Rolex Oyster Perpetual
#4
Tai Nguyen
United States
Tai Nguyen’s OP41 Win: A Dream Years in the Making
For Tai Nguyen, winning a Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 Blue dial wasn’t just luck, it was the final chapter in a story 30 years in the making.
A project manager and financial analyst at “a large provider of food-grade CO₂” Tai is a man who loves efficiency, automation, and clean garages.
“I’m not gonna win, lemme make sure I keep the wife happy. Let me clean the garage.”
But above all, he’s a true watch enthusiast. From his first Movado Museum, bought with his own money, to Omega, Tudor, Seiko, Grand Seiko, NOMOS, Sinn, and Bulova, Tai’s collection had everything… except Rolex.
“I always bugged my wife to go into the Rolex AD, and they’d always say they don’t have anything in stock for me.”
For years, Tai followed watch YouTubers, especially Jory Goodman, The Time Teller. After five years of loyal viewership, he took the leap:
“I thought, you know what, I’m just gonna try, what’s the harm? Even if I don’t win, at least I’m part of the competition.”
Thanks to a lucky $80 scratch-off win (a rare victory: “I never win these things”), he bought a few more entries. The odds were good, the cap was fair, and previous winners like Joaquin proved real people were winning. Still, Tai didn’t expect much:
“Joaquin was like me, I never win anything.”
But fate had other plans.
When the winning entry was drawn—on his 50th birthday, no less—Tai and his wife were literally jumping for joy in a 100-degree garage. His wife:
“this is your dream come true. So serendipitous. I don’t have to get a birthday gift for you!”
Yet Tai’s win came with a story behind the story: Early in the competition, Wolf Watch Club discovered the original OP41 had an ‘error dial’—a rare manufacturing quirk. Rather than risk anything less than perfect, the team sourced a flawless, brand-new Oyster Perpetual Blue for the winner.
“Now I have a story behind a story for my watch too. It’s a brand new watch purchased literally a few days ago. This is so awesome!”
For Tai, the Rolex filled a void in his collection:
“I’ve been blessed to be where I am, live where I live, and have what I have. The only thing missing was Rolex.”
Now, on his 50th birthday, that’s changed. Congratulations, Tai—and welcome to the Wolf Watch Club legends.