At what age was your first experience...

[ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ{Adventure!)]

...buying a Rolex?

More specifically, when did you feel you were at the right time to make the purchase? Was it after getting the trinity of house, spouse, and car? After a graduation from a university or your first job? When you just simply had accumulated the appropriate amount of savings?

[RW16610]

It's always a fun thing to discuss or read responses on. Here's another topic with quite a few responses you can have a look at.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=515394

[Rolex addict]

I was in my early 30's and decided to buy a "nice" watch. Did my research and found that Rolex has a high resell value. My plan was to keep it, but you never know what can happen. And the addiction started.

[ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ{Adventure!)]

Originally Posted by RW16610

It's always a fun thing to discuss or read responses on. Here's another topic with quite a few responses you can have a look at.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=515394

Ah apologies... should've worded the title better.

By age I meant "point in your life".

My dilemma per-se is that I want to make my first one watch purchase as an 116613, but then I have a wedding to pay for this November so that pushes the purchase date back to next year (I want to pay cash rather than put it on a card or finance).

....but then every time I think of it, I then snowball with the thought of paying for a house, car, saving for kids 3yrs or so down the road.... it almost feels like I am just being too timid about going through with the purchase.

I'm in middle management so it's not like I'm afraid of standing out or the watch wearing me.... it's just trying to figure out when is the right time to buy.

I'm sure all of you have a story of your first experience involving a milestone or something to celebrate, so just wanted to pick some brains in that sense.

[beshannon]

When I could appreciate it

[SDRider]

I turned 50 this year. My wife and I are in a good place financially, we have been taking vacations, have plenty of money invested and in savings so we both bought ourselves a nice watch. No plans to add to the collection at this point.

[droptopman]

I wanted a Sub from the time I was 14. I do not come from a wealthy family. Upper middle class. I started a business when I was 19 and saved for two years. No wife, no kids and I had a couple of really cool cars already, so buying a Rolex, while not a smart investment for a 21 year old, there was no real consequence for doing it. Most of my friends were either in college or working some crappy labor job. No one in my circle really knew what a Rolex was so I did it for me 100%. Been a WIS for a long time. Back then it was easy to justify the expense.

[ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ{Adventure!)]

Originally Posted by Rolex addict

I was in my early 30's and decided to buy a "nice" watch. Did my research and found that Rolex has a high resell value. My plan was to keep it, but you never know what can happen. And the addiction started.

So you ended up flipping your first watch, or is it still part of your collection?

Originally Posted by beshannon

When I could appreciate it

Appreciation as far as innovations and brand identity?

Originally Posted by SDRider

I turned 50 this year. My wife and I are in a good place financially, we have been taking vacations, have plenty of money invested and in savings so we both bought ourselves a nice watch. No plans to add to the collection at this point.

Congratulations! Definitely a great point for celebration!
...must say though your posts made you seem far younger

[Dr. Robert]

I was 22, 1973, working & living in Hong Kong, cashed in my first commission check & bought a brand new 1655 explorer 2.

[GB-man]

When I had the money. I had been collecting other brands for 15 years prior. I was 25 and it was a 116710LN.

[Magwitch]

I was 19, working at a PT job in 1970 whilst in college. My boss wanted a GMT very badly. He was going to Switzerland and asked me if I wanted a Rolex. I gave him $100. He bought me an OP for $120 (+$6 duty) and the GMT for himself @ $195 IIRC.

I traded that Rolex in 1976 at a pawn shop for the first "piece" in my other hobby. I still have that "piece."

[donas]

I was 20 and bought one shortly after I got out of Marine boot camp.

[Fredrik]

Late teens, I went looking at GMT Masters at an AD with my father. My brother got his Submariner at 12 in the 70s. A Rolex was(and is) for me the ultimate sports watch that could handle anything and keep excellent time.

[JohnAcosta]

I was saving up for a while before hand and my wife and I were in the process of deciding to try for a child. I knew once we had a child I wouldn't have anymore "fun" money for at least 18 years, so I decided to get my 16710 then and there.

[SDRider]

Originally Posted by ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ{Adventure!)

Congratulations! Definitely a great point for celebration!
...must say though your posts made you seem far younger

I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not...

I'm young at heart.

[FTX I]

Originally Posted by GB-man

When I had the money. I had been collecting other brands for 15 years prior. I was 25 and it was a 116710LN.

I always sucked at math but you started collecting when you were 10?

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by Dr. Robert

I was 22, 1973, working & living in Hong Kong, cashed in my first commission check & bought a brand new 1655 explorer 2.

That's a great experience, both for you and for those who get to read this.

[Wesley Crusher]

23. I bought my first Rolex as a gift to myself for graduating college.

[JP Chestnut]

I was 19-20. I saved up all my math tutoring money while an UG and bought a new Pepsi 16710, which I still own/wear.

[Frank G]

Originally Posted by ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ{Adventure!)

Ah apologies... should've worded the title better.

By age I meant "point in your life".

My dilemma per-se is that I want to make my first one watch purchase as an 116613, but then I have a wedding to pay for this November so that pushes the purchase date back to next year (I want to pay cash rather than put it on a card or finance).

....but then every time I think of it, I then snowball with the thought of paying for a house, car, saving for kids 3yrs or so down the road.... it almost feels like I am just being too timid about going through with the purchase.

I'm in middle management so it's not like I'm afraid of standing out or the watch wearing me.... it's just trying to figure out when is the right time to buy.

I'm sure all of you have a story of your first experience involving a milestone or something to celebrate, so just wanted to pick some brains in that sense.

Sometimes watches are like kids. If you wait until you're "ready", you'll always be on the outside looking in. Don't over think it and realize if you hit a rough patch you can always sell and get most of your money back. Typically it just starts the hobby and that's when you have to figure out how to raise "side funds" with everything else going on.

Godspeed


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[marv_lopez12]

Personally, I saved up for mine.

[locutus49]

I bought my first at 23, in 1974. We are roughly the same age.

Originally Posted by Dr. Robert

I was 22, 1973, working & living in Hong Kong, cashed in my first commission check & bought a brand new 1655 explorer 2.