Hi, Carl,
My first watch was a pin lever chronograph that stopped when one stopped the chronograph, ticked so loud you probably wouldn't be able to get through airport security today, had a Lamborghini Miura engraved on the case back, and was sold in the back of comic books as a Porsche chronograph.
My first "significant" watch by common definition was a VC, followed by an AP; I've been collecting AP ever since.
I've never been attracted to Rolex (for various reasons, some "Purist" and most not) but I respect them for what they do, and find it sad that so many people love them or hate them for all the wrong reasons. (I don't just mean "wrong" as in that they disagree with me, but wrong as in based upon wrong facts and assumptions.)
See Suitbert's comments above (and the post he was responding to) for an example; I started ThePuristS to address exactly this sort of scenario, and to give people like Suitbert a forum and soapbox from which to correct misinformation.
Cheers,
TM