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Gus2 · 12 June 2016, 01:04 PM

Hey guys,

I've been thinking about buying a Rolex for a couple of years and this part week I decided to go for it.

A few years ago I read that people sort of "ease their way" into Luxury watches by buying an "entry level" luxury watch and then "growing" from there.

So instead of buying a Rolex (well, not like I could afford one back then), I bought what in my opinion is one of the most beautiful watches in the world (I know this is a matter of taste though). A Hamilton Jazzmaster Maestro #H32716859:

I wore it daily for a couple of months but I always thought the leather strap should be replaced by the SS bracelet, this model in particular is only sold with the leather strap and there is no bracelet for it, you have to find a replacement from a Hamilton watch on the exact same size as the Jazzmaster and they are very hard to find. So I hunted that thing all over the world and I finally tracked one at a little jewelry store in Milan. So I bought it got it shipped and swapped the leather strap for it. It was awesome.

Anyway, I've been wearing my Jazzmaster Maestro for 2 years now and I felt I was finally ready (mentally and financially) to get my first Rolex.

The problem with wearing a Jazzmaster Maestro is that it is not only a "big" watch (at 45mm) but the Bezel on the watch is basically non-existent, so that makes it look even bigger (and better IMO).

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago after hours and hours of research I was pretty much convinced that I was getting a Daytona. I didn't know if I was going to get the SS, Two-Tone, Gold, etc. but I knew it was a Daytona. The main reason is that I love cars, I own an Ariel Atom 2 Supercharged, and the history of the Daytona sealed my decision.

So I went to the local Rolex store and I tried them on...beautiful watches, but they look so small! I couldn't get beyond that fact that I was going from 45mm without a bezel to 40mm with a bezel, the watch itself just looks dwarfed in comparison to the Jazzmaster:

And I know this is a matter of taste, but it was hard for me because I'm so used to the big face of the watch!

So it was back to zero, so I thought about a watch I saw a couple of years ago, right after I bought the Jazzmaster, I remember trying it on and saying "I'm going to own one of these one day", it was the Rolex Yacht-Master II SS.

So I went only and looked at the Yacht-Master II models and I decided to get one of these instead. Now, I decided I didn't want to buy another SS watch, that I was either going to buy the Yellow Gold, or the White Gold and Platinum version of the watch.

Like everyone out there, I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews in forums such as this one, where the Yellow Gold version has been almost universally viewed negatively due to it being all gold, or the fact that the blue bezel stands out too much due to the yellow gold, etc.

I really wanted that Yellow Gold watch, I thought it looked amazing, but I decided to buy the White Gold and Platinum instead as it is still an awesome watch but without all the "flashy nature" of the yellow gold version.

I bought the watch (Pre-Owned/Excellent condition) and I received it this morning. My first impression was "This thing is beautiful" followed by "I thought the white gold and platinum combination would stand out more". I actually thought that the SS version with the blue bezel "popped" out way more than the platinum. Again, this could be positive or negative depending on your personality and preference. I'm a bit more outgoing than most, not to the point of buying an all-diamond Rolex with a Flavor Flave Clock chain, but I'm fairly extrovert I guess. So to me, that was a negative.

Anyway, I start testing everything on the watch and I noticed that the Regatta timer doesn't work as designed, the timer never goes under 5 minutes, it counts down to 5 and then stops. If you start the countdown at 5, it just doesn't work. So I started thinking "Well, I got such a good deal on this watch and I don't even own a boat, so who cares if the regatta timer doesn't work", I thought that maybe this was something simple to fix, maybe I didn't understand how the functionality really worked and it was something that an expert could probably fix for me easily.

So me and my wife went to the local jewelry store/Rolex dealer and while she shopped for a new ring (it's our 10th anniversary so I'm upgrading her ring) I went to the back and showed the Rolex expert the issues I saw on my new watch. He said that he had never seen a regatta timer that refused to go past "5" and that my best bet was to have them ship it to Rolex so they can assess the situation and fix it.

So I decided to call the company I bought it from and since it's under warranty they said I can send it back, they will fix it, and send it to me again. So they send me a return shipping label, and I'm good to go.

However, like an idiot I decided to go and check out the Rolex watches they had there, and they had a brand new Yacht-Master II in Yellow Gold (Model 116688). Price tag $43,500. Ouch.

My budget for the watch was $30K, and that's what I paid for the white gold pre-owned watch (well it was actually $25K), so I tried not to even think about it, even though I really really want that Yellow Gold YMII!

My wife sees me wearing it and she tells me that the watch looks so much better on me than the White Gold one, and that she knows I said it was too flashy but that it didn't look flashy on my skin tone (I'm Latin, and drive a car with no roof or doors all the time, so you can imagine how dark I am).

I told her that it was too expensive but that I agreed with her...it really does look better on me than the white gold one.

So at that point I decided to return the white gold one, and focus on finding a yellow gold YM II at my price point. New one? forget it, you can't find it for $30k, or at least not from a reputable place.

The salesguy who was working with my wife on her ring hears our little conversation and goes to the back to talk to the manager. He comes back and says that if I want the watch, they would knock out 10% of the price and let me take it for $39,500. Nope! Too much.

So we forgot about the watch for a little bit and focused on my wife's ring, until we get to a price discussion on the ring...so I asked them to make me an offer for the ring and the watch together.

Now I have seen this watch online at reputable stores on the high 30s, I have also seen it at around 35K-36K pre-owned/never-worn in a couple of places, so I knew I could always get it new for around $35K.

Long story short, they came back at $34K. I said Yes.

I figured that even if I found one at $32K that was new or pre-owned/never worn, I was going to get 1-2 years warranty from some online store, and the watch would be older, like 2010, 2008, etc. Here I was getting a 2016 watch, with a 5 year warranty, never worn for $34K. I thought it was a good compromise.

So, as of today, I'm the lucky/proud/idiot owner of a Rolex Yacht-Master II (a.k.a. Clown-Master II).

I know you guys don't like this watch, and I know I should've bought a Daytona but damn it I just cannot stop being absolutely mesmerized by the design on this watch...everyone will say I'm stupid or crazy or a clown, but honestly I think the feeling I get from wearing this watch silences all of those negative comments.

And after all, I think this is what buying one of these masterpieces is all about.

Sorry for the long story but I hope you enjoyed it.

Gus

12 June 2016, 01:04 PM	#28
Gus2 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Marietta, GA Watch: Sub 116610LV HULK Posts: 178	Bought my First (second) Rolex today Hey guys, I've been thinking about buying a Rolex for a couple of years and this part week I decided to go for it. A few years ago I read that people sort of "ease their way" into Luxury watches by buying an "entry level" luxury watch and then "growing" from there. So instead of buying a Rolex (well, not like I could afford one back then), I bought what in my opinion is one of the most beautiful watches in the world (I know this is a matter of taste though). A Hamilton Jazzmaster Maestro #H32716859: I wore it daily for a couple of months but I always thought the leather strap should be replaced by the SS bracelet, this model in particular is only sold with the leather strap and there is no bracelet for it, you have to find a replacement from a Hamilton watch on the exact same size as the Jazzmaster and they are very hard to find. So I hunted that thing all over the world and I finally tracked one at a little jewelry store in Milan. So I bought it got it shipped and swapped the leather strap for it. It was awesome. Anyway, I've been wearing my Jazzmaster Maestro for 2 years now and I felt I was finally ready (mentally and financially) to get my first Rolex. The problem with wearing a Jazzmaster Maestro is that it is not only a "big" watch (at 45mm) but the Bezel on the watch is basically non-existent, so that makes it look even bigger (and better IMO). Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago after hours and hours of research I was pretty much convinced that I was getting a Daytona. I didn't know if I was going to get the SS, Two-Tone, Gold, etc. but I knew it was a Daytona. The main reason is that I love cars, I own an Ariel Atom 2 Supercharged, and the history of the Daytona sealed my decision. So I went to the local Rolex store and I tried them on...beautiful watches, but they look so small! I couldn't get beyond that fact that I was going from 45mm without a bezel to 40mm with a bezel, the watch itself just looks dwarfed in comparison to the Jazzmaster: And I know this is a matter of taste, but it was hard for me because I'm so used to the big face of the watch! So it was back to zero, so I thought about a watch I saw a couple of years ago, right after I bought the Jazzmaster, I remember trying it on and saying "I'm going to own one of these one day", it was the Rolex Yacht-Master II SS. So I went only and looked at the Yacht-Master II models and I decided to get one of these instead. Now, I decided I didn't want to buy another SS watch, that I was either going to buy the Yellow Gold, or the White Gold and Platinum version of the watch. Like everyone out there, I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews in forums such as this one, where the Yellow Gold version has been almost universally viewed negatively due to it being all gold, or the fact that the blue bezel stands out too much due to the yellow gold, etc. I really wanted that Yellow Gold watch, I thought it looked amazing, but I decided to buy the White Gold and Platinum instead as it is still an awesome watch but without all the "flashy nature" of the yellow gold version. I bought the watch (Pre-Owned/Excellent condition) and I received it this morning. My first impression was "This thing is beautiful" followed by "I thought the white gold and platinum combination would stand out more". I actually thought that the SS version with the blue bezel "popped" out way more than the platinum. Again, this could be positive or negative depending on your personality and preference. I'm a bit more outgoing than most, not to the point of buying an all-diamond Rolex with a Flavor Flave Clock chain, but I'm fairly extrovert I guess. So to me, that was a negative. Anyway, I start testing everything on the watch and I noticed that the Regatta timer doesn't work as designed, the timer never goes under 5 minutes, it counts down to 5 and then stops. If you start the countdown at 5, it just doesn't work. So I started thinking "Well, I got such a good deal on this watch and I don't even own a boat, so who cares if the regatta timer doesn't work", I thought that maybe this was something simple to fix, maybe I didn't understand how the functionality really worked and it was something that an expert could probably fix for me easily. So me and my wife went to the local jewelry store/Rolex dealer and while she shopped for a new ring (it's our 10th anniversary so I'm upgrading her ring) I went to the back and showed the Rolex expert the issues I saw on my new watch. He said that he had never seen a regatta timer that refused to go past "5" and that my best bet was to have them ship it to Rolex so they can assess the situation and fix it. So I decided to call the company I bought it from and since it's under warranty they said I can send it back, they will fix it, and send it to me again. So they send me a return shipping label, and I'm good to go. However, like an idiot I decided to go and check out the Rolex watches they had there, and they had a brand new Yacht-Master II in Yellow Gold (Model 116688). Price tag $43,500. Ouch. My budget for the watch was $30K, and that's what I paid for the white gold pre-owned watch (well it was actually $25K), so I tried not to even think about it, even though I really really want that Yellow Gold YMII! My wife sees me wearing it and she tells me that the watch looks so much better on me than the White Gold one, and that she knows I said it was too flashy but that it didn't look flashy on my skin tone (I'm Latin, and drive a car with no roof or doors all the time, so you can imagine how dark I am). I told her that it was too expensive but that I agreed with her...it really does look better on me than the white gold one. So at that point I decided to return the white gold one, and focus on finding a yellow gold YM II at my price point. New one? forget it, you can't find it for $30k, or at least not from a reputable place. The salesguy who was working with my wife on her ring hears our little conversation and goes to the back to talk to the manager. He comes back and says that if I want the watch, they would knock out 10% of the price and let me take it for $39,500. Nope! Too much. So we forgot about the watch for a little bit and focused on my wife's ring, until we get to a price discussion on the ring...so I asked them to make me an offer for the ring and the watch together. Now I have seen this watch online at reputable stores on the high 30s, I have also seen it at around 35K-36K pre-owned/never-worn in a couple of places, so I knew I could always get it new for around $35K. Long story short, they came back at $34K. I said Yes. I figured that even if I found one at $32K that was new or pre-owned/never worn, I was going to get 1-2 years warranty from some online store, and the watch would be older, like 2010, 2008, etc. Here I was getting a 2016 watch, with a 5 year warranty, never worn for $34K. I thought it was a good compromise. So, as of today, I'm the lucky/proud/idiot owner of a Rolex Yacht-Master II (a.k.a. Clown-Master II). I know you guys don't like this watch, and I know I should've bought a Daytona but damn it I just cannot stop being absolutely mesmerized by the design on this watch...everyone will say I'm stupid or crazy or a clown, but honestly I think the feeling I get from wearing this watch silences all of those negative comments. And after all, I think this is what buying one of these masterpieces is all about. Sorry for the long story but I hope you enjoyed it. Gus