How long did you wait to purchase your first Rolex?

[Roost5o]

Probably about thirty years. I have ALWAYS loved the TT Sub w/blue dial. My wife wanted to buy it for me but not in its current version. "Settled" for Da Hulk instead. I love it. No regrets

[The Libertine]

I waited many years. No idea why, I just did. Knowing now what I do, I regret both the wait and money spent on other watches (except for my PO!) that I no longer wear since becoming a Rolex owner.

[flw]

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

Not long at all...I saw and fell in love with a steel DJ when I was shopping for an engagement ring for my (then) future wife...thought about it and went back in a couple of days and bought it. After, of course, I got the ring.

Funny you should say that ... My fiancee was right beside me when I bought my SubC about ten days ago. We went to my AD to pick up our wedding bands and I decided to combine that with the purchase of the watch. No "official" discount on the Sub, but for some reason we got a massive discount on the rings (including hers, which has lots of diamonds). My AD treated us well ... Romance does wonderful things.

[watchwatcher]

Originally Posted by flw

Funny you should say that ... My fiancee was right beside me when I bought my SubC about ten days ago. We went to my AD to pick up our wedding bands and I decided to combine that with the purchase of the watch. No "official" discount on the Sub, but for some reason we got a massive discount on the rings (including hers, which has lots of diamonds). My AD treated us well ... Romance does wonderful things.

Cool..great story!

[gengar126]

I fell in love with the dark blue of the TT sub when I was around 10. I only had eyes for that watch, and would notice it on anyone walking by. I remember when I was 14 or 15, I would stop at every jewelry store to gaze longingly at it. I promised myself that I would have it by 30!

Fast forward a bit--at 24, I was on my own and had a pretty good job, and I decided I just couldn't wait another second. I went into the store, put that long-awaited blue sub on my wrist and...suddenly didn't like it at all! I was too young for gold and my wrists were too small for the chunkier profile of the sub.

So...I bought the yachtmaster instead!

2012-10-19_19-47-06_593.jpg

[dabbotjordan]

Originally Posted by Brushpup

Interesting that you chose SD. We're you against the Sub because lots of people wore it?

I was fairly young at the time(26),I had just return home to the UK from working a one of the dive schools in the caymans,walked passed the AD looked in the window they had a sub and a sea dweller,I thought to my self not the sub as I don't work on submarines,I'll go for the sea dweller as I felt it had more of a connection to what I was doing with my life at that time, dweller in the big blue,so I bought the sea dweller!
Hope it makes some kind of sence!

[997.2]

Knew what I wanted in 2013

Joined the forum, asked questions

Bought a couple months ago after a long search for bae

[Muzz]

I was having a coffee with a friend of mine who informed me that a watch came in that I should buy (never looked for one or even asked). We finished our coffee, went to the store and bought my first Rolex, a red lettered sub, it was 1900 dollars lol.

[dabbotjordan]

Originally Posted by Muzz

I was having a coffee with a friend of mine who informed me that a watch came in that I should buy (never looked for one or even asked). We finished our coffee, went to the store and bought my first Rolex, a red lettered sub, it was 1900 dollars lol.

Nice work!

[PTBoat]

Originally Posted by Muzz

I was having a coffee with a friend of mine who informed me that a watch came in that I should buy (never looked for one or even asked). We finished our coffee, went to the store and bought my first Rolex, a red lettered sub, it was 1900 dollars lol.

When, what year?

[vette boy 52]

Had to get my now ex one first for our 5th wedding anniversary and then she let me have one. I was 35 had been wanting a Rolex since about 29 when I saw my bosses SS Datejust.

[HogwldFLTR]

For me I decided I wanted one and then joined the forum. I likely decided a few months prior to joining. It was a year and a half after joining the forum that I got my first Rolex. So close to two years after deciding I wanted one. After the first one, I ended up with six in the same year. Now I'm holding pat.

[axjimenez]

Great stories all

First one when I was 28 I believe. Bought it off ebay, discovered it was frankenwatch. That is how I stumbled upon the forum here. Thankfully the seller accepted returns and I sent it back. Bought a Sub Date off a forum member here, traded, traded, traded. Grail was a Deepsea. Got it yesterday.

[SenseiSeagalMMA]

I was seriously thinking about a Rolex for roughly 6-12 months with the intention of buying a TT Datejust. Finally, went into an AD and tried on a Yacht-Master. Love at first sight but was still too scared to pull the trigger. I was regretful that evening for passing it up and ended up buying it the following day.

[TempoKing]

Did not have to wait - I never thought I'd buy one !!
I was about 22 (1969) working part time for Bailey Banks & Biddle the Jewelers
in Atlanta Georgia of all places (loved it there).

We were selling Rolex watches but I never thought I'd be buying one
you see.. when you make $150 - $175 per week ...buying a watch
which was selling for $370-$400 (Daytona manual wind 6269) was a lot of money
especially when I had just bought/financed a used 1967 red Triumph TR4 for $400.!!
Anyway my manager Bill Richardson and the Rolex visiting salesman (yes back then
the stores had visiting salesmen who would try hard to sell 10 15 watches)
both were pressuring me to buy and wear this chronograph watch with the 3 "thingies"
on the side for something like $250 ...AND make payments...$25 per week.!!
So I did - since then... I got hooked into the Rolex addiction big time - without rest.

[kentrojan1]

A few months after deciding I wanted a Rolex for sure.

[mjclark32]

Probably a month or two. It was right after I proposed and I wanted something nice too

[handsfull]

The watch bug bit me around 13-14, it took me about 4-5 years of work to drum up the money for a GMT in 1992. $2400.00 if I recall.

[Racerdj]

I bought my first back in 1986. It was an impulsive decision and I thought it was a good idea to buy it with payments. I was 34 and should have known better. It kept very poor time and was sent in 3 times for regulation. It still was not very accurate and after the newness wore off and with the continued payments, I sold it. I always loved watches.

[ronricks]

too long! I was 34 but bought an Omega when I graduated college and a Breitling after that. Should have just went straight to Rolex but lesson learned.

[RocketScience]

3 days.

[h20addict]

Bought my LVc a couple months after my 30th birthday.

[adamlea]

At 11/12-ish, I started to notice the Rolex print ads in National Geographic. The men in the ads were cool, they did cool things - incredible things, really - and they wore cool watches. The watches looked cool. The cyclops looked cool, very cool. I knew I wanted to have one someday.

Fast forward 35 years. I'm an attorney working on a civil rights case. It's a big case and I know it's going to settle rather than go to trial. I decided that the one thing I was going to do for myself after the case got wrapped up was get a Rolex. I spent maybe 4 to 5 months researching before I finally made up my mind and pulled the trigger.

[rmfnla]

Originally Posted by rmfnla

I got a call in (about) 1974 from a friend asking if I wanted to buy his Submariner for $175.

I waited about .5 seconds before saying yes...

Originally Posted by RazorD

So jealous.... :)

I just wish I still had it.

I sold it a few years later for about $900 when I won a GMT as a sales bonus, and thought I made a killing at the time.

Who knew they would go up in value so much..?

[CoffeeMiLord]

I bought my first Rolex at 31 this year.

[hgsuisse]

First bonus at 26 !

[jamesbondOO7]

30 years, then 25, then 2, then 1, then 6 months, then 1 month.

[Rookie52]

I told myself when I reached a personal financial goal, I would get my first really nice watch (north of 5 figures Canadian). Had been collecting watches up until this time but nothing more than 5k. Rolex was never really on my radar but I found this forum and saw some wrist pics of the DSSD right around the same time I reached that goal.. Rest is history!

[Hollywoodvillain]

i had bought a couple 300 dollar watches on layaway in the mall jewelry stores by the time i was 20 and always figured rolex was just for rich guys . they were not seen a lot by me in my area . then i got into cars and started seeing the rolex ads in the dupont registry and robb report mags etc. i decided i could afford a used one if i quit buying a cheap watch every year , and once i had a rolex i wouldn't need the cheapies anyway so i sold em off and put a few hundred down on a pre owned rolex datejust 16030 at a local reputable non AD jewelry store . i had a year to pay but couldn't wait and busted my ass to get that watch on my wrist within a couple months . i wore that watch daily for 19 years always thinking i might want a Submariner but not being able to justify it . blew a lot of money on other toys and partying etc etc. over the years and decided a couple months ago that i should get my self a sub . i try to build a hot rod or motorcycle to sell once a year to have something to drive to shows and supplement my income . so i told my self the next project i sell . i'm getting my self a SUB . sold a car a couple days later and bought my sub withing a few days . that was at the end of march and i bought another last week but i traded that trusty ol' datejust and some loot for it (16570 EXP II polar) . i blame this forum for ruining my judgement . i spent almost 20 years content with that datejust , and after only a month on this site i sold it to get into the polar exp II and already i am in the market for a GMT . WTF TRF !! i only wear 1 at a time so i can't imagine why i think i need more than 1 . i completely blame you guys !

[colt_seavers]

I still don't have my first Rolex, but I decided for sure that I wanted one at the beginning of the year and have now saved up about 30% of the total price of a new Sea Dweller. It will be another year before I have the money at this rate of saving, but I am considering selling my Panerai (that took me 4 years to finally buy!) to bring forward the Rolex experience! Decisions decisions!