Hi Folks,
For some time now, I have been ernestly looking at Rolex watches, for a number of reasons:
1) They have stayed away from "bigger is better" philosophy. There are a lot of bigger watches I really like - and have owned, but I am finding a lot more comfort with a watch that is max 40mm
2) Inhouse movements on all their watches.
3) Great selection of 34mm, 36mm, 40mm watches in all types and price ranges
4) Traditional good looks, with some subtle and innovative ideas which give you the choice of either totally retro style - which, in some models has hardly changed in decades - or a traditional more updated style
5) When I see the markup that other manufacturers add to their prices, with their newly-added inhouse movement models, the Rolex prices no longer seem out of range.
With all of the above in mind, including days of website reasearch, I seriously started my Rolex shopping. Turns out that it started and ended with the same AD - and the same salesperson - this very afternoon. I had tried a number of models last week, including 34mm Air Kings, 40mm GMT IIc (with ceramic dial), 36mm Perpetual, and the 40mm Milgauss (with both green and plain sapphire crystal and "black" dial). Since I have lusted after the new Milgauss since it was introduced in 2007 - it turned out that it was really the one that sang to me. I mentioned I had a price limit, and I was able to get it - tax included - for that amount! I ended up with the plain crystal, for me the green was just a little too much, and a bit too busy with a combo of white and orange markers, and the small numbers at the end of each marker closest the dial.
I will be picking it up on Friday, so until then I have borrowed a photo from the web. I can't wait to get the actual watch, and get my buddy to take some wrist shots. Here it is for now:
Photo courtesy of Timetapestry.blogspot.com
So, a couple more sleepless nights and the money will be in the bank, and it will be mine! One of my favourite all-time watches of any brand! Almost forgot to mention, my love of little details like the orange thuderbolt second hand. To me, that is unique on it's own, and the green crystal somehow takes the spotlight away from it. The dial, when looked at beside an actual black dial, is more greyish brown, I would definitely not call it real black, very matte black at most.
Cheers,
Carl
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