what “getting the call” is all about

Sometimes, we get more than what we ask for. Most of the time, that isn’t a good thing. But in the case of getting a call from this Rolex AD—it was.

Oddly enough, I remember the first time I ever showed interest in a watch. I grew up in a lower-middle-class family, so we weren’t exactly rolling in the dough. My mom worked hard to provide for a full house—sometimes eight or nine of us living in a three-bedroom home. My dad was on disability and had to retire early after working construction his entire life. I’m grateful for that, though, because despite my upbringing, I was always taught to take care of what I had. Since I didn’t have much, I was always drawn to simple, nice things—like a wristwatch.

I remember when my parents decided to go on a cruise to escape the Ohio cold while I was in middle school. Because it was near Christmas, they asked if they could bring us kids (and there were, like, eight of us) anything back as a gift. I can’t tell you what possessed me to ask for a wristwatch. I remember my mom being stunned that I wanted something so… out of style for an edgy middle schooler in 2010. But when they came back, they had a shiny stainless steel Invicta for me. And from that day on, I was hooked.

Over the past couple of years, that passion has evolved—from an interest to a hobby, and now a full-blown profession here at Leather & Lume. Rolex has always stood out to me, largely because of its storytelling aspect (whether those stories are true or not is a topic for a different blog). I love the idea that we can wear this small piece of functional art and share a story. As my passion grew, I fell in love with the Rolex GMT-Master II. The idea that these watches were designed for explorers of the sky—the businessman running to his flight or the soldier checking the time back home—it resonated with me. No surprise to anyone here, but I’m in the Army, so I travel a lot. I love the idea of always having my home time on my wrist, no matter where I am in the world.

If you’ve been living under a rock, let me preface this by saying: Rolexes are impossible to get—especially Rolex GMTs. A couple of years ago, Rolex released a left-handed version, and it nearly rocked my entire world. Could it be… my favorite watch and configured for a lefty? It had to be mine. Rolex only makes a certain quantity each year, typically reserving them for high-spending clients. Over the years, I inquired with a handful of Authorized Dealers (ADs) to try my luck at getting allocated this watch. I tried rubbing elbows with all the deep-pocket spenders. No surprise—I didn’t get the call.

That changed late last year.

Ethan, the owner of Arlington Watch Works (shoutout to my homie), became a close friend after I bought a watch from him around my birthday. Since then, we’d regularly chat about watches on Discord and talk about our “grail pieces.” I guess Ethan got fed up with my rants because one day, he formulated a plan. He reached out to one of his contacts in the watch world—who, for the sake of keeping him anonymous, we’ll call “Peter.” Ethan explained my situation: how I had no luck with ADs, how I move constantly in the Army, and how I’d been hunting this watch forever.

A day passed. No reply.

A couple of days later, I got a text from Ethan:

“Hey, Peter wants to try and help, but it might not happen for a while.”

I had no problem with that—I was ecstatic. Somebody might take a chance on me.

Well, one day later, I got a call from Peter.

He wanted to allocate me the watch that weekend.

I was stunned. In shock. I told Peter I’d be there Friday morning. I drove Ethan and my friend Owen up to the AD—one of the most impressive stores I’ve ever seen—and we met Peter. He was an older, bubbly, incredibly outgoing guy who greeted us with a huge smile. Minutes later, I had the Rolex GMT-Master II on my wrist.

(The picture above is my first shot of it—sorry about the smudge hehe.)

Peter shared stories about his career and showed us his private collection, which had some of the most interesting and mind-blowing vintage Rolexes I’ve ever seen. After spending an hour looking through his collection, he took us on a tour of the store.

Then, he turned to Owen, a Captain in the Marine Corps, and asked what his dream watch was. Owen is newer to the watch game but still an enthusiast. He told Peter he’d been eyeing a Submariner for about a year. Peter smiled and said, “I always take care of my military shoppers. Look forward to one in a couple of months.” Owen was ecstatic.

But Peter wasn’t done yet. After we browsed the store for another hour, Peter disappeared into the back. When he returned, he was holding a little white box. Inside? A Rolex Submariner. For my friend Owen.

Talk about a waitlist.

Owen was thrilled. We both walked out with incredible watches—and an even better story.

Ladies and gents, this is what it’s all about.

I was so fortunate to meet Peter, Ethan, and Owen and share that moment. I write this in dedication to my mom and dad, who worked tirelessly to provide for us. I’m grateful to be in a place where I can now afford to buy nice things. I even bought my dad a watch when he visited a couple of months ago (but maybe that’s a story for another time).

At the end of the day, watch collecting, for me, is about the memories we share with people and the reminder of how lucky we are. I never thought I’d be in a position to own a Rolex, let alone start a business revolving around watches. But here we are.

So, thank you, Peter, for taking a chance on me. I will wear this watch forever. Thank you, Ethan for making this happen. And thank you, Mom and Dad, for pushing me to be independent and fight for myself. You made me the man that I am.

I don’t have the stomach to engrave my Rolex.

But if I did, it would say: “Gratitude.”

Written by: Andrew Robinson, Co-Founder of Leather & Lume LLC

Owen and Andrew’s watches.