Crypto News: So you want a Rolex?

Welcome back to Pursuits Weekly! This week editor-at-large Chris Rovzar is joined by Annika Inampudi and Georgie McKay in New York to look at the world’s biggest culture stories, as well as ideas and recommendations around travel, dining and art. Sign up here to get this newsletter every Saturday in your inbox.

How to buy your first Rolex

A man tries on a Rolex watch. — Trying on watches at Phigora, an excellent secondhand dealer in Great Neck, Long Island, the kind of place I’ll help you find in my guide to buying your first Rolex.

Chris Rovzar here. As the Pursuits editor who covers watches, I’ve helped many readers, colleagues and friends pick out and buy their first fancy timepiece. My favorite part about doing it always comes the next time I see them. Each person is always even more excited about their purchase, having worn it around and showed it off and gotten used to how great it looks on their wrist.

For no brand is this truer than Rolex, which is the company I get asked about the most. The No. 1 luxury watchmaker, Rolex makes more than a billion Swiss francs a year churning out Submariners, GMT-Master IIs, Daytonas, Datejusts and more according to industry estimates. They’re handsome and incredibly durable, and even though the models don’t evolve very much on the outside, the company is constantly evolving the technology on the inside to make them more accurate, efficient and useful.

But man, are they hard to get sometimes. It’s not for lack of watches: according to data from Morgan Stanley/Luxe Consult, the brand makes about 1.15 million a year — more than Ford makes trucks. But so many people want them that a complex system of allocations and waitlists has grown at retailers. (Rolex doesn’t actually own most of the boutiques that say “Rolex” on the door.) Plus, there’s a vast and confusing secondary market of online marketplaces and dealers. In the first half of this year alone, according to EveryWatch, $4.31 billion secondhand Rolexes were sold, with about 2,500 trading hands every single day.

A pedestrian shelters under an umbrella whilst browsing the window of a Rolex Group luxury wristwatch store in Zurich, Switzerland — “Certified Pre-Owned” is another way to buy a Rolex.

Careful positioning plays a big part in this popularity. In the 1960s the advertising agency J.W. Thompson helped create a new campaign idea for Rolex: “Each man can link himself with the adventure and prestige that a Rolex offers because, in his own thoughts, he dreams of one day climbing mountains or running businesses.” Rolexes are designed for adventure, in other words, but the adventure is your life. Ads began appearing with slogans like: “Rolex. A crown for every achievement,” and suddenly wearing this status symbol became less about what was inside, and more about what it said about you.

Of course, Rolex could make more watches to meet demand. But the brand is nothing if not steady, and the exclusivity and elusiveness of its product is part of the appeal.

So, if you are curious about buying your first and you feel intimidated, perplexed or overwhelmed, I’ve got you. I wrote an extensive guide to how it all works, from the tricks of getting an official jeweler to move you up the list, to how to find a trusted secondhand dealer, to choosing the model you want.

Just promise me one thing: that whatever you buy, you’ll wear it. Don’t keep your new watch in its box and save it for special occasions. I’ve introduced a ton of people to timepieces, and I promise you – your new one will make you happy every day you wear it.

By the numbers

The number of suites set to open at La Réserve Firenze, a hotel in a 15th-century palazzo in Florence, Italy. In the age of rampant overtourism, some luxury hotels are downsizing to embrace a more intimate travel experience, Sarah Rappaport and Kate Krader report.

$25

The price of the Chef’s A-5 Manhattan at Carnevor in Milwaukee. The steakhouse cocktail uses rye whiskey washed with Japanese A-5 wagyu fat, tips Ashley Novak in our latest Five Top Tables column timed to the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting.

800

The number of spots Brandon Presser vetted in Tokyo for his latest Two-Night Minimum city guide. Drawing on two decades of experience, Presser recommends the best of Tokyo, from hotels to neighborhoods to shopping and sushi spots.

1.7 million

The number of marriages registered in China in the first quarter of 2026, a record low. But those who are tying the knot are spending thousands on romantic microfilms to be screened at their weddings, Tiffany Ap writes.

$10 million

The amount the elite Manhattan girls’ school that helped inspire Gossip Girl plans to tap from its reserves for a new athletics facility, prompting a Moody’s downgrade.

I scream, you scream

One of the weirdest parts of my college experience was known, quite ominously, as Primal Scream. The last day of the semester, students would take off their clothes and run a lap around the freshman dorms, while letting out a ghastly, collective scream. It was supposed to be cathartic — a way for students to let loose before the finals crunch.

It never occurred to me to pay for it. But for some, a guided (fully-clothed) emotional release can be transformative, even healing. Jamie Smith delves into the world of rage retreats where attendees pay as much as $4,000 to let off steam. —Annika Inampudi

The elite sheepdog market

Cyrus the sheepdog Photographer: Emli Bendixen for Bloomberg Pursuits — Man’s best friend — and major expense?

Britain’s well-bred border collies are attracting buyers from all over the world, fetching as much as $30,000 at auction (that’s at least two Rolexes, Chris!), making the pups among the most expensive ever sold. More essential employee than pet, some end up in the US, others mainland Europe. One dog sold at Skipton’s Craven Cattle Mart now herds sheep in the shadow of Mount Fuji, Japan.

Work-life balance

Pumpkin spice is in the air, which means we’re starting to remember all the new year’s resolutions we’ve procrastinated on. Kate Krader checks in on CEOs’ personal end-of-year goals, from learning to master podcasting to practicing gratitude, cooking and snowboarding, and — as always — using AI.

Keep in the conversation

Sept. 25 to Oct. 12: The 64th New York Film Festival continues
Oct. 10 to Nov. 29: Texas Renaissance Festival (largest in the US)
Oct. 5–12: Nobel Prizes announced from Stockholm
Oct. 16: Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything Elizabeth Holmes doc hits theaters
Oct. 17: WNBA finals start
Oct. 20: NBA regular season; 2026 Champions the New York Knicks opening game at Madison Square Garden

Can you still read a map?

It is ever tempting to hurl our smartphones into the nearest body of water. Tokyo-based senior writer Thu-Huong Ha has essentially done that, opting for the dumbphone life after her iPhone was stolen. On a recent 48 hours in Singapore, she gives us a window into opting out of an ultra-connected world. (The Smart Nation also reminds us of what we are losing, like being able to read a map and general common sense.)

Tom Brady has only himself to blame

Tom Brady looks on prior to the game at AT&T Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. — Sticky habits of a highly successful quarterback.

Tom Brady’s evolution from seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback into a sports commentator/model/crypto spokesperson/public speaker is exactly what you’d expect, writes David Roth. He’s a Really Great Guy, friends say; he’s a Really Hard Worker, teammates agree. And for a little while he was also a Very Sad Guy, writes Lars Anderson in his new book, Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness. The source of this funk? A wife (supermodel Gisele Bündchen) who got tired of waiting for him to leave football, and eventually, Anderson writes, left him instead.

One Very Specific Recommendation: Mophie fast-charging cables

Modern life (or at least mine) feels like an endless cycle of charging devices and resetting passwords, turning me begrudgingly into a cord connoisseur. A year and a half ago, I bought the Mophie fast-charging cable, and it’s the best $30 I’ve spent in recent memory. I’ve been fooled by other brands that promise quick charging and failed to deliver. This one actually works. Despite my totally preventable habit of letting my battery wither to 1% and spiraling when the screen goes black, this cable brings me back to double digits in mere minutes — provided you pair it with a decent wattage plug.

The braided cord is insanely durable, which is a welcome change after fraying and sad duct-taping flimsy wires (looking at you, Apple). I still use my OEM plug (60W) but pairing it with the cord has been a game changer. While Mophie offers a shorter option, do yourself a favor and get the 3-meter (9.8-foot) version. That extra reach is essential when you have to snake a cord past a stranger or two to grab the last open outlet at the airport. —Tiffany Ap

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