“No other watch can trigger such a flood of polarising emotions that range from searing envy to sanctimonious disdain,” an anonymous editor writes at timeandtidewatches.com. “A gold Rolex isn’t just a watch, it’s a divisive psychodrama with more baggage than a luggage carousel.” In other words, it’s bling. Some people like bling. Some don’t. Does that make a gold Rollie “the world’s most divisive watch”? I guess. More importantly . . .
Is it the world’s most dangerous watch?
The theory: the Au Rolex Day-Date President (as worn by that paragon of good taste Donald Trump) is the ultimate example of watch-shaped criminal catnip. It’s easily identified and worth its weight in gold. montredo.com breaks down the new gold 41mm (not literally):
- Case: 18.5 grams (13.88g fine gold)
- Case back: 7.21 grams (5.41g fine gold)
- Bezel: 5.30 grams (3.98g fine gold)
- Bracelet: 68.85 grams (51.64g fine gold)
That’s 74.91 grams of fine gold all-in. As of October 3, goldpricez.com pegs the price of fine gold at $56.60 per gram. So a gold Rolex is worth $4239.91 in raw materials.
I’ve never heard of a Rolex chop shop (or seen one on TV), but a new gold Rolex Date-Just (all gold, no diamond bezel) costs $56,550. You can be sure it’s worth $5k on the street, and a lot more on eBay.
Regular readers know I’m a dog with a bone when it comes to highlighting Rolex criminals. Because they’re out there – and I care.
One need only Google “Rolex robbery” to see that Russian oligarchs aren’t the only criminals coveting the world’s most divisive watch. (If you don’t want to know the score, look away now.)
Man who shot, robbed two people in Dallas last year sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison
Records state that [Quentin Alonso Cordova, 23] admitted using a different gun in a robbery on Aug. 28, 2020, when he shot someone multiple times in the parking lot of Bucks Wild Cabaret, at 11327 Reeder Road in northwest Dallas, then robbed them of a gold, diamond-encrusted Rolex watch and gold bracelet.
OK, Buck’s Wild Cabaret offers Texans “adult entertainment.” In other words, it’s a strip club. What are the odds of getting mugged in the parking lot of a strip club in the wee hours of the morning? Any gun guy will tell you the story there: avoid stupid people in stupid places doing stupid things. Let’s try that again . . .
Man in 80s has gold Rolex watch in Wareham robbery
At around 11.30am on Friday 11 June – a local man aged in his 80s – returned to his car that was parked in Howard’s Lane car park [above].
As he got into this vehicle, he noticed a woman walk toward his car. She stopped to say hello and then got into the vehicle passenger side uninvited, leant across him and made sexual advances toward him, which was not welcome. When the victim asked the woman to leave she became aggressive.
The woman grabbed the victim’s hand and scratched it, she then left the vehicle. The victim subsequently discovered that his gold Rolex watch had been stolen.
Out of the blue, at 11:30 in the morning, a woman gets into an octogenarian’s vehicle, makes sexual advances, is rebuffed and steals his gold Rolex. Riiiight.
[Just so you know, Wareham, Dorset, England is a sleepy market town of 5,496 inhabitants; you can round down the number of crimes committed in Wareham per month to zero.]
Not really making my case for the chances that an average gold Rolex wearer faces an increased likelihood of ending-up a victim of a violent robber, am I?
How about the sad tale of Pop Smoke, the rapper killed for his gold Rolex during a targeted home invasion? No? Let’s return to The Land of Hope and Glory for a more relatable rip-off . . .
Police release CCTV images of ‘Rolex Ripper’ suspects
Mr Bruce, a 63-year-old marine engineer, was walking in Wimborne town centre on July 15 when he was approached by the pair. ‘One had a clipboard and the taller one was making out she was deaf and they wanted signatures for a petition for a new deaf centre.
‘I signed it with my left hand, which was the same hand my watch was on, and one of them then gabbed hold of me and went to hug me. I straight away put my hand on my pocket where my wallet was and pushed her off and walked away.
‘I walked around the corner and realised they had taken my watch. By the time I went back they had gone. ‘I have worked in some real hot spots around the world and consider myself to be streetwise and this is the first time I have been hit. ‘These women are highly rained professional dippers who know what they are doing.’
OK, hands up (they’re playing my song): the Internet doesn’t provide enough anecdotal evidence to bolster my argument that a gold Rolex is more a target for criminals than any other Rolex.
In my defense, I submit the following fictitious quote from a bad guy who focused his imaginary horological theft on the Rolex President.
“It’s common sense. A gold Rolex is worth more on the street than a steel one. Unless it’s Paul Newman’s Daytona or something vintage like that. Those I keep for myself.”
Bastard.
Someone needs to come up with a neat clasp lock. In gold, platinum and stainless steel. And offer an insurance policy ala kryptonite bike lock.
If a bad guy wants your gold Rolex, GIVE IT TO THEM. Nothing you own is worth your life. And I carry.
Agreed.
The expected value of loss (percent likelihood you’ll be jacked x the value of the jacking) should be considered part of the implied/real cost of ownership.
In texas you can shoot people who have your property, so just wait until he turns his back, lol.
I read a claim that West Point grads around the late ’80’s would joke about preferring that their right arm got blown off, as the left wore the Rolex and class ring. I want use of my dominant hand more than some jewelry, and I don’t particularly want the other hand maimed or dismembered either.
One dismembered hand can ruin your whole day.
FLAME DELETED One of the few rolexes I do like is all gold day/date.
I don’t commit felonies for Rolex watches, but if I did the Rolex would be a President.
74.91 grams is about 2.40 troy ounces if I converted correctly. I think I have that in coinage, so I’m off to hold it in my hand and see how it feels.
It’s a good thing I never caught the Rolex bug. In fact, the only Rolex I could see myself owning is the 41mm Oyster Perpetual in steel with the subtle gold-colored pips. And even that would be worn for special occasions only. Intellectually, I understand watches are often status symbols. But that just doesn’t work for me. So I guess events have worked out well for my personal set of priorities.
Gosh, it has been 10 days since TTW’s last article. I was getting worried that TTW had pulled the plug.
No just took a break. This is a labor of love and I have other business interests.
You just got Timepiece Gentlemanned!