There was a time when to pull your handle to reveal that a rolex was the ultimate flex. But these days, he feels expected.
I met a companion recently. He timed the watch on my wrist, something independent, less known, and struck his face. “Why are you doing this?” He asked, as if I had just filled a horrible crime. And honestly, he said more about him than the watch and made this thread think.
This reaction made me realize how far we have moved away from individualism in the culture of watch. When has luxury become so uniform? Why do we all want the same Submariner, Daytona or Pepsi GMT look at that, let's be honest, you now see in each living room, meeting room and Bro birthday dinner?
The green submarine effect
My local retailer recently offered me a green submarine. Most guys would lose their heads on this call. Me? Nothing. Not a flicker in the pants. It's as if I had lost my erection for Rolex. Perish however, but did it finally happen?
It is not that the submarine is not a good watch. It is. But I watched it and I thought, each guy has one. And when a watch first becomes a symbol of status and a personal choice in second, it begins to look like a uniform.
Of course, some Rolex models are still worth drooling. I would never say no to a Everose Daytona. But I could have returned the green submarine, to make a little stored profit … and I still didn't want it. I am not a pinball machine anyway. A watch is like a dog or an ex-wife. It's for life.
Watches are not investments. Not really, In my humble opinion.
There is something other than no one means: selling watches is pain. A real pain in the ass. Worse than a car or anything else. People who buy an unbearable, and with so many false, it is logical that you should be so careful.
Everyone talks about resale as if it was a safe thing. This is not the case. Unless you bought a Patek Nautilus before it became a media threw, or a Paul Newman Daytona when they were still five figures, you do not invest. You speculate.
I paid about ten large (USD) for my old Daytona, which is probably worth ten times more now. But sell it? You are dealing in Tyre-Kickers, values ​​in consignment or chaos on the gray market. Good luck, take care of yourself. You will not get what you want and you will pay to someone a 15%commission.
So yes, good luck if you only buy to earn money. For most people, this exit plan is more difficult than they think.
The problem with the Rolex culture… And snobbery
Rolex's worship created this bizarre gold stallion where anything else is considered second. I wore an alpine eagle from Chopard the other week, and a companion looked at him as if I had slipped fangs.
“Why don't you wear your Rolex?” He asked. I meant: “Why do you wear the same watch as all the other financial brother in this too expensive restaurant?”
I compare to drive a Mercedes and shoot a face on someone with a Porsche. Different badge. Same league. Expand your taste, friend.
What do you look at instead?
If you are courageous enough to leave the Rolex treadmill, there is a whole world there. Start with independent brands – emerge the players. They always make watches for people, not algorithms.
Cartier, for his part, kills him right now. Elegant, original and improves with each version. Santos is a major atmosphere, just like the LC tank.
Never exceed Breitling, in particular navitimer. It will always be a classic in smaller.
Jaeger-LeCoultre is also a brand that oozes, but it is often a second or a third watch. The polaris is seriously underestimated.
Grand Seiko? Quietly make some of the best dials in the company. The finish is crazy. Not to mention the accuracy of their Spring walk. Imagine buying a watch according to its quality on the brand? Madness.
A. Lange & Söhne could be a stretch price, but if you can swing it, you never watch a rolex in the same way. Vacheron Constantin is another brand that does everything well with any Tiktok noise.
Final thoughts
So yes, maybe I'm just jaded. But I no longer receive Rolex's same thrill. This spark is lost.
These days, I am more excited by something that you do not see every day. Something that looks like mine, not everyone. The kind of piece only a guy from the watch would recognize.
So, if you are on the market for a new watch and you are surprised to watch the brand blindly because that's what everyone wants, maybe take a beat. The best watch you buy could be the one you don't even seek.
