I know: Omega and Rolex go head to head. But Omega:

Annapolis · Apr 1, 2023

Oh hey—I’m just having fun. People like what people like, and I’m sure any number of people would critique the things I enjoy too.

Rolex isn’t an insecure brand—they’re far and away the leading producer of luxury watches—so they can handle some criticism of an occasional design. No need to rally to their defense. FWIW, I find this model hideous and am not moved by its technical innovations in dial-making. But I think many of their watches are gorgeous, and their historical accomplishments are undeniable. I won’t wear Rolex anymore because of the hype-y attention it brings—just not my thing. But I’d never make anyone else feel bad for wearing one. I don’t think Rolex cares one bit about my opinion, nor should they.

To your challenge, though: I’d love to see the Explorer with some new dial colors/designs..?

BenzBhoy · Apr 1, 2023

Spacefruit
I do not understand the vitriol

For all those who blanket trash this idea, I challenge you right now to come up with another idea,

With all due respect have you been living on a different planet.

The Autism jigsaw puzzle is not a Rolex idea… it’s a Rolex copy of it! So instead of trying to justify their position, take them to task and ask them a question about it… I am still waiting.

NGO1 · Apr 1, 2023

BenzBhoy
With all due respect have you been living on a different planet.

The Autism jigsaw puzzle is not a Rolex idea… it’s a Rolex copy of it! So instead of trying to justify their position, take them to task and ask them a question about it… I am still waiting.

waiting for what? Why do they owe you an explanation? I’m literally laughing at this comment.

If they don’t tie the puzzle dial to Autism, it’s their right. If they donate to Autism, great.

To your logic, I guess every time I drink coffee, I should shoot Howard Schulz an email and thank him.

BenzBhoy · Apr 1, 2023

NGO1
waiting for what? Why do they owe you an explanation? I’m literally laughing at this comment.

If they don’t tie the puzzle dial to Autism, it’s their right. If they donate to Autism, great.

To your logic, I guess every time I drink coffee, I should shoot Howard Schulz an email and thank him.

Because a member of my family is Autistic you pathetic person, now jog on.

NGO1 · Apr 1, 2023

BenzBhoy
Because a member of my family is Autistic you pathetic person, now jog on.

Ok. Got it. Good talk
I see you expected me to know your family member is Autistic. In that case, you are right. I guess Rolex do owe you an explanation.

Dan S · Apr 1, 2023

Spacefruit
For all those who blanket trash this idea, I challenge you right now to come up with another idea, just on paper (so ignoring the manufacturing challenges).

So we can't express a negative opinion about the design unless we can make a better design ourselves? Where's the fun in that? 😁

Pastorbottle · Apr 1, 2023

OK…. My proposal for a Rolex watch design is
The case etc pretty much the same as one used in the jigsaw design, but the for the dial, which has a pattern the looks like a pavement pizza ( a pool of chunder as we like to call in here in Oz or as most of you would call vomit) this would have a 3D texture with lots of colourful bits, the batons would be little lumps of carrot and the hour and minute hands long little bits green capisicum white the second hand being a thin strip of tomato skin.
::stirthepot::

😁🤮
Any of you photoshop artists, feel free to do an interpretation of my proposal.

Olhenry56 · Apr 1, 2023

My 4-year-old is a little interested in my watches. He was asking me about them earlier today, in fact (my bright pink rubber ball caseback opener caught his eye). He saw the photo of this one just now and said "Ooo, that's a cool puzzle one! Can you buy that?" I told him I can't because it costs more than my car, so he asked me if I ever find one like it that's not expensive if I can buy it. Not sure if he's Rolex's target audience, but if so, the design is a success!

I like the idea of playful designs for Rolex, but this and the ball dial just feel like they're phoning it in. A little more thought, creativity, and boldness could make a big difference.

Omegafanman · Apr 2, 2023

bgrisso
This looks like a very sloppy photoshop blackout? am I just missing the joke?

April 1st .. 😗

Al22 · Apr 2, 2023

Congratulations it's a awesome watch. I really love it. It's so different.

Here in Germany Omega is still trying to hard. Still the 57 are not arrived at normal AD's. Only at the boutiques. Same with the Aqua Terra. The Omega game is really annoying. Then you can get a new Tudor BB 41metas certificate. You can buy it immediately. That's customer service

Best

Alex

QUOTE="Annapolis, post: 2157209, member: 64864"]You guys are going to kill me---I don't hate this watch. I really wanted to.

Got the call late afternoon yesterday from my Omega AD (who also does Rolex) that my Snoopy had finally come in. --I must have been among the first people to get on the list for it in the DC/MD/VA area. :-/ Anyway, when the SA called she said she also had something "special to show me from the crown." I figured it must be the left-hand GMT that I told her I wanted to try on. (I often wear my watches on the right hand.)

Turns out it was this. I laughed really hard when she pulled it out, but agreed to try it on---thinking maybe even if I didn't like it, my wife would. I ended up wearing it out of the store. (The Snoopy is still in the box!)

The colors are actually incredible in the metal, and it's way more muted than you'd think.

Snoopy pics to come![/QUOT

M'Bob · Apr 2, 2023

Spacefruit
I do not understand the vitriol - you dont have to buy it or like it, but why the hate?

It is an interesting watch, that has taken considerable skill to translate from idea to metal.

You may not like it, and I accept that, I am never going to tell you what to like and not like.

I would point out that here is an asymmetric dial design that somehow becomes balanced. The colours manage to compliment each other, without clashing. I have already discussed the skill required for the stones, let alone the skill to affix them to the dial.

It is an amazing exercise in human ingenuity, skill and surprise.

For all those who blanket trash this idea, I challenge you right now to come up with another idea, just on paper (so ignoring the manufacturing challenges). Show us not a vomit meme, but instead exercise your minds, and come up with something better, that you like. See what comes out of your wild imagination. - Perhaps a CHATGBT prompt engineer can have a play!

Step outside your comfort zone. Do something positive, instead of vomit themes or hazmat jokes. Its really easy to criticize from behind a keyboard, but its much harder to actually do something.

Remember, Rolex knows how to make chronographs and submariners, and probably doesn't need much help. Instead here they have exercised the internal skills and come up with something everyone talks about.

I respect what they have done - personally Now that I know its a 75k gold watch I know I am not in a position to buy it, but I love that it exists.

Come on, I genuinely want to see what the people who have been so moved to contempt by this watch come up with, as well as any others who just want to draw out a design. And especially the prompt engineers.

This post has engendered many more interesting perspectives than I anticipated. When I first saw the watch, I thought is was garish and screams, “look at me, I’m rich and successful and can afford this,” and in a tongue and cheek way, hoped, in their escalating, back-and-forth competition with Rolex for buyers, Omega wouldn’t follow suit.

“Why the vitriol?” Good question. I think some of it just stems from an attempt at a humorous response to what’s fundamentally not a serious situation.

The second possibility is deeper - when a person really enjoys a hobby or leisure-time pursuit, and there’s a drastic aesthetic departure (like this), one can perceive a “cheapening” of the brand they admire. Rightfully so, wearing this watch could be seen as an expression of light-hearted fun, but also, quite possibly, it could viewed with “Dude, what the hell made you choose THAT?” And maybe it portends and reflects general, societal trends of overstatement versus understatement? The movement towards poisonous narcissism? I’m far from a Rolex-hater, here are two of mine. Would the company ever have considered making the watch in question, when they made these?

Now on to the topic of, “maybe we’re missing something here.”

While we can equivocate on whether we like or dislike this watch, there is no question about William’s aesthetic eye.

I would say, more than anyone regarding Speedmasters, and then in a group of ANYONE who assesses watches in general, there is really no discussion that his perceptions, insights, and conclusions are amongst the best we have, or has ever been. Thus, when he sees something we don’t, we rightly have to step back, and view things in a different light.

I have let this thing simmer a bit, and while I’m warming to the design, the thing that bothers me is the color choices: were they more muted, and less divergent in the color palette, I would probably upgrade me feelings from dislike to neutral. But, in deference to William, I’m letting it percolate a bit more, and see if the needle moves a tad.

Annapolis · Apr 2, 2023

Humorous response to a non-serious situation perfectly describes what I was going for. Humor being no less subjective than watch aesthetics, I suppose one can freely debate whether I accomplished my goal.

There’s no vitriol. Just a hyperbolically expressed but sincerely held distaste and incredulity toward a watch that’s not only not to my liking but also (in my very fallible judgment) not in keeping with the Rolex brand.

Not my talent or obligation to create something better—any more than it would be to grab a spatula and head to the kitchen if a restaurant served me a bad meal. I can voice my opinion here and can choose not to buy the watch. (Like I have any choice in the matter.)

I think of the consumer market as conversational: items are offered and creators get the feedback they need in the form of reviews, commentary and sales—or the lack of it. I suspect Rolex will be fully validated in its choice. My asinine commentary is but a whisper on top of a scream.

Thommas · Apr 2, 2023

M'Bob
Would the company ever have considered making money, when they made these?

My attempt at « fixing this for you ». I think that’s what it all comes down to, in the end.

Love it or hate it, this particular watch is generating a lot of discussion and commentary, and without a doubt it will sell out.

If Rolex’s objective is to have people talk about it, attract a new brand of buyer and sell expensive watches, my guess is they will succeed.

Archer · Apr 2, 2023

Personally, I don't think we should take the watches, or people's reactions to them, too seriously...

One can appreciate the work, but still find the aesthetics unpleasant, and should be free to express that if they wish. I don't put more weight on anyone's aesthetic judgement than I do my own - I know what I like and what I do not like, period. No amount of explaining is going to change what I like.

What I find more distasteful, is Rolex using a known symbol for autism awareness without giving any acknowledgement of that.

M'Bob · Apr 2, 2023

Thommas
My attempt at « fixing this for you ». I think that’s what it all comes down to, in the end.

Love it or hate it, this particular watch is generating a lot of discussion and commentary, and without a doubt it will sell out.

If Rolex’s objective is to have people talk about it, attract a new brand of buyer and sell expensive watches, my guess is they will succeed.

You are likely correct, and partially to what I object to: this notion that any publicity is good publicity.

All of these watch brands we discuss have done well for years without resorting to side-show tactics. That being said, they may only be reflecting that sad state of affairs in our respective cultures.

Here in the US, our emoji watch equivalent (one of them…) is Marjorie Taylor Greene, although with less redeeming features. A walking train wreck, espousing divisiveness, vitriol and utter nonsense, she garners a disproportionate amount of headlines here because people just have to take a look. Politicians with more reasonable, centralist perspectives are sidelined because they aren’t as much fun, nor newsworthy.

Is Rolex really suffering to the point where they need this? And to Al’s point, their exploitation of the Autism issue is indeed even more offensive.

watchthinker · Apr 2, 2023

I can't get excited. Y'know - ti could be fun. Pour moi? Mais Non! Pour la bonne personne? Why not?!

Hey look, who among us with different interest wouldn't be thrilled if presented with a blue Speedmaster with a cartoon dog in a space capsule on the back? Or a James Bond moire?

It is kind of nice to see the brands try different things.

For me, I'm eager to see what Omega comes out with in the coming months. They've been on such a hot streak!

watchthinker · Apr 2, 2023

Aroxx
YES!! I like it. I don’t give a shit if I’m the only one. 😝

My question is if any of that Rolex money is going to autism research or did they just completely rip off the design?

I"ve read comments like this in lots of places - it would be wonderful if this was a watch that supported research. If I woke up tomorrow in Rolex management, I'd insist.

RobMc · Apr 2, 2023

RevZMan123
but it's got 31 separate emojis instead of the dates!

Is this true?. I had just assumed the heart was the 1 emoji tossed in there with the dates.

RevZMan123 · Apr 2, 2023

R RobMc
Is this true?. I had just assumed the heart was the 1 emoji tossed in there with the dates.

From wired: "Instead the limited edition Day-Date 36 Puzzle Motif whimsically replaces the days of the week with “Happy,” “Eternity,” “Gratitude,” “Peace,” “Faith,” “Love” and “Hope,” while the “date” window at 3 o’clock now reveals not numerals, but 31 emojis in sequence. These include a kissy face, a four-leaf clover, a heart, and a peace sign. It does not include a golden poop emoji. Yes, we asked."

ErichPryde · Apr 2, 2023

Rolex, being a consumer brand, of course is aware of that nobody can have an opinion about their products unless they can do better.

Oh, wait...

Dan S
So we can't express a negative opinion about the design unless we can make a better design ourselves? Where's the fun in that? 😁

I know: Omega and Rolex go head to head. But Omega:

Annapolis

BenzBhoy

NGO1

BenzBhoy

NGO1

Dan S

Pastorbottle

Olhenry56

Omegafanman

Al22

M'Bob

Annapolis

Thommas

Archer

M'Bob

watchthinker

watchthinker

RobMc

RevZMan123

ErichPryde

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