Watch

That is a loaded question. Is the only requirement that it should be expensive? What would you like it to look like? Do you want an "investment"? Quartz, mechanical, automatic? What will you wear it with? WHy do you want a Rolex, anyway?

Well, watches don't necessarily go out of date. You don't need to pay much for a good watch. Many times cheaper watches would be much more reliable than higher end watches, and with lower servicing costs. Think of it as buying a Ferrari or something similar. You are not buying it for the reliability; you are buying it for the craftsmanship, the intangibles of owning such a vehicle, the cachet. But you will pay A LOT for maintenance and repairs. Comes with the territory. Same with a Rolex, Omega, etc. etc. If you don't like that idea go for something more modest. But frankly I would highly recommend you think a little about what you would expect from this timepiece. Timezone.com has a lot of articles that may help you decide. Edit: "Well, watches don't necessarily go out of date. " Designer timepieces are the exception; usually crappy internals with a high-degree of name recognition.

If your only interested in how it looks and don't really care about the mechanism, then your best bet is to just go to some watch stores and shop around. Your also probably better off with a quartz watch, it will require less care on your part and it will probably keep better time. If you go to a reputable store you wont have to worry about fakes and you can buy something with a decent warranty. The only thing I would recommend you definately get is a watch with a Sapphire crystal. I'd also recommend against gold and get something stainless steel (it will look better with jeans). Given what I laid out here, you can probably get something you'll be more then happy with for much less then $3500.

Before your girlfriend parts with her money, why don't each of you do a little more research on the website links that follow? TimeZone's forum is a great resource. Poor Man's Watch Forum discusses modestly priced watches.

If you really want a "ROLODEX", at least invest some time so that you can defend your choice with knowledge rather than marketing hype and urban legend. Use the search function on this forum and you will discover some rather lively discussions about watches in general and Rolex in particular. Rolex has its fans and its detractors. In the end, the choice is yours. Just know that there are other good quality timepieces available.

Below are some interesting resources for you.

http://www.timezone.com/
http://www.pmwf.com/cgi-bin/Forum/webbbs_config.cgi

http://www.timeman.net/
http://www.qualitytyme.net/
http://www.secondtimearoundwatchco.com/
http://www.classicwatch.com/index.html
http://www.collectorstime.com/
http://www.ewatchshow.com/
http://www.thepurists.com/
http://ninanet.net/watches/launchpad.html
http://www.timeofswitzerland.com/
http://zorigami.free.fr/odd_watches/
http://www.watchuseek.com/index.htm

Good Luck to you! Wear your new watch in great health.

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Kind of depends on how you look at it. You might not make money of it, but there are several brands and models that retain their value pretty good over time. So if you'd get tired of it at a later date you won't loose much money when selling it.

Personally, I think Rolex watches are ugly. You can do much better for the money. I second the recommendation of TimeZone. Go through all the various manufacturer forums, look at pics, and decide what you like.

My favorite sports watch is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, although it's out of the price range you mentionned. My point is, there are much more attractive watches than rolex.

In your range I think the nicest watches are made by Maurice Lacroix. Their masterpiece line is all beautifully finished and you can get some great complications for not a lot of money.

If you want a sporty watch, get the new Omega Planet Ocean Chronograph. The orange bezel is very nice. I had a PO for a few months which I then flipped. The movement is excellent, and very accurate.

Also, in that range you can easily get a pre-owned Panerai, if that's your thing. If you like to impress people, Panerai is now fairly widely recognized by yuppies and brand whores so you can definately get something that fulfills that (for me) singular reason why Rolex is attractive to anyone.

Just as long as you know there are many options... also, consider why you want a particular watch. If recognition is something for you, get a Tag or a Rolex, or a Panerai if you live in a fairly urbane circle. If quality is your thing, look to IWC, Omega, and maybe Maurice Lacroix in that range.

I wear an Omega Seamaster 120 (the last of the Seamaster 120's) now relaced by the Aqua Terra I believe, and I also wear an Oris Frank Sinatra (the simple one with the metal band, very retro and sharp). If I had a lot of money to spend on one watch I would consider IWC, a very nice brand, classic styling. I am not a fan of diver watches but many are. See what look you like then narrow to the brands that do it best. Oris gives you a lot for the money, Omega has changed, IWC is a great watch last I knew, but there are so many. Rolex will always get the attetion of others if that is what you want.

No but it depends on the watch itself. WHite face with metal band does not narrow it down much though, but seriously, look at the forums suggested previously.

If you won't use it, then don't bother with it. It will add significantly to the price. When I eventually buy a nice watch, I'll probably go for something with moon phase and perpetual calendar.

Those Maurice Lacroix watches are quite nice. I hadn't heard of the brand before. They're quite affordable as far as watches with complications go as well.