Bus drivers in Singapore...

[siempreko]

Originally Posted by Demosthene

More likely simply a salary better than just a living wage.

Yes, because there are many people who are wearing Rolexes, with salaries that are "more than the living wage."

Or they might have tons of money, but live in an area that has TONS of inexpensive knock-offs available.

I have known some very wealthy people who have purchased fake watches... I was not making any judgement about the bus driver's salary. But, you can not walk ten feet down Orchard Road, without someone saying "copy watch"... and they are cheap!

[Old Expat Beast]

Anyone else mentioning fakes will have their post removed and get infraction points. There's already been enough leeway here. Read the rules.

[Scapegoat]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Anyone else mentioning fakes will have their post removed and get infraction points. There's already been enough leeway here. Read the rules.

Thank you & the rest of the mods for keeping this forum a great place to exhange ideas in a healthy environment!

[inzite]

tons of people wearing rollies in asia, no need to get too alarmed that almost every average joe has one - the culture and lifestyle is quite different.

then again, some folks here have a hard time accepting the fact that rollie is really not that luxurious.

[dmash]

Lol at people making posts on this forum about $75k cars, $300 bottles of liquor and a plethora of other luxury items.......but then act like it's insanity for some normal individual to have an extra $4-$5k laying around for a simple Rolex? You lot can't be serious, good lord, it's not a McMansion, it's literally a few thousand dollar item.

A Rolex is an INCREDIBLY affordable luxury item to purchase, it's just if the owner is interested in watches to begin with. Rolex is not really a 'status' thing anymore, it's seriously not a big deal whatsoever. If you seriously think you've reached some pinnacle of life and you can judge other people, simply because you own a Rolex.....you seriously need to lay off the kool-aid.

[imperio]

Originally Posted by dmash

Lol at people making posts on this forum about $75k cars, $300 bottles of liquor and a plethora of other luxury items. But then act like it's 'insane' for some normal individual to have an extra $4-$5k laying around for a simple Rolex? You lot can't be serious, good lord, it's not a McMansion, it's literally a few thousand dollar item.

Exactly.

[HogwldFLTR]

From my understanding much status is tied to owning luxury items in Asian cultures. This just doesn't seem particularly unusual. Working with many from Asia here in our factory. Many drive Mercedes and luxury cars which I wouldn't consider buying. We all get to decide how we spend out income; no stigmas should be attached to the decisions as long as the money is earned and the individual solvent.

[Mystro]

The average yearly salary in the USA (A country with the highest GDP on the world) is $$51,939. Lets not pretend a $7k+ watch is common.

[imperio]

Originally Posted by Mystro

The average yearly salary in the USA (A country with the highest GDP on the world) is $34,940. Lets not pretend a $7k+ watch is common.

$35k annually? That is a lot lower than I would have guessed! What is your source?

[Roger Lococco]

Originally Posted by siempreko

Have you ever walked down Orchard Road in Singapore? Every ten feet, someone is saying "Copy watch?" The upscale shopping centers are filled with back rooms selling knock offs/"copy watches." They are everywhere in Singapore, and they are cheap.

I lived on Orchard Road for 2 years. Recently. I never heard or saw this. Not once.

There is however a large secondhand mkt in Singapore for Rolexes. And I saw many taxi drivers wearing Rolexes - often TT or solid gold.


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[dmash]

Originally Posted by HogwldFLTR

From my understanding much status is tied to owning luxury items in Asian cultures. This just doesn't seem particularly unusual. Working with many from Asia here in our factory. Many drive Mercedes and luxury cars which I wouldn't consider buying. We all get to decide how we spend out income; no stigmas should be attached to the decisions as long as the money is earned and the individual solvent.

100% correct. I had an Asian (girl) friend in college who would starve herself and save every penny to purchase LV, Gucci, Chanel, etc. Apartment was completely bare, practically no money in bank account, but when you saw her out and about, it was head to toe designer clothes/accessories. and the thing is, it's not like she didn't have money.....it's just she would *spend* thousands every single month. It's a completely different culture. I knew many of her friends who were the same way.

[Styles Bitchley]

Originally Posted by dualcarb

It’s so common to see bus drivers, taxi drivers, servers working in restaurants and even sales staff in supermarkets wearing a Rolex in HK. It is just a popular watch here in Asia known to be robust, no nonsense and tough as nails.

...not to mention a status symbol that gets noticed more than in other parts of the world.


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[Mystro]

Originally Posted by imperio

$35k annually? That is a lot lower than I would have guessed! What is your source?

Sorry, U.S. Census Bureau has that figure as single return. The correct average US salary is $51,939.

[c41006]

Originally Posted by Mystro

Sorry, U.S. Census Bureau has that figure as single return. The correct average US salary is $51,939.

That sounds high. Isn’t the median household income like $59k?

[Royalex]

I have seen a ferry driver in Hongkong wearing an old datejust. I think it is a common affordable second hand watch in Hongkong and Singapore compare to their incomes.

[opaline460]

Maybe he saved up in years, maybe he worked hard to put his kids through college, and the kids bought it for him?

[Mystro]

Originally Posted by c41006

That sounds high. Isn’t the median household income like $59k?

Here is a good idea of how the average salary is on age groups in the USA unfolds:

The average salary: 16-19
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks Americans' earnings by several demographic factors, including age. According to BLS data, the average salary of 16- to-19-year-olds is $420 per week, $21,840 per year. That's the average across all races, genders and education levels.

The average salary: 20-24
As you might expect, earnings increase beginning in one's 20s. The average salary of 20-to-24-year-olds is $528 per week, $27,456 per year. Many Americans start out their careers in their 20s and don't earn as much as they will once they reach their 30s.

The average salary: 25-34
For Americans age 25-34, the mean salary is $758 per week, $39,416 per year. That's a big jump from the average salary for 20-24-year-olds. Conventional wisdom holds that one's 20s and 30s are the times when one gets raises. It's common for earnings to plateau beginning in one's 40s.


The average salary: 35-44
The average salary of 35-to-44-year olds is $950 per week, $49,400 per year. However, that's a number that conceals considerable variation by gender. For example, male 35-to-44-year-olds earn a mean salary of $1,019 per week while women in the same age bracket earn an average of $859 per week.

The average salary: 45-54
The average salary of 45-to-54-year-olds is $962 per week, $50,024 per year. That's the highest average salary of any of the age groups the BLS tracks. Again, the gender income gap is significant in this age group. Men between the ages of 45 and 54 earn an average of $1,102 per week while women in the same age bracket average $840 per week.

The average salary: 55-64
The average salary for Americans age 55-64 is $954 per week, $49,608 per year. Earnings in this age bracket are slightly lower than in the 45-54 age bracket. There are also fewer total workers in this age bracket. According to the BLS, there are 22,658,000 full-time workers in the 45-54 age bracket, and only 18,544,000 full-time workers in the 55-64 age bracket.

The average salary: 65 and older
Americans aged 65 and older earn an average of $888 per week, $46,176 per year. This average is for full-time workers, so doesn't take into account the many people in this age bracket who drop out of the workforce. There are 4,114,000 full-time workers in the 65 and older bracket. Some workers over 65 may be in the workforce because they don't have sufficient retirement savings.

Source: Business insider

[zaydans]

I want to believe the dude is a regular bus driver and he wears a Rolex. So what? More power to him.

[rallyx]

2 tone Datejusts with Jubilee bracelets are very common amongst the regular Singapore guy. You see them with bus drivers, taxi drivers, delivery drivers, shop keepers, food stall owners etc.

Kudos to Mr Bus Driver . The Rolex on his wrist goes tic tic tic.... all the way to town.

[LINVS]

I understand that in some cultures, wealth is stored in portable items like jewelry and even gold bars.

Some folks just don’t trust putting money into securities, treasury bills, even real estate.

[Roger Lococco]

Originally Posted by rallyx

2 tone Datejusts with Jubilee bracelets are very common amongst the regular Singapore guy. You see them with bus drivers, taxi drivers, delivery drivers, shop keepers, food stall owners etc.

Kudos to Mr Bus Driver . The Rolex on his wrist goes tic tic tic.... all the way to town.

I would go so far as to say that Singapore has the highest global percentage of people wearing Rolex TT DJs on jubilee bracelets.

[Scholar]

People on some forums get so offended when they hear that ordinary people in HK/SG wear Rolexes. (They tend to be the "Rolex or nothing" crowd.)

[HK_Expat]

Originally Posted by dualcarb

It’s so common to see bus drivers, taxi drivers, servers working in restaurants and even sales staff in supermarkets wearing a Rolex in HK. It is just a popular watch here in Asia known to be robust, no nonsense and tough as nails.

I know I live here...... I see about 100 a day out and about in any mall here so I got a pretty good idea who wears them. Regular folks.....
My point was the watches mostly are worn by regular working people who want a good watch
Not these mythical superior creatures that the Rolex marketing department tries to create

[aleeboy]

Rolex watches are a very common sight in Singapore. A lot of people wear them from all walks of life. RMs and APs are also very popular.

With fairly high salaries, low taxes and collective family incomes, luxury items are very affordable.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by opaline460

Maybe he saved up in years, maybe he worked hard to put his kids through college, and the kids bought it for him?

He could have inherited it from his grandfather?

[SC11]

We shouldn’t presume anything other then it’s legit unless proven otherwise and myself personally I say good on him!

He’s got a job and he’s wearing a good watch that’s a plus in my book!

After that anything else judgement based on ones views/opinions so I’ll leave it there!

[Lemieux66]

I'm a delivery driver in the UK and I wear a Datejust 116234 Jubilee, but I've almost never seen anyone else wearing a Rolex in my life until yesterday when a customer had a TT DJ. Blows my mind when people say they see 100 every day! It's just a pleasure to time your day using a Rolex so why not save for one if you want one?

[Speedbird-1]

My: Why?

I think we should ALL be ashamed of SOME of the attitude here.
He's a working man, wearing a 'good' watch.
That's ALL we know.

Any other assumptions, are based on our own prejudices and
preconceptions. This says quite a bit about who we REALLY are here.
We, on TRF proudly display our success, often openly demanding
acknowledgement and approval for our choices of posessions.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with honest success.
Maybe we are all over reacting, in our modern, highly judgmental world.
But please, judge not, lest ye too be judged.........eh?

He's a working man, wearing a good watch.
That's ALL we know.

I like to think, that, to his family and friends, he's an
honest, hardworking, successful man....with a nice watch.