The man behind the display case pulled on white gloves before gently reaching inside to take out the Rolex Yacht Master 2. He demonstrated its features, pointed out that the casing and the bracelet were solid yellow gold, and told me its price: $38,000, give or take a few pennies.

"Go ahead," he urged, "put it on your wrist."

I slipped it on. For about 30 seconds a large, surprisingly heavy, and very, very expensive watch flashed on my wrist.

Read Full Story