i have been looking at a gmt2 (the discontinued one) or a submariner as those 2 models seemed to have proven quite durable.
but i doubt i will buy one brand new, just one in good condition.
1. purchasing price:
i'm currently not in singapore yet, and where i'm at, certain bargains can be found from time to time (about 1-1.25 grand SG$ cheaper).
regardless, the prices of rolex are not about to fall anytime soon. there's no such thing as a "cheap" rolex watch, even second hand.
i would go for one of those pawnshop pieces if the price is right... but... there's that rust and tropical weather that you mentioned...
2. cost of ownership & durability:
i do worry about the servicing cost because that's part of the reason why i want to get rid of my own watch collection...
to prevent water damage, servicing has to be done regularly (at a cost - even if it's not with the official service center).
my old man's rolex has been with him for over 25 years while he spent many many years in/out of asia, yet he's only serviced it once when the crystal shattered - came back looking like new.
according to him, its accuracy has always been consistent despite the different weathers of different continents and he occasionally pours hot water over it to soften and clean the "gunk".
so i guess i could be like some people: skimp on regular servicing and have it billed all at once much later on...
also, rolex will almost always be able to fix a watch no matter how destroyed it is, and restore it to like-new condition (again, at a cost).
3. re-sale value:
i notice most people lose little money (comparatively) on a rolex when they sell it a year or more down the road (to someone else, not to a dealer/pawnshop), due to the mandated regular price increase.
the hit only happens when they buy and sell it within a short period of time. even now with inflation considered, rolexes bought in the 60s and 70s have retained their values.
4. push factor:
i've destroyed many croc straps in singapore weather, and have the insides of a good dress watch suffer from "moisture damage" once (bill came to about $5000 swiss francs).
this rolex idea was a recent phenomena. it might have something to do with an eventual 3 year stint (maybe longer?) in singapore.
but now as i'm getting older, and i have more pressing concerns, i can no longer afford to service all my watches regularly, or even continue buying more watches.
i'm about to buy a place in singapore, i still have tuition to pay for and save my pay to start a family.
whenever i'm in singapore, i usually wear a 9 year old seiko, as i can abuse it and i can sterilize it if necessary.
unfortunately, it was never very accurate, and it once had its insides entirely replaced after being smashed while scuba diving.
i didn't want to throw it out as i had sentimental attachments but seiko refused to work on it.
(it hit a reef wall and was flooded when a freak current and rain of bubbles pulled me down to 70-90 meters. my first stage was also damaged when i was dragged down and leaking profusely. running out of air, i couldn't kick my way up...)
anyway, i survived thanks to a turtle (yes, it's one of those stories), so i ordered a bunch of parts and had a guy fix it up best he can. but even after adjustment, it still wasn't running within
desired accuracy.
you can't tell, but the bezel doesn't work properly and the case, especially on the side, is very very badly scratched.
with the above write up, it's plain to see i'm sold on the idea of owning one rolex.
so i think my best solution is to attach a stainless steel strap, wear the heck out of the trusty seiko (ignoring the inaccuracy), and start selling my entire watch collection.
once that's accomplished, i'll wait for a good deal on a gmt2/sub and buy it. i won't service it unless i have the change, but i won't be too worried either.
btw, sporturas are really good looking pricey watches, but i wouldn't go to seiko singapore for service.
i have a titanium seiko that they damaged and refused to admit. you're better off sending it back to japan at that price.
and if you ever get hard up, it's not going to bring what you expect it too in a pawn shop, although I'm pretty sure you are well in the know, actually the pawn shop maybe the cheapest place to buy second hand just lately, I know many people have been pawning their watches, because of heavy losses in the markets!
but 10years later its worth almost triple what I paid for it, with the down turn maybe its double now. If you bought one of the early paul newman daytonas or a military sub in the 70s you would be laughing now they exchange hands for 30-40k pounds (which explains the proliferation of fake vintages)
not my pic, naturally... : )