I treasure my Submariner. It's the one article of fashion I have that goes perfectly with every outfit; it looks great with a tuxedo and it looks just as good with shorts and a t-shirt. It's incredibly well-made: I wear mine every day and after nine years together, it still looks better than the year-old iPhone in my pocket. It's also understated--at least, my stainless steel, black-bezeled Sub Date is--and it doesn't scream "expensive" or "showy" like many watches on both ends of the price spectrum often do.

"There are a few advantages to owning a Rolex that may not be so obvious: For starters, it's quickly exchangeable for a high percentage of its value in cash in virtually any major city in the world."

Please define "high". I have seen a Rolex sold for less than its value in gold (gold rolex).

They have sales tax (20% in Europe). The shop has likely something like a 100% mark up on a watch. Most of the costs of the Rolex are for advertisement. You can get a same quality watch for a tiny fraction of the price.

"Because you're always wearing it, that's $8,000+ in cash that you can have in short order if you needed it badly" If it is not made out of gold, I suspect you would get 1 or 2 grand for it. On a good day.