Is Rolex Boring Anybody Else?

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I don't think so. Everyone has their own needs and tastes. I personally own Rolex, Omega, and Panerai. All three brands differ in numerous ways and satisfies my watch hunger in their own accord.
 
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I lovem! But thats mostly because I like SS divers. That said, bubble dates and shiny mercedes hands...not so much.


In regards to sporty cars; If you think you are getting 'sporty' and excited in your cage, just rent a moped and double that feeling.
 
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Agree but always thought of Porsche drivers as Omega men, Rolex wearers go for Mercedes and BMW's, right?[
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Agree but always thought of Porsche drivers as Omega men, Rolex wearers go for Mercedes and BMW's, right?

I agree with Ulackfocus 100%. Also the moon watch is a total icon my bit on the end.
 
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It can be said that Rolex sub is the most imitated, homage watches around....so hard to argue with sticking to their guns. MKII sells rolex homages for $2k+!!! I personally respect them not messing with their Sub and explorer too much. I feel Omega is beating the moon watch to death with all the special additions, anniversary this, moon that. AP pretty much killed the Royal Oak with a new offshore combo daily tied to an athlete. What do you want them to become Hublot? I would not mind some more interesting finishing on the movement, some more modern materials but then it detracts from the core message of a traditional rugged watch. It is all in the branding really.

As an owner of all three above mentioned watches I still respect Rolex the most as a true watch maker brand. They have rarely lost their way. No 007 watch for them. Fact is even watch makers wear Rolex.
 
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It can be said that Rolex sub is the most imitated, homage watches around....so hard to argue with sticking to their guns. MKII sells rolex homages for $2k+!!! I personally respect them not messing with their Sub and explorer too much. I feel Omega is beating the moon watch to death with all the special additions, anniversary this, moon that. AP pretty much killed the Royal Oak with a new offshore combo daily tied to an athlete. What do you want them to become Hublot? I would not mind some more interesting finishing on the movement, some more modern materials but then it detracts from the core message of a traditional rugged watch. It is all in the branding really.

As an owner of all three above mentioned watches I still respect Rolex the most as a true watch maker brand. They have rarely lost their way. No 007 watch for them. Fact is even watch makers wear Rolex.

Great post I agree with you. To Omega's credit they still sell the current day version of the original manual wind moon watch, long may it continue.
 
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It can be said that Rolex sub is the most imitated, homage watches around....so hard to argue with sticking to their guns. MKII sells rolex homages for $2k+!!! I personally respect them not messing with their Sub and explorer too much. I feel Omega is beating the moon watch to death with all the special additions, anniversary this, moon that. AP pretty much killed the Royal Oak with a new offshore combo daily tied to an athlete. What do you want them to become Hublot? I would not mind some more interesting finishing on the movement, some more modern materials but then it detracts from the core message of a traditional rugged watch. It is all in the branding really.

As an owner of all three above mentioned watches I still respect Rolex the most as a true watch maker brand. They have rarely lost their way. No 007 watch for them. Fact is even watch makers wear Rolex.

I agree with the majority of your post, in particular the comments about Omega milking the Speedmaster to death, and what AP has become (might as well rename it the Royal Oak Limited Editions company 😀).

However Rolex have produced some truly hideous watches (I posted a couple of examples in this thread, and there are many more) so they are not completely off the hook for "losing their way." They may not make limited editions based on movies, but that still does not mean they don't make mistakes.

As a watchmaker, I find the comment stating that even watchmakers wear Rolex interesting. I'm not sure what this is supposed to indicate, other than it's a nice mid-level brand watch...

I own or have owned the following brands:

Omega, Blancpain, Panerai, JLC, Glashütte Original, Sinn, Nomos, and yes Tudor and Rolex (plus a bunch of other vintage watches from Elgin, Bulova, Vertex, CWC, etc., etc.).

I know watchmakers who wear nothing but cheap quartz digital watches, and one on this forum has stated in a thread he doesn't even wear a watch. So what does all this mean about those brands? Nothing really, other than the watchmaker likes the watch, and can get parts to repair it. One of the biggest reasons I keep or sell watches now is if I can get parts and service it myself - I want as many of the watches I own to be watches I can service, although there will always be some exceptions. I think seeing it as some sort of quality endorsement is really stretching it personally.

Oh, and the most copied Rolex model would be the DateJust - so many watches that have this overall appearance have been made by so many companies over the decades, the sub copies come no where close to exceeding this.

Cheers, Al
 
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I once asked my watchmaker why he wears a digital citizen even though he's an older bloke that specialises in and owns many vintage pieces, turns out an old Rolex can't beep at him 5 times a day to remind him to take his medications.
 
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I did notice the Rolex you pictured. Are those Rolex manufactured or after market? Some people do get the two confused. I would like to see where the watches above were actually Rolex mass manufactured releases. I can get a custom build from PP with most likely zebra stripes if I paid enough.

I do see it as a quality endorsement around the sweet spot between cost and longevity....with higher priced brands you are paying mostly for finishing not reliability. Yes ease of service is definitely one of those reasons.

**Side bar note....i feel the push for in-house movements will drive up the cost of servicing. Even more so that the Apple watch may kill some brands meaning parts etc will be near impossible to source.

Hmmmm not sure I agree on the Datejust comment but open to the idea this is true.

Another side note...yes this is conjecture...I feel the fact Rolex so rarely changes their model allows for the relatively solid secondary market. It allows people to jump in to Rolex as well as gives those who buy new the confidence they can sell and not lose to much cash. The reality can be different but there is that perception in the market.

It is just like BMW in that way. My Mom worked for them for 14 years. They put tremendous focus on pre-owned business as it allowed those to buy into the brand and they converted to new models later at a generally high rate.
 
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I once asked my watchmaker why he wears a digital citizen even though he's an older bloke that specialises in and owns many vintage pieces, turns out an old Rolex can't beep at him 5 times a day to remind him to take his medications.

He needs to buy a minute repeater 😀
 
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I did notice the Rolex you pictured. Are those Rolex manufactured or after market? Some people do get the two confused. I would like to see where the watches above were actually Rolex mass manufactured releases. I can get a custom build from PP with most likely zebra stripes if I paid enough.

Allow me to clear up your confusion - those are absolutely 100% all made by Rolex.

http://www.jamesedition.com/stories/watches/dark-side-of-the-rolex-datejust-watch-644

For the Daytona, it is a ref. 116598 LPRD and there is a "rainbow" diamond bezel model as well, which is a ref. 116598 RBOW - here is a video showing that one:


These are not one off custom models mate...

Cheers, Al
 
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I once asked my watchmaker why he wears a digital citizen even though he's an older bloke that specialises in and owns many vintage pieces, turns out an old Rolex can't beep at him 5 times a day to remind him to take his medications.

People wear specific watches for specific reasons of course. Sometimes what is practical is the main consideration. As I said, ascribing some sort of specific reasoning to why a person wears a specific watch (without knowing why they do) is a bit much, and this in a way helps prove that point. 👍
 
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Two garish examples of watches in 100+ years of business. Yes a small number of watches are released by Rolex with jewels.
 
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Two garish examples of watches in 100+ years of business. Yes a small number of watches are released by Rolex with jewels.

These are not the only ones - GIYF. 👍

Cheers, Al
 
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I understand your point of view. I'm a Heuer fan myself and I love how they come up with all kind of watches and uses color to make them pop and so on.. Rolex is a little boring if you look at the modern watches, not all of them but the most part.

I'm enjoying one of their odd watches if, brown matte root beer. It's kinda cool although I dislike two-tone.. 😲
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Yes, there are a ton of hideous rolex watches...a ton. Same for Omega when has some of the prestige lines look like someone vomited their dinner on a swatch and decided to just stick to the result. Not sure one can blame them for this, it's more a matter of won derived g why there is an actual demographic for it....but if someone had to make money out of it why not Rolex and Omega?

Worse than those obvious kitschy models to me is what I call "the unlimited limited editions" for which I am loosing all respect. I appreciated the DSOM a little.thwb a little less when GSOM came out, then the WSOM just wrapped the whole series to become a gimmick and with the new line of DSOM iterations now I'm just like...wtf Onega, you took a good think and made it loose it's value completely. Specially when. I can get Auchenbaum better and genuine watch for the same money.

The movie themes are also a little trying. I'm all.for.product placement ( and rolex has a lot, even on bond movies aside from the original for which they didn't provide a watch. But Moore, Dalton etc wore Rolex as Bond that where sponsored. But at least they didn't issue a rolex.with 007 🤨🤮printed all over the dial and then called it a must have limited edition.
 
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Ummmm actually....ascribing why someone wears a particular watch is exactly what companies do....it is called branding and developing a path to purchase is key to the reason people buy an expensive time piece vs a quartz etc. It is all about positing. Sure you cannot predict why someone buys a particular item at the micro level...although with advanced learning algorithms and modeling you can achieve this to some degree.

Is it wrong to segment Rolex buyers into:

- Status achievers
- Heritage tool watch

My segments can be incorrect but marketing 101 is not.

No it is what brands do every single day of their existence.
 
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In actually most of the brands we all love would probably not exist if they did not do the things they do. You may hate Hublot (i hate the designs and what the brand stands for) but you cannot argue the companies growth based on crazy designs, one offs, endorsements and yes developing something unique in the market taking a risk. If the trend shifts away from big garish then they are dead. So I think Rolex slow and steady path (sure it can be boring)....ill never buy another one then what I already have...maybe Pepsi GMT without crown guards but it is the path they purposefully chose and has lead to their success.

I think Tudor is their breeding ground for some changes....they seem to be releasing new models each year. Will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Take Tag...they cannot figure out who they are as a brand. Sales have certainly suffered over the years and even during a general boom time for watches.
 
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Allow me to clear up your confusion - those are absolutely 100% all made by Rolex.

http://www.jamesedition.com/stories/watches/dark-side-of-the-rolex-datejust-watch-644

For the Daytona, it is a ref. 116598 LPRD and there is a "rainbow" diamond bezel model as well, which is a ref. 116598 RBOW - here is a video showing that one:


These are not one off custom models mate...

Cheers, Al
Allow me to clear up your confusion - those are absolutely 100% all made by Rolex.

http://www.jamesedition.com/stories/watches/dark-side-of-the-rolex-datejust-watch-644

For the Daytona, it is a ref. 116598 LPRD and there is a "rainbow" diamond bezel model as well, which is a ref. 116598 RBOW - here is a video showing that one:


These are not one off custom models mate...

Cheers, Al

It is a limited edition 250 were made. Rolex and other companies have specific customers who want these models, they are not Rolex bread and butter models by any means. Your video says so mate.....
Edited:
 
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Is that your root beer? Looks awesome. I like two tone only on the case, bezel but change out the bracelet for a strap. Throw on a brown vintage leather and that would be killer.