So you’re starting to think seriously about buying your first Rolex. You may or may not be new to this rodeo, the high-end watch rodeo that is. This is a very exciting time that will have you staring at your wrist all day and checking to see just how accurate your new timepiece is. But know that are mistakes that are going to be made. In an interview mega watch collector and world famous rock star John Mayer said when asked that his first twelve watches were a mistake. For the majority of us that won’t be a problem, I mean I certainly don’t have rock star cash, but remember that if you think this is going to be an obsession than take a minute to find yourself and try to predict the direction your watch collecting is going.
Time is on your side
Just because you have decided to but doesn’t mean you have to run out and buy one now. Prices on new watches are fairly stable with a couple hundred-dollar increases every year to eighteen months on new watches and smaller increases in the vintage market. So stop and think, you have made your first decision and that was to buy a Rolex, now comes the what, the other few decisions you will need to make like vintage or new, or the model you want.
Going Vintage
Aside from the cool factor of a watch that has kicked around for a few years, probably on the wrist of some interesting people, lets face it Rolex has never been cheap. Generally people who buy Rolex have a discerning taste and an eye for quality. Benefits to buying a vintage Rolex start off with one of the biggest benefits, they are generally less expensive than buying new unless you vary from the standards and get into the minutia of collecting and you fall hard for a double red Seadweller or a genuine military sub. But if you are a fan of the classics like the Submariner, the Datejust, or a Super Oyster then they are plentiful. Any of these would make a great start to a vintage collection and look cool on your wrist. The downside is there is a good chance the watch you buy will need a servicing fairly soon and it won’t be perfect. Small swirls and scratches can be expected on the clasp and the band in general.
Buying New
Buying new comes with a certain something. Nothing feels quite as good as walking into a jewelry store and saying I’ll take it. There is a certain right of passage that comes from walking out of the store with that bugger on your wrist. But some of the best benefits long term is having the latest and greatest. There have been significant changes made to a lot of the popular models in the last few years. The Datejust has grown from 36mm to 40mm following the trend in watches getting bigger. The case shape and bezel material has changed on both the Submariner and the GMT. Along with the new ceramic bezel, which will resist fading better than the painted metal bezel, the GMT has changed the color of the GMT hand from red to green giving it a very sharp and clean look.
