Happy New Year! - Reflecting on the Road to a Rolex

Happy New Year!  It's a time of celebration and reflection.  As the New Year kicks off, it's time to reflect on what we are going to make of our time in the coming year.  How will we survive?  How will we succeed?  What can we do to be more successful?  How can we change our image to project more of an air of success and professional competence. One night earlier this week, I saw this billboard for a local jewelry chain advertising a beautiful Rolex.  It got me thinking about the iconic watch brand.

A Rolex Billboard

Later that same night, I came across and read an interesting review of a Rolex ( A Week on the Wrist: The Rolex Datejust ) on Hodinkee by Stephen Pulvirent.  It was a bit strange to have the Rolex brand coming at me from multiple directions on the same evening. 



The article described the development and history of the classic Rolex Datejust very well.  It's amazing to think that even a pure dress watch from Rolex has an oyster case and 100 meters of water resistance.  More importantly, I gained some insight about what it would be like to wear such a beautiful Rolex for a week.  These Rolex encounters made me think about the road in life that leads to a Rolex.  

Rolex Datejust Oysterquartz - photo by Esperto Orologi at it.wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

One of the commenters on the hodinkee article noted that a Rolex was an achievement watch that people bought upon attaining a major career milestone.  Once bought, a Rolex would be worn for life.  The 36 millimeter diameter case is much, much, bigger in the heart of the wearer.  As we start the New Year, I think we all want to be successful and we all want to get that Rolex one day.



But, where does that road to a Rolex watch start?  Where does your road start?  For some it starts with hard work, getting to work early, staying late, and applying prodigious energy to career matters.  For others, it may be a matter of saving up money, assessing a market, taking a risk, creating a product, and filling a need.  Still others, may analyze, research, and invest in opportunities that pay off.  There is no one proper road.  I think everyone must choose their own path.



In the meantime, if there is a watch for the end of a journey, then there must be a watch for the beginning of a journey.  Perhaps a simple dress watch like this Seiko two-tone quartz watch would suffice as step one?



Have a happy and prosperous New Year!  May you find your road!