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The future of Omega vs. Rolex

Martin_J_N
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kelsey kelsey
I don’t think a steel Rolex nowadays is a tool watch.

I have said this elsewhere but I find the comment it’s a tool watch rather daft when you are spending £6000+ on Rolex or £4000+ on an Omega. No many people can justify spending this much on a watch to see it get beaten up.

But, there are those out there who will buy an expensive watch to wear daily, do all kinds of jobs whilst wearing the watch and think nothing of it. And that is fine as we are all free to do what we want with our purchases.

However, for many this is an aspirational purchase, a reward for doing well, and it is something that will be loved, cherished and not readily placed in the face of danger, and this is where I sit, I wear my watches regularly, they all have battle scars but if my job of the day is something I wouldn’t wear them for then my ancient and well beat up Citizen chronograph will be worn.

The term tool watch may have applied years ago but not now.
 
lillatroll
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I would imagine that for the general watch buying public the Rolex is the one expensive watch they have heard about so that is the one they are going to buy. I would be the same too.

I would also buy Bose stereo equipment, Bang and Olsen TV, Apple computer, Delongi coffee maker, a Porsche sports car. Why? Because my interest in these items is limited to next to zero. But I have heard or read that the above items are good quality. I am aware that none of the above are necessarily the best in what they do but I don't care enough to spend hours finding out which is best.
I suppose these companies are well aware that enough consumers are lazy like me; so as long as the product is, in the consumers mind, a desirable product it will sell. As Nike say ' image is everything '

(To be clear, I would probably do enough research to make sure I wasn't getting ripped off. And I probably could not afford most of the above because the little left over from a teacher salary goes on Omega watches😀)
 
STANDY
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Martin_J_N Martin_J_N
The term tool watch may have applied years ago but not now.

They are tool watches, just because city folk all wear them nowadays with suits they are still tool watches. Dive watches are still dive watches. The watches haven’t changed, people have changed. A tractor is still a tractor even though it’s trendy to wear a John Deere hat if you don’t live anywhere near a farm, but you bought a apple for lunch.

Mine gets treated like a tool watch.
A2E02F65-24C9-4B2D-BD82-1C1EF79A3578.jpeg 48D9E64E-71A0-4D89-9B97-E95421316742.jpeg

They are a months wages nowadays and were a months wages 50 years ago.
 
Martin_J_N
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They are tool watches, just because city folk all wear them nowadays with suits they are still tool watches. Dive watches are still dive watches. The watches haven’t changed, people have changed. A tractor is still a tractor even though it’s trendy to wear a John Deere hat if you don’t live anywhere near a farm, but you bought a apple for lunch.

Mine gets treated like a tool watch.
A2E02F65-24C9-4B2D-BD82-1C1EF79A3578.jpeg 48D9E64E-71A0-4D89-9B97-E95421316742.jpeg

They are a months wages nowadays and were a months wages 50 years ago.


Clearly wages are higher or watches cheaper down under than in the UK.

I had a good job over here not bankeresque salary but well above average, no way could I afford a Rolex or Omega from a months salary, even if I had no other financial commitments.

There is no dispute that if you bought a new Submariner or Seamaster you could happily use it for diving, those Chronographs could still time the cars over a fixed distance or be used to time sections, some even go into orbit.

My point is that for many £6000+ spent on a watch is not going to be viewed as a tool watch, the watch is perfectly capable of fulfilling the role it was designed for it is simply that owners of these watches spend most of the time desk diving or other less demanding activities. In fact I doubt if many luxury dive watches would be plunged into a sink full of water or a rock pool on the beach.

It is this move upmarket that takes away the tool aspect of the watch, sure it will do the job but it’s owner spent a big chunk of their savings on it and they are not going to damage their precious by going diving, whatever next.
 
desertwanderer
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zekevfab zekevfab
I wonder if in 20-30 years, Omega would be able to further improve their brand and get a similar prestige status than Rolex in the general public mind. One thing that does not help Omega in my opinion is that their catalog is a bit less clear than Rolex, with more models and variations.
Do you think in 20-30 years time that analogue watches will still be as sought after by the masses? If i look at my kids and all the kids they mix with non of them have analogue, they all have digital or fitness watches and they all aspire to an Apple watch! I wonder if this powerful marketing by the current traditional watch brands can really turn the digital generation into users and collectors in the future... just throwing that out there 😀
 
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Martin_J_N Martin_J_N
Clearly wages are higher or watches cheaper down under than in the UK.

I had a good job over here not bankeresque salary but well above average, no way could I afford a Rolex or Omega from a months salary, even if I had no other financial commitments.

There is no dispute that if you bought a new Submariner or Seamaster you could happily use it for diving, those Chronographs could still time the cars over a fixed distance or be used to time sections, some even go into orbit.

My point is that for many £6000+ spent on a watch is not going to be viewed as a tool watch, the watch is perfectly capable of fulfilling the role it was designed for it is simply that owners of these watches spend most of the time desk diving or other less demanding activities. In fact I doubt if many luxury dive watches would be plunged into a sink full of water or a rock pool on the beach.

It is this move upmarket that takes away the tool aspect of the watch, sure it will do the job but it’s owner spent a big chunk of their savings on it and they are not going to damage their precious by going diving, whatever next.


Must be a Aussie thing 😎
Well I must be unusual because I dive with all my dive watches, dived with a Rolex sub when I had one, swim with a Speedmaster nowadays.
Wear a New Speedmaster day In day out climbing over vessels, oil rigs, and big machinery all day.

Ask @dsio about his brothers Daytona
https://omegaforums.net/threads/rolex-ss-daytona-after-7-years.1720/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/rolex-ss-daytona-after-7-years.1720/
( make sure you read the whole thread as it goes to the next service after the first one )
 
YY77
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They are tool watches, just because city folk all wear them nowadays with suits they are still tool watches. Dive watches are still dive watches. The watches haven’t changed, people have changed. A tractor is still a tractor even though it’s trendy to wear a John Deere hat if you don’t live anywhere near a farm, but you bought a apple for lunch.

Mine gets treated like a tool watch.
A2E02F65-24C9-4B2D-BD82-1C1EF79A3578.jpeg 48D9E64E-71A0-4D89-9B97-E95421316742.jpeg

They are a months wages nowadays and were a months wages 50 years ago.
Where can I send my job application to make €6k nett or more a month?
I'm happy to spend 3 or 4 months wages on a watch but that needs to be money on top off a minimum savings threshold.
Edited:
 
gbesq
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desertwanderer desertwanderer
Do you think in 20-30 years time that analogue watches will still be as sought after by the masses? If i look at my kids and all the kids they mix with non of them have analogue, they all have digital or fitness watches and they all aspire to an Apple watch! I wonder if this powerful marketing by the current traditional watch brands can really turn the digital generation into users and collectors in the future... just throwing that out there 😀
My 30 year old daughter wears an Apple watch. Much to my surprise, a few months ago she asked me point blank what would happen to my Omega collection after I have departed the Earth. I told her that the collection would go to her and that it would be her choice to sell them or keep them. She said "Dad, you've been wearing that one watch (1976 Speedy Pro) since before I was born. I would never sell it. And I really like those two really old watches (1962 and 1964 Constellations) that you have too - and those will fit me!" I think that the younger generation likes their Apple watches, but also realizes that they'll be in landfills in a few years.
 
Bugbait
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desertwanderer desertwanderer
Do you think in 20-30 years time that analogue watches will still be as sought after by the masses? If i look at my kids and all the kids they mix with non of them have analogue, they all have digital or fitness watches and they all aspire to an Apple watch! I wonder if this powerful marketing by the current traditional watch brands can really turn the digital generation into users and collectors in the future... just throwing that out there 😀

I think the balance will reach an equilibrium soon, if it hasn't already. Those who choose to wear a digital (includes Smart) watch will continue to do so while those that prefer something more traditional (analogue) will do the same, with a bit of back and forth in between. Many of my friends and colleagues that predominately wear a Smart watch currently, previously didn't wear any watches. In many cases they see it as an extension of their mobile phone, e.g. They can do all their health tracking on it and receive messages.
 
STANDY
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YY77 YY77
Where can I send my job application to make €6k nett or more a month?

Nearly everyone on an oil rig is on more than that 😗
 
YY77
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Nearly everyone on an oil rig is on more than that 😗
no thanks, that will ruin my manicure.😁
 
Om3ga321
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desertwanderer desertwanderer
Do you think in 20-30 years time that analogue watches will still be as sought after by the masses? If i look at my kids and all the kids they mix with non of them have analogue, they all have digital or fitness watches and they all aspire to an Apple watch! I wonder if this powerful marketing by the current traditional watch brands can really turn the digital generation into users and collectors in the future... just throwing that out there 😀
I can see the future kids wearing an Apple watch with no available software update.Very useful.
 
zekevfab
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Martin_J_N Martin_J_N
Clearly wages are higher or watches cheaper down under than in the UK.

I had a good job over here not bankeresque salary but well above average, no way could I afford a Rolex or Omega from a months salary, even if I had no other financial commitments.

There is no dispute that if you bought a new Submariner or Seamaster you could happily use it for diving, those Chronographs could still time the cars over a fixed distance or be used to time sections, some even go into orbit.

My point is that for many £6000+ spent on a watch is not going to be viewed as a tool watch, the watch is perfectly capable of fulfilling the role it was designed for it is simply that owners of these watches spend most of the time desk diving or other less demanding activities. In fact I doubt if many luxury dive watches would be plunged into a sink full of water or a rock pool on the beach.

It is this move upmarket that takes away the tool aspect of the watch, sure it will do the job but it’s owner spent a big chunk of their savings on it and they are not going to damage their precious by going diving, whatever next.

I guess that depends on the person indeed. If buying a $6K Omega is a large part of one’s savings, apart from maybe not being the most savvy financial decision, this person may treat the watch with upmost respect, almost as a museum piece.
If the watch is worth 1-2 months salary, then one may choose to use it as a tool a bit more and dive / swim / go to the beach with it. After all, a sub or seamaster is built to last and survive rough environment, and still tick after a lifetime.
 
Martin_J_N
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zekevfab zekevfab
I guess that depends on the person indeed. If buying a $6K Omega is a large part of one’s savings, apart from maybe not being the most savvy financial decision, this person may treat the watch with upmost respect, almost as a museum piece.
If the watch is worth 1-2 months salary, then one may choose to use it as a tool a bit more and dive / swim / go to the beach with it. After all, a sub or seamaster is built to last and survive rough environment, and still tick after a lifetime.

What people choose to do with their savings is not my concern, it is their money and they have saved it so how they spend it is up to them. For many these luxury watches are aspirational purchases, in my case I had one luxury watch for 9 years my Seamaster from 2010, it is a privilege to own it, it is a great watch, it has been looked after but also placed in the face of danger, it has been swimming in the sea and buried in the sand, but it has also been looked after, rinsed off after a day on the beach, serviced and generally treated well, I certainly haven't abused it, I also have a beater from the same period that gets all the nasty jobs, it is scratched to hell.

I understand from being a member of this forum that these watches are built to last but I didn't know this until becoming a member of OF, and not everyone is a member of a watch community, most people are just delighted to own a luxury timepiece and will treat it as a luxury item, so yes it is cosseted and yes it may not get to dive but it will probably get a dip in the pool although some will not allow the watch anywhere near watch, after all it may go rusty.

We are all different, we all have reasons to own these expensive watches and none of them are wrong.
 
Nobel Prize
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3rdstringholder 3rdstringholder
Again, just thought I'd share a couple of funny examples in my meger experience. Certainly don't expect everyone to know reference numbers or every little nuance or function of their timepieces. Not that big of a deal there, buddy. Again, at the risk of repeating myself, just thought some posters might get a kick out out my comments. It's responses like these that make me shy away from posting on what is otherwise a really fun and informative watch forum....I'm out.
I mean, Chill out man!! sorry if I offended you, I wasn't meaning to, just making conversation.
 
Nobel Prize
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kelsey kelsey
I’d agree Tag Heuer was one of the ones to own here in the 90s.
Same here. My first watch was a Tag diver. Still have it around.
 
Nobel Prize
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YY77 YY77
Where can I send my job application to make €6k nett or more a month?
I'm happy to spend 3 or 4 months wages on a watch but that needs to be money on top off a minimum savings threshold.
that's 72 thousand Euro a year. or 81 thousand dollars. There are many many jobs that have meet that salary in the US.
 
YY77
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Nobel Prize Nobel Prize
Same here. My first watch was a Tag diver. Still have it around.
My first Swiss watch was a TH Kirium bought 1999 in my early 20's (€1k). Just liked the sporty look of it over an Ebel at the time, it's now my holiday watch so only worn 3 weeks a year. Spent €400 to get it's first factory service at the end of 2019, which some may think isn't worth it but I do. Don't feel any Rolex would satisfy me over my A11 50SS/TH Carrera.
 
YY77
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that's 72 thousand Euro a year. or 81 thousand dollars. There are many many jobs that have meet that salary in the US.
The 6k is after taxes so would be 100k plus gross. In NL median salary a year before taxes is 36k a year, so 72k If you earn 2 times the median with a normal deskjob.
Edited:
 
Dan S
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YY77 YY77
Where can I send my job application to make €6k nett or more a month?
I'm happy to spend 3 or 4 months wages on a watch but that needs to be money on top off a minimum savings threshold.

Spending a month's income on a watch is a pretty aggressive, and probably a good way to calibrate across different people's means. Spending 3-4 months income on a watch seems a bit reckless, unless for some reason you happen to have a very large net worth relative to your income. I recently saw my absolute grail watch for sale, with an asking price of about 3 months income, and even though it's an incredibly rare piece, I really didn't even give it serious consideration. That's just too much for me to spend.

In the 45-54 age bracket, the median net worth is less than 2x the median annual income. So spending 3-4 months salary could amount to having 12-16% of ones entire net worth in that single watch, which is just stupid. In fact, if my entire collection of watches comprised 15% of my net worth, it would make me very nervous.

YY77 YY77
The 6k is after taxes so would be 100k plus gross. In NL median salary a year before taxes is 36k a year, so 54k If you earn 1.5 times the median with a normal deskjob.

People at the median income level (or even 1.5x the median) are not typically buying luxury watches.
Edited:
 
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