The owner of my company picked up a Rolex on a trip to visit bearing factories in Europe. Got off the plane and realized he forgot his watch. Checked into the hotel and wandered down for a smoke to see if he could find a watch shop. Stumbled by a place and grabbed a DJ for a few hundred dollars. This was early 70's I was told.
Fast forward to several years ago and he's still wearing the Rollie. I see him 2-3 times per year, I'm in Ohio, he operates from our office in NY.
One sales meeting I ask him how the Rollers running and he says "like shit"...
.. he fell and scratched the glass and the movement was noisy as hell. Ok, so I tell him to give me the watch and I'll see what can be done. I figure he's not feeling well and doesn't want to head out to find a place to service it. Lousy health found him staying at his house in Ossining most days and only heading out to Sleepy Hollow Country Club for lunch.I have the watch serviced, new glass, etc. -- corp controller told me to have it fixed and put charges put on company amex..........4-5 weeks later I send it back. Now he's a bit of a tough guy to please so I wonder what he's going to find wrong. Whatever, I go about my business. A few days later I'm rolling on the highway and he rings in...
.. thanks for your effort John, the Rolex looks great. I appreciate and won't forget your effort....great, glad I could make the guy happy, for once...
. as I said, good guy, but not easy to please.fast forward to 2013.....I still see the Rolex at all meetings and even shorten the bracelet a few times as he's losing weight and health is taking a toll. September of 2013 we get word he's not doing well at all and a close friend has taken him back to Sloan-Kettering...
..in the end too many things added up and he passes away. no wife, no family....just friends nearby. Friends and his company were his life.
fortunately he had the company switched to ESOP before he died....the company is safe.
several months go by and my counterpart and I arrange the yearly sales meeting. during first night drinks the President of the company, and close friend of the owner, comes up to me and hands me a cloth with the Sleepy Hollow Country Club monogram on it....
I unwrap it and there's the Rolex DJ.... . he tells me how Paul wanted me to have the Rolex...so here's the DJ.... I was told he paid around $400 in the 70's... Paul wore the watch for 40 years and passed it on to me.
I wore it earlier this week as we were banging on GE's door in Erie looking for bearing orders.
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