Wife's first Rolex

[meloncap78]

I need some input here. I would like to get my wife her first Rolex and I plan on going pre owned. I have been searching high and low for something in my price range and came up with this....

http://www.bernardwatch.com/watch/RLX4219

What I am looking for is the trusted input of my fellow TRF'ers
Let me know what you all think. IMO this is not a bad deal. I would like to make the purchase within the next month or so before the money starts burning the preverbal hole in my pocket.

[kcmo]

Are you sure she'd like the TT?

[MortgageGuy]

x2 on the TT. I have been trying to get my wife into TT for some time and she will not have it. She loves here ss though.

[Boopie]

How old is your wife, and what is her style (e.g. dressy, casual, sporty, wears a lot of jewelry, etc.)? Is this a watch that you would hope that she wears on a daily basis, or just trots out for special occasions (e.g. the office Christmas party)? What watch does she wear now? Sports watch, watch on a leather strap, dressy watch, etc.? Is a watch just something to use to tell time, or does she enjoy fine timepieces? Is a "name brand" important to her? E.g. does she wear designer clothing, shoes, handbags, sunglasses, etc.?

What kind of jewelry does she like? Is she a minimalist (e.g. wedding ring only)? Or, is she the type that wears a gold necklace, diamond stud earrings, a diamond tennis bracelet, and a ruby ring every time she steps outside of the house? Does she favor the look of gold jewelry, or silver? Some women have string preferences...I am a "silver" fan. Some women just want to wear a gold watch...brand doesn't matter. The only gold I wear is my wedding band. What does her wedding ring look like?

Obviously, a watch is a very personal choice. I ask because the classic TT ladies' DJ (jubilee bracelet, fluted bezel, etc.) never appealed to me. It was very popular in the 1970s-1980s, and the older women I know who wear Rolexes (e.g. 50+) wear the model that you show an interest in.

The professional women I know in their 30s-40s (like me, e.g. career women who wear suits every day) who I see wearing Rolexes have the DJ with the oyster bracelet and smooth bezel...it has a more modern look. I also see some women with the rose gold, instead of the standard "yellow gold" in the TT.

There are, of course, several women (including on TRF) who wear the men's size watches. I don't like the look of a man's watch on a woman's wrist (to me, the proportion is way off) but I do love the look of a Submariner. I therefore got the ladies' size Yachtmaster, which is the only "professional" watch Rolex makes in a ladies' size. The SS/platinum "color scheme," in my opinion, goes very well with whatever I'm wearing...business suits, casual clothes, formal wear, etc.

But, I must say that in the 8 1/2 years I've owned and enjoyed my Yachtmaster, I have not seen any other woman wearing one. Not one! I am in the legal profession in Los Angeles, and literally see someone else wearing a Rolex almost on a daily basis. So, while I am one of the biggest YM cheerleaders out there, I'm clearly not setting any trends.

I also add that, while the Rolex was a gift from my husband (it was for the Valentine's Day just before our 10th wedding anniversary), I did extensively research watches for several months. The one I ended up with is also not the model I originally wanted...it took trying on a few different models to see what I really enjoyed. I fell in love with the watch I have now. I don't think my husband would have picked out the Yachtmaster on his own.

A Rolex is a very expensive purchase, and it could certainly place a woman in an awkward position if she didn't like the watch that her husband lovingly (and unilaterally) selected--it's not like, for example, picking out a string of pearls. A Rolex is not a delicate flower. It is meant to be worn every day. I would have felt like a total jerk if my husband had surprised me with an as-equally expensive Date Just that I just didn't like, and didn't enjoy wearing. So, if you insist upon a surprise (and there's nothing wrong with that), see if you can feel out her preferences somehow.

[cwru32]

u got one good husband! did u buy him a patek? for next valentine day?!

[swatty]

I think Boopie makes some great points Josh, My wife recently changed from a TT DJ to a midsize Platty. She loved the slighty larger watch so much she never looked at the DJ again. Good luck