In 2003, my dad took a pair of old sneakers, boxed them up, and gave them to my mom for Christmas. Upon opening her present, she asked (in his words), “What is wrong with you?” and he replied that she wasn’t looking hard enough. Swaddled in a sock and stuffed into the very tip toe of one of the old shoes was a perfect replica Rolex Yacht-Master ref. 168622, a gift he justified by explaining that the beautiful, teeny-tiny Datejust would be passed on to me when I graduated from college.
The luxury fake Rolex Yacht-Master was my mom’s daily wear until recently. In August, she texted me, asking about a yellow strap because she wanted to take one of my dad’s watches for a spin. She proposed a trade: For my yellow strap, she offered her cheap replica Rolex Yacht-Master. Of course I’d cooperate, except I didn’t own a yellow strap. I sent her a few pictures to see if we could identify what she was describing, but unfortunately nothing matched. Thinking the deal was a wash, I was thrilled when she asked if I wanted the super clone watch anyway. Um…yes!
But I knew I’d be a bad daughter if I let her walk away empty-handed, so I sent her a photo of the watch I wore to my Hodinkee interview (a 1970s 1:1 fake Rolex Datejust – the special sort that my dad inherited from his grandfather) and asked, “Do you want this one for a fun swap?”
A few weeks later, I got together with my family in Miami to belatedly celebrate my 30th birthday, which ended up being the most perfect trip in recent memory. My boyfriend and I flew in from New York, my brother and his girlfriend traveled from Philadelphia (where we’re from – Go Birds!), and my parents drove over from the Gulf Coast where they reside now. As soon as we got to our rooms I pulled out the AAA quality fake Rolex Datejust and handed it to my mom. She passed me the cheap replica Rolex Yacht-Master. I gave my dad a Dan Henry that I’d picked up because, why not?
Later that evening, my brother’s girlfriend even joined in and strapped on a teal-faced Autodromo. Although we’re lucky to see each other fairly often, it had been years since our last vacation as a unit, and the weekend was filled with watches, Rum Runners, and fun.
While the real gift was spending time with my family, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that coming home with my mom’s Yacht-Master was a colossal bonus. Although I didn’t expect to be wearing this Swiss movement fake Rolex UK anytime soon, I’m not surprised to be wearing it now. For us, there’s no real sense of ownership when it comes to the watches we share.
I’ve referenced this story on Hodinkee before, but earlier this year when my dad was visiting me in Brooklyn, he picked up the John Mayer G-Shock on my nightstand, turned to me as he strapped it to his wrist and said, “I’m taking this.” When it comes to high quality fake watches, these kinds of interactions in my family are more common than not. Sure, we might refer to this watch as Mom’s or that watch as Dad’s (and yes, I’ve contributed several myself!), but collecting for us is a team sport and the truth is there’s not a single timepiece among us that belongs solely on one person’s wrist.
Ironically, my mother recently confessed to me that she doesn’t consider herself a watch person, which I’m going to challenge her on. For her, Swiss made replica watches are jewelry – objects she appreciates for their style and beauty and, in a lot of ways, I can relate. I’ll be the first to admit that my technical knowledge is…scant. I’m not proud of this, but I am a realist and the reality is that watches, for me (a watch person!), are sentimental above all else.
Wearing the high quality replica Rolex Yacht-Master makes me happy because it’s my mom’s, not because it’s a Swiss made copy Rolex or because I can tell you much about how the thing works. What I can tell you is that it fits looser than every other watch I’ve worn, almost like a bracelet…jewelry. I could easily have a link taken out, but choosing to wear Rolex replica for sale UK this way feels like a subtle tribute to the person who wore it last. It’s a practical choice, too – I won’t have to resize it before I give it back.