Rolex vs High End Knives

[morgaj1]

I certainly appreciate finer things and am willing to pay for them. Fine watches are not my particular thing, but if they were, I would have no problem pony'ing up for a Rolex, Omega, etc. However, I don't understand the investment argument with fine watches. By the time you convert your 1985 dollars to present day value, factor in the risk of having money tied up for all those years and weigh all of this against other investments, you likely haven't made a dime. But, that doesn't matter, because you paid the price of admission and got to play.

 

[Grouch]

While not a Rolex, if you look on-line, you'll see this:

In the 1970's the (Omega) Speedmaster was re-certified by NASA for Space shuttle missions, and remains the only watch NASA certifies for space walks.

So, unless outside the ship spacewalks are no longer to happen or NASA is obsolete, some mechanical watches aren't archaic.

 

[Brimstone]

This is such an odd thread where people try to justify why one particular obsession is better than another. I never really understood why people care what other people spend their money on. I have owned lots of watches over the years. I have thrown away plenty of G-shocks and sold plenty of higher end watches and always for more than I paid for them. Having said that, I would never buy a watch as an investment. I buy them either for specific features, like my Casio Pathfinder, or for the craftsmanship and beauty of it. I have had a few Submariners over the years that have came and went, but truthfully I am more of a fan of Omega. I have a ten year old Omega automatic that gains about one second per week. Considering that it is all mechanical and there are 604,800 seconds in a week, it is pretty amazing that it is that accurate. I have worn that watch all over the world and one day my son will wear it with pride as well. I don't really care if anyone else likes it.

 

[leghog]

While not a Rolex, if you look on-line, you'll see this:

In the 1970's the (Omega) Speedmaster was re-certified by NASA for Space shuttle missions, and remains the only watch NASA certifies for space walks.

So, unless outside the ship spacewalks are no longer to happen or NASA is obsolete, some mechanical watches aren't archaic.

My 47 year old pre-Moon Speedy w/ c.321 column wheel chronograph movement. Friggin' great watch!

 

[SteelStickler]

Value is completely contrived. As with all things, perception plays an integral role in determining how material goods hold value.

Not to completely out myself, but I enjoy playing a collectable card game that was started in the early 90's and continues to be actively produced and played competitively to this day. Cards from the very first sets have gotten incredibly expensive as collectors and players seek out copies of the rarest cards. Cards that were $5 when they were released are $5000 now (this is the extreme, but it is true). Why are they so expensive? They are
A) extremely rare. There are far more people who would like to own one than are able to.
B) They are iconic within the culture. Just like Rolex has established itself as a cornerstone of the luxury watch market, certain cards have taken on value and meaning above and beyond their actual game utility as a result of an evolution of the perception of their rarity.
C) People are willing to pay a premium because they have pride in ownership. Historicity, material quality, functionality and exclusivity all play into the constellation of factors which result in people shelling out thousands for a piece of cardboard or for a watch. The reality is that you can print a "proxy," or substitute card, for five cents and have all the same game experience (outside of tournament play, although there are many "proxy" tournaments too) just like you can buy a $10 casio that will keep time for you. That doesn't mean you'll have the same experience as owning the finer product.

At the end of the day, we all need to make decisions about where we invest ourselves and our capitol, and ultimately there is no "wrong" answer. The concept of value is mired with subjectivity, and while some of those subjective factors operate on a macro level (market value, status symbol), mostly value is a deeply personal experience that issues directly from one's own set of priorities and preferences. It's up to each of us to make those choices and be happy in our decisions.

What doesn't serve us is to judge someone else for their choices based on our own set of priorities and preferences. Many have said "to each their own," and I agree heartily with that sentiment. The only time judgment becomes legitimate IMHO is when the actions of others directly impact the health and well-being of other individuals or the environment we all share.

 

[Charlie Mike]

I still remember having an (in my mind) unbeatable black deck... Lord Of The Pit, Breeding Pit, 3X Dark Ritual, and 3X Demonic Tutor... among other things!

 

[SteelStickler]

Nice CM! Things have changed but its still the same game.

 

[Peak_Oil]

What doesn't serve us is to judge someone else for their choices based on our own set of priorities and preferences. Many have said "to each their own," and I agree heartily with that sentiment. The only time judgment becomes legitimate IMHO is when the actions of others directly impact the health and well-being of other individuals or the environment we all share.

I agreed with everything you had to say until your last two paragraphs. I think it is imperative to judge people. And to BE judged. That is the process of making decisions. I want to be friends with certain people, and I do not want to be friends with certain other people. I want to do business with certain people and not others. There are people I would allow to enter my house when I'm not around, to care for my children in my absence, to monitor my financial transactions, etc. I absolutely will judge people based on my own set of priorities and preferences. Abdicating yourself from this responsibility is to blindly enter into arrangements with anyone. You don't really live that way, do you?

I'm fine with "to each their own" in that if it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my bones. I don't think I should tell someone else what they should do. I definitely judge people based on what they choose. Now I don't know you and you don't know me. I vicariously enjoy the optimism and freedom of your perspective. I remember when I was carefree like that. Responsibility changes people.

You know why Ray Charles can't see his friends?














Because he's married.

 

[Peak_Oil]

One other thought on watches. My gramps had two watches, a Patek Philipe & Co. and a Longines with a stretchy Walgreens stainless band. The PP was his safe queen, and his Longines was his daily wear that was engraved with his initials and was given to him by his brothers. My uncle got the PP, and I got the Longines with the mineral crystal that had a million dings in it and the engraving was worn mostly off. He rocked that Longines daily for 70 years. I am 100% satisfied with the Longines. If I owned both I would never sell either one. The $ value has nothing to do with how I feel about them. If my uncle offered to trade me I would say no.

 

[Karda]

I agreed with everything you had to say until your last two paragraphs. I think it is imperative to judge people. And to BE judged. That is the process of making decisions. I want to be friends with certain people, and I do not want to be friends with certain other people. I want to do business with certain people and not others. There are people I would allow to enter my house when I'm not around, to care for my children in my absence, to monitor my financial transactions, etc. I absolutely will judge people based on my own set of priorities and preferences. Abdicating yourself from this responsibility is to blindly enter into arrangements with anyone. You don't really live that way, do you?

I'm fine with "to each their own" in that if it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my bones. I don't think I should tell someone else what they should do. I definitely judge people based on what they choose. Now I don't know you and you don't know me. I vicariously enjoy the optimism and freedom of your perspective. I remember when I was carefree like that. Responsibility changes people.

You know why Ray Charles can't see his friends?














Because he's married.

More likely because he's deceased...
You now see how a little proper perspective changes one opinion.
I think the point being made is that many people judge unfairly and too quickly because of looks, dress, material, possessions and the like, instead of reserving judgement until the actual facts of the subjects demeanor, actions and true self are known. Shallow people tend to judge on material things alone while neglecting to figure in the non material aspects of a person.
While one person may find a Timex adequate for his needs and a good value, by the same token another may find that by his own experience and perspective a Rolex fits his needs and value system more adequately. Neither person is wrong, they are just looking at the same question from different perspectives.

 

[JarrodS]

Apparently OP's grandfather was unable to reason well, because he owned a Patek . Could it be genetic?

The short version:
I absolutely understand why higher-end knives and watches (and automobiles) get lumped together, or used as analogies for one another, in these types of discussions. I view these objects as functional art, with more emphasis on art because therein lies the vast majority of their value. This is what justifies spending vast sums on a watch, or knife, vs. getting an arguably more functional Timex or SAK for $50. It's not a misallocation of funds, unless you believe that art has no value. And if you believe that art has no value, then I would argue that you have lost a piece of your humanity. The value we are really talking about here lies in craftsmanship - that's what you are paying for. Status may be part or even most of it, for some people. But for others, present company included, the status aspect is unwanted baggage, and is to be avoided if possible.

The long version:
I have always had great appreciation for well-made objects that are designed and built by people who genuinely care about what they do. *To me*, this is a form of art. Not necessarily fine art, but art nonetheless. Craftsmanship is the paramount attribute. Even if an object is machine-made, you can observe in that object whether the machines were programmed to crank out as many units per day as cheaply as possible, or if it was programmed to carefully cut, mill, or finish to a high tolerance. A less expensive thing such as a Timex, or SAK, may even offer superior *function* over the product that costs 100x the price so that it can be crafted with superior *form*. My appreciation for well-crafted things largely comes from what went into producing them, and not only the final product itself (see the story at the very bottom). I suspect I gained this appreciation from my parents - my father made his living as a master machinist, and my mother is an amateur artist. I have watched them both agonize for hours over details in their work that would make almost no difference in the final product to 99% of people. But the thing is that *they* cared that *their* work was as close to perfect as they could reasonably achieve. I value that concept. It's an idea that has been around for thousands of years - at least since Plato lectured about it in ~400 B.C.

And that's why I abhor the idea that someone would look down at my wrist, or whatever, and make a snap judgement of me because I choose to spend more than I need to on some things. You don't know me, or what drives my decisions about how to allocate resources. I find this brand of judgement to be particularly shallow and ill-informed. However, I am a realist, and I absolutely acknowledge that it happens with great frequency. OP provides a perfect example. I am probably guilty of it as well, in some form or another., although I do try not to.

How to reconcile surrounding yourself with luxury items while wishing to avoid being (unfairly) judged about status? Find well-crafted things that aren't marketed as status symbols. There are watches that are made with similar or in some cases better workmanship and materials than Rolex, but carry branding that doesn't have the status stigma attached to them. Omega used to be like this, and I enjoy them a lot - great craftsmanship and time-tested designs such as the Speedmaster Pro - what a classic. But Omega are trying very hard to be like Rolex these days so I'm not as comfortable wearing them as I used to be. I still love their watches though, and every year or two I go into the Omega store just to appreciate the new designs - just as I go to the museum when there is a new exhibit to enjoy. Stigma-wise, IWC, Ball, Hamilton, and especially uber-understated Stowa watches are getting more of my wrist time these days. These are pretty much under the radar in my community, because they don't get marketed. But all of these things, Rolex included, are really wonderful objects to own and appreciate what went into their design and production, if you are fortunate enough to have some disposable income. And FWIW, I drive a Nissan.

Regarding pure craftsmanship: One of the most moving things I ever saw was a group of Buddhist monks skillfully building an amazingly detailed and beautiful mosaic (aka mandala) out of colored sand. I went back to observe them a few times, marveling at their work. They worked with great precision for 12 hours per day, crafting it a few grains at a time, until some days later when they had finally finished the 6' x 6' masterpiece. Then, as soon as they were done, they carried it to the beach and dumped it in the ocean. It was incredible. There is a lesson in this. But I suppose I don't have the discipline that they do. I guess this is why I'm not a monk.

 

[joejeweler]

I've seen this comparison several times recently and wanted to share my thoughts on it. Watches and knives have several uses depending on your needs and where you are in life. Maybe you use a knife for work, it could be for carpet installation or construction. Maybe it's demolition or bushcraft. It could be for processing food in the kitchen. A watch might be used to tell time, take heart rates in medical applications, alarms for work or to help with time management, or as a status symbol.

IMO, a work knife is used to take care of tasks at work. Kitchen knives have specific applications for the appearance of the food, ease of processing, dishwasher hardiness, and many other things. I tried using a Ka-Bar as a kitchen knife and it was horrible. It's possible to get kitchen work done with it in a pinch but I would never choose that knife for that role if a better tool was available. This week I canned 14 quarts of vegetable soup, and I had to work my kitchen knife through portabello mushrooms. I didn't have time to stop and sharpen, so I had to deal with what I had. What a shame, a sharp kitchen knife would have been so much better to work with.

The Rolex is an entirely different animal. Rolexes are automatic watches that are wound by the movement of the owner's body. They +/- two minutes a month. They are not accurate. It is recommended that Rolexes are serviced at least every five years at a cost of $500, give or take. You will get a much more accurate time with a Walgreens digital, but it's bad as a status symbol. Any quartz watch will outperform a Rolex at telling time. GWB rolled with a Timex and a pocket hanky, if that tells you anything. Your cell phone is probably synched to the Atomic Clock and can tell you the time just as well as any watch can. Why would you buy a Rolex for anything other than to advertise your availability for poorly allocated financial resources? I suppose of you like Rolexes you can buy as many as you might care to, but that seems to be a giant red flag for people who would have their money allocated to things that are useful. Years ago that might have been different. Maybe it was the case years ago that a Rolex really was a functional expense for people who needed to tell the time accurately. Today... not so much. Today I think that anyone who flosses a Rolex is somebody who does not think about how their money is spent.

A custom blade that is designed as a cutting tool can do the job better than a mass-produced low-quality steel knife. A knife that has Mastodon bone scales recalls the majesty of time. Expensive custom knives that do the job better are more functional. Frankly, I regard the purchase of a box cutter with replaceable razor blades higher than the purchase of a Rolex. A box cutter does its job well and has a low cost of ownership, and a Rolex does a bad job of telling time with a high cost of ownership.

Well, you know what they say about opinions and other things......

Seriously, as someone who has owned several Rolex watches over the years, including some really pricy Platinum versions, I think you miss the point entirely. Rolex's are a "Pride of Ownership" item for sure,......and yes, often a status symbol. But pride of ownership can be important at times, as often it get's your day off to a pleasant start and put a smile on you face knowing you're in for a tough day at work.

I dare say most here who collect and use blades (some quite expensive!) appreciate the fine materials and workmanship incorporated in them, and pride of ownership enters into those purchases as well. Bought used, Rolex watches aren't nearly as "costly" in the end,.... when you may have to let loose and sell one.

I wear an everyday Rolex 2-tone Datejust (18K/SS) with White Enamel Roman Dial,.... as it is super easy to read and feels great on the wrist. Bought used 8 years ago for $5,500.00 when new ones were $8,600.00, and currently over $10K I suppose today. It would not be a problem today to get ALL my dough back and then some,.....and have had EIGHT YEARS of use costing nothing. Try that with a high end "Collectable" knife!

I've had ONE cleaning in all that time, and the dealer I bought it from handled that at no charge. (not usual I know)

My "EDC" watch, and as you get older you'll also appreciate a CLEAR and simple dial that's easy to read. As long as there's some light that is, because this particular dial doesn't have the luminous "tritium" glow in the dark markers commonly found on a lot of watches)



.....only the "Oyster" band for me.



Stating Rolex's "are not accurate" is complete ignorance. They are regulated to be 99. 999% accurate per day! Unfortunately, each individuals personal wearing habits cannot be 100% accounted for, and that does make a difference accounting for the minor timekeeping error over time.

This particular Rolex also keeps better time than the +/- 2 minutes a month you mention, and several months often go by where I don't have to make ANY adjustment. Just about perfect for my habits of wear, and putting to rest at night on a stand. These things DO affect overall accuracy, and can be adjusted to meet the best timekeeping possibilities of the watch.

.....and frankly, if anyone NEEDS better than even 2 minute a month accuracy, they need to get a life!

ANY Rolex (not needing servicing, of course) will keep better time than most of us will ever need. Time a race accurately to the split 1/100th second,......not the right tool, but neither is ANY wristwatch. For that the human element needs to be removed, and touch pads and electronics a better choice.

But when you need a watch to work when regularly exposed to water and other tough conditions, not a better choice to have on you. Yeah they requre service every 5 to 7 years,.......but that's a LOT longer than any CAR needing an oil change every few months!

Rolex's are mechanical devices, and getting many years out of an "oil change" and cleaning is truly remarkable for any mechanical device KEPT RUNNING CONTINUALLY for several years! Think about it!!!

In lots of ways a good "used" Rolex makes more sense than any high priced engagement ring most guys lay out for. Now THAT has NO Use whatsoever. As a previous long time bench jeweler/diamond setter for 35 years, having set many thousands of diamonds in that time, I can tell you diamonds are useless in any practical sense.

.....yet us guys all buy them none the less, to "Seal the Deal", so to speak!

By the way, I have ONLY bought good USED Rolex watches over the years, and all have turned out a good investment as well as a joy to wear. But you have to know what you're buying in THAT field for sure, as there are lots of fakes out there.

 

[Bob6794]

High end watches and knives are all subjective to whether or not it's worth it. You're on a knife site, most of us can argue our insane knife purchases and have little issue with buying that Manix 2 with S110V steel and can justify it to ourselves. Talk to a non-knife person and they look at you like your freaking insane and ask you what was wrong with a swiss army knife that last you a lifetime. You can go on and on about how great that steel is and how it's almost magical in how it never dulls but they probably look at you funny and ask why don't you sharpen it like the rest of us or buy a freaking box cutter and a box of blades. Do we need that Manix 2, probably not. Do we want it, most definately.

Same story with watches, some people like the features of higher end watches. Very few people actually need them, but merely want them instead. A Rolex which you decided to pick on is a bad example in my opinion as I think it's actually a far better investment than a knife with how it seems to not only keep it's price but seem to be gaining value unlike knives. And to top that off it's known to be bullet proof in reliability, well made with attention to detail, far more accurate than you described earlier, and is a status symbol. But for argument sake lets just pick on brand "X" which doesn't gain any value and depreciates there is still a lot of things going for it which may make it attractive to a potential buyer. Will a G-Shock work just a well for them, possibly but they may value things we don't which lead them to this purchase.

(referencing Peak Oil's watch purchase of a Timex)
As for me I think your Timex purchase was a bad one if it were me. I find all those features you like to be junk and clutter up the dial and prefer a nice simple dial with easy to read number and hands so I can easily get vitals off someone. I find that this type of dial works nicely for me instead of trying to look for that small number that is the seconds in your timix. So I prefer my Citizen BM8180-03E Eco-Drive, the thing is suppose to have 80% of it's max capacity of it's 6month reserve after 20years and it's solar powered so pretty much no maintenance. Easy to read dial, well built, and I've beat the crap out of the thing to the extent that it will make most G-Shock owners proud or cringe in horror. And it only set me back $75 compared to your $120 total cost of ownership to your Timex so far.

For me I think this Citizen will be cheaper and far more effective in the short term and long term. I could also make pretty much the same argument had I went with a Seiko 5 automatic instead. Rolex probably be just as easy to justify considering they retain their value and in fact have been gaining value. Biggest issue I have is I don't have the disposable income for such a thing and don't like the idea of carrying something that valuable in bad neighborhoods I sometimes wind up in. And I plan on rocking that Citizen till the day it kicks the bucket, same thing had I bought that Seiko or Rolex. I have a feeling that I would have came out ahead on that Rolex though, but I can live without it and enjoy not having that extra income I don't have tied to such an item.

Value and whether something is worth it or not is all based upon the person. It's actually harder to judge someone accurately by what they have than you think if that is your intent. The bigger question I think is, does it fit their criteria for what they want and can they afford it. And those things don't concern us unless we are the one making that purchasing decision.

 

[Peak_Oil]

I wear an everyday Rolex 2-tone Datejust (18K/SS) with White Enamel Roman Dial,.... as it is super easy to read and feels great on the wrist. Bought used 8 years ago for $5,500.00 when new ones were $8,600.00, and currently over $10K I suppose today. It would not be a problem today to get ALL my dough back and then some,.....and have had EIGHT YEARS of use costing nothing. Try that with a high end "Collectable" knife!

That is a beautiful watch. Exactly my taste. There was a girl in one of my classes who wore a Cartier that had beautiful Roman numerals like that one, and I drooled over it.

I hope that the day will come that I can floss one like that.

For now, I have to use a timepiece that has all the alarms and countdown timers that I use. There's just no way around it. My income depends on being able to deliver results in a timely manner, and I have to observe things within a window of time. It's a critical matter to me. I might have to time five different observations in one minute intervals while paying attention to something else. Unless something chimes on time I just can't do it. I need to be able to press a button and forget about it while counting something else and record the observation. There is no mechanical watch under the sun that can do that for me. There might be a stopwatch that does the same thing, but I couldn't use a stopwatch in my line of work.

Any Rolex is better as something to hold the pages down in my workbook than on my wrist to measure time. It would strictly be a weekend goofing off watch.

The utility of my Timex is probably worth $20K a year to me.

Let's just reel this discussion back in for a minute. If you like watches (and I like watches a lot) then you might allocate however much to something you simply choose to enjoy. There is no argument against that. Spend your money however you choose. Your watch is awesome and I would love to own it. It would not be a value decision for me to own that watch, it would be a discretionary purchase because I just like it. Some people like Roush Mustangs. Other people enjoy rides in hot air balloons. Whatever turns your gears is totally fine. My point is that buying a Rolex because it's a wise decision... now come on. It's a collectible. It's worked as an investment for a few decades, but real estate has worked as an investment for thousands of years. Keep it in perspective.

A few years ago you couldn't lose buying a Harley in any kind of shape and flipping it. Same with houses. Guaranteed to give you all the juice AND your money back in six months. Then the bottom dropped out of the market and a lot of people holding the bag went broke. The same thing is going to happen to Rolex owners some time in the near future. If the loss in perceived value of a Rolex bothers you in the slightest, then it is what it is. Maybe it really wasn't worth it to have that crown on your wrist.

That's all I'm saying.

 

[Peak_Oil]

A Rolex which you decided to pick on is a bad example in my opinion as I think it's actually a far better investment than a knife with how it seems to not only keep it's price but seem to be gaining value unlike knives.

You are patient zero in this pandemic. It's a beautiful thing, though. You have obviously thought out what you wanted and needed out of a watch. You need to know what time it is right now with the minimum of maintenance on your timepiece. The Citizen does that job better than my Timex. Fair enough. You don't like the countdown timers and alarms, but that's what I need my watch to do. Our difference of opinion is on the money. You prefer this, I prefer that.

As far as retaining value, Rolexes have done so in the past. So have Harleys, and Beanie Babies, and Magic: The Gathering cards, and bootleg CDs, and Cabbage Patch Kids, and tulips, and salt, and all kinds of other things. There is no guarantee that past returns will be repeated.

I agree with you that my purchase of a Timex is bad for you. It's good for me. We have different needs. I agree completely with your last paragraph as well, with the exception that I am very interested in their thoughts as they went through their purchasing decision tree.

 

[SteelStickler]

I agreed with everything you had to say until your last two paragraphs. I think it is imperative to judge people. And to BE judged. That is the process of making decisions. I want to be friends with certain people, and I do not want to be friends with certain other people. I want to do business with certain people and not others. There are people I would allow to enter my house when I'm not around, to care for my children in my absence, to monitor my financial transactions, etc. I absolutely will judge people based on my own set of priorities and preferences. Abdicating yourself from this responsibility is to blindly enter into arrangements with anyone. You don't really live that way, do you?

I'm fine with "to each their own" in that if it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my bones. I don't think I should tell someone else what they should do. I definitely judge people based on what they choose. Now I don't know you and you don't know me. I vicariously enjoy the optimism and freedom of your perspective. I remember when I was carefree like that. Responsibility changes people.

You know why Ray Charles can't see his friends?














Because he's married.

Karda got me right: I know judgment is an integral part of life. My point is that judgment as condemnation and judgment as discernment are two distinctly different behaviors. All of us need to be discerning, condemning not so much.

All the best

 

[Charlie Mike]

DDR... HDS... Rolex

 

[Peak_Oil]

Apparently OP's grandfather was unable to reason well, because he owned a Patek . Could it be genetic?

That is very interesting, and it throws new light on the subject. My grandfather was rich beyond the wildest dreams of many today. Due to awful investment choices in the intervening generation, his wealth has dwindled to almost nothing. They say that the third generation loses everything, but in my family's case it was the second generation that blew it. Part of it is that I have 25+ cousins, and even billions diluted among so many heirs... unless invested wisely... tend to dissipate. Gramps could have bought a PP every day of the year and it would not have been a blip on his financial radar. He had the money to throw around. He's the perfect example of someone who could floss a PP to signal that he had money to burn. I wish I could tell you stories of his whiskey warehouse during Prohibition and the executive dining room at any of his (shared among his brothers) 100+ factories worldwide.

What I'm saying is that rocking a Rolex because it's a wise choice is so bad it's not even wrong. The whole point to a Rolex is to advertise that you no longer need to trouble yourself with the price of anything. It's like buying a Porsche. Porsches suck. They don't retain their value. That's because they fall apart. It's the same with BMW 7 series cars. Lots of fun, $90K burnt in four years on the car and $185 oil changes every three months, and a heap of crap that goes for $10K at auction on year five. The reason to buy those things is to waste money flagrantly.

I'm not claiming my Gramps' success as my own. I am not anywhere near the business titan he was. I make a comfortable living as an medium-end working class guy who lives in a beater house. My cars have 175K miles plus. I shop at Costco, have my teeth done at Brite Now. When I'm not working, I'm working on replanting my acre with plants that have a job. My hands and forearms have cuts on them from thorns, and stains from cheap leather gloves. My watch is a Timex digital and Gramps' watch has both hands broken off and it's waiting for a clean and repair when I get around to blowing $100 on it. I really want to replace the hands with rose gold, though. It would really look sharp with rose gold hands.

Back to your regularly scheduled conspicuous consumption thread.

 

[Peak_Oil]

Apparently OP's grandfather was unable to reason well, because he owned a Patek . Could it be genetic?

That is very interesting, and it throws new light on the subject. My grandfather was rich beyond the wildest dreams of many today. Due to awful investment choices in the intervening generation, his wealth has dwindled to almost nothing. They say that the third generation loses everything, but in my family's case it was the second generation that blew it. Part of it is that I have 25+ cousins, and even billions diluted among so many heirs... unless invested wisely... tend to dissipate. Gramps could have bought a PP every day of the year and it would not have been a blip on his financial radar. He had the money to throw around. He's the perfect example of someone who could floss a PP to signal that he had money to burn. I wish I could tell you stories of his whiskey warehouse during Prohibition and the executive dining room at any of his (shared among his brothers) 100+ factories worldwide.

What I'm saying is that rocking a Rolex because it's a wise choice is so bad it's not even wrong. The whole point to a Rolex is to advertise that you no longer need to trouble yourself with the price of anything. It's like buying a Porsche. Porsches suck. They don't retain their value. That's because they fall apart. It's the same with BMW 7 series cars. Lots of fun, $90K burnt in four years on the car and $185 oil changes every three months, and a heap of crap that goes for $10K at auction on year five. The reason to buy those things is to waste money flagrantly.

I'm not claiming my Gramps' success as my own. I am not anywhere near the business titan he was. I make a comfortable living as an medium-end working class guy who lives in a beater house. My cars have 175K miles plus. I shop at Costco, have my teeth done at Brite Now. When I'm not working, I'm working on replanting my acre with plants that have a job. My hands and forearms have cuts on them from thorns, and stains from cheap leather gloves. My watch is a Timex digital and Gramps' watch has both hands broken off and it's waiting for a clean and repair when I get around to blowing $100 on it. I really want to replace the hands with rose gold, though. It would really look sharp with rose gold hands.

Back to your regularly scheduled conspicuous consumption thread.

 

[Pilot1]

All the mechanical (automatic, and manual winding) I own, or have owned including watches from Rolex, Omega, Sinn, Fortis, Breitling, and several from micro brands with ETA, Swiss movements have been accurate within a few seconds per day, very rugged, and reliable. My quartz watches are boring.