I've merely borrow one for the summer!

I have gone through a few stages of collecting watches since I entered this mad world. First I bought what I liked. Then I bought complicated watches that I liked. Then I bought only Vacheron Constantin watches that are round and date from the 1940 or later, both complicated and simple, and that I liked. Once I "completed" (a mythical concept) my VC collection I blew it up, laying down a lot of money on a tourbillon from an independent watchmaker (watch the AHCI forum in about six months for that report).

But along the way, which has now spanned about a decade, I never bought a Rolex. Sure, I like them well enough, but there were always other watches that I liked even more, and allocated my  resouces accordingly. With my VC collection I had a number of Overseas watches that suited my need for a bracelet watch and so I never really felt the need for a Rolex. But then in the course of selling one of my Overseas to fund my tourbillon I needed to service both of my remaining Overseas watches and summer was fast approaching. What was I going to do for a stainless steel bracelet watch, which I wear daily once the weather becomes hot?

The choices were many, but the time had come for Rolex to finally enter the on-deck circle. A dealer who had helped me with a lot of the watches I was selling carried a variety of Rolex watches. I considered the modern Turnograph, which I've always been attracted to (VC's variation, which I briefly owned, from around 1970 is quite nice and very rare), the President (I've always wanted a big hunk of gold on my wrist. My two favorite version are WG with black mother of pearl dial and diamond indices and YG with champagne dial, no diamonds), and finally the Sea-Dweller, which spoke to my distaste of the cycloptic date.

I chose the Sea-Dweller. It came with box and papers. It was the least expensive of the watches I desired and the price was right in that I expected to be able to sell for what I paid when I no longer wanted it.

I wore it daily last summer and it wasn't even displaced by the Datograph I bought in August. Finally I was ready to move on, having enjoyed my Rolex experience, and I returned the watch to the dealer who sold it to me. I got back precisely what I paid. That made my day.

Even though my Overseas watches have came back I still like the idea of the summer fling with a Rolex, and I considered a new list for this summer. The Milgauss is new and interesting and also doesn't have the cyclops date window. I tried it on at a secondary market dealer and surprisingly found that I  didn't like it. The dealer also had the new SS GMT-Master II and I surprising found that I really did like it. What I didn't like was his price, so I decided to shop around. I eventually found an example that fit the bill. The price was right and it came with box and papers and was still under warantee.

What's more, the seller was also selling an IWC Ingenieur and I took that off his hands as well, sating my desire for an anti-magnetic watch.

There are definitely risks with my method, the biggest of which is damaging the watch so that it needs servicing or otherwise impairs its value. The market price of the watch could shift in an adverse direction, a gamble I can afford to lose.

Despite the change in direction and discipline from my VC-only collecting period, I do intend to be disciplined and part with my GMT at the end of the summer. While I like the watch, I more want to experience other Rolex watches that still  interest me. Maybe one day I will become a long-term or permanent owner, but I'm not ready to do that just yet. The nice thing about the Rolex market is how liquid it is.

So, do I love the watch? I do and I don't. I love Rolex's approach to watchmaking, continually refining and improving their product. (Despite my collecting vintage VC watches, I have no desire to pursue vintage Rolex.) Their designs are iconic and hard to improve upon, including the GMT-Master II. The only detail that I don't really like is the polished middle ribbon on the bracelet. I would have preferred the brushed finish as on earlier generations of GMT watches. More tool, less jewel! Perhaps a Pepsi-bezel GMT will be on my wrist some future summer.