Rolex

Horo_Traveler
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In praise of a white metal Rolex Day-Date

I’m watching the “luxury” sport steel watch market inflate into an odd bubble, that like most bubbles appears to receive its air from hype.

When I purchased my Nautili (Nautiluses?) and AP Jumbo, these used to sit in dealers' cases and were regularly discounted as these weren’t as popular with the regular clientele. What’s interesting is that I never found the Nautili or Jumbo to be practical daily wear watches as I would accumulate a prodigious quantity of dents and scratches on these watches that were highly visible given the flat bezel design as well as bracelet designs that somehow accentuated scratches and wear. See my recent post on my 5196P to get a sense for how I wear my watches, which is to say I don’t worry about them being on my wrist when I wear them.

So, if one is looking for a luxury “sport” everyday watch, let me make a case for a pre-owned white gold or platinum Rolex day-date. These are incredible values in the used market even for the platinum pieces (at least relative to these other luxury steel “sport” watches), are tough as nails, dress up well when needed and have a design that hides imperfections extraordinarily well.

Just something I was dwelling on today as I wore my 36mm PT DD after a couple of years. The picture below doesn’t capture the subtle ice blue hue well given my limited photography skills, but this old friend has made me appreciate the many decades of refinement that has gone into making it the pinnacle of luxury sport watches in the white metals and an absolute value relative to its steel upstarts. One doesn’t think of a DD as a sport watch, but it has serious credentials for durability and water resistance and if the Nautili and the Jumbo can be sport watches, then why not the DD in WG or Pt at a much lower price point in the secondary market?  And in my opinion, the bracelet is nothing to sneeze at relative to the competition.  

I know this post will likely elicit many counterpoints, but that's the beauty of the Purists isn't it?

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