Which Rolex would you buy?

A dad on my sons previous soccer team used to wear a gold President like it was a Timex.
Everywhere all the time.
It was fairly beat.
I thought the idea was pretty cool. What good is a watch in the safe ?

 

+100

Stainless Steel Daytona, with gold inserts and white face will be my next watch purchase.

I also like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, but I'm convinced that its just another expensive "fad" watch that will look tacky in a few years.

 

The Royal Oak which started with reference 5402 in 1972 is one of the most iconic designs ever made thanks to the genius of Gerald Genta (may he RIP).

If you're referring to the Royak Oak Offshore and the myriad of variations and limited edtions of them, then I agree with you that it might be a fad and won't stand the test of time.

S

 

I have 3 Rolex's:

SS Submariner, Black Face
18Kt Yellow Gold Yacht Master, white face
SS Daytona, white face

Pretty much the perfect trio IMO. A perfect watch for any occasion.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=139017044&postcount=72

I wear the SS Sub as my daily. Wear the SS Daytona most weekends. The Gold yacht Master is for casual evening events,... yacht club parties etc.

I have also added a Patek 5135j as my formal. With that quartet,... I have no desire for anything else.

With that said...

I'd start with a SS daytona or a SS Sub as a first. But only if you have no debt..

 

I go out to sand dunes in the desert a fair amount, I could think of few harsher environments than blowing sand, but one of our group wears his president every time. It's been seven years and it still runs perfect.

 

I own several Rolexes and I wear a SS/Gold Daytona everyday and I really like it. I would go with a Daytona or the new Green Millgauss.

 

Am Rolex owner for decades. Cannot lose with a SS Daytona , either white/black dial. Appreciation value even better than gold in good/bad times. The best investment in the Rolex line-up!

 

Timex. Rolex.....what a joke! Old mans watch.

 

I own a Rolex GMT Master II.....BIG MISTAKE!!!!.....I purchased it with a silver face and the dials blend in with the face....making it almost IMPOSSIBLE to read the time.....Terrible purchase.......Mark

 

Matches my old man Bentley, too. Your point?

- an old man

 

You're getting your MBA.

My first piece of advice?

Buy a used Rolex.

Get it cleaned and serviced, and you just let the other guy pay for the off the shelf depreciation.

If you're really buying it to wear, then that's what I'd do.

Oh and Erik, I don't own a Rolex. I really like Omega better, Ball too.

Dave

 

I've got multiple Rolex's, and I've always regretted trading my black/red SS GMT Master 2. For me that is the one Rolex I want to own again.

 

Congrats on the MBA! I vote pepsi!

 

I don't know why I always called it that, so thanks for the correction. It is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Just with diamonds on all numerals except 12 (crown logo) and 3 (date) and gold face with gold bezel. Anyway, it is one of my favorite dress watches and kept perfect time for the past 4 years.

 

Old = wise.
But of course you know better.
Enjoy your fad watch.
You better.
In five years it will be scrap value.

 

Another Ball watch fan!! Not many of us, it seems. Night Train is my favorite.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Rolex is so over-done. Seeing used cars salesmen with them, hustlers, wealthy highschool grads, ZZZZZZ boring. People without taste/class go for Rolex, you may want to consider some good brands that the general public has no idea about.

http://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/

http://www.zenith-watches.com/en/

Both make in-house movements...

 

I bought my SS Oyster datejust 20 years ago, and have hardly worn it for the reasons you mention. Lately I've dusted it off and am going to start wearing it.

Times have changed...it's very conservative by today's standards and there isn't a better made watch around.

 

The Daytona everyday! SS with dark face and red second hand.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I've worn my stainless/gold datejust pretty much every day for the last 24 years (with the exception of the 3 or 4 times I've sent it out for service). I expect I'll wear it another 20-30 years and then give it to my son.

That's what a Rolex is all about-- not worrying about who else is wearing one, or what others think.

 

Erik,

Congratulations on your graduation.

It sounds like you're taking the right approach buying used. In fact, if you purchase right, there would be little downside to making the wrong choice. You probably won't have much depreciation, and you can trade it.

That said, all these watches are essentially jewelry and totally subjective. How can someone with different interests help you decide? I guess it makes for good conversation but I hope you just follow what you want. There are many guys (probably here on Fchat too) that purchase watches they think they'll like but never wear.

My advice is to visualize yourself in the scenarios where you would wear a watch and think which one you would grab and put on.

I know which one of your four I would grab 90% of the time. I would go with that..... Do you have an idea which one you would grab 80-90% of the time? If not, wait. What's the rush?

Personally I had a collection that I downsized because I always grabbed the same three watches when I wanted to wear a watch.

Good luck & interested in what you decide.

 

+1. Great advice.

Imagine the type of watch you would prefer to wear when:
- going to work (both now and later in life)
- enjoying a hobby (e.g. cars, boats, airplanes, photography, bird watching, etc.)
- playing sports (golf, tennis, softball, etc.)
- going out on the town (night clubs, nice restaurants, bars, strip clubs, etc.)
- hanging out with friends or family.

You'll probably end up owning 3 or so watches to best serve these different environments.
.

 

The last two posters gave great advice. To that I'll add only that you might consider function as a high priority. I love my Submariner partly because I know I can wear it even while swimming. My other function watch is not a Rolex but a Ball Night Train, because I really like the glow-in-the-dark tritium dial markings and hands - very handy when at the movies or theater, or during the winter when it gets dark early. It has a screw-down crown and is rated water resistant to 100m, so in theory it's immersible, too.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

+1.

I wear my Rolex watches swimming too. They both are waterproof and have the metal oyster bracelets.

Although, I stopped wearing my Rolex watches at the beach because when I'm swimming in the ocean, I don't want something shiny on my wrist, flashing in the reflected sunlight like a fishing lure. Too many teeth in the ocean.