DH says I’m ridiculous for wanting to spend this amount of money on a watch, who is BU?

[Halowinslet]

I’ve been lusting after a Rolex datejust for as long as I can remember, but have always stopped myself from buying because there has always been something more ‘sensible’ to do with the money, like keeping it in savings or spending money on an experience like a holiday. This year I’ve been feeling pretty low what with the current situation and there’s no way I’ll be able to go on holiday this year as I’m vulnerable health wise.

Announced to DH this morning that I’m thinking about treating myself to a nice pre owned Rolex (£6k) on the basis that it’s what I’d usually spend on holidays in a year anyway and they hold their value pretty well, in the event that I ever wanted/needed to sell.

DH thinks I’m being absolutely ridiculous spending such a large amount of money on a watch and now I’m wondering whether I’m having a moment of madness. I should point out that the funds would be coming from my own pot of money, rather than joint.

I know people who buy Rolexes and Cartier’s not to wear but as investments.
It is similar to when South Asian women get married and receive gold as a wedding present. Some of this gold is worth tens of thousands of pounds. They see this as a good investment as they are able to sell it if they ever have financial problems.
An Asian friend of mine lost her job during the pandemic and sold some of her gold which has kept her family afloat.
Op, I think your issue is that your dh thinks that it is a waste of money .
My dh would have encouraged me to buy the watch if we could afford it and he knew that it would make me happy

@Nesbo

Just to illustrate an extreme example of my last post, if you look on Patek Phillipe’s website you’ll see a watch with the reference number 5711/1A 014. It tells the time and has a date wheel. It is made of steel and has a green dial. You can get it for the bargain price of £26,870.

Well, if they do happen to sell it to you at the price on the website you’ve pretty much won the lottery. Pop over to Chrono24 (which is a website for second hand watches) and you’ll see a few listed for sale (brand new, unworn).

The cheapest asking price is £264,528.

One just sold sealed at an Antiquorum auction for $500,000. It was Patek who bought it back to prevent "flipping" onto the grey markets.

Each to their own. I I'm not interested in luxury shoes or handbags but I do like luxury skincare like L'Occitane and Elemis. If I was minded to spend £6k on a one off luxury item it would be a Leica camera.

I think, by anyone's standards, it's a lot of money... Back in 2018 I bought myself an Apple watch, which was £300+... It felt like a lot of money to me! I wore it solidly for about a year.
Then I changed jobs, to work with special needs kids, and was worried about it being damaged... I'd say, in the last 18 months I've maybe worn it for 10 days.
When it conks, I've zero plans to buy another.

Absolutely ridiculous.

What happens if a £6k watch gets scratched or soaked in mud?

I Have a feeling my lifestyle doesn't match OP's.

@lljkk

What happens if a £6k watch gets scratched or soaked in mud?

I Have a feeling my lifestyle doesn't match OP's.

My nice watch - not a Rolex - has been on my wrist for several years now. It’s not scratched or been soaked in mud, I have a feeling your lifestyle doesn’t match most people’s.

There are (plenty) webpages about how to fix scratches on Rolex watches. I'm pretty sure scratches are a common problem. I'll grant you falling in mud is not so common.

@lljkk

What happens if a £6k watch gets scratched or soaked in mud?

I Have a feeling my lifestyle doesn't match OP's.

Mine is waterproof to a depth of 200 meters. I rinse it under the tap to remove dirt. The face is coated with some kind of anti scratch coating so is crystal clear despite being on my arm everyday.

The gold strap is a bit scuffed but gets polished when I have a service.

I totally get why someone would not want to spend that kind of money on a watch but I struggle to understand why people don't seem to be able to comprehend that other way round.

@sixthtimelucky

Stealth boast alert!

You may need to learn the definition of stealth.

It's a long held dream, holds its value and you can afford it .... go for it. You only live once.

@scully29

Yes I am amazed how people live and how much they have for frivialities and am also amazed at how people laugh at the idea of giving to others.

And to be fair there has been ALOT of memes about what a dick Jeff Besos is with his spending choices, along the lines of despairing state of humanity.

@scully29 I like your word "frivialities".

I don't laugh at the idea of giving to others, I was just curious to know how far you would like people to go with donating their spare cash. What percentage of their spare cash should people donate? If they donate that percentage but still have thousands left and buy tnemselves a treat worth thousands, are they immoral/uncaring? I think it's an interesting ethical point, but not simple when you delve into it.

What happens if a £6k watch gets scratched or soaked in mud?
Nothing ! It’s a Rolex , you can go diving with a Rolex submariner ,
Go for it I say OP, you may never have the chance again,
I own two, as well as two very special Patek Phillipe , all presents from DH, they are so special, I know they will never go out of style.

All those going on about creating memories, what happens if you get dementia and you lose all those memories? At least the OP will have a pricey watch to sell to pay for her care

No idea about watches, but this might be the bleakest post I’ve ever seen

I think flash watches are the height of tack, so it would be 6k I’d spend elsewhere.. However, it’s your money and your choice, and if it’s coming out of personal rather than joint income/savings, your husband doesn’t have a say.

It's your money. Can you get it interest free? Some places do it over e.g. 2 years. I bought a few watches that way. Have you looked at the pre owned market? Some people can over charge. Some Rolex hold their value or rise some don't. Datejust are ok.

@Binkybix

All those going on about creating memories, what happens if you get dementia and you lose all those memories? At least the OP will have a pricey watch to sell to pay for her care

No idea about watches, but this might be the bleakest post I’ve ever seen

It might be bleak but, as someone who’s almost certainly going to get a dementia diagnosis at some point, the same thought occurred to me. At least if I owned a Rolex the kids could flog it to pay for a few weeks in the care home.

@Shade17

Just do it and remind him that it’s not actually that much money for a nice watch!

FGS of course it's a lot of money. Hope you have more sense than you seem to OP

@Blossomtoes
Secondhand? Few days more like. Depreciation on that kind of item is a killer

[quote toconclude]@Blossomtoes
Secondhand? Few days more like. Depreciation on that kind of item is a killer[/quote]
They don’t depreciate, they appreciate. That’s why they’re an investment.

Buy it, enjoy it. I bought a Cartier 20 years ago and have never looked at another watch since.

The OP is looking at a pre-owned watch, so that should eliminate depreciation, save any caused by wear-and-tear.

"They don’t depreciate, they appreciate. That’s why they’re an investment."

Some do, it VERY much depends on the model, the year it was made, the vagarities of fashion and a whole heap of other factors. It's not as simple as "it's a rolex, it'll definately appreciate" so it's a dangerous statement to make if you aren't careful.

@Halowinslet I've fallen down a worm hole of Cartier watches now 🤣 if you end up buying the rolex we need a picture.

For everyone moaning about the money I imagine the OP works hard for their money and has finally made the decision to treat themselves. Not really our business what anyone else does with their money unless it's being used to fund illegal activities so let them be.

They are an excellent investment and well worth the money if you have it.
Go for it.