Emil Wojcik
1702
I entered into my profession in 1981--advertising. Being the beginning of what was considered at the time 'the decade of conspicuous waste', your suit, shoes, car, and watch were important.
This was especially so among advertising agencies. It was a showy business back then.
And, taking the word 'conspicuous' literally, Rolex was the most obvious choice since everyone, even non-watch enthusiasts, recognized the name. It's also the only high-end brand I knew of at the time. So my first real watch was a DateJust when I was in my early 20s.
It wasn't until I started noticing clients wearing watches I didn't recognize that made me curious as to other brands, which lead me to trading in my Rolex for a VC, then a PP, then adding an AP...and so on.