Rolex for 2 sons?

[edyu]

Hello,
I have 2 sons and I'm considering buying each of them a watch to be given to them on their 18th birthday (16+ years later). Ideally, it would be nice if one watch is wearable by my wife and the other by myself but that might limit the choices so it's not 100% must.
My question is regarding this: if you are younger than 30, how do you feel about your parents passing down a watch to you? Are there any particular model/color that you'd like (from the current new collections that I can get from an AD?)
And if you have kids, have you done something similar and what did you buy?
So, what would be the "best" 2 watches for my sons?

Thank you
ps. Any current rolex watch is fair game regardless of material and this is not for investment purpose at all so I could care less about how much the watch would be worth 16 years later. :)

[jb335]

I think many women look great n a Daytona, so I'd go with that for the wife and a classic Sub LN for you.

[polaris72]

Originally Posted by jb335

I think many women look great n a Daytona, so I'd go with that for the wife and a classic Sub LN for you.

Those two plus consider Explorer I or II.

[Tangier11]

The sport models are always very popular. Submariner being the most, however it is the most common Rolex. Yachtmaster 40 pops into my head because they work for women as well. The Yachtmaster gives you sport and sporty. With that said, if my dad gave me ANY Rolex I would be happy

[roger0770]

It's an awesome idea; legacy watch, heirloom, and etc. I'd probably pick the No-Date Submariner and the Explorer 1 for they are most likely not going to change much 16 years from now. Both watches can be spotted on many women's wrists nowadays.

[Polarbears]

I like the idea but I’d wait till 25 otherwise they may sell them for something they will regret.

[junamuan]

Originally Posted by Polarbears

I like the idea but I’d wait till 25 otherwise they may sell them for something they will regret.

That's what am thinking too. Or maybe when they get married.

[edyu]

Originally Posted by junamuan

That's what am thinking too. Or maybe when they get married.

hmm, that's a good idea. Now I have a family I realize how important it is for a man to have a family.

[lecorsaire]

A Submariner or GMT is the obvious choice for you to wear. For your wife, the Daytona would be ideal but getting a new SS one is just not feasible. The Explorer 1 39mm is a good choice, the Yachtmaster 40 with rhodium or blue dial is good choice. Heck a SS 36mm Datejust would really be perfect for your wife but I don't know how your son/sons would feel about it later on. It's a safer bet sticking with the sports models. I've seen Ivanka Trump wearing a TT Bluesy so women can really wear anything in this era and the newer Rolex bracelets have fewer fixed links to suit a wider variety of wrist sizes.

As for whether your sons will like the watches: Yes, I can guarantee you they will especially given that they were worn by their mother and father and hold sentimental value. When my father gave me my DD, I was extremely happy. It has a German day wheel which makes it more special since it always reminds me of my German ancestry. He has other watches that he will eventually pass down to me and regardless if I would have chosen those specific models or not, just the fact that they are my dad's favorite watches and one of them is worn by him nearly every day (a 36mm YG Breguet Marine) make them watches that I will hopefully one day pass down to my own son/sons when I become a father.

[Romeomikehotel]

27 y/o here. It could be a cool idea for you and the wife to both get platinum YMs in 40mm of their birth year.
My two reasons for this are that the platinum YM is gender neutral for you and the wife to wear the same watch and then your kids can both get the same watch. Second, when I was looking for my first Rolex I was aiming for a YM as it was versatile enough to wear in a suit or in casual clothes and your kids at 18 probably won’t have the money for multiple watches to cover different occasions and the YM feels a bit more special that your standard Steel Rolex.
I ended up with a 16713 gmt two tone on a jubilee for my first as I came across a deal I couldn’t pass up but I know I’ll end up with a Platinum YM soon as it fit my lifestyle perfectly.

[ian6988]

Personally, I feel like a Rolex should be earned and not just be given because they hit a certain age. I plan on giving one of my watches to my son after he graduates from college or maybe give it to him on the morning of his first serious job out of college.

[uncufunc]

Originally Posted by ian6988

Personally, I feel like a Rolex should be earned and not just be given because they hit a certain age. I plan on giving one of my watches to my son after he graduates from college or maybe give it to him on the morning of his first serious job out of college.

This.

[Dusko.Popov]

Originally Posted by ian6988

Personally, I feel like a Rolex should be earned and not just be given because they hit a certain age. I plan on giving one of my watches to my son after he graduates from college or maybe give it to him on the morning of his first serious job out of college.

I agree 100%

I get that op probably doesn’t care and people here will tell him how great of an idea it is.

I just want to go on record saying that the idea is a very bad one.

I wish op and his family well though.

[edyu]

Originally Posted by ian6988

Personally, I feel like a Rolex should be earned and not just be given because they hit a certain age. I plan on giving one of my watches to my son after he graduates from college or maybe give it to him on the morning of his first serious job out of college.

I agree with the sentiment but I have a hard time figuring out what would be a "earned" situation. Graduating from college is not that hard (I personally think getting into a good college is much harder for boys). Getting a job is not that hard either. Sigh, we parents subjectively are proud of our kids for even the smallest things but objectively nothing in life in short-term is that hard.

I agree but I just can't figure out what would be a good occasion other than maybe getting married or have kids? Again, getting married is easy but keeping a good marriage is harder. :)

[junamuan]

Originally Posted by edyu

I agree with the sentiment but I have a hard time figuring out what would be a "earned" situation. Graduating from college is not that hard (I personally think getting into a good college is much harder for boys). Getting a job is not that hard either. Sigh, we parents subjectively are proud of our kids for even the smallest things but objectively nothing in life in short-term is that hard.

I agree but I just can't figure out what would be a good occasion other than maybe getting married or have kids? Again, getting married is easy but keeping a good marriage is harder. :)

I think the main idea is to hand it over to your son on a milestone to make it more meaningful - be it graduation, getting married, serious career move, whatever you think is appropriate.

[ian6988]

Originally Posted by edyu

I agree with the sentiment but I have a hard time figuring out what would be a "earned" situation. Graduating from college is not that hard (I personally think getting into a good college is much harder for boys). Getting a job is not that hard either. Sigh, we parents subjectively are proud of our kids for even the smallest things but objectively nothing in life in short-term is that hard.

I agree but I just can't figure out what would be a good occasion other than maybe getting married or have kids? Again, getting married is easy but keeping a good marriage is harder. :)

You should give yourself a Rolex after you’ve payed for your sons’ tuitions. Now that’s an achievement.

[edyu]

Originally Posted by ian6988

You should give yourself a Rolex after you’ve payed for your sons’ tuitions. Now that’s an achievement.

True that. Luckily i have that taken care of. The problem with 2 watches is that either they have to be rhe same watch (such as 2 YM suggested earlier) or one of my kids will get a “nicer” one.

Also I highly doubt I will have one more kid; two is way more work than I anticipated. :D

Thank you everyone for your input. I will probably buy something my wife or I likes and have no illusion that my sons would actually keep them. :) If they actually do care, it will be a bonus.

[Delands]

Originally Posted by edyu

True that. Luckily i have that taken care of. The problem with 2 watches is that either they have to be rhe same watch (such as 2 YM suggested earlier) or one of my kids will get a “nicer” one.

Also I highly doubt I will have one more kid; two is way more work than I anticipated. :D

Thank you everyone for your input. I will probably buy something my wife or I likes and have no illusion that my sons would actually keep them. :) If they actually do care, it will be a bonus.

I think that that is the right way to look at it. Buy something you and your wife like, wear it and your sons will automatically have memories of it when you hand it down later in life.

As for the watches themselves, you could go for 2 DJs with different colour dials or 2 Daytonas in black and white (if you can source them of course).

Best of luck with wathever you decide. It's a great gesture towards your sons!

[ckaynyc]

Sounds like you are trying to rationalize buying a couple of watches you can wear for the next 16 years. LOL!

"Honey, I have a FANTASTIC IDEA!"

[edyu]

Originally Posted by ckaynyc

Sounds like you are trying to rationalize buying a couple of watches you can wear for the next 16 years. LOL!

"Honey, I have a FANTASTIC IDEA!"

LOL. :) The biggest problem I have is that I only like GMT (and maybe Daytona) myself but that's too limiting so I started looking at YM as suggested by someone earlier.

[Rrpdc]

Originally Posted by ckaynyc

Sounds like you are trying to rationalize buying a couple of watches you can wear for the next 16 years. LOL!

"Honey, I have a FANTASTIC IDEA!"

+1. My thoughts exactly!

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by ckaynyc

Sounds like you are trying to rationalize buying a couple of watches you can wear for the next 16 years. LOL!

"Honey, I have a FANTASTIC IDEA!"

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Navarino]

I'm in my mid-late 20s and have had a Rolex passed down to me from my father and another from my grandfather. My father gave me his SS/WG bezel DJ - it's from the mid 1980s. My grandfather gave me his YG oyster perpetual - it's from the early 1960s. Both pieces are in fantastic condition. It meant a lot to me when I received each of these watches. My dad gave me his when I graduated college and my grandfather gave me his after about ~2 years of working post-graduation when I got a new job that was a big/important move for my career today.

While my tastes in watches have evolved and continue to develop since receiving both of these watches (e.g., adding some sport watches to the collection), they continue to get plenty of love from me and are just as special to me as the day I got them. I can't tell you the number of times when I am wearing one of them and I look at it and it just puts the biggest smile on my face. Call me old-fashioned, but these ongoing experiences make both pieces heirlooms for me that I look forward to sharing with my own family down the road. I totally understand that many people can love watches but not have the sentimentality attached -- I'm just not that type of person.

My first sports Rolex that I bought is a special watch...I'm sure the ceramic Daytona I continue to wait for will also be a special watch...a complicated Patek later on will also be a special watch...but I don't think anything will ever be the same as the two that were gifted to me by my father and grandfather.

Sappy hallmark remarks aside, I think it's a great idea to give each of your sons a watch at some milestone in the future. In terms of watch recommendations, you obviously can't go wrong with a SS sports model. Based on my own experience, I obviously have a bias towards a DJ -- it's just such a timeless piece that shouts "dad's old watch" but in all the right ways to me.

[edyu]

Originally Posted by Carry The Interest

I'm in my mid-late 20s and have had a Rolex passed down to me from my father and another from my grandfather. My father gave me his SS/WG bezel DJ - it's from the mid 1980s. My grandfather gave me his YG oyster perpetual - it's from the early 1960s. Both pieces are in fantastic condition. It meant a lot to me when I received each of these watches. My dad gave me his when I graduated college and my grandfather gave me his after about ~2 years of working post-graduation when I got a new job that was a big/important move for my career today.

While my tastes in watches have evolved and continue to develop since receiving both of these watches (e.g., adding some sport watches to the collection), they continue to get plenty of love from me and are just as special to me as the day I got them. I can't tell you the number of times when I am wearing one of them and I look at it and it just puts the biggest smile on my face. Call me old-fashioned, but these ongoing experiences make both pieces heirlooms for me that I look forward to sharing with my own family down the road. I totally understand that many people can love watches but not have the sentimentality attached -- I'm just not that type of person.

My first sports Rolex that I bought is a special watch...I'm sure the ceramic Daytona I continue to wait for will also be a special watch...a complicated Patek later on will also be a special watch...but I don't think anything will ever be the same as the two that were gifted to me by my father and grandfather.

Thank you for the great story! How do you feel about the YG that your grandfather gave to you? Do you feel YG is ok or is it because it was given to you by your grandfather?

[edyu]

Originally Posted by Carry The Interest

I'm in my mid-late 20s and have had a Rolex passed down to me from my father and another from my grandfather. My father gave me his SS/WG bezel DJ - it's from the mid 1980s. My grandfather gave me his YG oyster perpetual - it's from the early 1960s. Both pieces are in fantastic condition. It meant a lot to me when I received each of these watches. My dad gave me his when I graduated college and my grandfather gave me his after about ~2 years of working post-graduation when I got a new job that was a big/important move for my career today.

While my tastes in watches have evolved and continue to develop since receiving both of these watches (e.g., adding some sport watches to the collection), they continue to get plenty of love from me and are just as special to me as the day I got them. I can't tell you the number of times when I am wearing one of them and I look at it and it just puts the biggest smile on my face. Call me old-fashioned, but these ongoing experiences make both pieces heirlooms for me that I look forward to sharing with my own family down the road. I totally understand that many people can love watches but not have the sentimentality attached -- I'm just not that type of person.

My first sports Rolex that I bought is a special watch...I'm sure the ceramic Daytona I continue to wait for will also be a special watch...a complicated Patek later on will also be a special watch...but I don't think anything will ever be the same as the two that were gifted to me by my father and grandfather.

Sappy hallmark remarks aside, I think it's a great idea to give each of your sons a watch at some milestone in the future. In terms of watch recommendations, you obviously can't go wrong with a SS sports model. Based on my own experience, I obviously have a bias towards a DJ -- it's just such a timeless piece that shouts "dad's old watch" but in all the right ways to me.

Thank you for sharing the incredible story. I personally can't wear DJ because I almost never wear a suit. (I'm in Silicon Valley so suit is almost a no go even in an interview). :)
How do you feel about the YG from your grandfather? I'm mostly asking about the color?

Thank you again

[jb335]

Originally Posted by edyu

Thank you for sharing the incredible story. I personally can't wear DJ because I almost never wear a suit. (I'm in Silicon Valley so suit is almost a no go even in an interview). :)
How do you feel about the YG from your grandfather? I'm mostly asking about the color?

Thank you again

I would rethink that theory though. I think a DJ looks fantastic with casual clothing. Even shorts and t-shirts. It's a good contrast.

[Raypep]

Originally Posted by jb335

I would rethink that theory though. I think a DJ looks fantastic with casual clothing. Even shorts and t-shirts. It's a good contrast.

When I was 17 my mom bought my a DateJust 36 for graduating high school. I wear/wore that watch daily for 9 years. Collared shirt, Suit or bathing suit, anything. Only reason I don't wear it everyday now is because of my BLNR, so now it's every-other day because I am too lazy to wind the watches.

A 18 year old can in fact enjoy and appreciate a Rolex. I'm sure that some don't, but I did. Did I bring it to the bars? Nope Trips? Nope. I knew what it was, I never flashed it around. Most people never notice even at 18.

I plan on doing the same thing to my kids when I get older (if I have any). Most likely when they graduate college though. One will get the DJ the other will get the GMT.

Back to OP, I would suggest a GMT. That functionality when traveling is very useful and cool. Someone mentioned the 40mm YM, also another great option. And you can't go wrong with a SS DJ with a neutral dial. I would stay away from a white dial at a young age. It would 'pop' much more and may give more unneeded attention. I would just suggest getting 2 watches that are very similar, just so one of your sons doesn't get mad at the other etc. Also, please get something with a date (unless its a daytona). I use my watch more for date than time. I'd assume most people my age would tend to agree. My phone is always in my hand anyways.

[edyu]

Originally Posted by Raypep

When I was 17 my mom bought my a DateJust 36 for graduating high school. I wear/wore that watch daily for 9 years. Collared shirt, Suit or bathing suit, anything. Only reason I don't wear it everyday now is because of my BLNR, so now it's every-other day because I am too lazy to wind the watches.

A 18 year old can in fact enjoy and appreciate a Rolex. I'm sure that some don't, but I did. Did I bring it to the bars? Nope Trips? Nope. I knew what it was, I never flashed it around. Most people never notice even at 18.

I plan on doing the same thing to my kids when I get older (if I have any). Most likely when they graduate college though. One will get the DJ the other will get the GMT.

Back to OP, I would suggest a GMT. That functionality when traveling is very useful and cool. Someone mentioned the 40mm YM, also another great option. And you can't go wrong with a SS DJ with a neutral dial. I would stay away from a white dial at a young age. It would 'pop' much more and may give more unneeded attention. I would just suggest getting 2 watches that are very similar, just so one of your sons doesn't get mad at the other etc. Also, please get something with a date (unless its a daytona). I use my watch more for date than time. I'd assume most people my age would tend to agree. My phone is always in my hand anyways.

Great suggestions. Thank you

[No SUBctitute]

Originally Posted by edyu

I personally can't wear DJ because I almost never wear a suit. (I'm in Silicon Valley so suit is almost a no go even in an interview). :)

Wrong.

A SS DJ 41 is a perfect casual watch. Oyster and smooth bezel a little more casual. Jubilee and fluted a little dressier but can still be rocked in jeans.

[jb335]

Originally Posted by no subctitute

wrong.

A ss dj 41 is a perfect casual watch. Oyster and smooth bezel a little more casual. Jubilee and fluted a little dressier but can still be rocked in jeans.

amen!