WATCH CONFESSIONS: “I wear a fake Rolex and don’t give a damn”
Luke BenedictusEDITOR’S NOTE: We recently ran the first and second parts of our Watch Confessions series in which Time+Tide interviewed members of the community to get them to share their watch-related secrets. In this latest instalment, one anonymous watch lover justifies the apparently unjustifiable and explains why he wears a fake Rolex.
“The thing is I actually wanted to buy a real one. I’ve already got a couple of nice watches – a TAG and a Breitling . But business was good last year and I wanted to treat myself. I did my research, went on a bunch of websites, the cash was sitting there in my account. But when I went into this retailer and said I wanted to buy a Daytona – the guy just smiled at me like I was fucking deluded. He told me it was a “special watch” that was reserved for “established clients”. He was just a young bloke, but he made me feel small. I insisted on going on the waiting list, but he made it clear that I was unlikely to ever get the call.”
“So I was fuming about that. It was like: ‘What, so my money isn’t good enough for you?’ Plus by this stage I also had it in my head that I really wanted a Daytona. I know you can buy pre-owned and I did look into that. But, let’s face it, the prices are crazy and I don’t want to be taken for a total mug.”
“And then I got a chance to buy a ‘super-clone’. It cost me about $1000 in the end. But the quality is mad. Look, I’m not a watch expert or anything , but they reckon they use the same steel as Rolex do and the bezel is made of real ceramic. I showed it to my brother who’s very into watches and – although he thought I was a total nong for buying it – he was impressed. Even the movement looks legit. The only thing that’s off is the colour of the word ‘Daytona’. On my watch it’s a shade brighter than on the real one. But unless you’ve got the two watches side by side then you’d never know.”
“I work in real estate and, like it or not, appearances matter. You need to drive a nice car, wear a nice suit and project the image of success to reassure the client you can take care of business. The good thing about a Rolex is that everyone recognises it. And if you wear one, well, it means you must be doing alright. It’s not like I make a big thing about this watch but people have definitely noticed it. Would I prefer to wear a real one? Of course. And I still hope this is just a stop-gap , but I also get a kick out of it, too.”
This article first appeared in Time+Tide’s NOW Magazine
