Believe me, I've done my homework. I did all the research on this one instead of handing it off to an assistant. Rolex makes a lot of beautiful—and moderately priced—watches, and while it was a tough decision, I have selected the Rolex Pearlmaster 80319. With a choice of stainless steel, platinum, or gold in either yellow, white, or Tridor (a combination of pink, yellow, and white gold), of course I chose the Tridor...18-carat gold with a diamond-set mother-of-pearl dial and brilliant-set bezel.
I love the Roman numerals on the dial and the way, at midnight, the Rolex calendar instantly jumps to the next date. Not only is this little beauty waterproof—it is encased in what appears to be, well, a miniature safe—it is literally manufactured from a solid block of gold. Rolex makes its own gold in its own foundry.
And I'll get all this for only $93,700.
I guess I could go to "my nearest authorized dealer" and check out their selection, but why go slumming when you can go right to the source: Rolex headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Since my BFF doesn't get out much other than to drive me around, I've decided to take her along on this little junket. We won't have time to shop (other than for me), but if I'm feeling generous, I might pick her up a little something in the hotel gift shop.
British Airways has a flight leaving right after work with a stopover in London. Two first-class seats are only $12,182.90 per person. I hope the in-flight meal is better this time. My filet mignon was so overcooked when I flew to Madrid.
I booked two Mont Blanc Garden Suites at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva. Each suite has its own separate entrance and private elevator. The sitting area is surrounded with large bay windows and a private terrace, and there are spectacular 360-degree views of the old town, the River Rhône, and the Alps. There's a private dining room, an LCD flat-screen satellite TV, a Jacuzzi, and a fireplace.
In the bedroom, there's a king-sized bed, and the spacious marble bathroom features a separate bathtub and rain-shower. Of course the hotel supplies plush terry bathrobes and slippers for when you step out. All in all, there's plenty of room to move around—a total of 1,881 square feet. After I convert Swiss francs into American dollars, it works out to only $7,899.70 per night.
All things considered, this trip's a steal!
As I was walking down the street one day,
A man came up to me and asked me what the time was that was on my watch, yeah,
And I said...
—Chicago
