What Owning And Wearing A Rolex Should Be About

[Trek737]

Thanks for the wonderful story... a nice surprise .... Hope you feel better...

[jimcameron]

Peter, your Father was a great man, and the Daytona is a fantastic memento of his bravery at such a young age, and his drive to own something that lasts longer than we do. My Dad was also a WW2 Vet, Pilot and volunteer at the age of 33 when he could have stayed home. I just got his Omega Constellation back from service, and it is my most cherished possession. I Salute the Greatest Generation, and wish you improved health and many years to enjoy the true value of such a watch. Bless him and you.

[meyers]

A great man!

[Rolex.c6]

Great, great story.

[Jimbogigolo]

Wow. You don't read that everyday. Thanks for sharing.

[air_king]

Thanks for the great story, many more thanks to your father for his service. They don’t make many men like him anymore.

[Joemck]

Thank you for the wonderful story & thank you for the wealth of knowledge which you graciously shared with us. Best wishes and prayers for your health.

[Flybak]

Peter, many thanks for sharing this touching story. Wishing your health improves soon.

[The Argonaut]

Originally Posted by padi56

Many years ago back in the late 1970s my Father always wanted a Rolex watch so he took on two jobs and saved for just over 5 years to get his watch.Now he always wanted a Submariner so when he had saved enough money at this time just over £950,so off he went to the AD to buy his watch.And I am sure he did not go with a Lupe to examine every minute detail of the watch or worry if this or that will go up in value.In those days you just bought a Rolex watch knowing that watch would last a lifetime and beyond.Back in those bygone days you bought a Rolex not to try or hope it would go up in value, but to wear hopefully in good health for the rest of your life.Now when my Father got to the AD they showed him the sub,but tried to sell him a 6263 Daytona instead, in those days they were very very poor sellers.And they even offered him a discount of £25 of the price,now the Daytona was almost then a £100 retail cheaper than the sub so with the discount plus the cheaper price he bought the Daytona 6263.Now with the money saved he bought my mother a new washing machine,now sadly my Father did not live a lifetime to enjoy his Rolex he died at the age of just 56.Now IMHO WW11 did play a part in his short life Dad was in the navy on aircraft carriers dad lied about his age he was just 17 years old just a boy.He was on aircraft carriers HMS Furious and HMS Glorious.Now the Glorious was attacked by the German battle-cruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and a direct hit in her magazine caused her to sink.Out of a complement of of around 1500 men there were only 39 recorded survivors.My Father was reported missing,presumed killed in action.But was picked up by a Norwegian fishing boat, after being in the sea for almost 32 hours. returning from war back to working in the coal mines shortened his life I am sure.The Daytona now belongs to me but in my lifetime I would never sell it at any price. It just means to much to me, so when I look at the watch, in my mind I see my Fathers face with the proud look admiring his watch.Rolex watches are not always about £££$$$$$$ but something to enjoy and wear hopefully for a very very long life.Myself now in very poor health and today it saddens me how Rolex watches are thought of today as mostly nothing but £££$$$$

A delightful, poignant, and touching story, and I thank you for telling it. I agree with every word. Sadly, however, for many with money, its just about something to spend money on.

[GB-man]

Beautiful 6263 Peter. Your dad sounds like one hell of a man. Thanks for sharing

[cvera]

Nice story, wonder how many members here will have children who pass along stories such as this one

[padi56]

Originally Posted by cvera

Nice story, wonder how many members here will have children who pass along stories such as this one

Would like to think so, but today many are so fixed on Rolex trivialities like ££$$,MK1,MK2,dials,flat 4 fonts,alignment points,silly nicknames,worrying about a second or so.They have forgotten how to enjoy and wear their watches, because of one simple fact, Rolex is one of the best mechanical watches made today.

[Old Geezer]

Thanks for sharing your story.

[Blackdog]

Peter,

I loved your father’s story. And I fully agree with you. It’s a rather sad situation right now.

But we must also see that times have changed. When your father bought the watch he needed a dependable tool to be able to tell time. And he went the extra mile(s) to save and get a watch he knew would last a lifetime. This just made it a life path companion for him.

This is what the watch represented to him, and to us (I mean you and me) for most of our lives. A tool. And a life partner, accompanying us during the significant moments of our lives.

Watches today are no longer a needed tool. Mechanical watches have become just luxury pieces of jewellery.

Most Rolex buyers today are just going for a very expensive piece of jewellery, with a perceived “must have” brandname. No wonder their “Rolex experience” is vastly different from ours, and your (and mine) father… Their “values” are different from the very start, and they never develop the kind of relationship with their watches that you talk about.

But let’s agree that Rolex themselves have done their part in pushing the brand in exactly this direction. Following the sign of the times, obviously. I look at a 5513 and I see a specialised tool. I look at a 6-digit Sub and I see jewellery. Obviously YMMV.

I hope your health improves very soon. You’re the voice of reason in this forum and an appreciated friend.

[SuperCarlos]

Thanks for sharing. Wonderful.

[SoCal_Batman]

Amazingly said, that’s for sharing Peter.

[guycord]

Originally Posted by padi56

Many years ago back in the late 1970s my Father always wanted a Rolex watch so he took on two jobs and saved for just over 5 years to get his watch.Now he always wanted a Submariner so when he had saved enough money at this time just over £950,so off he went to the AD to buy his watch.And I am sure he did not go with a Lupe to examine every minute detail of the watch or worry if this or that will go up in value.In those days you just bought a Rolex watch knowing that watch would last a lifetime and beyond.Back in those bygone days you bought a Rolex not to try or hope it would go up in value, but to wear hopefully in good health for the rest of your life.Now when my Father got to the AD they showed him the sub,but tried to sell him a 6263 Daytona instead, in those days they were very very poor sellers.And they even offered him a discount of £25 of the price,now the Daytona was almost then a £100 retail cheaper than the sub so with the discount plus the cheaper price he bought the Daytona 6263.Now with the money saved he bought my mother a new washing machine,now sadly my Father did not live a lifetime to enjoy his Rolex he died at the age of just 56.Now IMHO WW11 did play a part in his short life Dad was in the navy on aircraft carriers dad lied about his age he was just 17 years old just a boy.He was on aircraft carriers HMS Furious and HMS Glorious.Now the Glorious was attacked by the German battle-cruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and a direct hit in her magazine caused her to sink.Out of a complement of of around 1500 men there were only 39 recorded survivors.My Father was reported missing,presumed killed in action.But was picked up by a Norwegian fishing boat, after being in the sea for almost 32 hours. returning from war back to working in the coal mines shortened his life I am sure.The Daytona now belongs to me but in my lifetime I would never sell it at any price. It just means to much to me, so when I look at the watch, in my mind I see my Fathers face with the proud look admiring his watch.Rolex watches are not always about £££$$$$$$ but something to enjoy and wear hopefully for a very very long life.Myself now in very poor health and today it saddens me how Rolex watches are thought of today as mostly nothing but £££$$$$

I may come across as a little obtuse with these comments but that is not my intention; nice as your story is, I’m not into watch stories, nor into watch histories or this “perception” about “tool watches” and similar guff in part-justifying the need.

However, I believe entirely you opinion and comments that a watch - any watch should be purchased knowing it was what you really wanted, that it will last a lifetime and some and tell the time accurately as well.

I guess it is not so much about watch history rather than the person with the history who wore the watch.

Fair do’s to you

[Zen77]

All the best for u. Perfect story. Rolex forever.

[turnleftgofast]

Bravo, thank you for sharing such a moving account.

I hope you enjoy the Daytona and your other watches in the very best of health.

[Bruin Watch]

Just reading this now thanks to the bump.

Amazing story and so eloquently relayed to the TRF family. Thank you for opening up about a part of your family history.

[ceramic_soul]

ttt

[Baco Noir]

Originally Posted by cvera

Nice story, wonder how many members here will have children who pass along stories such as this one

I met a guy at the Denver watch GTG this weekend who had his daughter with him (~15 years old) and she was wearing his Straton Syncros Chronograph. She thought "it was cool" so I made it a point to talk to her and her dad a bit more about watches and showed her my AP RO and the video of how the dial is made and that the rotor was hand engraved. They had a loupe with them and each checked our the dial and rotor with it, and both were enthralled. She was impressed by the old school manufacuring technique used for the dial (showed them the Youtube video). Her dad is trying to collect some vintage pieces that he remembers as significant from his childhood/youth and pass them on to his kids. Each morning he choses a watch and has one of his kids wind it and set the time/date for him to try to build memories with them so when they inhert his collection, the pieces will mean something to them.

[Johny]

Best wishes Peter.

[DP63]

Fantastic story, and definately puts things in to perspective.