Rolex Oyster Perpetual — a good first (and only) splurge?

[chicsylvie]

I’ve been looking at buying my first luxury watch for awhile, and was initially leaning toward the Carrier Ballon Bleu. While I loved the design, I didn’t want a quartz movement. I was also hesitant about the size of the face, because I have disproportionally short forearms, and larger faces just don’t look good.

I recently stumbled upon the Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch and love the simple design (steel band, white face with Roman numerals), as well as the automatic motion. I was surprised to find that it was even cheaper than the Ballon Bleu, carries a better warranty, and comes in a 28mm size—all pluses in my book!

Now for some newbie questions: If you own an oyster watch, are you happy with it? Does it scratch easily? Are you fully confident in the mechanical longevity? If you don’t wear it daily, do you simply have to wind it up? Or can this negatively affect the watch’s performance in the long run? Would you personally buy this new from Rolex, or second-hand with minor defects from a luxury dealer?

This would be probably be my only watch in the foreseeable future, so it would be for daily, casual, and special occasion wear. Thoughts?

 

[dollymix27]

I've had my Oyster watch for almost 6 years now and still going strong. My parents are goldsmiths and used to own a jewellery store so I ended up getting my watch from one of the watch dealers that we often work with and I was able to save a lot of money on it. Initially I was only planning to wear it for more special, dressier occasions but eventually it turned into my everyday watch that I essentially never take off. I figured if I own something really nice and expensive, I want to make the most use out of it instead of leaving it looking pristine while I'm getting older by the day lol. Considering that I don't overly baby it, it's held up very well with minor scratches. One time, I don't know how but a little water got into the watch and I was freaking out that it would ruin the performance however by the next day, it was completely fine. If you don't wear it on a daily basis you will have to consistently wind it up but I don't think it's a deal breaker. So would I reccomend a Rolex? Absolutely. Everyone in my family owns multiple of their watches and none of us experienced issues with them. Of all the differrent brands of watches I own, the Rolex is definitely my favorite because it's just so functional, versatile and classic. Yes, it's very expensive but I know it will be in my posession for many years to come. Personally, if I ever came across another Rolex that I really liked and it was in good condition, I wouldn't mind buying it pre-loved at all as it doesn't hurt to save a little money on something luxurious. HTH! Good luck with your decision.

 

[goldengirl123]

I have one and love it. I wear mine daily. If you don’t, you will either need to wind it or keep it on a watch winder.

 

[ultravisitor]

I've had mine for nearly 20 years. I have several watches, but the Rolex is the one that I wear almost every day because it's beautiful by far the most beautiful. (I had an Apple Watch for a bit and, well...those things are just plain stupid.) My Rolex has acquired a gorgeous patina over the years. I actually never wind it up if it stops; I just wear it until it winds itself back up, which doesn't take long.

If you're buying this for keeps and/or to commemorate something special, then I would buy it new. If you're one of those people who doesn't hang onto anything and is always selling to buy something new, then buy it used.

And if you're buying one watch for the foreseeable future, then a Rolex is probably your best bet. It will hold its value if that's the kind of thing that concerns you, and they hold up very well over time. Everyone in my family has had theirs for decades now, and none of us have had any kind of problem.