The most surprising thing about wearing a $6,000 Rolex for a month straight

It's pretty reasonable to assume that a $6,000 object would change your life in a positive way. At least it better, for that amount of cash.

That's how much the Rolex I rented for a month would retail for normally. I got to try it out as an experiment with the startup Eleven James, which bills itself as a kind of Netflix for luxury watches.

I was ecstatic to receive and wear the watch, but my excitement quickly faded.

The most surprising thing, however, was just the fact that no one really noticed it was on my wrist. I never caught anyone staring at its shiny metal chassis, never got any admiring comments, and never had even one hint of recognition.

This includes everything from drinks with friends, coffee with sources, and interviews with CEOs. No one who wasn't previously told about the watch took any notice of it.

Is this disappointing? Only if you're expecting the watch to give you a social leg up. If you expect it to endear you to watch-fanatic clients or get noticed by a watch-collecting CEO, that may not be the best reason to plunk down the equivalent to a used car.

The truth is that every shiny hunk of metal looks like every other shiny hunk of metal on your wrist. No one will likely call it out unless you call attention to it. And if you can figure out how to do that without sounding like a jerk, more power to you.