Used Rolex Watches: Expert Debunks New Survey, Claims Wristwatches Not Losing Favor to Cell Phones, PDAs and Computers”

San Francisco, CA - Nov. 13, 2006 – A San Francisco expert on used Rolex watches debunks a recent “USA Today” report that claims wristwatches are fast giving way to cell phones, PDAs and computers as the timepieces of choice.

“When it comes to fine used Rolex watches,this line of thinking is nonsense, "says Avi Dayan. "That's like saying the Rolls Royce and Ferrari dealers are going out of business because a new public transit system has come to town.”

“Collectible used Rolex watches and other fine timepieces will never take a back seat to cell phones PDAs and computers,” says the San Francisco gemologist. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans value the artistry of mechanical watches and, in fact, are even willing to stand in line to pay higher and higher prices for them.”

According to New York-based Simmons Market Research Bureau – a company that measures consumer buying habits – sales on wristwatches have dropped as much as 34% since 2000. Last month, “USA Today” published an article about the survey written by Maria Puentes. In it, the newspaper reporter posed the question: “Who needs a watch with a cell phone and a Blackberry at hand?”

Dayan’s answer? “Plenty of people do. This line of thinking is nonsense – when it comes to the Rolex watch industry,” he says. “This is like saying the Rolls Royce and Ferrari dealers are going out of business because a new public transit system has come to town.”

The Israeli Gemological Institute scholar, an international authority on collectible used Rolex watches,says the “the pollsters would have different statistics to report if they had queried the thousands upon thousands of Rolex collectors in the United States and around the world who value the wristwatches so much many wait as long as six or seven years for the opportunity to own limited edition models such as the Rolex Daytona.”

The San Francisco gem expert says the slump in watch sales doesn’t apply to collectors who specialize in high-end timepieces. “These people don’t wear watches just to tell time,” says Dayan.

“If all they wanted to do was accurately track the passage of time, then high-tech devices like cell phones and PDAs – or even a simple Timex purchased at the drug store – would do a splendid job. They want high-end collectible wristwatches that reveal their personalities – and yes, their success and station in life. Knowing the exact time of day, as reported by some sort of computer, cannot accomplish that goal.”

Dayan says people who appreciate used Rolex watches would never permit new technology to come between them and the social and emotional benefits they derive from wearing a fine wristwatch. They understand that watches aren’t just for telling time.”

The luxury timepiece expert makes a prediction about used Rolex watches and the free-wheeling high-tech time-tellers of today: “That 25-year-old guy who tells time today with his cell phone may also be the guy, who 15 years down the road will wear nothing but a collectible used Rolex. Success breeds an appreciation for fine things, and that includes investment timepieces, which are really works of art."

Dayan has owned San Francisco-based A & E Watches for 16 years. For more information about collectible used Rolex watches, contact Dayan at (415) 437-3263 or visit the company website at www.aandewatches.com.


Focus: San Francisco used Rolex watches