Timeless Aspirations
I REALLY want a Rolex. I just do.
I’ve got another nice watch but there’s something that draws me towards wanting a Roly. There's a magnetic allure that transcends all other fine watches. It's more than a mere want; it's a deep-seated desire.
This has me pondering over the question – What is it about a Rolex that captures my heart and fuels this Timeless Aspiration?
I’ve been fascinated by watches ever since I was a small boy. There’s a gold Omega in our family that was my Grandfathers. When he died my Mum wore it and told us about its history and how he came to own it. My mum left it in her will to my son and for now I’m custodian of it (he’s only 4 and prefers a batman watch at the moment!).
There’s something so personal about a watch. There’s a story behind every one. Who wore it, who looked at it every day? Why did they choose this model? Where did they take it? Who gave it to them? Was it a gift?
I always wanted to have an heirloom watch of my own to hand down to my children someday. So just before I was 30 I bought an Omega (from the same shop my grandfather’s came from all those years ago). It’s a blue Seamaster Pro and I’ve worn it near enough every day for the last nearly 15 years (apart from when it went off for a service!). It’s picked up loads of scratches and dings over the years and it has a real character of its own now.
The trouble is, I now have 2 children and I want to leave them both a watch!
I don’t want to just buy any old watch and hand that down, I want it to have a story of its own and be just as special to me as the Omega. I want to wear it lots and give it some character and want my children to remember me wearing it. So, it has to be something I REALLY want, it has to be special to me. It has to be a Rolex.
But why?
It’s Not The Bling
I don’t consider myself to be a flashy, showy person. I work from home every day. I don’t go into an office (I rarely go out during the day!). The only other jewellery I wear is a wedding ring. I wouldn’t be wearing it to impress anyone. Most of my friends aren’t into watches so it certainly wouldn’t impress them. I don’t want a Rolex to show it off to people! In fact I’d rather no one saw it and it flew under the radar and only I enjoy it. Indeed if you were interested in the bling and showy element, then there are many other brands that offer that in spades. The majority of the Rolex catalogue is actually fairly conservative and understated in its design.
It’s Not The Price Tag
It’s true, there’s no doubt about it, a Rolex is an expensive watch. If I’m really honest, I wish there was another manufacturer I wanted so much that was a fraction of the cost. I wish there were a manufacturer with the same quality, history, story and desirable catalogue as Rolex but at a much cheaper price point (if you know of one let me know!). However I think there is an element of aspiration and desire that can only be created by something that you have to strive for. Something that you have to work hard to justify or attain. By the same token, if the sole reason for wanting one is because they’re expensive, there any number of other even more expensive watch manufacturers out there to choose from. How about a Patek Phillippe or maybe a Blancpain? Somehow these other brands don’t hold the same revere in my heart.
So Is It The Quality?
The images on the Rolex website are totally “drool-worthy”. They’re renderings in macro close up that show the minutest of detail. Each element of each model is described in incredible precision and the designs really are masterpieces. They all seem to include everything that’s required and have nothing there that shouldn’t be. I’ve watched hours of restoration YouTube videos of people servicing Rolex watches and the engineer in me is blown away by the design of the movements. However, there any number of blogs and videos extolling the virtues of Omega in this area. The spec sheets for Omega watches always seem to be packed with the highest technology and perhaps more advanced than Rolex. When I bought my Seamaster I read endless comparison reviews between it and the equivalent submariner of the time and they all basically summarised that the Seamaster was the more advanced watch but the Submariner was still more desirable. I couldn’t afford the submariner at the time.
So is it the History?
There’s very few products that were introduced in the 50s and are still in production largely unchanged today. I can think of a couple, the Fender Strat (introduced 1954), the Gibson Les Paul (introduced 1952). But those guitars are made in mind bogglingly large variations from a few hundred pounds in cost to multiple thousands. The guitar you buy in a store is unlikely to be the exact same model your hero is playing on stage (theirs will most likely have been made to order in the custom shop and not be available for retail). Rolex watches are different. The submariner for example was introduced in 1953 and like the guitars has undergone small incremental changes and improvements and has never gone out of production. Where it differs to the guitars is that the one you can buy (if you can afford and find one!) is the exact same as the one the president, the film star, the rock star, the military leaders wear. While the Omega Seamaster has a similar history to the Submariner it has gone through many radical design changes and even stopped being produced for a time. My Seamaster for example is unrecognisable from the ones introduced in the late 1940s.
Perhaps then, I want a Rolex due to a combination of ALL of these factors. There just doesn’t seem to be another watch manufacturer or indeed manufacturer of any product that hits the design sweet spot so perfectly.
All I really know is, I still REALLY want one!
Time to hit Watch Watcher and find a bargain!
