I remember back in the late 1980s getting a Rolex watch was a goal of mine. But, I didn't want a real Rolex, because, well...that would be silly. I was in college full-time, working full-time at various jobs getting paid either at or slightly above minimum wage.
No, getting a real Rolex was beyond irresponsible. I wanted a fake Rolex. It was a faux status symbol. Like real Rolexes, fake Rolexes weren't just lying around. Without the miracle of the internet, you had to actually go to where the watches were--Europe, Asia, Las Vegas, places like that. I finally got one--it wasn't the best quality, but it had Rolex printed on the fake watch face. Heck, just looking at the band you could instantly tell of it's authenticity.
This is why an ad I saw on Facebook's Classifieds today confused me so much. The ad is for a Rolex. The cost: $100.00. Randy John (two first names--interesting...) says the watch is a Men's Sea Dweller, Automatic Movement (which I believe is true for all Rolex watches...).
The watch is also brand new, but then the confusing part. Randy (or John...) says the "Price Reflects its Authenticity." Okay--I suppose that makes sense. He's saying it's a fake Rolex. Brand new Authentic Sea Dweller Rolex watches cost on the plus side of $10K. Then John (or Randy...) confuses me again by saying his ad and this watch is for "Serious Buyers Only" with two exclamation points. How serious do you have to be to consider buying a fake Rolex?
I haven't priced fake Rolexes for decades, so I don't know if this is a good buy or not. Maybe this is one of those really nice fake Rolexes, the kind you'd buy for the same reason you'd wear a cubic zirconia ring--it looks just real enough to make people think you can drop the same amount of cash on wrist jewelry as it takes to purchase a one-year old Hyundai Sonata.
Still, I wonder if the ad would have been more effective if the seller just said,
"Fake Rolex. Looks Real. First One-Hundred Bucks Takes."
We'll probably never know...
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