Asked not to wear a Rolex to work…

[Hydrangeajp]

I've been with my current company for several years in a senior legal role, managing a team. The company's struggling lately - redundancies, pay freezes, and bonus cuts. My own manager recently left, and their replacement (board level), joined last week. After a positive initial face-to-face meet, she scheduled a meeting later that week about the Rolex watch she noticed me wearing into the office.

She told me it was inappropriate and insensitive, given both my seniority and the company’s current situation, and ultimately requested that I stop wearing it to work. She essentially said that "most senior staff already know to avoid wearing expensive, flashy items to work”.

I’ve had this watch for years and wear it daily. I’ve never given it any thought and would think most people wouldn’t even notice it's a Rolex. Am I the completely deluded and inappropriate one here? I was so taken aback and put on the spot that I simply agreed not to wear it, but since then I can't stop thinking I should’ve stood my ground (not because I’m desperate to wear the watch, rather, the whole ask felt excessive and inappropriate?) WWYD? I’d really appreciate an honest outsider’s perspective.

She should buy a whole new watch - the irony!!!

I suppose you could (a) ignore her (as she's not got the right to tell you what to wear unless it is unprofessional or there is some sort of workplace health and safety issue, which doesn't sound like there is), or (b) think about if what she said could have a point and act accordingly (even if the delivery of the message was odd and most definitely could be done better - they cannot "command" you to not wear it, even if it's for morale or whatever).

I work in beauty and fashion. C-suite.
It's a fine line. The juniors love to talk bags and clothes. It's interesting to them and inspirational. Women need to be seen to be successful.
I remember my first boss wearing Jaegar and Escarda with Cartier. Was I jealous? No. I just made sure I could afford it by 30.
However your director is out of order.
Law is a well paid career (my family are lawyers), you are dressed appropriately for your level. If you were turning up in a Marks suit I would suggest you would be under dressed!

I would tell your manager you have to install a safe at home if you are not wearing the watch (which is probably true).

Keep wearing your Rolex but I’d advise you to start looking for a new job. My reading of the situation is that the watch isn’t the problem. Your new boss is insecure and has identified you as a threat.

Send her an email saying you were too embarrassed to tell her at the time but it’s a knock off you bought from the looky looky man In Tenerife so you’ll carry on wearing it as it cost £20.

Unless you work with the OP why does that matter?

My work is doing OK financially so not an issue but people definitely talk about others new cars, holidays etc and I think they would clock an expensive watch.

I had a boss once who moaned in a meeting about how hard it is to do a kids Easter egg hunt on her yacht. 😂🙈. She literally had a yacht in the south of France and would fly there for a weekend.

I was thinking exactly this.

Wearing an expensive watch doesn’t indicate immense wealth to me. I know people on minimum wage that save up (or buy fakes in a Turkish market) 😂

This

What about phones? Are you allowed the latest iPhone, or must everyone have a doro?

You could stare with tearful intensity and murmur, "But it's the last thing I have from..."

🤣😂🤣

I’d have laughed in their face.

I’m part of senior leadership team at work, and earn 6 figures. What I wear/drive/spend on holidays is my business and no one else’s.

sounds like your boss is bitter and wants to be seen as top dog with her Kurt Geiger bag and knock off gucci watch . What a cow

Best response on MN this week. 😂

This is such a woman thing. A men would never. Women should be supporting each other not feeling threatened and trying to put others down/

I remember an old boss telling me I dressed innappropriatly ( I didn’t)… meanwhile she had tatooos of her last 3 husbands tattooed on her breasts for all to see…

Agreed.

Yay! It's back 😁

We can all bask in your amazingness now @MorrisZapp 🤩⌚️

I’d buy an even more expensive different brand and wear that!

ridiculous to expect you to not wear your own possessions. As they going to tell the married worker not to wear their engagement rings? Drive their expensive cars into the office? Don’t bring that handbag in…

I have a nice watch. Not that expensive comparatively but I saved for that watch and it means something to me as i bought it after a tough year. I’d be quite upset to be told not to wear it quite frankly.

LOL no I’m pretty sure it’ll be an automatic

It is nonsense. She's flexing her muscles. Next time you are on such a position just say you'll think about it and get back to her tomorrow.

If it gets nicked at home is she going to stand the loss?

I bet the manager in question drives a new car. How is that any different to a watch?!

I work in law and back in 2008 when we had the financial crash and pay was frozen etc, one of our senior partners was told not to drive his Aston Martin into work. He complied and brought his wife's top of the range Merc in instead

As someone who works in the type of role that reports into you, I don’t think it’s extraordinary not to wear flashy items during lay offs. People constantly speculate about salary and I can all image people saying “sure haven’t they being paying X a fortune for years, and now my friend is being laid off.”

My boss, new MD would not have hus horrendous office refurbished whilst we were going through redundancies. Said it sent tge wrong message.

Nobody would get me to not wear a watch I'd been wearing for years for propriety's sake ... just daft.