Yeah - believe me, I rarely even offer an opinion as to “taste” or such, as she has pretty strong opinions and (IMO) pretty good taste. I think she wants something that is well crafted, and easy to read - as opposed to what often passes for women’s watches.
I didn’t really notice the watches at the wedding at first, until my wife made a comment about the amount of jewelry and the expensive attire. Then, as we stood in reception and food lines (over the several-day event) I noticed the make of the watches. Most of them were gold, encrusted w/ diamonds.
Everyone’s taste varies, but to me, the steel one she likes does not strike me as overly gaudy.
And hell, it seems plenty of people form unfavorable opinions about us just because of our opinions and - who knows why else. So why not give them ANOTHER reason to think poorly of us? I guarantee our very limited circle of friends won’t change their perceptions one way or the other based on a watch.
I like my dad’s old Seamaster, and my mom’s old men’s Lord Elgin. But I generally wear a Seiko (or a Timex triathlon) because my wife gave it to me.
Where do you live? There’s a market in Kuala Lumpur where you can find a really nice selection of Rolexs at a heavily discounted price. You’ve got to navigate the maze of tents and be led through the alley into the basement of an office building, but dude’s legit*. I bought 2 of them many years ago. The second hand swept well… barely a pulse in sight.
*for varying definitions of legit.
Not sure if my opinion is of much value here but while it is not “vulgar” or “showy” it is identifiably a status symbol and broadcasts that you are someone who wants to broadcast what you can afford. Which is not a bad thing if that is indeed the case, but it sounds like it is not for the op’s wife. She sounds like the kind of person who has jewelry that costs more but it is never jewelry that advertises how expensive it is. Most others do not know that what she is wearing is a $10K piece.
There is something to be said for spending the same or more for something of even better quality, beauty, and function, that gives her that pleasure, but that you know few others will recognize as something of such cost.
My opinion is that a Rolex was a status symbol back in the '80s and '90s, which yuppies would like to flash. By the time I bought mine, I considered them incredibly un-hip. I don’t think anyone notices what watch a person wears (unless the person makes a point of showing it off – which says something about that person), but part of why I like mine is because they’re so un-cool. I prefer stainless steel, which isn’t flashy. I think Rolex Oysters are rather stodgy. Having said that…
That’s the important thing. If you’re buying it to impress people, you’re buying it for the wrong reason. People who need to be impressed are not worth impressing. I have a couple of 1974 Seiko Bell-Matics that you can pick up for $100 or so. I like them as much as I like the Rolexes. Back in the early-'90s I was wearing one when I was having a car maintained. A woman noticed it and asked what kind it was. I told her it was a Seiko and she immediately lost interest. Hey, I can wear a cheap watch and like wearing a cheap watch. I like it, and others can like it or not as they choose.
My everyday watch is a GMT Master II. The image is from the 2001 catalogue. I wanted to see how the GMT II would look with the Jubilee bracelet, so I did some cutting to produce the image on the left. That’s what my watch looks like. The GMT II was not offered with the Jubilee bracelet then, but had been before. I had to do a lot of searching to find a genuine Rolex Jubilee bracelet with the correct end links. I finally found a jeweller/dealer who had one. It cost $800, but it’s what I wanted. The new GMT II was $3,400 from Ben Bridge when I bought it in 2001. New ones cost considerably more nowadays. After wearing it for over 16 years now, I could sell it at a profit! I also bought a late-'70s vintage non-date Submariner, and I used to have an older one with the pointy crown protectors.
My watches keep pretty good time. Not as good as a digital watch or a quartz watch, but for a completely mechanical device, they work very well. I appreciate well-made machines. And I like not having to change batteries. They do feel good on the wrist. They’re not too heavy, and not too light. They’re not as flashy as the (less expensive) Breitling I wanted in my early-20s. What do they do? They tell time. (The GMT II tells me the time, plus GMT, and also the date.) That’s what I want a watch to do.
Mrs. L.A. would be embarrassed by wearing an expensive watch. (Though she doesn’t mind wearing an $11,000 wedding ring! ) But why take it off when gardening? When I was looking for a non-date Sub, I saw one on eBay that was all beat to hell. It’s a diving watch, and the owner wore it diving all the time. It was banged up and scratched like it had been run over by a truck. Several times. The bezel was missing. Here was a watch that had been used for its intended purpose! Now, I don’t abuse my watches. But I have no qualms wearing them when I’m working with my hands. Gardening isn’t going to hurt is.
They bough the rights to the brand name, likely with that in mind.
I like the style of their watches, and if it weren’t for this Apple Watch on my wrist that has displaced all other watches, I’d probably pick a nice Shinola for my collection.
Well, she bought it, and they wrapped it up nicely, so now she has something under the tree to unwrap on x-mas. She’s absolutely giddy, which makes me happy. Says it’s the nicest x-mas present anyone ever gave her.
I think her comment about gardening was equating it to her wedding and anniversary rings, which she does take off while gardening. (I think because the gloves aren’t comfortable over them.)
And just to give a sense of what a spoiled diva she isn’t, she recently bought a new Timex Triathalon to replace her old one. But there were a couple of things she didn’t like about the new model, so she figured out how to fix her old one with - if I understand her correctly - a black plastic twist-tie, so she returned the new one. Yeah, we’re a couple of cheapass bastards so when we WANT to splurge, we can.
Good for you! If you and your significant other are truly one, then something like this is absolutely worth it…it is a gift that will always be remembered.
If it’s any comfort, Rolex controls their prices with an iron fist, so you won’t stumble across the same watch in brand-new condition from an authorized dealer for any cheaper, and by purchasing from a dealer you can be certain it is authentic.
My wife and I haven’t exchanged gifts in decades. Only once in our 26 years do I remember giving a gift of … breathtaking cost. But it was a doozy!
It was for our 20th wedding anniversary. My wife is a pianist, and she had been dreaming about some day owning a baby grand piano since she was a child.
At the time she was in her late fifties, and I had an image in my mind of her never realizing her dream until seventy–that thought made me sad.
I made the decision: She received her Yamaha baby grand a few weeks later, while still in her fifties.
Well she sounds like the sort of lady who likes it for what it is rather than what it says and that’s a healthy outlook to my mind.
She also sounds like a woman after my own heart with the bodged repair on her old watch, though if I’m being picky I suggest that the more traditional method would be a cable tie, duct tape or combination thereof. Each to their own of course.
As I said, I like stainless steel watches that are not flashy. (The Jubilee bracelet is flashy, so I’ve made an exception.) I like GMT II because I’m a pilot, and I like the non-date Submariner because it’s about as basic as you can get. (Also, James Bond. ) Both are ‘functional watches’ rather than ‘jewelry’.
Having said that, I’ve always wanted an Air King (blue dial). It was (is?) the cheapest Rolex. Like the non-date Sub, it’s not a chronograph. It’s about as plain as they come. And that’s why I like it.
Great watches but overpriced as far as I’m concerned. If what you want is an accurate watch almost anything out there today will fit the bill. If you want the best function/functions one of the “smart watches” is probably better. If what you want is jewelry you probably have better choices along those lines as well. But if you have the bucks and always wanted to buy one (for yourself or someone else) what the heck — go for it.
I do realize one of the images is backwards. Those are some, based on a quick image search. I haven’t seen any of these IRL, and some may be too flashy.
A GMT Master II. I wanted one exactly like that, but I decided it was too flashy and I got the one I linked to earlier. (Also, the one I bought was cheaper. )
That one’s too dressy for me.
Nice, but I prefer the classic version (like Newman’s).
I like this one better than the last one; but again, I prefer the classic version.
So why not give them ANOTHER reason to think poorly of us? I guarantee our very limited circle of friends won’t change their perceptions one way or the other based on a watch.
) But why take it off when gardening? When I was looking for a non-date Sub, I saw one on eBay that was all beat to hell. It’s a diving watch, and the owner wore it diving all the time. It was banged up and scratched like it had been run over by a truck. Several times. The bezel was missing. Here was a watch that had been used for its intended purpose! Now, I don’t abuse my watches. But I have no qualms wearing them when I’m working with my hands. Gardening isn’t going to hurt is.
) Both are ‘functional watches’ rather than ‘jewelry’.
