THE JOURNAL

Underworld Standard Issue - Rolex

News centrePublished 2014-04-08

Rolex is perhaps the only luxury watch universally recognised across all sectors of global society, boasting exceptionally high brand recognition and awareness. Even in films and television series depicting organised crime around the world, Rolex has become the standard issue for practitioners of this special trade. Fans in mainland China are surely most familiar with the bond of brotherhood conveyed through a “ gold Rolex ” by Chicken and Ho Nam in the Young and Dangerous film series.

Because in Cantonese, “ lao jin ” is a common slang term associated with striving and hard work, “ gold Rolex ” has taken on a unique meaning. After fleeing to Taiwan, Brother Chicken is forced to exchange the Rolex gifted by Ho Nam for cash, muttering to himself: “ If I make it through this, I will definitely come back to pick you up ”. Here, the Rolex becomes a life-saving asset in times of crisis. In the film, this gold Rolex only fetches 5 ten thousand New Taiwan Dollars, which is somewhat exaggerated, but judging by appearances, this solid gold Day-Date would be worth at least forty or fifty thousand Renminbi even at a pawn shop!

Perhaps the Hong Kong underworld's admiration for Rolex also rubbed off on the whole of Southeast Asia. In last winter's blockbuster film The White Storm, aside from the numerous close-ups of Louis Koo's Fiyta wristwatch, the Rolexes worn by several Thai mobsters surely caught the audience's eye multiple times, leaving one to marvel at the income gap between police officers and criminals.

The popularity of Rolex in such a high-risk profession is a perfect testament to the durability, reliability, precision and value retention of Rolex products, while also reflecting its lofty “ king of watches ” status in the hearts of people everywhere. Wear a gold Rolex, strike gold.

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