Since ancient times, men have used engagement rings to show their commitment to a relationship and that they are ready to take things to the next level.
Engagement rings are generally a thing for women – of course, apart from a few men like Ed Sheeran and Michael Bublé.
Rather than compelling your future spouse to wear an engagement ring too, what if I told you that there is something you can give to him that bears the same significance.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the decision of some men wearing engagement rings is daring and commendable. But would you have your man hop on the bandwagon with everyone else or do you want to get him something that genuinely impresses him?
There are some similarities between an engagement ring and a Rolex
If you come to think of it, a Rolex watch has a lot of similarities to an engagement ring. Very few things say ‘I’m a successful and confident man’ than wearing a Rolex – an engagement ring is tied to marriage but a Rolex correlates with so much more.
A ring captivates woman but a watch does the same thing for men.
A sign of maturity
Just like an engagement ring does, a Rolex signifies a landmark in a man’s life. You will rarely see an adolescent male wearing a Rolex (that would be dangerous and risky!), just like you won’t see an adolescent female with an engagement ring (not in the civilized world at least).
A Rolex is generally something that some guys go for after when they are more mature – not when they are trying to join some fraternity like we saw in Old School!
Serious money
Another similarity between engagement rings and Rolexes is that they’re both very expensive. A Rolex watch could cost you up to $50,000, the same goes for an engagement ring – not all engagement rings but certainly a few.
Of course, there have been some ridiculously expensive engagement rings over the years like Elizabeth Taylor’s massive $8.8 million diamond ring and Beyonce’s had a $5 million flawless one herself. Some people like the attention!
They must not have seen the movie Blood Diamond!
Everyone loves them
But even more important than the price, both Rolex watches, and engagement rings signify so much. Most girls dream of getting an engagement ring all their lives, just like boys hold a Rolex watch in high esteem or a 30 foot boat!
It is common to see women flaunting their engagement ring to their friends, who are often genuinely excited about it. Well, I’ll let you in on a secret ladies, we do this too – but with Rolex watches and pickup trucks. Even if you have a Rolex, you know want to look at the Rolex your friend just bought.
We don’t usually buy them ourselves
The funny thing about engagement rings and Rolex watches is that people rarely purchase them for themselves.
Yes, I admit, it is a bit weirder for a woman to buy an engagement ring for herself than for a guy to get himself a Rolex. It is common to see women visiting jewelry shops and trying out engagement rings to see how they look on their hands. But they seldom buy one.
In much the same way, you’ll find men looking at pictures of beautiful Rolex watches, but we will probably not actually buy one. The buying of engagement rings and Rolexes is usually left to others who want to surprise us.
Marks a milestone
Rolexes are usually gifted to men to mark a milestone in their lives. You’ll find that parents may give a Rolex to their sons after they graduate from college or women give Rolexes to their husband when he turns 50, for instance.
Stays in the family
Just like an engagement ring, a Rolex is one of those things that you can pass on to your kids. It is not uncommon for mothers to hand their sons the same engagement ring their dad used to propose with when their son is ready to pop the question.
In much the same way, it is considered a thing of honor to inherit a Rolex from your father or grandfather. That means you are continuing the line of successful generations. That’s a rare fraternity to enter.
Keeps you at the front of their mind
Ask any woman, and she’ll likely admit that an engagement ring stirs up thoughts of her fiancé. Well, the same goes for a Rolex. Your honey is likely to think of you every time he looks at his timepiece – well – and also when he looks at the watch to see it if it’s time to pick you up to take you to the movies.
Time to question the rationale
For those who don’t know, the engagement ring was invented back in the days when a woman’s virginity was viewed as a symbol of her value.
Now, the engagement ring, which is almost always expensive, was insurance the woman had that even if the man failed to take her down the altar, she’d be compensated for giving away her virginity.
If you are a hardcore feminist, reading the preceding paragraph probably irked you a bit. But the days that men constantly held the reins in a relationship and dictated everything to women are long gone but we don’t need someone who lives in Harry Potter land like AOC to tell us this.
Women have shown that they can be strong and independent just like men. Getting your man a Rolex as an engagement present can be a subtle way to let him know that you are both on equal footing in the relationship, and not just his property.
Since men value watches (particularly Rolexes) so much, it makes for a fantastic engagement gift. He probably had to work extra hard to buy you an engagement ring, so why not reciprocate with something he values much in the same way?
The significance of a Rolex as an engagement gift
Apart from their aesthetic appeal, diamonds are the perfect stone for an engagement ring because of their hardness and brightness which could symbolically represent the strength of a relationship.
In much the same way, Rolexes are not just a thing of beauty – they also have a functional value which is showing the time. As we know time is a continuous thing so that expensive Rolex watch could symbolically represent the continuity of your love
Some final thoughts
There is a growing trend of women buying watches as an engagement gift for their significant other, and jewelers have certainly caught on.
If you visit the websites of some of the top jewelers in the world today, you’re likely to find some watches being marketed as an “engagement gift.” These watches are often categorized based on the personal style and character of the man you are considering spending eternity with.
The trend of buying an engagement watch for men (I’m a man myself) is something I welcome unless it puts your future spouse in a financial pickle. If it does then you know before you fully commit to this person they are not too good at handling their money. Now you know!
Now if the Rolex is within financial reason it not only means she is financially savvy it means she is serious about you. And we know that married people live longer and generally do better financially than single people. Buying a Rolex make sense from about every angle imaginable.
Not because I want a watch – because that ship has sailed – but because I believe the archaic reason for giving man an engagement ring needs to be challenged.
