Have fun with a Rolex on your arm
On display.
There were no strawberries and cream, only sushi and virgin mojitos. Yes, it wasn’t Wimbledon but even Roger Federer would not have been out of place at Chatham Luxury, the exclusive boutique shop in Colombo which had transformed itself into a home for Rolex timepieces recently. Chatham, an outlet owned by the Hirdaramani Group which is the official agent for a number of luxury watch brands, was celebrating the new Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40, Rolex’s most prestigious model. As such the Cartiers, the Omegas, the IWCs, the Jaeger Lecoultres and the Chopards were all hidden behind curtained-off showcases.
The spotlight was well and truly on Rolex. And it dazzled as Colombo’s glitterati dined on bite-sized pieces of tuna and sipped wine while being reminded that the timepieces they were looking are worn by such legends like tenor Placido Domingo or tennis superstar Federer and were official timekeepers to Wimbledon and Formula One. “These watches last forever and are handed from generation to generation. People buy it as a investment and unlike buying a car for instance, it doesn’t lose value,” says Siddarth Hirdaramani, a director of the group which runs Sri Lanka’s first luxury multi-brand watch store.
The gold Day-Date watch.
The flagship store situated at Galle Face Court opened in March, 2013. Rolex joined the rest of the Swiss stable last February. And last week for seven days it hogged the limelight. The star of the show is undoubtedly the Oyster Day-Date 40. The latest version of the Day-Date is not for the weak-hearted, not when it comes with a tag of just over 12 million rupees for the 18 carat yellow-gold and diamond-encrusted masterpiece. The platinum version which comes with a cool ice-blue dial is a tad cheaper, only around nine million rupees (I didn’t bother looking at the exact price for it was a few too many zeroes for me in any case).
Many of the invitees on the day I attend the exhibition are reluctant to talk to the media, probably afraid of showing off their wealth. Not the case as far as Lucille Wijewardena is concerned. He is confident and comfortable in his skin and is quick to vouch for the sentiments voiced by the young Hirdaramani. “It is a great investment,” Lucille says pointing to his wrist which sports a Rolex Date Just. “I treated myself on my 60th birthday four years ago and bought it in Singapore. It cost me two million rupees. Today it is close to four million.” A chartered accountant by profession, Lucille is pleased as punch that the numbers are in his favour.
He was eyeing the Day-Date, the first wristwatch to display the date of the week spelt out in full in an aperture on the dial, reverently. Perhaps another self-treat is in store for his next birthday. “I collect watches and have 10 at the moment, the others being Omegas and Mont-Blancs. It is just a fun thing to do and there is also the feel-good factor of wearing a watch like a Rolex,” adds Lucille. He has come a long way. The first watch he owned more than 30 years ago was a Titoni. I ask if there is a model who can showcase the watches. One of my friends, who is also the agent for another range of luxury watches has Bollywood star Jacqueline Fernandez on his pay-roll.
But no such luck. Nicole Kidman is not around neither is Jack Nicklaus or Cindy Crawford so we have to settle for Vinod Hirdaramani, another director, and use his wrist as a prop for the gold Day-Date so that the photographer can get some shots.
I risk touching it and lift it out of the showcase. It is heavy. The platinum watch – these watches are only made in precious metal – is heavier. If you wear both, one on each wrist, and walk for an hour, it will be a good workout. Forget eating spinach for those Popeye-like arms. All you need is 20 million rupees or so.
It takes more than six months to make a Rolex timepiece. This information is conveyed to me in hushed tones, almost as if we are talking of God in a house of worship. I’m also told that each watch has more than 400 moving parts all hand-made with Swiss precision. Micro-mechanics is the key behind the technology which makes this watch an irresistible attraction to its legions of fans. So how are sales, we ask? The owners of Chatham Luxury turn coy. All they can say is that there is a niche market in Sri Lanka.
Also since the cost of retailing in Colombo is not as high as say in other Asian cities like Singapore or Hong Kong, it is apparently cheaper to buy here. And with growing numbers of tourists from India and China coming into town, sales are brisk. But what about the cheap knock-offs you can get in China, isn’t that a problem? Siddarth smiles: “They can never make an identical copy however hard they try. But yes, most people might not be able to tell the difference but a Rolex wearer will always know.”