Stop me if you’ve heard this before...I think my modest collection is now complete!

[jstan9]

It all started with a larger-than-life nice wealthy guy in our neighborhood sho sported a yellow gold day-date back in the 70s when I was a kid. It was so over the top. Diamonds ringed the bezel and and dotted the dial as hour markers, and, if memory serves, the bracelet was barked gold (fashionable back then).

I’d always been fascinated with analog watches and when he showed me this miracle watch, that ran just be walking around and which you could swim with in the pool or the beach (Gulf of Mexico in the Florida panhandle). He didn’t baby the watch. Just rinsed it off from time to time.

I was hooked.

In 2000, when I’d hit a career milestone I celebrated by putting a deposit down on my dream Rolex, a polar Explorer II. It was at Tourneau at 53rd and Madison in New York (yes, I didn’t know anything at the time) and, after two years, they said, “the watch is too hard to get; we’ll give you your money back”).

On a business trip (I lived in the Bay Area but commuted to New York monthly for work), I went in a spotted a beautiful watch.



It was a mid-sized 35mm SS/PL Yacht-Master. I later put it on a white rubber b. I knew nothing about watches and since this was the only version in the window (the YM then was a hot watch), I paid the difference and bought it.

I loved that watch and wore it for almost 20 years.

In 2017, my lust for a GMT resurfaced and I bought the incredible BLNR at the amazing Shreve & Co in San Francisco.




A year later, to celebrate a new job, I fell in love with the rhodium YM and had a great transaction with DavidSW on the 37mm version. It’s stunning.



A year later, I bought my partner a surprise birthday present, the black-dialed Explorer II and threw in a Tudor North Flag for myself (exploring Tudor because the NF is cool and because it’s now so hard to find SS rolexes).



The rubber b on the Explorer was also a gift : )





I got the bracelet and the amazingly constructed leather strap, thanks to Shreve.

And then we get to the end. I’ve always loved that 35mm YM but grew to wish I’d known what I was doing and gotten the 40mm version.

While not hard to source, it was a challenge to make sure that I found a model with the sand-pebble platinum dial and not one of the newer versions with the painted dial. It’s hard to tell from even great photos.

I found one on davidsw but they never got back to me this time. And when I finally gave up on texting or using the bot on their website and just called, it had been sold.

I then saw a candidate at Bernard watches in Texas. The owner, Jeff, was super patient and knowledgeable. He went on vacation but I was left in the capable hands of P.J.

I proposed a trade of my beloved YM along with a twenty year-old Breitling that a client had given me. We tore into every box in the crawl space under the house but couldn’t find the box and papers. PJ was incredibly fair and knocked a bit off their offer, and the deal was done.

I now have the watch I’ve dreamed of. A 2006 Yacht-Master, serviced in May 2019.

I got it sized Thursday by Gio on post street (an amazing resource for anyone who lives in the Bay Area)

Quite a journey. I know I speak for most here when I observe how much pleasure I get from wearing each of these machine works of art.


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[huba01]

Such a nice store and a great journey , enjoy

[kans86]

The YM looks great. Only thing stopping me from owning one is I find the bezel numbering a bit too prominent, making it a bit too sporty and therefore not easily dressed up.

[Ragnarok]

Left a very fuzzy feeling after reading your journey. I would however comment that the 35m YM looked really good on your risk.

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[subtona]

Great collection.

I see so many roads yet unexplored...

Enjoy the journey.

[AJM914]

Nice story, Congrats!

[pepsiretail]

I loved reading your story! All the best and enjoy!

[GradyPhilpott]

[jstan9]

Originally Posted by Ragnarok

Left a very fuzzy feeling after reading your journey. I would however comment that the 35m YM looked really good on your risk.

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It was really really hard to part with it. I wore the hell out of that watch and it had been serviced twice and is running perfectly. If I’d been able to afford it I would’ve kept it as well.

[mmmmp]

Thanks for sharing, it was an interesting read.

Best,
Mark

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[schoolboy]

Man! What a journey

Thanks for sharing!

[Rocket launcher]

The yacht master is a beutiful watch
Love them

[Solo118]

Wow what a collection, I hope you both enjoy all of those beauties. The YM is so underrated, and it is really such an amazing watch. Think of it as a Submariner that is dressed up in a Tuxedo :)

[mepstein10]

Originally Posted by Solo118

Wow what a collection, I hope you both enjoy all of those beauties. The YM is so underrated, and it is really such an amazing watch. Think of it as a Submariner that is dressed up in a Tuxedo :)

Now might have to get one. You, sir, are a terrible terrible influence. I should speak to you more.

[FreshPrince14]

Great story. Great collection of watches!

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[Monte Cristo]

Great collection.
Love the pic with the wine glasses

[javier]

Very nice collection and pics. Congrats

[rmlovett1]

Very nice! Congrats on a great journey so far!

[marcusp23]

Congrats. You’re making me think I should check out the YM!

[Aircraftman]

Great post, hands off from a fellow NorCal guy!!

[inadeje]

Modest? I’d say stellar collection OP. Exquisite taste throughout.

[jstan9]

Originally Posted by Solo118

Wow what a collection, I hope you both enjoy all of those beauties. The YM is so underrated, and it is really such an amazing watch. Think of it as a Submariner that is dressed up in a Tuxedo :)

I agree! You love what you love and I’ve always loved the yacht-master. When I was looking for a particular SS/PL version I noticed that while still under rated, the prices have been climbing. That said, it’s still not a hot Rolex. But I think it’s one of the most beautiful references they’ve ever created and built.

[jstan9]

Originally Posted by Monte Cristo

Great collection.
Love the pic with the wine glasses

It was from the Shreve & Co. event at the U.S. Open. Quite a day; I was lucky to be asked.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=680951

[Lgear080]

Committed to the brand I see ;)

Awesome story

[bricksinthewall]

I mentioned in another thread that I purchased a YM for my son about a month ago for college graduation. He wanted a lighter colored dial and when I started looking around the YM was the clear winner hands down. It is a stunning watch in person and I personally think it dresses up and down quite well.

Congrats on your purchase and the temporary completion of your journey!

[jstan9]

Originally Posted by bricksinthewall

I mentioned in another thread that I purchased a YM for my son about a month ago for college graduation. He wanted a lighter colored dial and when I started looking around the YM was the clear winner hands down. It is a stunning watch in person and I personally think it dresses up and down quite well.

Congrats on your purchase and the temporary completion of your journey!

I remember that story well, and belated congrats to your son!

It is an amazing watch and I agree that pictures don’t capture how beautiful the platinum dial is.

As a huge fan of the YMs, I thought the death knell for the SS/PL version was the switch to a painted gray dial sometime in the late 2000s. And as I mentioned, when looking at used models, that is hard to see in pictures which is why I’d always need to know the year it was warrantied and then ask sellers directly if what they had had the sand blasted pebbly platinum dial or the newer painted dial (guessing brass).

I think it was just a few years later that Rolex stopped production of that model though I have to say, the Rhodium is spectacular, as is the blue and as are the new gold versions on oysterflex.

[brucethemanlee]

Nice!

do you need a chromo? A Daytona perhaps?

[Aymara59]

Thank you for sharing! Enjoy in the best of health!


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