In the Boca Raton newspaper one Sunday I saw an ad I thought was both amazing and disgusting: a local jeweler was renting Rolex watches by the month. A rented Rolex would provide a big status boost to an upward-striver of the “fake it till you make it” crowd. The store would even rent you one by the day. I guess that makes sense if the con game you’re working is one of short duration.
`Rolex Submariner watch, courtesy time4diamonds.comThe Rolex Submariner, second-least expensive watch in the Rolex line and retailing at $8100 to $9150, rents for $299 to $500 a month. You’ll need to post a four-figure security deposit.
An article in GQ magazine asks “You Rent Your Apartment. Why Not Your Watch?” One site advertises a rented watch as “An essential tool in every man’s wardrobe … express your personal style and ensure you always have the perfect watch for every occasion.”. Another says “Rent a luxury watch and stand out at any black-tie event.”
Boca was all about luxury. One day we saw two Rolls-Royces parked side-by-side at an upscale mall, one with a designer dog in the driver’s lap, drooling into a tea towel draped over the window sill. A local supermarket, Harris Teeter, had a cocktail bar and a jewelry counter you had to walk past on your way out.
At that time my manager at IBM was a gentleman of first name Lawton, who believed in having the best of everything. He wore expensive suits that always looked fresh from the cleaners, and a woody cologne I assume also was expensive. When you took a business trip with Lawton, you could always spot his Louis Vuitton luggage.
Lawton and I had joked about Boca and its superficiality, and when I showed him the ad from the paper, I said “Here’s a great example of everything that’s wrong and phony about Boca.” He said “Well, I have a Rolex, but I own it”, and took it off to show me. It was a nice piece of engineering, heavier than I would have guessed. I don’t remember for sure which sport he said, but I think he said he won it playing football. Fair enough, as far as I’m concerned. I felt embarrassed for bringing up the subject.
It was kind of funny that I sat across from him in meetings breathing his cologne for a year without ever noticing the Rolex sticking out of his French cuff. I’m usually more observant.
This is unrelated to watches, but once Lawton and I had to go to Lexington, Kentucky to visit IBM’s PC printer facility. When we went to get dinner that night, with me driving the rental because I was the junior person, we stopped for a red light at the bottom of a hill. A horse-drawn tourist carriage headed crossways to us was stopped at the crest. With the full moon directly behind him, one of the horses took an extended whiz, hitting the pavement in an explosion of flying, moonlit sparkles – almost like a small fireworks display. I said “Oh, Lawton, isn’t it beautiful?” but he didn’t answer. I don’t understand how he could not appreciate such a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
Just for fun, here’s a pretty ladies’ watch I ran across while rummaging through the Rolexes. I don’t know if it’s possible to rent one, but you can buy one for $77,000 Australian dollars, $56,315 US. If you ever see a lady wearing one, tell her how beautiful it is and after a while ask if she’s seeing anyone. It never hurts to ask.