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Sherman McCoy's avatar

One flaw in the Bob vs Bill argument is that Bill didn’t have the opportunity to be Bob; it’s presented as a somewhat pitched argument, which is fine for illustrative and thought-provoking purposes.

As for the watches:

The Rolex Chronograph - i.e., the Daytona - existed for a few years before it gained the Daytona moniker. It was, as I recall, a response of sorts to the Omega Speedmaster, which was intended as a racer’s tool before it found enduring fame as the Moon Watch.

Be mindful that the Rolex Daytona as a trophy for class victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and overall victories (but not class victories) at Le Mans is a relatively modern thing. The entitlement sponsorship for Daytona began in the early 90s, as I recall off the top of my head. There were various sponsors beforehand, including SunBank in Orlando, prior to its merger with the Trust Company in Atlanta, thereby creating SunTrust, which is now Truist after its “merger of equals” with BB&T. I do not know when the Le Mans relationship began, but I believe it was more recent.

I was in attendance at Le Mans in 2018 as a Porsche “VIP,” which means that they invited me to buy an expensive hospitality package, which was absolutely worth the outlay ($3,600 for about 33 hours of access / service). Among the many luminaries in attendance were Wolfgang Porsche, Oliver Blume, and Ted Gushue! Mark Webber - who had recently retired as a Porsche LMP1 driver - was also there. Webber was - and I believe remains - a Rolex “Testimonee,” which is their term for a spokesperson.

It was not lost on me that both Mark and I were standing on the terrace of the Porsche Experience Center overlooking the Ford Chicane watching the race while wearing our unearned Daytonas - he never won Le Mans or even raced at Daytona. Mark didn’t even PAY for his. I elected not to engage him in a discussion on that topic. Another unearned Daytona wearer is Jackie Stewart!

Finally, as someone who has owned (and later sold) both, there is absolutely no comparison between a Royal Oak, particularly the 15202 Jumbo, and a Daytona. When I bought my Royal Oak, I stopped wearing the Daytona with any regularity.

I will argue forcefully that the Royal Oak - the original model, in steel; the modern version of which I owned - is probably the most significant watch of the past 50 years. Without it, Audemars Piguet would not exist, and you would never have heard of the company. Without it, Patek Philippe would not have deputized Gerald Genta to provide them with a “me too” copycat in the form of the Nautilus. Without it, the craze for five figure steel sports watches (i.e., every Rolex Sub or GMT or Explorer or Daytona that is so coveted) would not exist. Without it, the Swiss watch industry might not exist.

EDIT: After typing the above comment, I received an Instagram DM from a cigar, etc. friend of mine who is the biggest Trustafarian I know. He is in his mid 40s, has never even thought about having a job, and spends his time collecting things and traveling the world watching Real Madrid and Ferrari’s F1 team. He is a Ferrari “XX” client, which means he is one of their absolute top drawer customers. He is on a first name basis with Enrico Galliera.

He just took delivery of his extremely rare “Le Mans” Edition Daytona - https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/a-special-rolex-daytona-for-the-100th-running-of-the-24-hours-of-le-mans

There’s one for sale on eBay right now for $334K.

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jack4x's avatar

In truth, the hardcore “built, not bought” guys annoy me about as much as the billionaires.

Is my ownership or enjoyment of a car (or anything else) lessened because I bought it new and spent the hours teaching my kids to play baseball or chess instead of leaving them in front of the tv while I turn a wrench on an old beater?

I don’t think so, and I don’t particularly care about the opinions of someone else who thinks less of me over it.

I like driving my cars on my terms, I have respect for anyone else who shares this hobby/passion with me, and I think gate keeping of any sort is both counterproductive and stupid.

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