Modern Rolex Design?

yinzerniner

I just think their designs are not harmonious at all.
Is Rolex all about conservatism, staying within their traditional design language while also maintaining precision in engineering and quality materials? They don't want to increase the case size of the Submariner because it would be sacrilegious? Don't rock the boat too much, but rather make small changes here and there to satisfy the shifting aesthetic tastes of the newest aspirational prospective buyers? That's all well and fine but the majority of their choices have been terrible.
The BLNR and Hulk work with the larger lugs and Maxi Dials because they match the shiny ceramic bezels and blingy color choices. The lugs and dials DON'T work on the regular GMTs and Submariners because of the black dials and traditional aesthetic. It's like the Rolex designers have completely lost their grip on how to proportion elements correctly. Seriously, look at the pic @cicindela posted - the modern Submariner on the far right looks like an Invicta compared to the lovely earlier models - everything piece is garish, overstuffed, on steroids.
For years now collectors have been DROOLING over Panda and Paul Newman style Daytonas, so what does Rolex do? Release one with Arabic numerals that looks like it was designed by an 8 year old who only uses comic sans.
As others have noted the Tudor offerings seem to be where Rolex is making bold yet fantastic choices.
Not to use the tired trope of comparing watches to cars but I see a lot of Ford in Tudor and Lincoln in Rolex. Hopefully this will change ......

shoota70

There are certain vintage and modern Rolex i love, and many that i don't care for. The ONLY Omega I spend my cash on is the Speedy Pro, period. I find the rest of Omega's line up to be quite ugly, and at 6-12k I always have more horologic-ally significant pieces to acquire.


edit: The new Globemasters I find quite appealing. I may own one of those one day.

abrod520

Agree re. Tudor designs and particularly the Daytona - I was just thinking about this the other day. We hear that Rolex has truly refined their chronograph movement (4130 I think it was?) to be one of the best-made (if not fanciest) chronograph movements on the market today. I'd love to want one but - why is the entirety of the Daytona range so ugly? Where are the classic proportions and colorways? They're all so shiny and contemporary in their design, and will likely appear very dated in 10 years' time - unlike the original models from the 1960s.

D Dombo63

I agree. They have spoiled the Submariner too. Current model is too square and chunky. I was discussing this with somebody in OB the other day and how they could have lost some of their market - me for example. With a 6.5 inch wrist the Moonwatch fits just about right and the old Sub would have as well (the new Snoopy is on the last buckle hole and still a bit loose.
The current Sub just makes me look either like a skinny bloke trying to man up with a big blingy watch or a kid who's just raided his Dad's watch drawer. And because of its simplicity,the no-date Submariner is the only Rolex I like.

M'Bob

Full disclaimer: love my vintage Rolex, and the other brands I collect. That being said...

Is it me, or are the modern Rolex offerings, from a design standpoint, completely ghastly and unappealing. Plus, their graphics are totally over-done. Many other brands also seem to be suffering from the "rapper aesthetic", but Omega less so.

Diocletian

Wow you fellas are hard on Rolex,I've been wearing a 116334 for about 6 months now and love it.. The 41mm redo of the classic 36 mm 116234 is fantastic .. Is also just picked up a 41mm Aqua terra that was nib from the original owner(never wore it) although I love the blue dial the overall feel although the quality seems way below that of the Rolex and the retails aren't that far off..a little disappointed in the omega actually ..

Diocletian

Wow you fellas are hard on Rolex,I've been wearing a 116334 for about 6 months now and love it.. The 41mm redo of the classic 36 mm 116234 is fantastic .. Is also just picked up a 41mm Aqua terra that was nib from the original owner(never wore it) although I love the blue dial the overall feel although the quality seems way below that of the Rolex and the retails aren't that far off..a little disappointed in the omega actually ..

jud

I purchase one watch a year and usually drive three hours to Atlanta and hit 5 or six watch shops. I rarely purchase on this trip, I am a serious window shopper. This year I stopped by Brown and Co. and they sell Rolex, Omega, Tudor, JLC, B&R and Tag. I asked if I could sit down with the following watches to compare:
Rolex Explorer 1, 39
Rolex OP 39 Blue
Omega AT 38.5 Blue
Omega SMP 300
Omega SMPc 300m Black
Omega SMPc 300m Blue
Tudor Black Bay Blue
Tudor Black Bay Black
Tudor North Flag

We walked around the store and picked out the watches, they put me in the back at a well lit table with a guard between me and the door. I just sat there comparing watches alone. While I have been wanting the AT Blue for a couple of years, when compared to the Explorer 1, to my eyes the Explorer 1 had better proportions. I do agree that the OP 39 dial choices are lacking, but I believe over the next couple of years we will see more choices released.

If you are interested I ended up purchasing the SMPc 300m in black. After comparing them all next to each other I also believe my next watch will be the new Explorer 1. I see it as a do anything go anywhere watch that not many people will recognize as a Rolex. I would like to have the choice between it and an Omega Railmaster 39, but Omega quit selling the Railmaster. My guess is it did not sell well because it was a nice low profile watch.

blubarb

A very interesting range of views. The Speedmaster is the only Omega I collect and mostly because I am drawn to the relative consistency of the design over the years (and of course the attached historical associations). So I suppose it's the generally conservative Speedmaster design that keeps me interested. For me It means that owning a Speedmaster from anytime over the past 6 decades provides a link to the lineage of both movement, design and historical association. To me that's an important collecting context. This is arguably little different to a number of watches in the Rolex stable, eg, Sub & GMT.

Edit: forgot to add, best wishes for the new year guys. 😁 Happy buying, selling and collecting.

alam

Rolex screwed the pooch with the new, larger case Submariner and GMT models. The new [39mm] Explorer I remains a classic in my view.

alam

Understand. We are fortunate about the variety of colors that are available to us - allowing everyone to choose our favorite color and be happy.

😜