What made you buy your first Rolex?

[Armyguy03]

I hung a picture of a 116610 on my wall during my deployment to Afghanistan 2013-2013. During the deployment I purchased a Seiko SKX009 & 007. They were my first automatic watch. For the previous 9 years I'd worn a Suunto. That watch went with me to South America, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and countless field exercises and Airborne jumps.

In 2013 I started with a DJ (purchased on post deployment leave from Honolulu Time), then went to Ben Bridges in Ala Moana mall and got a 116610. I walked in, pointed at the Sub and said "I'll take that please." The sales staff beamed, presuming that this would be the easiest sale of his day.

Fast forward, I no longer own the 116610 or the DJ, and have fallen in love with my divers and GMT, all < 5 digits. Now that I am back in Afghanistan, I am wearing my trusted SD on a NATO (Maratac). I've contemplated purchasing a DD upon my return, but I figured that it would make it more special to wait till retirement from the service before I do.

After reading a lot here and across the interweb, I have learned a lot about Rolex history and am proud to be associated with a brand that pushed the boundaries of R&D. Now that I am a 100% WIS, I come across a lot of older gentlemen who wear the brand, and I often share a few words. Their stories and admiration is unlike any I've seen or heard before. A lot are single owners, which often compels me to sell my other pieces and enjoy one for the next 10 years so I too can have stories attached to one piece. However, my addiction won't allow, therefore I must share the love.

We are burdened by time. I figure it's best to track it with something I highly value.

[phils]

In 1967 I was starting scuba and needed a dive watch. Had a hard time deciding between Rolex and Omega. Decided on a 5513. Dove until 1978. I was an instructor and on a rescue squad.
Three years after I bought the 5513 I bought a tt DJ.
Been with Rolex ever since.

[threemonkeys]

After continually telling my wife not to buy me a Christmas present, I discovered on Christmas Eve that she had not, in fact, purchased one. As we were downtown at the time, I impulsively bought a Rolex for myself. And from that moment on, I became a big shot and such.

Easy-peasy.

[Soly20]

I had already bought other watches to myself and bought others Rolexes I always was curious about Rolex as a watch for me but I had never worn one before. Once I tried a few on, in Paris, it just felt right and looked beautiful and the rest is history.

[lentel]

Always loved my dads 1964 GMT. Played wearing it occasionally when I was a kid and had to a rolex as an adult. Now I own his GMT as well

[AirbusA321Pilot]

When I was just a student pilot many years ago I came across an ad in an aviation magazine advertising the GMT Master II. As soon as I saw it, I had to have one. Took many years until I could afford one and the day I turned 40 I went out and bought one. Now as an airline pilot, as far as I am concerned it is the only watch to have.

[WannaGMT]

Grew up watching Magnum PI and I loved his blue and red watch. Years later I found out it was a Rolex. After years of looking I finally decided on an Explorer for my 40th. I like the stealth look of it and my wrist doesn't scream I' wearing a Rolex. I will probably buy another one for my retirement or another birthday.

[RazoRock]

Previous to my Rolex, I wore a bunch of different 'good' watches, from Japanese Quartz, to Japanese Autos to Swiss Quartz. I started to put together a list of negatives about the watches I owned and must-have features for the watch I was going to buy.

I wanted a very tough tool watch, one that could be worn daily, for the rest of my life and take a real beating.

I wanted a watch with dual time zones, so I could keep track of time when calling business contacts overseas and when traveling.

I wanted a watch that could be truly used in the water because I spend a few month on the beach.

I wanted an automatic watch that could keep accurate time.

I wanted a watch that would age gracefully and that I could pass onto the next generation.

I wanted a watch that would fit my normal attire (Jeans, casual) but could also be worn with a suit.

I wanted a bracelet and I wanted it to be the best and most comfortable bracelet with a very secure clasp.

I wanted a watch that was recognized with success and achievement.

After weighing everything out, there was really only one watch that fit-the-bill and that watch was a GMT MasterII. It's the only watch I wear, I wear it everyday, for every activity... it's worth every penny and more.

[Davey11]

To mark the passing of an addiction and thus celebrate a big life achievement, I was in Melbourne to watch Liverpool F.C's first Australian tour. I had been visiting TRF and WUS regularly and had developed a rather royal obsession with the Rolex Sub-C 114060. I blame you good folk =) Loved the brands history, reliability, and with further in depth research (much info attained from posts here) about movements, reliability, new vs old, and had decided a Sub was the one for me. Alas, there are no AD's in the city i reside... So, lo and behold, in Melbourne on gameday morning i was in the AD's taking receivership of my first Rolex. Needless to say, said timepiece had its first wear that night, and the reds won 2-0!

Only downside is now i have a new addiction, Collecting timepieces. At least it be ever so more healthy than the previous one.

cheers

[QueueCumber]

Originally Posted by nikanarani

Was it the legacy, the way it looked, the reference to culture, to impress, or something else? For me it was the fact that I had an encounter with a Rolex in my youth and that began my fascination with timepieces. I finally bought one many years later to celebrate a certain achievement and to satiate my obsession with the brand.

I had a mechanical watch when I was a kid that I found in the attic: a red strap Ingersol Mickey Mouse. I collected watches when I was a tween (Swatches), and I had some relatively cheaper battery operated pieces over the years, e.g. TAGHeuers, Raymond Weils, Movados. The transition to Rolex came for me a few years after I initially got into pinball machines and high end audio, video, and HT. A friend of mine said he was surprised I wasn't into mechanical watches considering a lot of my mechanical and technological interests overlap there.

So, I started looking into mechanical watches. Rolex was one of the first and most common names to come across when going to look at mechanical watches as well as Omegas, but the styling and the aesthetic of the Rolex watches were more alluring to me. Rolex was a name I was familiar with as well, as my grandparents had them, my mother had one passed to her by my grandmother, and my uncle had one, so the familiarity of the name won out for me, and it was a crucial part of my decision. My first piece was a DJ.

Rolex was a gateway for me into the sordid nightmare of watch addiction.

[Explorador]

I was a smoker. I used to smoke about a pack of marlboro a day for 24 years. The day i reached half of my life as a smoker (24 yrs non vs. 24 yrs smoker) I took a seminar and quit. That was 2 years ago. I decided to save the cigarette money month after month and invest it in something that reminds me every day how beautiful lifetime can be, and since I entered this and the german speaking forum 6 years ago, and since the only material wish I"ve had throughout my life (other wishes came and went...) is a grail watch, it became clear that it has to be THIS watch, 16710 with lug holes AND SEL.

A few days ago I got it, this are the first pics.

May this encourage anyone playing around with the idea of quitting smoke!

You can hardly imagine the double pleasure I have every time I look at my first non smoking watch.
Happy new year to everyone here!!!