First saw this on an Army Strategy blog...put a smile on my face as I’ve always insisted to the wifey that I always wore my GMT whilst working recently in Eastern Europe, Asia, Mexico and the Gulf.

"The primary purpose of the Rolex is not as a timepiece but rather as a life insurance policy. When the situation goes pear-shaped and you've somehow made it to the airport, the Rolex buys you a seat on the last flight out of Heart of Darkness International Airport. As your aircraft circles the city, you look down at the rising columns of black smoke and imagine the scene downtown in the city square where they're chopping the few remaining Westerners up into monkey meat, you look at your wrist where your treasured timepiece used to be and you think 2 things: A) 'Well I guess the Rolex finally paid for itself,' and B) 'I can always buy another watch . . .’"

Source posted said “unknown”....but a quick google credited it To http://seanlinnane.blogspot.com

Check or hold?

A YouTuber SEAL, can't remember his name at the moment, said the same thing about a Rolex.

To add.  He was talking in a more SEAR escape and evasion situation.   A Rolex is a good way to get a car or a truck etc.

I have personally used a Rolex twice as quick silver while working in Bosnia and Africa in the 90s.  During the early 80s this was commonly taught in the school house in certain carreer fields withing the military/government to purchase a Rolex just for this purpose.   I've also carried /used (SouthAfrican or UK) gold coins "good luck" pieces to obtain food, shelter, transport, etc.

Regards

So buy a “ Feux-Lex” and trade it to Abdullah the used car dealer . He won’t know the difference and you aren’t out 12 grand.

Funny thing,  most of them are amateur jewlers and csn tell the difference...

I have always heard that story about Rolexs.


Going back to the Vietnam War. To all the pilots wearing them.  If you got shot down. It gave you something of value to to trade / sell to get back to American  lines
@snake_diver
Is that true?




Personally when vacationing (Mexico, Bahamas, ect...) out of country. I have always wondered about wearing my Rolex.  It gives me something to value to trade, but it also give them something of value to kill me over.

Good points all...in lower risk areas whilst traveling, even if you don't smoke or drink, we always carried a carton of Marlboros and an unopened bottle of Jack.  My current "employer" strongly suggests when traveling, we keep at least a $100 bill and a €100 note tucked way inside the ol' wallet....just in case of course!

The people I dealt with knew what they were doing and you could tell they had done it before.   The first time I dealt with a Serbian police chief (I was assigned to the UN).  I was arrested for driving through their town.  I could pay the fine, and be on my way.  By the way your watch will do.  The second time I dealt with someone who ran a jewelry store that was nice considering the African country. I was traveling with a friend who was hurt, needed medical care.  They only took cash not traveler checks.  I had to sell my watch and pay the doctor before he would do the surgery.  Both were urbane charming people who would kill you in a NY minute if they got the chance.  Just took a loss on the first watch and was very happy they just didn't shoot me in the back of the head and take my watch.  My friend paid me back for the second one.  If I had not paid the doctor my friend would have died.  The doctor told me, "this is Africa, medical aid is not free, people die here every day, I don't work for free you silly American."  People in America don't know how good they have it.

Regards

My dad says Back then it was just the most rugged watch you could buy.

I read the story of an Air Force F-105 pilot Capt. Piowaty who got shot down over North Vietnam in 1967.
He was able to eject, but broke one of his legs in the process. When he touched down, he was immobile.
It didn't take long for the NVA to get to him.
The first thing the NVA soldier who got to him first, was take his watch off, then point his AK while yelling at at him.
While it was a Seiko, and not a Rolex, it didn't matter at all to the soldier.
He quickly got taken to the Hanoi Hilton and it was several weeks before his leg got looked at. He thought he was going to lose it as it was gangrenous.
Fortunately it healed, but he spent a good long time there without his watch.
So, no, not always something of value to trade.

I guy I used to work with, Mobil Oil Corporation, he was assigned to our Lhokseumawe LNG facility in the late 70's and every trip in to the country they carried "give away" cameras watches, gold Cross pens and such, just to bribe the airport personnel, turned in an expense account and got reimbursed....Cost of doing business

I don’t own one, but have come close several times. Based on what I’m reading more than what I’ve seen with my own eyes, the fauxes are getting so good that  very few 3rd world warlords- not to mention less well connected minstrels- could tell the difference in the length of time that one of these conversations would take.

I don’t know where you buy good modern day fake Rollies...

I have a mid-grade (passes the smoke filled bar room test) Rolex Submariner replica.  I bought it quite a few years ago at a gun show for $40.  Later, (a few years ago) I worked with an ex-Marine who had spent a lot of time in Afghanistan.  He said my replica could be had over the border in Pakistan for about $200.  In the late 90's another guy had told me that Malaysia was replete with purveyors of high quality replica watches of almost any brand.

MHO, YMMV, etc. Be well.

I bought a Rolex Explorer at the Navy Exchange in Yokosuka, Japan in 1966 for $121.00

The fakes can be found online still and sometimes are referred to as an homage watch or tribute watch. I have picked up a few very nice
fakes on Craigslist, they will pass the weight test and get most details right but the game is up when the back comes off.
There are also very well made SWISS copies/fakes with Rolex markings being sold.
OR- you can buy a Vaer from the California company for 500 US made or 1200 or so Swiss made.
These are almost perfect copies of the Submariner watch.
Interesting stories here and some perspectives that I had never thought of or knew about.

and some fakes are so good, you can't tell till they are opened up, and even then have fooled Rolex AD"s and service techs. Some of the fakes are almost as expensive as the real thing!

Ha! Reminds me of my first Rolex. A Submariner. Bought it in 1965 at the Navy Exchange at GTMO for $125.
Wore it for about 10 years and sold it at a gun show for $200.

My first good watch was a brand new Rolex Sea Dweller in 1969...  $300 which was what my maternal grandmother left me in her will.  

I had it for almost 11 years and never took it off.  Sold it to a friend who wanted to give it to his son for graduation from medical school.  I doubled my money!

Got to get back to my time machine project in the basement.

Just got an email for a "SALE" @ JOMASHOP...

...time to sell some of my bitcoin I bought at the top of the market!!