The Legacy of Time 

There’s a moment in every young professional’s life when achievement becomes tangible: A diploma, a first paycheck, or even moving into your own place.  

After I graduated law school, my father took me to the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich. For anyone who loves watches, that street feels like sacred ground. Luxury storefronts gleam under immaculate glass. Precision and aspiration sit side by side in every display case. My father wanted to buy me something to mark the occasion – something meaningful, something lasting. We walked into a Bucherer, and I chose a Submariner date. It’s the same watch I wear today. 

Over the years, I’ve tried other luxury watches, some more complicated or expensive, some with greater craftsmanship, but none of them felt the same or stayed on my wrist for long. 

Part of the reason is simple: memory. 

When I look at that watch, I don’t just see steel and mechanics. I see my father standing beside me in that store, proud of his son for graduating law school and beginning his journey into the world. I remember the feeling of accomplishment, but even more than that, I remember the feeling of connection, love, respect and admiration flowing quietly between father and son without needing to be spoken aloud. 

Luxury products become truly valuable when they carry emotional meaning. Otherwise, they’re just objects. 

The salesperson in the store understood this perfectly. While my father was buying my Submariner, the salesman tried to sell him one as well. Mine was steel, but the watch he offered my father had a gold stripe down the middle of the bracelet, just enough gold to make it feel a little more mature, a little more established. 

His pitch was unforgettable: “Buy this watch for yourself now, and in 10 years, you can give it to your son. And replace yours with a golden one.” 

I never got that watch. But in a strange way, I already had something better, because 20 years later, I’m still wearing mine. 

I truly believe that the brand you buy is a reflection of you. What you pick is who you are. People don’t buy luxury goods simply because they want quality. They buy them because they see themselves reflected in the product. 

Take luxury cars: What is the difference between a BMW and a Mercedes-Benz? For me, a Mercedes represents someone who has already arrived and is well-established. A BMW feels hungrier, more aggressive, more driven. When you’re driving on the autobahn, the Mercedes is going 100 miles per hour, but the BMW is right behind it at 90. That image has always stayed with me because it captures something essential about ambition. The BMW still wants more road and speed. It’s still charging ahead. That’s what I always related to more. 

The danger with success is complacency. Luxury can become a finish line instead of fuel. The best brands understand this tension. They don’t simply symbolize achievement; they symbolize aspiration, movement, energy, and the desire to keep building. 

That’s why certain products endure while others fade. New materials, new collaborations, new marketing campaigns flood the market every year, but timeless products survive because they anchor themselves in something deeper than style: emotion. 

In the luxury business, whether it’s watches, jewelry or diamonds, we sometimes focus too heavily on specifications like carat size, movements, or price appreciation. But consumers remember stories more than specifications. They remember how a product made them feel, and the people they shared it with. 

The Submariner on my wrist tells time. But that’s the least important thing it does. What it really does is tell a story – my story. Every glance at it takes me back to that day in Zurich with my father. Walking down Bahnhofstrasse, entering the store together, and his pride in me. I remember my excitement for the future, the two of us standing side by side, connected through a moment that neither of us understood would last forever. 

That’s the true power of luxury. 

Main image: Rapaport Group CEO Dan Mano. (Orna Gutman Levy)