How young, is too young for a Rolex?
Ah yes, Rolex. The hot topic of the time. With the trend of enthusiasts getting "The Call". It reminds me of the Datejust Palm Dial I'm still patiently "waiting" for. The AD I am engaging with in HK has "no waitlist" so they told me.
Through my experiences in visiting different ADs of different brands, there are a few things I concluded. First off some context of myself: 24, graduated Master, searching for a job.
From my visits to different ADs, I found that if I wear casually compared to dressing formally (for my Internship). I was treated slightly differently in ADs. Funny enough, if I dressed formally AD sales usually will chat with me longer and more engaging in conversations. While when I dress casually they won't.
Why will I have a question in mind: How young, is too young for a Rolex?
It seems as a mid-20 graduate. Sales in luxury brands don't really trust or believe that you can afford a Rolex Datejust (whatever the config). Hence, it makes me wonder. Is there an age limit to obtaining Rolex? While it also makes me wonder. Is obtaining a Rolex and wearing it to work as a young new employee a good idea (The Rolex Market Price is too crazy, the first thing ppl ask is: is that a fake?) ? And does Rolex represent differently in different age groups? Or are there even differences among cultures? In Chinese culture, Rolex represents a few things: Success (gold especially), rich af and (from HK's perspective) you're Mainlander + lack of taste.
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I've seen boys age 15-17 in Dubai wearing Richard Mille, but that's probably because it is how it is over there!
You could be in your teens when you are given one as an heirloom. But would you be able to care for it as much as you would if you were older? Owning a Rolex is easy but wearing one consistently would be hard. Wearing it to work as a new employee makes people see you differently. People like to see new employees being humble, unless you were hired for your special skills!
Yes in Asia it is different. I would simply just avoid wearing one as work and wear a Seiko until I work my way up the ladder.
My son in law was recruited to work special projects for a large Canadian bank must be in the head office one day each week. his compensation is surprisingly generous but I tend to not involve myself with those details. I gifted him one of gently worn timepieces on the occasion of his last birthday, it is not a Rolex retails for 7k cad purchased at full MSRP from an ad. He is a calm confident young man, most times he will wear one of his G Shocks for his one office day. I trust his judgement, however his choice of a daily timepiece has no relevance regarding his competency. You should be able to wear whatever watch you own.
I personally think age shouldn’t be a factor as long as you can afford it and are financially responsible - with emphasis on financially responsible.
If any of us were AD's, they would allow any other of us to purchase a Rolex as long as the cash wasn't counterfeit, the check cleared or the card was approved; no age minimum or dress code required.
But... We aren't AD's. AD's need to move merchandise and they feel like they have an idea of what a typical Rolex customer is and unfortunately, it's generally not a yet to be employed in the field of their degree college graduate.
Be patient. In luxury goods, it sometimes seems the customer has to do the selling; the selling of themselves to the AD as a worthy recipient of the AD's attention.
It all depends upon if you, or your parents, can afford it. Faz2.0 reference Dubai and I am sure those children are members of a family whose wealth is expressed in 9 figures. Take a professinal athelete fresh out of college and a first round draft pick, they certainly can afford a Rolex, even a secondary market one. And let us not forget entertainers or Internet influencers who also can bring in big bucks. So those that can afford a Rolex can be rather young.
But what about appreciate a Rolex? For more than a simple status symbol? I think that takes time for most people but I wouldn't rule out a younger person being able to appreciate the engineering and craftsmanship, which is what I am getting at.
Long and short, it depends upon the person.
I purchased my first Rolex at age 25 back in 1983. I gifted it to my son when he turned 25. It's an age when you can appreciate it.
You hit on a point that is valid, at a certain age, most will think it is fake if it does not match the lifestyle, but perception aside, to the greater question, it depends on finances.
Is your emergency fund well funded? Do you have any debt? Are your essentials covered? Do you have major events to pay for (car, wedding, home purchase, etc)? Are you on track with both non-retirement and retirement investing (it is never too early)? Can you afford the opportunity cost?
If the answer is yes to any of them, do not buy it. Does not matter if you are 24, or 42. Spending $10K+ on a watch is a big fiscal decision and if you do not have the basics covered, it is foolish to consider otherwise. On the flip side, if you have achieved (or were given) financial independence, by all means, spend your expendable cash.
If any of us were AD's, they would allow any other of us to purchase a Rolex as long as the cash wasn't counterfeit, the check cleared or the card was approved; no age minimum or dress code required.
But... We aren't AD's. AD's need to move merchandise and they feel like they have an idea of what a typical Rolex customer is and unfortunately, it's generally not a yet to be employed in the field of their degree college graduate.
Be patient. In luxury goods, it sometimes seems the customer has to do the selling; the selling of themselves to the AD as a worthy recipient of the AD's attention.
Spot on…or find a “luxury brand” that appreciates you as a customer and the relationship developes naturally like with any other product…
You hit on a point that is valid, at a certain age, most will think it is fake if it does not match the lifestyle, but perception aside, to the greater question, it depends on finances.
Is your emergency fund well funded? Do you have any debt? Are your essentials covered? Do you have major events to pay for (car, wedding, home purchase, etc)? Are you on track with both non-retirement and retirement investing (it is never too early)? Can you afford the opportunity cost?
If the answer is yes to any of them, do not buy it. Does not matter if you are 24, or 42. Spending $10K+ on a watch is a big fiscal decision and if you do not have the basics covered, it is foolish to consider otherwise. On the flip side, if you have achieved (or were given) financial independence, by all means, spend your expendable cash.
All what you should be asking yourself!
All what you should be asking yourself!
Covered on all accounts fiscally, except a nice reverse panda as it relates to watches. Have to do something about that,.
Covered on all accounts fiscally, except a nice reverse panda as it relates to watches. Have to do something about that,.
Your reply was as sound as it gets…tough for people to see 30 years down the road until you get there
Your reply was as sound as it gets…tough for people to see 30 years down the road until you get there
Oh I get it, but given finance is my area, my advice tends to be grounded in reality vs YOLO. It is a long life and as a person who had nothing, the value of prepping in the twenties is an opportunity most don’t realize until it’s too late and then takes decades to make up for.
If one can do those things, builds a nice cache of expendable wealth, I say have fun at that point. Also, separately, in my 20s I used most expendable cash on experiences (travel) because it gets a little tougher as folks go through their 30s and 40s, especially if kids are involved.
If the OP has the dough, perhaps he comes from it, get the Rolex.
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Oh I get it, but given finance is my area, my advice tends to be grounded in reality vs YOLO. It is a long life and as a person who had nothing, the value of prepping in the twenties is an opportunity most don’t realize until it’s too late and then takes decades to make up for.
If one can do those things, builds a nice cache of expendable wealth, I say have fun at that point. Also, separately, in my 20s I used most expendable cash on experiences (travel) because it gets a little tougher as folks go through their 30s and 40s, especially if kids are involved.
If the OP has the dough, perhaps he comes from it, get the Rolex.
Finance was my assumption 😁 very true that things such as travel etc become challenging with kids schedules, work etc…smart to do it early
It's not about your age, it's about how much money you have (that's what the sales care about) and, at least in my opinion, the status you acheived in a given social/professional environment.
It's fine to wear a Rolex when hanging out with friends because everyone is equal, material possessions don't make anyone a superior to someone else. Professionally on the other hand, there's a boss and... well, let's just say I personally don't wear one and wouldn't unless I'm in charge of at least a dozen people (which will probably never happen) and made over 250,000€ a year. I think that status needs to be earned, of course you do you but I would probably "judge" a new employee wearing an expensive watch. Not that I would say anything but still, I must be flawed that way 🤷♂️
You should buy one when you can afford one.
But at what point should you be considering spending 5-10k on a watch is up for debate. One should buy a Rolex when all their other financial responsibilities are in order. After all that’s kinda the reason you buy one right? Too many people want to the staple of success without actually putting the work in these days.
Yeah I see no problem here
I am 50+ and still feel not mummified enough to want to wear a Rolex. As long as I actively think about watches I had an aversion to this brand. Pupils in primary school go with latest generation iPhone Pro, iPad, AirPods and AppleWatch. So why not wearing Rolex in early 20th?
Do people recognize what watch you are wearing? Unless you brag about it or it is something like a Devon Tread 1 or 2 they probably don't realize what's on your wrist.
Formal attire, a suit, is definitly a game changer. My 14 yo got a whole different respectful treatment by the Citizen AD than me in casual clothing. He had his suit on to make sure that the watch he wanted to buy matches the colour scheme of the clothing. And he left an impression so that the Citizen guy remembers the young man in the suit months later.
In conclusion there is of course no (official) age limit.