Montblanc / Hublot for Intern
Hi Monkeys,
I will be doing my first IB internship next summer and was wondering if it is frowned upon for interns to wear/use expensive items: I own a 50k~ watch that I always rock as a lucky charm because my father gave it to me before passing. I also use a 2k pen on a daily basis. Would using those be considered cocky or wanna be MD move?
Thanks
50%+ of any given Analyst class is composed of the children of the c-suite of high profile bank clients or executives of the bank itself. This sort of wealth among Analysts is not something anyone will be surprised about. At the end of the day, you will be judged on the caliber of your work primarily. If you suck out loud and wear flashy clothes, then you might be judged.
Edit: Just noticed you said Intern. Same point, really.
Double Edit: I guess nobody wants to admit that the majority of IBD Analysts are there because of family pedigree and not their own merits. Interesting.
It is okay unless you are all like "Oh, you don't have anything to write, here, have my MONTBLANC MEISTERSTUECK LE PETIT PRINCE SOLITAIRE LE GRAND. It costs 2k, by the way. Have I mentioned that it costs 2k? Yes, it really costs 2k. 2k, man!".
If you don't use phrases like this, you will be fine.
P.S. I have a simple fountain Parker that costs like 50 bucks, bought it cuz buying ink in bulk is cheaper than buying new pens, and I find fountain pens easier to write with. Yet, there are people who find even this cocky. So, be ready to deal with different types of people.
i would steal a pen like that in a week
I mean, how hard is it to just use a different pen or take the watch off before work? Most people won't care, but why take the risk that it pisses off some MD/VP and you don't get a return offer. At best it's neutral, and at worst someone might judge you.
not sure why you'd wear a 50k watch to work on the daily - I mean, I had a 5k watch that started getting banged up from hitting the desk randomly, scraping against handrails, etc. Save it for special occasions - it's a treasured gift from your dad.
Most people won’t blink at it and it won’t matter. That being said, hublots are not the most “suit friendly” watches, and most that run $50k are pretty loud. The flashier your watch is, the higher risk that someone cares, you could always play it safe until you get a sense of the vibe of your team although I understand if it holds a special meaning to you.
As for the pen, there is no reason to have a $2k pen for an analyst role. Use whatever you are comfortable with, and again if you like it that’s fine, you will mostly be using your computer and scribbling random stuff down, a $2k pen won’t do that any better than a bic.
A lot of this does really depend on the exact watch in question - as somebody already mentioned, a lot of the Hublot watches in that price range look pretty ostentatious and would attract the wrong type of attention for an intern.
But taking a step back, think about the upside / downside here - downside for you wearing the watch and using a Montblanc is higher than the upside. Chances are more people will view both of those unfavorably for an intern vs. somebody being like "oh man, this guy is a watch person, let's give him an offer" or "love that this guy also loves using the finest of writing utensils, let's give him an offer."
Not trying to be rude or disrespectful to your father, but Hublots can carry a "judgement" factor among those who follow watches and that's amplified when a kid 20 years old wears it unfortunately.
For many bankers, watches are the first "rich people hobby" they inherit and the ones who actually follow it (ie they bought a JLC / VC / IWC / AL&S / PP instead of a Sub with their first bonus) may potentially judge you, as much you love your Big Bang 44mm.
Obviously your story negates all of the "rich brat wearing a rapper watch" but just something to be aware of.
haha, I didn't want to comment on the choice of watch because his deceased father gave it to him, but unfortunately Hublot's do have a.....polarizing reputation. for that coin, I would be headed straight for ALS or FP Journe and no-one would ever notice.
ALS Lange 1 is the dream watch