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Demand for Rolex hits unprecedented level

Archer
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Nobel Prize Nobel Prize
In the service industry (meaning hotels and restaurant) there are polarizing views into what the clientele wants, and truly the client going to Chateau Marmont in LA is quite different from Four Seasons in NY.

As Stan knows, the right amount of "flair" is critical...

flair.jpg
 
Om3ga321
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Looking at this survey states the obvious.
A lot of people desire a Rolex or Patek but can not afford one.
No big deal a lot of people desire a Ferrari or a Porsche but can not afford one.
People buy what they can afford and dream of what they desire.
 
perks713
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Archer Archer
and that "manual labour" is not involved in your occupation.
What about that one guy a few years back that posted about wearing his Speedmaster mixing cement for the last 20 years!? 😉
 
Larry S
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Archer Archer
This side discussion reminded me of when my former workplace went "business casual" sometime in the 90's. It was announced in the morning, and at lunch I drove home and ditched the jacket and tie, and put on a golf shirt. I couldn't be rid of that tie quick enough.
Last suit and tie company was in Chicago. Nothing more ludicrous than keeping dress shoes in the office, dro
The manager of engineering at the time (my boss) lamented the casual approach, and I heard him comment "How can the workers respect us managers if we aren't wearing ties and jackets?" My thought was, if you need those things to get respect from your workers, you have bigger problems than business casual policies...
Going business casual at the company I retired from was an instant pay raise. No more shoe repair, no more weekly dry cleaning bills. We are taking Chicago, winter, salty slush.
 
Archer
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perks713 perks713
What about that one guy a few years back that posted about wearing his Speedmaster mixing cement for the last 20 years!? 😉

Was he wearing a suit? 😉

If we are back to talking about watches again, then there was a time when a Rolex of Omega in SS was just a good watch, and not "my precious" as they are treated today...
 
Faz
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cvalue13 cvalue13
Volumes of what?
Should have said "speaks volumes to me" about their attitude towards the consumer and how they conduct business. My opinion and experience.
 
Braindrain
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Larry S Larry S
Going business casual at the company I retired from was an instant pay raise. No more shoe repair, no more weekly dry cleaning bills. We are taking Chicago, winter, salty slush.

I haven't been back to the office since March 2020. I love my dress shoes but haven't worn any of them since then. Have even thought of buying some additional hand-made ones during all the COVID sales. But then, reality hit and I realized what good is spending more on shoes that I'll never probably wear?
Edited:
 
Evitzee
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Rolex gets hammered a lot, but for their normal client they are a great watch. I bought my wife her first Rolex in 1976, a steel and gold ladies Datejust with the steel/14k US made Jubilee bracelet, cost $675. She wore that almost continually for the next 30 years, it was overhauled twice in that time frame, once by Beyer in Zurich, once in Houston. She has other watches, a personalized Reverso and a couple of Breguets but she just puts on the Rolex. In 2007 the bracelet was getting really stretched out as was common with the US made ones, so I upgraded her to a 31mm all steel Datejust with MOP dial and Oyster bracelet. She's worn that watch almost constantly since 2007 but in the last six months it has occasionally stopped, so after 14 years it needed a service, my wife is hard on her watch so it was pretty scratched up. Called Rolex to find where to send it and they sent me instructions and cautioned me the estimate would take about 4-6 weeks, and 2-3 months for the actual service to be done. Sent the watch off by registered mail to their Dallas Service Center and they received it on Oct. 4th, 10 days later I received the Rolex Service Center estimate, $700 for the complete overhaul (incl case, bracelet refinishing), and $133 for new sapphire crystal which they said was chipped, plus taxes and return FedEx. Estimate for service is 6 weeks. Can't complain about the service Rolex is providing me for the watch, all done professionally so far.

We sold her first Rolex about 10 years ago for $900, so it was a good value. Paid $5,600 for her 2007 Datejust, now estimated to be $11,000 to replace it (IF any were available), so again it is a fair proposition. There certainly is an availability issue right now but the Rolex watch and ownership experience has been good for us.
 
Premaster
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Om3ga321 Om3ga321
Looking at this survey states the obvious.
A lot of people desire a Rolex or Patek but can not afford one.
No big deal a lot of people desire a Ferrari or a Porsche but can not afford one.
Exactly. And as soon as people have/had the money to afford a Rolex or Patek, a significant part of them won't/wouldn't buy a Rolex anymore, since by then they know enough about watches and/or desire another less polarizing, much more interesting brand.
Edited:
 
Premaster
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Archer Archer
then there was a time when a Rolex of Omega in SS was just a good watch, and not "my precious"
Indeed, however if a Rolex or Omega today still were just good watches instead of some sort of fetish, this and other forums wouldn't exist, right?
 
Wryfox
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My local(and only) Rolex retailer in my little part of Florida has ZERO watches for sale. ZERO new, ZERO used. They were eyeing the Submariner on my wrist like ravenous wolves.....
 
gbesq
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Archer Archer
As Stan knows, the right amount of "flair" is critical...

flair.jpg
That reminds me, I have to get my TPS reports done ASAP - with the cover sheet. Did you guys see the memo about this?
Edited:
 
Lurk41
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sonicosa sonicosa
Do the clothes, haircut, etc really make you feel differently about who you are as an individual though? Did the clothes get you in the door for the interview or did the skillset you developed during your career open that opportunity to you? Which is more aligned with who you are as a person and should be the true boost to your confidence?
Actually, I read a study a while ago (2-3 years maybe) about the effects of wearing a suit. Here is a summary of the results:
- A suit boosts your confidence.
- A suit improves how people rate your skills.
- A suit decreases your real competencies. 😁
Because of the 2 first points, there are fewer discussions, and decisions are taken without properly assessing the consequences...

blufinz52 blufinz52
But the scale of the Rolex appeal should be deeply troubling to every other brand because when 55% want a Rollie, that leaves hundreds of other watchmakers fighting for the other 45%.
The last time I went to my OB, I walked by the Rolex AD: 5 watches on display. In the OB, I could not think of any major missing watch excluded the 321's, A11, and Snoopy. The new Chronoscopes were there too. I did not count but it was more than 100 watches on display + I know some are left in the drawers... I even saw a couple actually tried watches and bought one

I do not think the situation is that troubling for the others...
 
Archer
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Indeed, however if a Rolex or Omega today still were just good watches instead of some sort of fetish, this and other forums wouldn't exist, right?

I think as long as there are things people collect, there will be forums about those things where like minded people will gather.
 
Trog
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cvalue13 cvalue13
But for the beckoning of a 5 digit GMT *bites lip*

Keep your powder dry and reach for a 4-dig....

Pep1_1.jpg
 
JwRosenthal
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cvalue13 cvalue13
This is just the sort of 5 digit I had in mind

may I have it, please?
That is about the most polite request I have ever gotten for a watch. Someone at TRF many years ago PM’d me an offer for this watch and told me I would be lucky to get more elsewhere- then proceeded to list everything that was wrong with the watch in order to justify his low offer….I had never mentioned or suggested the watch was for sale- ever. Gotta love Rolex “collectors”.
 
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