I was very proud of my new watch. I could not wait to find out how much my watch was worth. I visited some jewelry stores and discovered that the price for an Oyster Day Date Rolex was $14,750.00. Not many people in my circles wore Rolex watches, so people notice the distinctive look and ask about your watch. Then I could say, yes, it was free. I won it by making a hole-in-one at a golf outing. Well August and the rest of the year went fine with many people wanting to hear about my new watch. A few accounting types asked if I had to pay taxes on it. I said it was a gift and gifts under $10,000.00 did not have to be reported to the IRS. I was whistling in the dark. The accounting types who asked about paying taxes turned out to be right. In January, I received a 1099 with $10,000.00 on it with no withholding! I had to pay income taxes on it at my high rate, ouch! At least the 1099 was for the wholesale price. The Rolex I won became the most expensive watch I had ever owned.
  

I had to have two links of the watch band removed at a jewelry store to make the band fit my wrist. The jeweler included the removed links in the package when I picked up the watch. I told him I guess I wouldn’t have any use for the spare links, but changed my minds when he said it was worth $250.00 for the gold alone. I also learned that Rolex chronometer watched should be serviced once a year. The service is provided by local jewelry stores who sell Rolex watches. When I took my Rolex in for its first service I was told that the service fee would be $250.00. The lump in my throat was so high I could hardly speak. I mumbled something about it wasn’t quite time for the service yet, I was just inquiring. Then I began to think about insurance for my watch. After inquiries to several insurance companies, I thought their quotations were exorbitant, so forget that!
  

I continued to wear my Rolex for almost 10 years. I was older and my forgetfulness was beginning to be a frequent reality. When I went to play golf I put my Rolex into my golf bag pocket. Several times I would go to the bathroom or otherwise be separated from my golf bag and watch. On several occasions it would be dark when we arrived at the golf course. Those times when I would be separated from my watch and golf bag, I began to worry. How many men knew about my Rolex and might have seen my put it into my golf bad pocket? To protect against this eventuality I stopped putting the watch in my golf bag to play golf. I left it in the car locked for safekeeping when I drove to the golf course. But I didn’t always drive and when I rode with someone else I continued to put the watch in my golf bag.
  

One morning, I drove to the course and put my watch in my locked car for safekeeping. When I returned to the car after golf, I searched my golf bag for my watch forgetting that I had left it in the car. It wasn’t there! I thought about the times I had been separated from my bag that day and they were numerous. I continued my search my bag where I was sure I had put it before playing and finally had to conclude it was not in my golf bag. Therefore it was lost or stolen. There was a feeling of terror that came over me, that is hard to describe. What and how would I tell my friends about the expensive watch I had lost? How could I be so careless? I put my clubs in the back of the car and walked to the front door and got in to drive home, wondering how I could explain the loss of such a valuable watch. When I sat behind the wheel I noticed a small part of a Rolex watch almost under the seat. I had looked there many times before but could not see it until I sat in the drivers seat. I was relieved that I really had not lost it at all. I hadn’t put it in my golf bag that morning because I drove to the course alone. Did this incident happen for the Lord to show my what could happen to a forgetful old man?
  

I had been shopping for a diamond ring for Doris and the more I looked, the more I realized that this was going to be a very expensive idea. In a conversation with the jeweler, he noticed my Rolex watch. A sudden brilliant idea flashed across my mind, “Would he buy my Rolex or trade it in for a diamond?” To my complete amazement, he said yes! I timidly asked him how much my watch was worth and after examining it, he said $7,000.00. It was less than half the price of a new one, but I had worn it almost 10 years and Doris needed a ring and I wouldn’t have to worry about loosing this expensive watch. When people would ask, “Hey Norm, where’s your Rolex?” I could say, “I bought my wife a diamond ring.” It was such a brilliant idea, I couldn’t resist.
  

Now when people ask, “Hey Norm, where’s your Rolex?” Doris can show them her ring. Doris wears the ring at all times. It is sized properly so she won’t loose it. The heirloom that was a watch to be inherited by a son; suddenly became a diamond ring the daughters can fight for. It is better to give a ring than to wear a Rolex watch.
  

Wealth and possessions always create responsibilities we may not be prepared or willing to assume. I am relieved of the responsibility of owning and caring for such an expensive watch. I am now wearing an attractive “gold” watch purchased at the Winter Haven Flea Market for $19.99.. If I lose it, so what!

Related Posts:

• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? – part 1
• A Rolex or a Diamond Ring? – part 2