Buying my first and only Rolex - 116520 vs 116500

[cts]

116520

[Kiddodoc]

116520 is a scratch magnet on the bezel. I have owned both and to me the 116500 is so awesome and no longer own. the 520. I greatly prefer the look of the ceramic bezel.

[London Calling]

Originally Posted by spudpuppy

As a gift to myself for turning 40 (go me!) I've decided to finally purchase a "nice" watch. My daily wearer for the past 15 years was a VC Patrimony that my father, who has since passed, gave me when I graduated college. It has been through everything. I've worn it when I shouldn't have (swimming, hiking) and when I should have (wedding, birth of my son).

I never really felt comfortable spending a lot of money on a watch - but that has changed in the past couple of years as I've grown older and become more financially secure. In particular I want a "sports" watch - something I can wear with a t-shirt and jeans, at the beach, while camping, etc.

I want a Daytona and I'm willing to live with the markup/insane prices. I'm never going to sell it so I don't care about the investment. I'm torn between the 116520, which I like the look of better (more subtle), and the 116500, which I like the (perceived) durability of better (I don't like how "flashy" it comes off as). I'm either going to buy the 116500 new, or the 116520 NOS (or as close to NOS as I can get). Essentially I want the watch to start off as "new" so any damage/scratches are accumulated by me.

Given that I like the look of the 116520 better, my main concern has been the ease in which the steel case both scratches and fades. Just how big of a concern is this? Moreover, I know polishing is a controversial topic, but just how well can a reputable jeweler polish out scratches if, say in 10 years or so, I want to make my used 116520 look like new again?

Aesthetic preferences aside, is there anything else I should know about the 116520 that may give me pause? Part of me thinks the 116500 might "grow" on me as I become more accustomed to a sports watch - and maybe the flashiness I perceive in it is just because I'm so used to a simple watch with an alligator band. I like the fact that the 116500 will look "newer" for longer, or at least is easier to keep from looking scratched/faded...but if I can get the 116520 polished every 5-10 years (if I decide I want to) in order to bring it back to life then a lot of my concerns over it's perceived durability may go away.

As a matter of interest, what did you decide on in the end.

Thanks