Chapter 11 Buying a Watch

When Alex still had the mind to be mischievous, Lin Weiwei had already dragged Lucy to ask her several questions.

"Is this the young puppy you just met?"

"What? He's a junior from our hometown! Don't be so nosy!"

"He doesn't look that great."

"What? He's just a younger brother. Why do you care about how he looks?"

"Oh, look at you being so protective. What kind of magic potion did that young puppy give you?"

"What? I didn't. Don't talk nonsense!"

Seeing that she couldn't get anything out of Lucy, Lin Weiwei stopped asking. Anyway, there was still the whole afternoon, so she could just observe slowly.

In short, she felt that she had to take on the heavy responsibility of preventing Lucy from being cheated out of her money and charm.

...

Alex walked up to the two of them, stood aside with a smile, and quietly waited for the two girls to catch up on old times.

Women are different from men. If female friends don't see each other for a week, they will have endless things to talk about.

But if they don't see each other for a year, their relationship might become estranged. What about men?

If male friends don't see each other for a week, they might have nothing to say when they get together, and just have a drink. If they don't see each other for a year, they'll also just have a drink.

If they don't see each other for five years, they'll find an opportunity to get together and still just have a drink.

...

After chatting for five minutes, Lucy finally remembered Alex and quickly pulled him over to introduce him.

"Alex, a junior from our hometown that I met on the train. He's really interesting."

"Lin Weiwei, my roommate and best friend. She's from the imperial capital and is really straightforward."

"Hello."

"Hello. Let's go, get in the car!"

Alex's first impression of Lin Weiwei was that she was a very straightforward girl. Lin Weiwei thought that Alex was a calm young man with good manners.

It was the same feeling as Lucy's. People who have really practiced dancing are very sensitive to these aspects, and this feeling is hard to change.

However, Alex's outfit made Lin Weiwei a bit puzzled. What was all this? Clothes from Baleno, seven-inch pants bought from a street stall, and Keeall50?

Was that travel bag a replica? She initially thought it was a high-end replica because it didn't look like those extremely fake knockoffs.

The style and color were quite authentic. But the problem was that the genuine product cost 18,000 yuan, and it really didn't match the Baleno he was wearing.

Even if it was a high-end replica, it would still cost between 3,000 and 5,000 yuan. She really didn't understand what he was thinking.

Lin Weiwei didn't rush to draw a conclusion, but she still had a slightly lower opinion of Alex in her heart.

If the travel bag was genuine, it meant he had no sense of matching and no aesthetic sense. If it was a replica, it meant he was too vain and liked to show off.

Anyway, it wasn't appropriate to go out like this.

...

After chatting for a while, everyone got in the car. Lin Weiwei was driving, Lucy was sitting in the passenger seat, and Alex was in the back.

As soon as he got in the car, Alex couldn't help but laugh. His dream luxury car used to be an A4L, preferably white. Unexpectedly, Lin Weiwei's car was an A4L too, just red.

What a coincidence! But since Lin Weiwei and Lucy were chatting, he didn't ask about the car's performance or driving experience. He just quietly felt it.

Before the car drove out of the parking lot, the two girls had already discussed the itinerary - first send Alex to do his business, and then send Lucy back to the dormitory to drop off her luggage.

Lucy turned around and asked, "Alex, what on earth are you going to buy?"

"A watch."

Lin Weiwei then asked, "Where are you going to buy it?"

"No. 23, East Street, Qianmen."

Lucy didn't think much of it, but Lin Weiwei suddenly slammed on the brakes, turned around, and stared at Alex with wide eyes, even blurting out a curse word.

"Damn it! Patek Philippe Maison?!"

"I guess so?" Alex wasn't quite sure. "It showed as the official after-sales center on Baidu Maps.

When I called them, they didn't even say the specific name..."

Alex's calmness made Lucy misunderstand. She knew that Patek Philippe watches were very expensive, but many of her classmates also wore watches that cost tens of thousands of yuan.

It was just a difference in brands, so she was still a bit confused.

"Weiwei, why are you so excited?"

Lin Weiwei was really surprised in her heart. She held back and held back, but still couldn't help but give her "advice".

"Junior, if you're just buying a low-end watch that costs less than 100,000 yuan, there's really no need to come all the way to the imperial capital to buy a Patek Philippe.

Compared with other big brands, the low-end watches of Patek Philippe don't have any advantages. This isn't really advice, it's more like a question. I'm from the imperial capital, and I speak straight.

Don't take it to heart."

Being questioned like this, Alex felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart, but he wasn't stupid enough to talk back to Lucy's best friend.

He just smiled generously and said, "Thank you, Sister Lin. I understand."

Lin Weiwei didn't say anything more after hearing that and continued driving.

It was only then that Lucy realized what was going on and turned around in surprise to ask, "Alex, are you going to buy a very expensive watch?"

Alex thought for a moment and replied vaguely, "I just want to buy a watch that I really like."

Alex was quite good at getting along with different people. He didn't show off to those who cared about money, and he kept a low profile with those who didn't. He had grown up quickly.

The train station was less than 2 kilometers away from No. 23, Qianmen. Before long, the car quickly drove to the main entrance.

Looking up, there was a huge gray screen with "No. 23, Qianmen" written in both Chinese and English. There was nothing else. There was a lawn and five two-story small buildings.

That was all of No. 23, Qianmen. It was low-key, quiet, and full of elegant taste. The Patek Philippe Maison in the imperial capital was in the first building on the right.

From entering the gate to parking the car, an awe-inspiring high-end atmosphere surrounded the three of them. It was completely different from those crowded shopping malls.

After the car stopped steadily, Lin Weiwei turned around and asked Alex, "Do you mind if I come along to see the world?"

Alex was stunned for a moment. What was this girl thinking? Didn't they say they were going to send Lucy back to the dormitory to drop off her luggage? But he didn't think too much about it.

Anyway, he had nothing to hide, so he smiled politely and said, "That's just fine. I was actually a bit nervous about going in by myself."

After walking into the main entrance, Alex didn't have any special reaction, but Lucy was a bit at a loss.

After climbing the steps and pushing open the door, there was actually a wall right in front of them.

There were sculptures in front of the wall and two portraits hanging on the wall. Turning left was the reception area.

The decoration was no worse than that of a five-star hotel lobby. It wasn't as luxurious, but it was more stylish.

Every ornament was full of artistic flavor. On the right was the information desk.

The English name and logo of Patek Philippe - a flower composed of a cross and a sword, also known as the "Calatrava Cross" - were pasted on the background wall.

Looking around, there were no display counters, no showcases full of watches, and no salespeople shouting to attract customers.

There was only a young lady walking over with a smile, asking gently.

Alex took the initiative to say, "My name is Alex. I made an appointment this morning."

"Mr. Alex, would you like to go to the reception hall to have a rest? I can introduce you to the history, brand, and services of Patek Philippe."

Actually, Alex was quite interested, but today was Lin Weiwei's birthday, and many of her best friends were waiting for her. He didn't want to delay their time, so he regretfully declined.

"Thank you, but I have a clear goal today. Can I go directly to see the watches?"

"Of course. Your request is our work content. Please come this way, the three of you."

So, the three of them were led to the second-floor exhibition hall. There were only two floors in total, and they had to take the elevator to go up.

The person serving Alex in the exhibition hall was a professional watch salesman, an uncle dressed in a suit.

His suit might be more expensive than Alex's travel bag, but he didn't show any disrespect to Alex who was dressed casually.

"Mr. Alex, you said you had a target. May I ask if you remember the model number? Do you need me to get you a brochure?"

"Thank you, no need." Alex smiled. How could he forget the model number of something he had been longing for?

"Complex Function Chronograph Series, 5170j - 001."

The uncle also smiled. There was admiration and approval in his eyes, mixed with a hint of regret, and then he shook his head. Maybe it was a sales tactic, but he performed like a movie star.

"Your taste really impresses me. Very few people would choose a chronograph watch without a calendar function. Moreover, its price is as high as 550,000 yuan.

However, unfortunately, although 5170 - j isn't as popular as the Nautilus, we don't happen to have it in stock in our store. Would you like to wait for a while?

I can consult our Geneva headquarters."

Lucy suddenly grabbed Lin Weiwei's arm tightly, and her breathing became rapid. Lin Weiwei was about the same. She silently put on her sunglasses.

She thought to herself: I must look really silly with my eyes wide open. 550,000 yuan! Just to buy a watch? This junior is really willing to spend money!

Lin Weiwei was from the imperial capital and her family was quite well-off.

When she was in college, her family bought her a 320,000-yuan A4L and also prepared a house in the East Fourth Ring Road as her dowry. But what watch was she wearing?

A Cartier Pasha, which was far less than the fraction of 550,000 yuan. Lin Weiwei wasn't unfamiliar with rich people.

Those rich guys had "I'm rich" written all over their faces. When seeing them spending money, Lin Weiwei would just look and at most feel a bit envious.

She wouldn't be too surprised because she had expected it. But this junior that Lucy met on the train was really a strange one. Wearing clothes from Baleno, he came straight for a 550,000-yuan Patek Philippe.

Who wouldn't be confused? Lin Weiwei looked at Alex meaningfully through her sunglasses: This kid, is he pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger?

Alex was actually quite wronged. He had been extremely busy the whole week, almost exhausted.

Where did he have the time to go shopping for clothes? He originally planned to buy some clothes in Wangfujing, but considering that his money was just enough to buy a 5170j, with less than 100,000 yuan left, he didn't dare to go shopping.

As for Lucy, she was full of questions in her mind now. Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

Her family conditions were far worse than Lin Weiwei's, and her social circle was also small. Among luxury goods, bags and cosmetics were common, but a 550,000-yuan watch was really beyond her imagination.

Alex didn't notice the surprise of the two girls behind him. He was full of regret in his heart. He couldn't afford to wait. Even if there was stock in Geneva, it would take at least a week to transfer it here. It was completely unrealistic.

"I'm afraid not. I came here specially from out of town, and my time is limited."

The uncle nodded understandingly and then asked, "Besides 5170j, do you have any other alternatives?"

Alex did have two other alternatives.

"53961r - 001, rose gold. 5905r - 001, also rose gold."

The uncle smiled and gestured, "Please come to the VIP lounge and wait for a while. We have both of these two watches in stock. It seems that you are lucky today, and we can meet your needs."

Lucy and Lin Weiwei followed Alex to the VIP lounge and sat down. Immediately, a waiter came to ask, "Would you like to have tea, coffee, or freshly squeezed juice?"

All three of them ordered watermelon juice, a flavor that kids like.

Without outsiders around, Lucy finally relaxed. She looked at Alex several times but still didn't say anything.

People are really strange. Sitting in a 500,000-yuan car might not cause any special feeling, but seeing someone wearing 500,000 yuan on their wrist makes it hard to accept.

Alex didn't understand why, but he didn't want to become estranged from Lucy, so he took the initiative to joke.

"Thirty Thousand, it's just a watch. Why are you reacting like this?"

"Thirty Thousand?" Lin Weiwei turned her head with a puzzled look, looking Lucy up and down with a strange look in her eyes.

Lucy was both shy and angry, and the previous discomfort disappeared immediately.

"Is this an ordinary watch? And you say 'just'? I went to ask others to borrow a house to save you 6,500 yuan, and you're scaring me now!"

"Miss, be reasonable. Weren't you two going to drop off the luggage?" Alex felt really wronged. He didn't originally plan to let Lucy know about these things.

"Besides, I'm really grateful to you. When I think about sleeping on your freshly washed sheet that smells of laundry detergent tonight, I feel quite special."

"Pfft!" Lucy was both shy and angry. "That's my mom's newly bought sheet. It was just washed once and smells of laundry detergent. If you like it, you can have it!"

Alex nodded shamelessly, "I'll take it!"

Lin Weiwei felt disgusted listening to this. She quietly pressed the record button on her phone and sent these contents to her best friends' group one by one, muttering something from time to time.

Lucy heard her phone ringing non-stop. When she opened it, she realized what Lin Weiwei was doing.

She exclaimed and rushed to grab her phone. Lin Weiwei was 170 cm tall, and with her long arms stretched out, she blocked Lucy.

"Ah! Don't talk nonsense in the group! Annoying! Let me go!"

While they were making a fuss, Alex just watched with a grin, as if it had nothing to do with him.

It wasn't until the watermelon juice and the watches were delivered. The watch box of Patek Philippe exceeded Alex's imagination.

The watch box was about 15 cm high, 26 cm long, and 12 cm wide. It was handcrafted from Nordic walnut wood and coated with black piano lacquer.

It looked like a work of art and felt quite heavy in the hand. Moreover, the watch boxes of the two watches were different. One was dark red-brown, and the other was completely black.

The 53961r is a complex function chronograph automatic mechanical watch. The watch strap is made of 18k rose gold, and the dial is dark brown.

The biggest difference between the 5905r and it is the watch strap. The 5905r's watch strap is made of square-scaled short-snouted crocodile skin, which is more casual in style compared to the metal watch strap.

After trying on both watches, the crocodile skin watch strap of the 5905r was more comfortable and lightweight to wear, but the diameter of the dial was 42 mm, a bit large, and it was a manual mechanical watch.

The 53961r was very mature and stylish, with a moderate dial size and an excellent visual effect.

However, it also had the disadvantages of metal watch straps, such as easily pinching body hair, feeling cold on the wrist in winter, and being difficult to clean the watch chain.

Fortunately, Alex had very light body hair, almost none on his wrists and forearms, so this major disadvantage didn't exist for him.

The 53961r was entirely rose gold with a dark brown dial, and the dial design was simple, low-key and luxurious. Alex liked it more and more as he looked at it.

Alex didn't pretend to ask for Lucy's and Lin Weiwei's opinions. How could they give advice on something worth 500,000 yuan? Asking would seem like showing off, which was too childish.

"I'm very satisfied. How much is this watch now?"

Alex didn't take off the watch, so the uncle knew which one he was asking about.

"488,000 yuan."

The sales uncle reported the price steadily and also informed Alex of all the necessary information.

"Mr. Wang, I have to remind you in advance.

According to the official exchange rate of Swiss francs to RMB yesterday, which was 6.3805, the price of the 53961r at the Geneva headquarters is probably about 28,000 yuan cheaper than in China.

This price difference also exists between Hong Kong Island and the mainland. We are sorry about this, but please believe that it's not our intention.

We will do our best to provide you with the highest quality and most considerate service to make up for the price difference."

Alex smiled with satisfaction: "Of course, I understand. Where should I pay?"

Lin Weiwei and Lucy simultaneously looked down at their watches. Four and a half minutes. Then they looked up at each other tacitly.

Lucy thought: Oh my god, this is faster than when I buy a 200 - yuan piece of clothing...

Lin Weiwei thought: Nonsense! It's impossible to buy a piece of clothing that fast. It's even faster than changing a sanitary napkin!

At this time, a waiter came over with two cufflinks on a satin tray. They were made of 18k rose gold and in the style of the Calatrava Cross.

"Mr. Wang, these are small gifts from our store. I believe you will surely have occasions to wear formal clothes in the future. We hope that our Patek Philippe can add a little luster to your formal attire."

Lucy and Lin Weiwei looked at each other and raised their eyebrows. Look at the service of this place. Even the free gifts are so high - class!

Alex expressed his satisfaction and gratitude.

Next, it was to register the owner's information, apply for a card, adjust the watch chain, sign a series of bilingual documents in Chinese and English, and listen to the uncle's explanation of after - sales service and maintenance matters.

Twenty minutes later, the sales uncle proudly said the last sentence.

"Five years later, the official selling price of your watch will increase by at least 50,000 yuan, and the second - hand reselling price in the private market will not be lower than 600,000 yuan. This is Patek Philippe. Its value is always increasing!"