Luke Combs has had a very successful few years that included singing with Tracy Chapman at the 2024 Grammy Awards and headlining Coachella. Luke’s new album drops on March 20. He also has a new tour kicking off on March 21. Beyond his music, Luke is well-known for being a “watch guy.” Most of us have a dream “extravagance” purchase to celebrate accomplishment, and having an expensive watch was Luke’s “I made it” dream as a kid. Anecdotally, multiple boys/men throughout my life have talked about how much they’d like to own a Rolex or other expensive watch one day, so I’ve always assumed that watches are status symbols for men.
During a recent appearance on the New York Times’ Popcast, Luke talked about the origin story behind his love of expensive watches and shared a bad experience he had the very first time he tried to buy a Rolex in New York City. *Spoiler* His experience with the salespeople was just like Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman.
Luke Combs, 36, was surprised during his first experience buying a Rolex watch in New York City. The country star opened up about being judged on his appearance and feeling like he was in a scene of the 1990 movie Pretty Woman, but doesn’t necessarily “blame them.”
While appearing on The New York Times’ Popcast, Combs explained that he always wanted to own a Rolex. He has fond memories of his grandfather having owned the expensive name-brand watch after he left working at the mill. He explained his grandfather was “always insanely proud of it. It signified this achievement. All his work is summed up in this item that he can physically have and wear.”
The country star isn’t shy to admit that he never believed he would reach the stardom he has in his career. When it came time to finally get a Rolex, Combs says he got “Pretty Woman’d.”
His example is in relation to Julia Roberts‘ iconic scene in the 1990 movie, where she enters a luxury store on Beverly Hills Boulevard. Still wearing her “work” clothes, Roberts’ character is judged on her appearance, refused service, and told she can’t afford the store’s clothing.
“I was wearing camo gym shorts, so I don’t necessarily blame them for doing that,” explained Combs. “There’s the dance-of-the-watch thing, but I don’t know, so I walk in, and I’m like, ‘Stainless steel Yacht-Master, you got one?’ And they’re like, ‘No, what are you talking about?’ And I’m like, ‘What do you mean? Like, this is the store where you sell that.’”
Combs compared the reaction he received to someone entering a Godiva store and being told by a sales associate that they don’t have chocolate. Baffled by the interaction, Combs asked the associate again who answered that they don’t have any of the watches he was inquiring about.
“I’m like, I find it hard to believe that a company is spending money for this real estate in New York City by [Madison Square] Garden, and there’s nothing for sale. You’re telling me that’s a thing?” he said.
Seeing as he was performing at Madison Square Garden that night, purchasing the watch was his “I made it” moment, similar to his grandfather’s. It just so happened that the store clerk later admitted they did have the watch he was looking for. Now, Combs has purchased high-end brands like Patek Philippe and has bought a watch every time one of his children has been born.
I was curious, so I did some Googling and it looks like this incident happened in August 2018 when he opened for Jason Aldean’s “High Noon Neon Tour” at Madison Square Garden. I’m sorry that it happened to him, but good on Luke for calling them out, even if it’s almost eight years later. Although he comes off as very sincere and humble while talking about his experience, this was definitely his 2026 version of a ”Big mistake. Huge.” revenge moment. Even if he didn’t have a sentimental reason behind why he wanted a Rolex, he was still there to drop some G’s, and that Rolex retailer blew a sale that day. Whomp. Whomp. Hope they didn’t work on commission. Someone just learned the lesson not to judge a book by its cover or a man by his camo gym shorts.
Photos credit: Avalon.red, Cover Images and Getty
I find this behavior so bizarre. Especially in America where people tend to dress so much more casually.
NYC – of all places – should know not to judge a book by its cover.
But -if you want to see rich people being told no, there is this Hermes channel where the sales people actively troll entitled greedy clients. 😂
Oh, please, do tell me about this Hermes channel! And good for Luke calling them out. I find it funny that these are salespeople, not the bazillionaires they are pretending to be, judging customers. Oy!
This reminds me of a flatmate who got a job at a high-end department store (Harrods) in London in the run up to Christmas years ago. First lesson in customer service was not to judge customers on the way they looked/dressed.
She was in the luggage section and this older man with worn cords and tweed jacket with patches came in… he went on to spend a huge amount getting two sets of luggage for his wife and daughter.
Now more than ever you cannot tell by what someone is wearing who has money.
These sales people are obviously told what clientele to serve,because we have seen even billionaire dress down. So they know that perhaps a customer can afford it but they simply dont want them to purchase it.
Yes there’s a certain image snobbery, like when certain stores don’t actually sell women’s sizes above 6 because they don’t want ‘those people’ wearing their brand.
Seems pretty stupid for Rolex to cop that attitude though, given the range of dudes that are their customer base.
They’ve raised their prices so much they can afford to be very select.
Oh I bet they do work on commission. Oh well for them.
Happened to a boomer I know. She works in finance and makes a very good living but on her off time dresses like her hippy youth. A real estate agent wouldn’t even let her in during an open house. Oops.
I used to know a “billionaire”. I worked in healthcare and he was a patient and the nicest man. But let me tell you, based on the way he dressed, you’d think he was just a regular, middle-class man! You NEVER really know, so don’t judge, right?
I suspect there are some people in high end retail that get a high from judging. As salespeople they have contact with the rich and famous and it makes them feel powerful.
These retail people have never heard of ‘the millionaire next door’?
The town I live in…. The $$ hee is like DuPont Wackenhut level of wealth and you would NEVER know how loaded these people are if not for their cars and homes… they operate under the radar… they don’t dress crazy maybe a real nice piece of jewelry .. oh but the attitude , that’s what sets them apart
This is such gatekeeper BS. It’s like the only way they can get into the party is to be the bouncer at the door.
My friends with stores are very careful to be respectful to everyone. At one friend’s store, a toothless guy came in and bought almost everything they had for his Harley Davidson dealerships.
At most of my friend’s stores, they say Tesla drivers (driving 100k Teslas when it was a big seal) are most likely to demand for a discount on a $450 table. They’re also the customers who got their credit cards declined of any other car owner.
It definitely depends on where one goes. My brother’s personal style can be called bridge troll adjacent (at best) and he walked into a Rolex in southern America and received amazing service (and the exact watch he wanted) and so continued shopping with that salesperson at that store. Same with his Cartier there.
My experience? In France and Belgium, I have received impeccable service at 99% of luxury stores (I have ugly curses for the Dior on Ave Montaigne, but the one in Bon Marché is an absolute joy where they’ll get you anything). In Chicago and New York? Oof. Not ever worth it. Always obsequious and snob at the same time, and I don’t play that game.
My MIL is very wealthy and lives in Naples, Florida where most people have money. She dresses very casual and not in expensive clothes on a day to day basis and always told me that if she is shopping in a store like SAKS she has to wear all of her (very expensive) jewelry and wear something very put together or they won’t give her the time of day. They don’t take people seriously if they don’t look the part, particularly in cities that have a lot of wealthy people because those people typically will know “how to dress” when shopping at high end retail shops. It’s elitist and snobby but also gatekeeping because they don’t want people wearing their brand while also dressing like a slob. Of course many of those stores are filing for bankruptcy, so I don’t think that ethos is serving them well!
He was looking for a stainless steel model which is highly sought after as its the relatively cheaper rolex version. These are hard to find. They sell out very quickly. My husband has been to multiple rolex stores across the world looking for stainless steel rolexes. He finally got “lucky” and found one. Right time, right place. He was dressed in jeans/sweatshirt each time.
My husband was on a waiting list with a local jeweler for most of a year waiting for the model he wanted to be available (and yes, it was more on the “entry level price point” side of the equation) which I understand is often the case with the lower-priced new models. Although if they admitted that they had one available and didn’t sell it to him, that’s not the same thing at all.
It’s very difficult to buy most models of Rolex, no matter how rich you are. You must first establish a relationship by buying lower models, it’s a whole thing.
The main concern is reselling.
Back in the day, my sister used to sell really nice cars. An older man came on the car lot and the other salespeople wouldn’t wait on him because he had old worn clothes and did not look like he could afford anything. My sister, being the darling girl she was, waited on him. He told her what he wanted, she helped him, he bought it. He was a very wealthy man.
Well, I hope the mother of his children gets a watch too! This is the first time I’ve heard of a guy rewarding himself with a piece of jewelry at the birth of a child.