]

Kate, I've been wearing the same Submariner for 28 years and I love it. But if I were to get myself a new watch it would be an Oyster Perpetual. You are a wonderful wife and your Husband is a very lucky guy. Enjoy.

[zeuloa]

That's a great gift, he's a lucky man!

However, I would consider the following:

1) Does he like to have a date on his watch? Most people I know that appreciate having the date on their watch (including myself), have a hard time adjusting to a watch without date such as the Oyster Perpetual or Explorer I.

2) If the date is not an issue as a husband I would prefer the Explorer I and ill tell you why. The clasp is better as it's a flip lock which is safer as it's less prone to pop open by itself (this happened to me a few times with my DJ). Although the one you chose is a beautiful dial, it's not easily everyone's taste, therefore your husband might prefer the simplicity and classic style of the Explorer I better.

Either way it's a great gift that I'm sure he'll value as it came from you, and it was your choice.

Best of luck!

[VICI]

Kate - here's a consideration from another site on buying watches:


- Do you want to wear the watch for your typical work days or is it for the weekend or specific activity or is it the one watch for everything?

- During your workdays what kind of attire are you in and how active do you get?

- If you're getting the watch more for weekend or other activities, then the question is what are these activities? Pulling at the pub, clubbing, diving, swimming, jogging, skiing etc

Does the watch you want to get suit and hold up to all of this?

Based on knowing your husband's hobbies, habits and lifestyle - do you think he is more of a sporty casual guy or a more formal business guy.

The explorer is more sporty while the one you purchased is meant to be worn in more elegant or business-like settings, dinners etc.

You get my point - think about this lifestyle and then decide what is more appropriate.

Your gesture is wonderful

[pilyo]

Beautiful watch, loving wife and a lucky husband. Post a pic of his kenneth cole watch

[impalass]

Welcome to TRF and you chose well imho ! It's just a touch dressier than the Explorer I and sounds like it will suit him better, congrats.

[landroverking]

Great watch no worries.

[jvo300]

A precious gift given with love can never be wrong. However, this model and dial is less common amongst the enthusiasts here. The sports watches are most popular. Only you and your husband can decide if that is a good or bad thing.

Years ago a female friend asked my help to get a Rolex for her husband. She chose a tuxedo dial and I approved (I guess I played the role of the stylish friend). I didn't know much about watches back then, but I wore a Tag so that must have counted for something at the time. Her husband has worn that watch everyday since he got it. Success! However, had I known then what I know now, I would have steered her towards other things.

In general, my preference now is to more traditional styling. I think these may be more enduring over the years, particularly as you think about passing to the next generation. Don't get me wrong, everyone loves their dad's old watch no matter what. My own dad still wears my grampa's little Mido sometimes - though he wears his stick dial Rolex Datejust more. Just some food for thought. Good luck!

[kngzfrd]

With a rolex you can't go wrong...especially as a gift from a loving wife...you put a lot of thought into his gift, and that is a great gift in itself...

Lucky guy!

Now it's time for yours!

[Rodney65]

My only comment would be the size. If he has a larger wrist 36mm is going to be small looking on his arm.

[Mystro]

Size is the only issue I would have. It is on the small size.

Originally Posted by Rodney65

My only comment would be the size. If he has a larger wrist 36mm is going to be small looking on his arm.

[~dadam02~]

I'm with quite a few others, the size is just way to small for today's market. I'm not advocating the 40mm+'s that are fairly normal these days but think you should have stuck to your original guns and gone for the Explorer I. A timeless classic and the perfect size to boot.

[Billywiz]

Originally Posted by ~dadam02~

I'm with quite a few others, the size is just way to small for today's market. I'm not advocating the 40mm+'s that are fairly normal these days but think you should have stuck to your original guns and gone for the Explorer I. A timeless classic and the perfect size to boot.

ABSOLUTE NONSENCE!

The 36m has stood the test of time as an elegant classic...the new larger cases are also new large and chunky cases...will be interesting how history judges these current designs...not well I think.

kate if he has taste he will love it especially from you. I have 7" wrist...see if you think ths 36mm is too small

[~dadam02~]

Originally Posted by Billywiz

I have 7" wrist...see if you think ths 36mm is too small

Yes way too small, get a proper watch.

[codecow]

Kate the fact that you picked it for him will sing volumes in terms of this vs. that. When it comes down to it most men are not that particular (in my opinion). For example, my wife has bought me jewelry in Hong Kong as a surprise and there was no issue. I can almost guarantee if I did the same thing for my wife she would throw me out of the house for a few days.

[VegasKate]

Thanks again everyone!
You have been SO much help.
There's definitely reasons for switching (we are both very, very active people, he's not a small fellow, 6' so not "big" but broad shouldered so the size my be an issue etc...) but he definitely does NOT already have a vision for his Rolex, so I'm safe there. :) And at the end of the day, I'm not concerned about what it will look like paired with a backpack or on the boat (though those are definitely big parts of "us"), but more with making sure he has a piece that will complement his new "work look" (he's transitioning from a creative role to an executive role so it's time to shed the cool jeans and mac pack for tailored suits and a great watch! :) )
Of course, we still may wind up just walking from dinner to the store to look at options, which is fine!!
Again, thanks for helping out a gal who clearly didn't know what she was doing.
I appreciate every single one of you so much!
Will report back on Friday!

[chaisson]

That is a seriously nice looking watch.....I'd be proud to wear it

[CWIN]

Great gift. Any man would be lucky to receive such a gift from a loved one. FWIW, I prefer the looks of the Explorer I. But you know him best. Go with your gut feeling.

[jctrolex]

It's a great choice for the following reasons:
If he is going in a management role the watch is a little dressier than the explorer but it still looks good with a pair of jeans.
Like someone here mentioned the dial can be changed for a few hundred dollars down the road for a totally different look if he wants to, not the case with the explorer.
It is every bit as rugged and waterproof as the explorer. As a matter of fact the smooth bezel on the explorer will show more scratches.
I personally (stressed personally) think the date under the cyclops is hard to read and kind of useless.
Most importantly you think it's beautiful and you chose it for your husband, that is deeply personal and has significant meaning. For a watch like Rolex which is meant to be kept for a life time that trumps everything else.
Remember, your husband is not like most of us here who is passionate about minute details about watches. It was different when my wife told me she wanted to buy me a watch for our anniversary we went to the dealer and I picked out a few that I like and we picked one together. She knew she couldn't pick a watch for me by herself because of the way I am with watches.
You have chosen very well and I am sure he will be thrilled.

[Aarcher@McDGA]

You're husband should be very pleased.

[MrPhatKatt]

Please give us a update, thanks for sharing.

[Nycturbovr6]

I would like that as a gift !

[RGP]

Beautiful gift Kate. My favorite watch is the first one that my wife gave me as a Christmas gift. Your husband will love it.

[jshepard]

Nice watch... Definitely more unique than an Explorer if that was your goal. The oyster perpetual has many different dial variations unlike their sport watches with the exception of the slight variations in the Daytona. To be honest, anything not a sub or datejust is unique to the non-watch enthusiast.

[RolexPete32]

I really like the 36mm OP. This was the right choice. Any man should be happy no question if his wife gave him this as a gift.