A year with "my first Rolex"

[Johnny 89]

sealtt said:

http://watchfinder.co.uk/Rolex/Submariner/116610%2...

You won't get it much cheaper than that. Plus they will sometimes do a bit of discount or at least give you some 0% finance for a year which is better than nothing.

Thanks, that looks lovely. Now there are some on eBay and similar from private sellers that are a bit cheaper. Is this a big no no?
I also see watches with a green bezel and black dial that are generally less expensive than all green. I'm sure it's because it's a specific limited edition or some other reason?

[DanL]

SpeckledJim said:

... otherwise you would have had to conclude that you've been mugged for thousands of pounds by a company that spends half the money you gave it on the marketing and sponsorship required to hook the next one.

You can argue that anyone who spends more than the bare necessary has been "mugged" though. Shop at Waitrose? Mugged. Spent more than £20 on a pair of jeans? Mugged. More than £5 on a haircut? Mugged.

Some people take pleasure in "nice things", whatever that may mean. Who's to say that this is something that should be looked down upon, because you choose to spend money elsewhere?

[SpeckledJim]

DanL said:

SpeckledJim said:

... otherwise you would have had to conclude that you've been mugged for thousands of pounds by a company that spends half the money you gave it on the marketing and sponsorship required to hook the next one.

You can argue that anyone who spends more than the bare necessary has been "mugged" though. Shop at Waitrose? Mugged. Spent more than £20 on a pair of jeans? Mugged. More than £5 on a haircut? Mugged.

Some people take pleasure in "nice things", whatever that may mean. Who's to say that this is something that should be looked down upon, because you choose to spend money elsewhere?

It's not the spending of a lot, it's the pretending about the reasons.

If the appeal of a Rolex lies in its intrinsic engineering quality, why do the professionals in charge of the brand spend untold millions plastering the brand all over F1, yet expend so little effort telling us how well they are made?

[CardShark]

Johnny 89 said:

Thanks, that looks lovely. Now there are some on eBay and similar from private sellers that are a bit cheaper. Is this a big no no?
I also see watches with a green bezel and black dial that are generally less expensive than all green. I'm sure it's because it's a specific limited edition or some other reason?

Watches from private sellers on eBay would usually be cheaper than those from reputable dealers in the same way that cars are, you pay a little extra for the security - perceived or otherwise - that buying from a dealer brings. If you're new to such watch purchases the general rule of thumb is to go for the dealer option however if you do your homework and ask some well targeted questions then it is possible to go the eBay route, make sure you buy the seller and not just the watch.

The green/black "Kermit" is from the previous generation of Submariners compared to the newer all green "Hulk" that sealtt linked to, that would partly explain the price difference - Rolex haven't released a newer ceramic bezelled model of the Kermit. The former is also more common, though compared to its equivalent black/black brother they're quite rare though it's down to personal preference as to which is best.

Edit to add that I don't think that any variant of Sub is limited as in there will only ever be a set number of them made, it's just that some models are more common than others.

Edited by CardShark on Tuesday 9th February 12:11

[catso]

That a Rolex is expensive is fine, you have a choice to not be 'mugged'.

That they want £400 to service one is a bit steep but to be expected as they charge what they can get away with.

That the shop wanted a £30 deposit for a £400 repair on my Wife's £5k watch seemed a bit sad...

[Johnny 89]

CardShark said:

Watches from private sellers on eBay would usually be cheaper than those from reputable dealers in the same way that cars are, you pay a little extra for the security - perceived or otherwise - that buying from a dealer brings. If you're new to such watch purchases the general rule of thumb is to go for the dealer option however if you do your homework and ask some well targeted questions then it is possible to go the eBay route, make sure you buy the seller and not just the watch.

The green/black "Kermit" is from the previous generation of Submariners compared to the newer all green "Hulk" that sealtt linked to, that would partly explain the price difference - Rolex haven't released a newer ceramic bezelled model of the Kermit. The former is also more common, though compared to its equivalent black/black brother they're quite rare though it's down to personal preference as to which is best.

Edit to add that I don't think that any variant of Sub is limited as in there will only ever be a set number of them made, it's just that some models are more common than others.

Edited by CardShark on Tuesday 9th February 12:11

Thanks. Some good info. there. Now I've never bought a car from a dealer so does that answer my own question :-) Perhaps not but it is worth a think perhaps

Thanks

[Nigel_O]

SpeckledJim said:

But you admitted in the first post that you were disappointed that the watch didn't garner more attention. Then you 'discover' that the joy of owning it is actually internal.

I'm happy to admit that I initially wanted people to notice it (well some people - I really wasn't looking forward to explaining it to Wifey)

However, I quickly realised that the joy was in knowing, not showing.

Wifey still doesn't know (or maybe she does, but just doesn't care). As for a piccy in her new riding boots, do you want JUST her new riding boots?.....

[coldsnap]

Johnny 89 said:

Thanks, that looks lovely. Now there are some on eBay and similar from private sellers that are a bit cheaper. Is this a big no no?
I also see watches with a green bezel and black dial that are generally less expensive than all green. I'm sure it's because it's a specific limited edition or some other reason?

This is where picking the "right" watch comes into it's own and to me it's much of the fun with Rolex. The earliest 2004 50th anniversary sub with the black dial/green bezel (kermit) can command a premium as there were not "relatively" that many made. Prices for the kermit Mk1 dial, flat 4, F serial (need to check) are going up and will cost you more than the newer green dial (hulk). Seems it's already become a collectible.

Edited by coldsnap on Tuesday 9th February 14:03

[Adrian W]

I don't get this thread

[heebeegeetee]

Nigel_O said:

1. What car do you drive? If its anything other than a 5 year old Corsa, a 10year old Micra, or a 20 year old E36, why? Each of these will happily move you around from place to place, with half-decent reliability and enough power to break any speed limit in this country. Why would you need anything more? Very likely the same reason I wanted a Sub, as well as my deadly-accurate, 20 year old Seiko quartz

2. As for fakes (ie something that is trying to fool others that its the real thing, as opposed to homages, which are merely trying to look LIKE the real thing) - one of the biggest reasons for the vitriol is where the funds might be going - would you be happy knowing that some of the £100-£200 you spent on the fake Submariner might be going to ISIS or Al-Qaeda? Nope, thought not....

1. That's not the point. Fact is the better cars will do things better, faster, more accurately, more entertainingly. You sit in a car, feel it, hear it, smell it, maintain it (if only filling it with fuel), a car is infinitely more complex. A high end classic car can actually become a major part of your life but all a watch can ever do is display the time.

2. Hmm, and Switzerland looked after Nazis and gave jews up to them and still hordes Nazi gold to this day. I'd be very surprised if no Swiss financial house has ever been in the financing of those who finance groups like ISIS etc, but again, a nation's politics is hardly the point.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating - the ingredients can be discussed til the cows come home but if the pudding doesn't taste nice it's not a nice pudding, end of.

I'm sorry but I can't see how a modern watch that doesn't keep good time can be described as quality. And let's be honest, those tremendously expensive watches that are now advertised in many a car mag are just plain vulgar, nothing else.

[audidoody]

Do you see the point in ANYTHING?

A micro wave meal will satisfy your hunger just as a meal in a Michelin restaurant will

A Marks and Spencer suit will keep you decent and clothed the same way as a Savile Row made-to-meagre garment from the finest wool

A pair of cheap trainers will protect your feet as much as a pair of shoes from Lobbs

etc etc

[Countdown]

If a fake microwave meal tastes EXACTLY the same as a genuine microwave meal is there any difference?

Let's face it, it's jewellery. People wear it to show off, just like we do various other things to show off. As I said earlier that's human nature and (other than Buddhist monks) most people indulge in it.

[sealtt]

Johnny 89 said:

Thanks, that looks lovely. Now there are some on eBay and similar from private sellers that are a bit cheaper. Is this a big no no?
I also see watches with a green bezel and black dial that are generally less expensive than all green. I'm sure it's because it's a specific limited edition or some other reason?

The one with the green bezel and black dial is the older model. The full green is reference: 116610LV, the black and green is reference: 16610LV.

Good information about the two here: http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?237888-11661...


As for pricing, if it's a couple of hundred pounds I'd pay the extra to go through WatchFinder as you get the warranty, extra peace of mind and they will do a bit of discount usually to close the gap - especially if you are buying cash. If it's a good saving then it would be worth considering, though you might want to take the watch to a 3rd party Rolex dealer to make sure all is as it should be. If it's your first purchase I'd just buy from a trusted seller like WatchFinder for an easier experience though.

[jonamv8]

God there are some people with interesting views. The man wanted a rolex , bought one and likes it. End of!

The haters just havent got one, and secretly they probably wished they had.

Ive had real watches and fake watches and liked every watch, or i wouldnt have purchased them. My favourite watch is my genuine rolex, by a country mile. So i see where OP is coming from

[heebeegeetee]

audidoody said:

Do you see the point in ANYTHING?

A micro wave meal will satisfy your hunger just as a meal in a Michelin restaurant will

A Marks and Spencer suit will keep you decent and clothed the same way as a Savile Row made-to-meagre garment from the finest wool

A pair of cheap trainers will protect your feet as much as a pair of shoes from Lobbs

etc etc

That analogy doesn't work. The Michelin meal, Saville Row suit... sorry, can't comment on trainers will be better.

The watch in discussion does a decidedly inferior job of telling the time, or any other info come to that.

Each to his own and all that, but £5k for something not terribly great at purpose, christ.

I'm sorry but page 1 of this thread is just top quality bullst. I had to check the link to the other thread to confirm it wasn't a piss take.

[Xaero]

Just like to say I enjoyed the OP's original post. Really came across as enthused and proud of his watch, good on that man. Glad to see such enjoyment hasn't worn off, it encourages me to get the watch I want sooner rather than later. Although I'm not sure if I should be hiding it from the wife.

[Blown2CV]

I've had mine just under a year, having picked up my SDDS as my first 'proper' watch with my first 'proper' bonus. I'd echo much of what you've said! I find mine much harder to hide in certain situations, being as it's pretty hefty. I've consequently knocked it a couple of times on things but they seem solid enough to not show it! It's only been noticed a couple of times, most recently by a colleague who I later noticed has a nice blue face datejust. There seems to be a difference between people who wear them because they love them, and those who wear them apparently as a status badge. I've picked up a rather fetching pair of Rolex cleaning gloves from my local agent. Basically just beige cleaning cloths made into gloves with a massive logo! Pretty useful for getting into nooks and crannies. Make sure you understand you warranty and service intervals as they changed significantly around this time last year.

[Blown2CV]

Oh and I did chat with Mrs 2CV about it before buying. Not sure I'd want to keep something like that a secret. Trying to convince her that she'd appreciate a decent quality timepiece for our first wedding anniversary, but all the ones she's shown me so far (on her Pinterest board, as is the female thing du jour) are all fashion tat!

[Johnny 89]

sealtt said:

The one with the green bezel and black dial is the older model. The full green is reference: 116610LV, the black and green is reference: 16610LV.

Good information about the two here: http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?237888-11661...


As for pricing, if it's a couple of hundred pounds I'd pay the extra to go through WatchFinder as you get the warranty, extra peace of mind and they will do a bit of discount usually to close the gap - especially if you are buying cash. If it's a good saving then it would be worth considering, though you might want to take the watch to a 3rd party Rolex dealer to make sure all is as it should be. If it's your first purchase I'd just buy from a trusted seller like WatchFinder for an easier experience though.

Thanks.. That all makes sense..
Something that has crossed my mind but am unsure if it would make financial sense.. What are values like in America? If I was to visit could I buy a watch and claim some VAT back upon leaving? Or any other non EU country for that matter?

[Nigel_O]

heebeegeetee said:

I'm sorry but page 1 of this thread is just top quality bullst. I had to check the link to the other thread to confirm it wasn't a piss take.

You and Zod should get a room together....

Why is it bull?