| There are many reasons why people buy Rolex | | | | Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer was |
| watches; it is usually because the Rolex watch is a | | | | manufactured in Geneva in 1967 and he took it for |
| thing of beauty, a luxurious status symbol, a wise | | | | servicing in 1977, 1982 and 1986. The identification of |
| financial investment, or all of the above. But for all the | | | | the body was confirmed later on by a man who came |
| possible reasons why you may want to buy a Rolex, | | | | forward as Platt's friend, David Davis. |
| there is one reason that you may not really consider - | | | | As it turned out, the identification of the victim through |
| you can use your Rolex to prove your identity. | | | | his Rolex watch and his friend was only the beginning |
| In 1996, a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Chronometer was | | | | of a major discovery. When the British police |
| the centerpiece of an elaborate murder case that | | | | investigated the whereabouts of Mr. Platt at the time |
| happened in the United Kingdom. The body of a man | | | | of his death, it was uncovered that the man who |
| was caught by a fishing crew off the coast of Devon | | | | introduced himself as David Davis was using the |
| at that time. The face of the man was already in an | | | | identity of Ronald Platt while living in England. Davis had |
| advanced state of decomposition, and the fingerprints | | | | arranged for Platt and his girlfriend to immigrate to |
| and DNA of the remains could not be found in police | | | | Canada and, after doing that, had assumed Platt's |
| or Interpol databases. The only identifying marks that | | | | identity in England without Platt knowing it. |
| he had were a tattoo of a maple leaf on the back of | | | | David Davis was not his real name, either. He was |
| his hand and the Rolex watch around his wrist. | | | | actually Albert Johnson Walker, and he had been on |
| All the traditional methods used in forensic science for | | | | the Interpol most wanted list in the last six years for |
| identifying remains were exhausted before a member | | | | swindling millions of dollars from clients in Canada. He |
| of the investigating team pointed out at the victim's | | | | had taken on Platt's identity as a means of escape. |
| Rolex. It was suggested that the team should get in | | | | Walker did not count on the real Platt returning to |
| touch with the watch manufacturer itself because | | | | England and living just a town away from where he |
| Rolex may have a record of the watch found on the | | | | lived. |
| victim. | | | | It was never really established how Platt had died. The |
| True enough, Rolex has a record of every watch it | | | | theory of the investigating police was that Walker had |
| has manufactured. The serial number of a Rolex | | | | lured Platt to his boat on the premise that he needed |
| watch can be found at the watch's shoulder, just | | | | help with it. Once on the boat, Walker hit Platt on the |
| underneath the curve where the bracelet meets the | | | | head, tied an anchor to Platt's belt, threw him |
| watch's face. In addition to that, every time a Rolex | | | | overboard and left him to drown. |
| watch is taken to customer care for service and | | | | No matter how the crime had occurred or how it was |
| repairs, special engravings were made on the watch. | | | | planned, the point is that it would never have been |
| Because of the help extended by Rolex, the victim | | | | uncovered if not for the Rolex watch found around |
| was later identified to be Ronald Joseph Platt. His | | | | Platt's wrist when he was fished up from the sea. |