My father and uncles always wear Rolex so it is ingrained in my soul. Most had stainless steel versions and then on their 40th birthdays received two-tone gold/steel form their respective spouses. My older brother was not really into watches until he got out of medical school, paid off his loans, and could afford them so his desire/need was delayed. He finally went with Omega. My younger brother went with Tag Heuer after he paid off his law school loans.
In the mid-90s I was living in NYC and asked my father for the Rolex Air King (not pictured) my mother gave him when they were married (late 60s) and both just finished medical school. The bracelet had broken, was lost, and replaced with something not original. The crystal was cracked. The watch did not work. My parents were no longer married. I told him I would take it to the Rolex Corporate Service Center on 5th Avenue. Of course, the service people looked at me, in my mid-20s, and assumed the battered watch was fake and/or stolen. I told them not to be rude, look at the engraving on the back (my parent's wedding date), and to call my father at the hospital and ask him or call my retired mother in NJ and ask her about the story/provenance. They told me to wait and then came back about 20 minutes later. They apologized and said it was real, and they would make sure it was restored as-if new, and would call me in 5-6 weeks.
I waited, got the call from Rolex service, went to pick it up, paid for it, and brought it home. I saw my father later in the week and he was so amazed at how good it looked he wanted it back. I said, "But, you and Mom have been divorced 10 years so why do you care about this watch anymore". You can imagine how the rest of that conversation went. My father took the watch back and did not speak to me for a few weeks because he was so mad. He got over being mad, paid me back for the service, and said go get your own and maybe one day I will give this to you. So that is what I did.
I went to Tourneau on Madison Avenue (across the street from the advertising agency where I worked) and purchased a new Explorer II (40mm). It was my everyday wear from 25 until 40. I also use it on vacations or other times when I want to wear something less obviously Rolex or expensive. It came back from service and refurbishment about a year ago. I was in NYC visiting family and friends so I dropped it off at Rolex Corporate on 5th Ave and had them send it back to me in Boston after the service was completed. The white dial was the original style but they replaced it with a newer one because the luminescence material is much better now.
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For my 40th, my wife purchased this new DateJust 36mm two-tone gold/steel with white face for me (tradition in my family) because I did not like the newer and larger DateJust II. It has been my daily wear for the last several years except when I take out the Explorer II for a spin. At first I had trouble getting used to it because I work in k-12 schools but finally said what the heck you only live once.
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So, what got me thinking about all of this (besides the thread) is that Rolex has an updated version of the Air King. Not sure if I should get that for my 50th (in a few years) or ask my father again if he will give me the one my mother gave to him. I really like the new one (shown below) but having a 60s Air King that has been in my family for years would be great too.
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Re: timepieces
Originally Posted by NYCfixie
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