Poll: Rolex for high school graduation or wait until College graduation?

[westsiderkg]

HS: Bad idea. Most kids are immature and irresponsible (I know I was at that stage in retrospect). Also, his friends will likely be jealous and not know how to conduct themselves. I only see bad versus good at that level, just my 2 cents.

[BomB#Frog]

Sounds like a great kid. I was pretty mellow in college and knew a lot of people who didn't party that crazy or were irresponsible. It's all about the company he keeps.

If he would appreciate it and mature enough to handle it I say go for it. Either way, after high school Adulthood kind of happens either way. You go to college and start a path or you choose an alternate work path. Sometimes that perfect coming of age moment you thought of never materializes. So just give it to him when you think is right.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by elcompa

Hi ladies and gents,

You see, this is a question that plagues me as my son goes off to college next year. I wanted to get him a 36mm Blue dial OP for his high school graduation and his mom thought it would be over the top, attract too much attention, that he may loose it, have it taken from him or it may get damaged. He is a responsible young man with great grades. Also loves to dress preppy / stylish.

What say you? Moderate Rolex for High School graduation to wear throughout college or wait and make it a college graduation gift to start his new professional life?

i voted college.

lets just hope your son doesn't find out you asked a bunch of sick enthusiastic watch degenerates on whether he gets the rolex now or in 3 - 7 years.

i'd hide the keys to your car and change your amex number to be safe.

[raky]

I bought my son a Rolex last year (the GMT) right before he was born. It is his watch but he will likely get it upon completing college. A Rolex is something that should be earned in my opinion and what better way to welcome the next step as a working professional. Not to say that I would stop him from buying one on his own if he had enough money to do so. I would go with a less expensive brand (perhaps an Omega or a Tag Heuer) as a high school graduation gift or a suitcase and plane ticket to Europe to enjoy a summer vacation prior to entering college.

[elcompa]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

i voted college.

lets just hope your son doesn't find out you asked a bunch of sick enthusiastic watch degenerates on whether he gets the rolex now or in 3 - 7 years.

i'd hide the keys to your car and change your amex number to be safe.

We have a winner! Perhaps the best advice of all. LOL

[panameraap]

it's just a watch... i don't know what's the big deal really.. i got my first rolex when 12 from my parent for no particular reasons.. just a good watch to have ... i already knew when's appropriate to wear it and when it's not... and know how to keep it safe.. it's still here but of course i don't wear it anymore due to many other choices i have now at 35...

it's just a watch... and if a 18 year old can't handle it on his own... probably shouldn't go to college..

[Robert Cross]

[Racerdj]

In my case it would have been a mistake before college.

[airchitect]

For me theres always the "have they earned it" point to questions like this. I can't say when I graduated high school I had earned a Rolex.....

[iazrollie]

Pass on the mid range HS gift. Instead, gift the Platona for college graduation.

[broulstone]

College. Gave my son a Sub on his graduation in 1995 and it's still running great


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[Tempusfugitus]

Depends on the son

[Roller07]

Wait until college graduation.

[ColRam425]

I say high school, but only because I'm in college right now and wish my father had given me one to wear here. Guess I'm too biased to vote haha

[vitalsignsrn]

Sounds odd to say there is a silver lining taking anti-seizure meds, but seems that it is just that. It also seems that you can trust him, but you don't know who he will be hanging out with or who will be hanging around him. I still like the idea of a Sea Master Pro in 41mm which is has a thinner case than some of the others & I find wears a bit smaller than some 41mm do. I looked at the sales ads & FNFZ4--Alfred has a new black one still wrapped up in plastic for about $3300. He also has a preowned Sea Master 2254.50 for $2500. I think the 36mm might be a bit too small. Mind you, I'm not being fair because I don't know if he has a very slender wrist or not. But if the OP at 36mm is what you want to get him to fly under the radar a bit, might be too small. Have you considered the Tudor Black Bay or Blue version? They will be roughly the same price as the Omega & still be in the Rolex family. Is he passionate about watches or are you being passionate FOR him? If he is, or, learns to love the hobby as you do, he may appreciate the Rolex more so when he's done with College. He might not know that right now.

Either way, I think there will be an incoming thread in a couple months. LOL

[jbshaffer]

When I was 20 my Grandfather died. I inherited his 18k Bucherer Chronometre. It became my daily wearer for the next 30 years. Surviving both military service and University life the watch was a daily reminder of the affection that my Grandfather had for me and I of him. Present your son the watch...

[gwozhog]

I say straight out of High School is good enough. Is he even a watch guy though?

[ernie2]

after college.

[Afghanvet]

College grad... if anything like me, wouldn't appreciate it until later... would probably flip it freshman year in college for a couple weeks beer and burger money!

[elcompa]

Originally Posted by Afghanvet

College grad... if anything like me, wouldn't appreciate it until later... would probably flip it freshman year in college for a couple weeks beer and burger money!

To close this out: After careful consideration, and after having read all the replies, I 'll wait until he finishes college for the Rolex 116000. I'll buy it now and put it away form him as I believe they have stopped making it. For high school graduation I'll let him help me pick out a good watch, thus saving excellent for college graduation.

This way his "good watch" he gets at high school graduation can become his weekended or second watch once he has his Rolex.

Thanks for all the help and genuine suggestions! You guys are really great.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by elcompa

To close this out: After careful consideration, and after having read all the replies, I 'll wait until he finishes college for the Rolex 116000. I'll buy it now and put it away form him as I believe they have stopped making it. For high school graduation I'll let him help me pick out a good watch, thus saving excellent for college graduation.

This way his "good watch" he gets at high school graduation can become his weekended or second watch once he has his Rolex.

Thanks for all the help and genuine suggestions! You guys are really great.

i think you'll both appreciate the college grad milestone more with matching watch brands.

but if he gives you any trouble; show him this.

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by elcompa

Thanks for all the help and genuine suggestions! You guys are really great...

Yeah, sure. The real story is you caved in to the wife, right?



Best of luck to your son as he departs for college. Sounds like you got a good one there and I'm sure you had little something to do with that.

[elcompa]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

Yeah, sure. The real story is you caved in to the wife, right?



Best of luck to your son as he departs for college. Sounds like you got a good one there and I'm sure you had little something to do with that.

Very kind of you to say, Mr. T! Yeah, he is an awesome kid. Mom's opinion was a factor, but not the primary influence. Apart from all of the responses I read here there was my own experience. I also reflected on my University years....too much beer, wrestling in the grass, playing pranks, waking up in a friends bathtub with a pillow, road trips with girls I hardly knew. Was a great time, but I think it would really break my boy's heart if he was trying venture out, to do all that "normal" growth and experiential stuff and lost or broke a Rolex.

Again, thanks for the input!

[calj_whyte]

I was given a BNIB 116200 2007 Datejust for my 18th birthday present. My father is in the trade and I grew up around watches so I guess naturally I appreciated it more than my friends would have. I appreciated it immensely and it's definitely the one I'd never sell. I plan to pass it down to my kids - if they are able to prise it from dead corpse!
So yea, if he will appreciate it - do it! After all, everything is insurable!

[DJ TT 2002]

Originally Posted by elcompa

To close this out: After careful consideration, and after having read all the replies, I 'll wait until he finishes college for the Rolex 116000. I'll buy it now and put it away form him as I believe they have stopped making it. For high school graduation I'll let him help me pick out a good watch, thus saving excellent for college graduation.

This way his "good watch" he gets at high school graduation can become his weekended or second watch once he has his Rolex.

Thanks for all the help and genuine suggestions! You guys are really great.

You've got a great plan.
Best of luck to your whole family

[123playcard]

Get him something worth couple hundreds of bucks at most. So that he gets used to wearing a watch and taking good care of it

Save the Rolex for his college graduation day

[BillA]

I have 3 children, in all cases it was their college graduation gift. They still wear them every day to this day. I would wait.

[hunterp27]

One last idea...........This is what my dad did for me.
Instead of buying him a brand new Rolex (although I have no objection to that either if you are flush) hand down one of your Rolex's. This accomplishes two things:
1. rewards him for being a good solid kid who's pointed in the right direction
2. gives him a connection to you and every time he looks at the watch he will think of you and mom and what y'all have done for him to this point. Additionally, it puts him in the Rolex family and gets him started on learning all of the finer points of owning something nice that needs care and responsibility. I have read all of the entries here regarding getting drunk and losing it, or getting stolen, or getting bashed up or all of the other horror stories I've read. I don't know where all of these people went to college but that's not the experience I had in college. I went to Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX and was in a fraternity and was exposed to the typical college life. I never feared any of those things. As I look back, several of my fraternity brothers wore Rolex watches (mostly Datejust's) and nobody lost theirs or had it stolen or had it smashed to pieces by horsing around. My watch never left my wrist unless it was for intramural sports at which time it was locked away. And again, if we are talking about a pre-loved datejust or something like that, if its insured (great opportunity to teach him about how that works too) then the only real risk is theft which is a risk that never goes away. I say do it now in some form or another. Handing one down just ties it all together in a different way.