Crazy watch reunions

[watch3r]

I've seen a couple of posts recently about folks losing Rolexes, but would love to hear your stories about watches that found their way home.

I am relatively new to Rolex world, but spend 50-60 days/yr fly fishing. A friend who owns a fly fishing shop in the US told me the following story when we were discussing the reliability/quality of the Submariner compared to other brands. I don't have any reason to doubt him, other than the fact that he's a fellow fisherman....

According to him, a guy came into his shop and started talking about how he had been fishing in the Bahamas. When you fly fish in the Bahamas, you spend hours on the bow of a boat going over really clear water flats anywhere from 1-5 ft deep on average looking for bonefish. The guy said he looked down and thought he saw a watch in the sand, so he hopped off the boat and picked up what turned out to be a Sub. Apparently, another guy who happened to be in the shop at the same time said he had returned from the Bahamas a week earlier and had lost his Sub on XXXXXXX island, and asked if the one the guy found had the initials XXX engraved into it. Apparently everything matched up and the Sub was returned to it's original owner with a great story.

I guess if ever there were a watch that would survive a week in the salt and live to be returned to its original owner, it would be the Sub.....

[Andad]

Great story and seemed possible until I read about the engraved initials?

[Oystersteel92]

Originally Posted by Andad

Great story and seemed possible until I read about the engraved initials?

Why? I think it's a less common cultural tradition now but the back of most Rolexes is perfect for engraving and people do it.

I would have happily bought T. Boone Pickens engraved 1803 DD. What a cool watch and a great story. Talk about recognizing a milestone.

https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6282871

[WatchGuy1966]

Originally Posted by Andad

Great story and seemed possible until I read about the engraved initials?

I think the OP was substituting XXX for the real initials.

Also, what Xactly does "intials" mean?

I hope you find a laugh in the irony.

[Stan Cooper]

Nice story, but are there any reasons the outcome wouldn't have been the same with any number of Rolex models with an Oyster case and WR to 100 meters?

[Stan Cooper]

Originally Posted by WatchGuy1966

I think the OP was substituting XXX for the real initials.

Xavier Xylas Xi

[watch3r]

Originally Posted by WatchGuy1966

I think the OP was substituting XXX for the real initials.

Yes, exactly!

Originally Posted by Stan Cooper

Nice story, but are there any reasons the results wouldn't be the same with any number of Rolex models with an Oyster case and WR to 100 meters?

To be honest, I wish it had been about another WR model as that would've been even more fun. We were discussing the Sub (in this case as representative of Rolex quality) compared to other brands, though, not to other Rolex models.

[Tim Plains]

Fishermen are known to exaggerate their catch and this seems no different. You're telling me two complete strangers from the same US city went separately to the same island in the Bahamas a week apart, then happened to meet at the US bait shop at the exact same time and happened to be discussing the lost Rolex?

I caught a 314 lb small mouth last week.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by watch3r

Yes, exactly!



To be honest, I wish it had been about another WR model as that would've been even more fun. We were discussing the Sub (in this case as representative of Rolex quality) compared to other brands, though, not to other Rolex models.

Most WR watches of any brand should get through a week in a few feet of seawater without much trouble.

[jets]

Originally Posted by watch3r

I've seen a couple of posts recently about folks losing Rolexes, but would love to hear your stories about watches that found their way home.

I am relatively new to Rolex world, but spend 50-60 days/yr fly fishing. A friend who owns a fly fishing shop in the US told me the following story when we were discussing the reliability/quality of the Submariner compared to other brands. I don't have any reason to doubt him, other than the fact that he's a fellow fisherman....

According to him, a guy came into his shop and started talking about how he had been fishing in the Bahamas. When you fly fish in the Bahamas, you spend hours on the bow of a boat going over really clear water flats anywhere from 1-5 ft deep on average looking for bonefish. The guy said he looked down and thought he saw a watch in the sand, so he hopped off the boat and picked up what turned out to be a Sub. Apparently, another guy who happened to be in the shop at the same time said he had returned from the Bahamas a week earlier and had lost his Sub on XXXXXXX island, and asked if the one the guy found had the initials XXX engraved into it. Apparently everything matched up and the Sub was returned to it's original owner with a great story.

I guess if ever there were a watch that would survive a week in the salt and live to be returned to its original owner, it would be the Sub.....

Thats an amazing story. The guy giving it back must have felt to so good to make someone so happy after losing their watch.

[Baiv]

Nice read

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by jets

Thats an amazing story. The guy giving it back must have felt to so good to make someone so happy after losing their watch.

X2

Karma has to be coming his way