My IBM Quarter Century Rolex Datejust

Dan S

The post is a little confusing

Scarecrow Boat

Just wanted to share my IBM Quarter Century Rolex Datejust 16220. This specific watch was issued to a John A Noid and I have to believe it was stored away from that moment until it was ultimately sold by his family. It was sold as a complete set and was essentially a time capsule from the 90's, which was two years after I was born. Honestly, the entire presentation looked as if Rolex had just sold this piece.

*Don't mind the bracelet changing marks on the back of the lugs. I bought this watch to wear and enjoy 😀

It wasn't until much later that I realized the papers included with my watch weren't for my watch but for another 16220 (possible IBM as well) Datejust. With the help of another member, we looked into every IBM Datejust we could find, and found a plausible reason why my papers were incorrect. Every IBM Datejust that we could find, that was pictured with their papers, had the name Michael C Fina stamped on them, which was a jeweler in NY. It's possible the jeweler put the papers in the incorrect box from the get go, but we had a feeling this was accidentally done by IBM when they received and inspected the watch(es). Its all speculation but both of us were confident these papers have lived their entire life with my watch. Like the two brochures, the papers had crisp folded edges that looked to have never been opened. It's a bummer the papers didn't match but to me, these are part of the watch and I really don't mind it.


Initially, I created this thread hoping to reunite these papers with the correct watch, but I went into that experiment knowing it was rather fanciful and unlikely to be successful. Too many variable stacked up against me. I couldn't bring myself to just bin the papers and I curious enough to give it a try. But I guess, if you know someone that has an IBM Quarter Century watch from the 90's that's missing the papers, maybe I have them 😉 Until then, they will remain with the watch. Anyways, I've edited this thread to share this watch and it's journey 😀

B BrokenSkunk

@Texcess, I never made it to the quater century with IBM. I joined in '94. The site where I worked was sold off to mangement in '94. Whilst it was no longer IBM, we still made product for IBM, everyone was ex-IBM and all our practices and proceedures were IBM. I rejoined big Blue at another site in '98 and finally left in 2014.
So I either clocked up 16 years, or 20 depending on how you look at it.

The company changed massively under Lou Gerstner, In the early 90's you may have been given a Rolex for a quarter century gift, but by the 2000's that had evolved into a pub lunch for you and a select group of your colleagues. The defined beneift pension went too, in preference to a money purchase plan.

There was a joke going around about the time that I left. An IBMer was stopped by a highwayman who demands "Your Money or your life!", so the IBMer showed the highwayman his badge, the highwayman apologised and left. The badge being proof that the IBMer has no money & no life!

EDIT Rookie mistake. I failed to notice that someone has dragged up a year old thread. Sorry chaps.