A.
Rolex is arguably the most popular name in watches -- certainly when it comes to luxury watches. Classically Swiss, since 1915 Rolex has been producing watches designed for comfort, function and style. Today, Rolex is one of the most powerful luxury brands in the world working hard to retain its status. Rolex focuses on a few key watch lines that are quickly recognizable and highly desired the world over. Image aside, Rolex watches have a reputation for being very well manufactured -- despite what Dwayne Smith will tell you in his Arguments Against Rolex Watches -- lasting decades or more with simple care.
Rolex watches are classic
You’ll see below that most Rolex watches are archetypes: The Rolex Submariner is the classic diver’s watch, The Rolex Datejust is the classic formal men’s watch of the last half century and The Rolex Daytona is the classic sports chronograph. Rolex has benefited from keeping its product line simple and consistent. Instead of releasing brand new models, it keeps refining existing designs. This is extremely important because each watch contains the suggestions and wearing experiences of countless people who together have helped create timepieces that look good and work well.
Take the Rolex Submariner line as an example. Based on the classic “Oyster” water-resistant watch cases, the timepiece is specifically designed to be easy to read in most conditions, to be hardy and have a comfortable and reliable construction. The Submariner design has achieved an almost impossible task: to look good on almost every person, on any occasion, regardless of age or outfit. Other Rolex watches edge close to this ideal as well. You have to ask yourself the question of whether that is due to something about the design of these watches or rather because we have been seeing them on important wrists our whole lives, and they simply mentally fit these positive watch stereotypes.
James Bond wore a Rolex
Omega doesn’t want you to know this, but the original James Bond watch was a Rolex Submariner. Creator Ian Fleming wrote that Bond was wearing the timepiece, while Sean Connery in the role brandished his Submariner proudly. Countless actors, celebrities and politicians have also been known to be Rolex men. Take the popular line of Paul Newman Daytona watches, or the Rolex Day-Date nicknamed the “President,” because many U.S. presidents (and otherwise) during the 20th century were known to wear the watch. Wearing a Rolex and being associated with these people and personalities.
Rolex watches are the ultimate status symbol
Wearing a Rolex watch communicates to people that you are successful enough to have rewarded yourself with the luxury of a nice watch. Rolex watches are not the only luxury watches out there by far, but they are the most well-known. From basic entry-level luxury models to diamond-encrusted gold watches for the ultra-privileged, a Rolex is so much more than a mere timepiece. It is a statement about your way of life and taste. Some people take it even further; the world of aftermarket Rolex watches feature decorated brims and jewel encrusted designs, suggesting that telling time becomes a mere afterthought.
Other watches also want to be like Rolex, whose designs are the most copied the world over. Most of these watches legitimize “homage” timepieces with a different brand name, but there is of course the dark underworld of fakes as well. You’ll find at least a little of Rolex design in the majority of nice watches out there. So, even if you don’t have a watch with the Rolex name, chances are there is a bit of Rolex influence. You can’t deny that even if Rolex watch designs don’t move you, a big part of you wants one.
Rolex watches have excellent movements
Being a company that makes all of its own parts (rare in the watch world), it goes without saying that Rolex makes each of its own movements (historically, this was not always the case), excluding other watch companies from using Rolex mechanical movements. While Rolex is not known in the modern sense for having particularly complex movements (it offers basic watches with features such as the time, date, day, or a chronograph), it is preferred by watch makers to work on being so well designed, easy to fix and highly reliable. As such, almost every Rolex movement sold is COSC certified Chronometer attesting to its accuracy.
Rolex watches hold value
Among the few truly collectible watch brands from a value perspective are Rolex timepieces. It has been said that you can buy a new Rolex Submariner today, wear it for five years, and then sell it in good condition for close to the original purchase price. Like cars, most other watches lose a chunk of their value after being sized and put on a buyer’s wrist. There are also the investment-grade Rolex watches that achieve stellar auction results yielding some of the most impressive prices ever known at an auction. This is due to the power behind the Rolex name and brand, as well as the world’s fervor for these “gold standard” super watches.
Disagree? Someone comment
B.
Let’s get one thing straight: Rolexes are for people that know names but don’t know watches. For the price Rolex charges, you can buy dozens of other watches that are better looking, more accurate, much less common, and don’t make you look like you're an overweight white man coming off the golf course. Consider this: When former model Carla Bruni hooked up with newly minted French president Nicolas Sarkozy, the very first thing she did was make him swap out his gold Rolex for a much more refined Patek Philippe. Rolexes reek of desperation.
No one in their right mind should spend their hard earned money on a new Rolex. Here's why.
Rolex movements are over-hyped
First, the movement quality of your run-of-the-mill Rolex is nothing special. In fact, many much more affordable Swiss watches use movements that keep time just as well. To add insult to injury, there are even some Chinese, Japanese and Russian movements that are just as -- if not more -- accurate as a standard Rolex movement.
Rolex watches look stale
Rolex’s designs are stale. This brand hasn’t released a truly new model in over a decade, and the majority of the watches it makes today are exact duplicates of the watches it made half a century ago. In fact, the biggest innovation it has made in recent years is a new metal called “Rolesor,” which is heavily advertised as a great new substance for watchmaking. Guess what; it’s just steel and gold.
Rolex stories are nothing but a myth
All those stories you hear about Rolexes being chosen as the watch for great adventures are only half true. For example, Rolex claims Sir Edmund Hillary wore an Explorer when he scaled the summit of Mount Everest for the first time. This is not the case. In fact, he only carried the Explorer until he reached the summit and then put on a watch from a small British company called Smiths*. Hillary even wrote a signed letter endorsement to Smiths stating: “I carried your watch to the summit and it worked perfectly.” Rolex also submitted a watch to NASA in the early ‘60s to be considered for use in the moon missions. We all know how that turned out.
Rolex watches are for seniors or rappers
It is rare for a brand to be considered both stodgy and lame and ghetto fabulous at the very same time, yet Rolex has done it. If you ask one person on the street what they think of Rolex, they’ll tell you their elderly grandfather wears one in between rounds of golf and his daily 2 p.m. nap. If you ask another, they’ll tell you the only people that wear Rolexes are athletes and rappers. So which are you, a sleepy 85-year-old bald man or an 18-year-old athlete from the hood trying to prove his worth to the world?
My Comment
True that Smiths was the watch to be used up Mt. Everest.
Well, President does have not just Rolex I believe, PP, AP, VC, More to come, does not mean that he changed a PP will mean anything.
Rolex is unquestionable successful that is why a lot of uncompromising attack, but, one may feel that Why I have to wear Rolex when everyone in your sales group wear one. That is why people tend to keep a few pieces of Watches, not just Rolex.
Rolex Movement is accurate, I think it is not just accurate, but it is very sturdy.
I think some of the Chinese Watch can be made with very accurate, but do not know how long it could last. 1-2 years May be?
Rolex isn’t expensive
Comparison a Solid gold top of the lie Day Date is about HKD$230,000
Whereas as a Solid Gold AP Royal Oak Drop Logo 39 mm HKD$475,000
An PP Nautilus Solid gold is also at least two time more expensive than Rolex
About Submariner, I had published another article that Rolex is amongst the three lowest price of all.
Anyway, watch is your personality, make a best choice you like would be fine. And of course if you want to make choice for using for twenty or thirty years, the service charge should be considered.
Rolex is one of the lowest in service charge
Rolex Service for cleaning the movement is about HKD$2,750 3 weeks
How about others?
PP may be HKD$18,000
AP may be HKD15,000
Roger Dubuis is $40,000
Of course the service charge depends on the typs of watch, complexity of the watch and types of service, anyway Friend told me PP changes HKD$500 for switching one leather strap inot another, Which I can make it in two minutes. Rolex may be free!?
Of course the service charge depends on the typs of watch, complexity of the watch and types of service, anyway Friend told me PP changes HKD$500 for switching one leather strap inot another, Which I can make it in two minutes. Rolex may be free!?
Well, think about the Cost of Ownership for long term. Rolex is not best but not bad!
