The future of Omega vs. Rolex

STANDY

Today, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sir Edmund Hillary wore to the summit of Mount Everest can be viewed on display in a Zürich museum. The Smiths De Luxe worn by Hillary is on display at the Clockmaker’s Company Museum in London, England.

When Hillary reached the summit of Everest in 1953, he did so carrying Smiths instruments and, by his own admission, a Smiths De Luxe watch.😗

STANDY

While Edmund Hillary did, in fact, take his Rolex Oyster Perpetual during the 1953 expedition, it has been verified with various sources, including an account from the man himself, that he left his Rolex back at the base camp before making his ascent up the final stretch. So, no, Rolex made it close to the summit, but not on it. And yes, to reiterate, that honour belongs to Smiths.

However, the Smiths watch was a personal possession of Hillary, and compared to the widely publicised relationship of Rolex - an official sponsor - and the Everest expeditions, Smiths was largely forgettable. Even with their advertisement bearing an endorsement from Hillary, it was quickly piled under a series of extremely clever campaigns by Rolex.

Martin_J_N

Rolex, the masters of marketing, product placement and self promotion, there's no arguing they are bloody good at it.

SpeedyPhill

indeed... and they don't needed photoshop 😁
https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-speedmaster-spaceflight-ads-marketing-defectum.111213/

YY77

Incredible, seems you were at the right time right place to pay your way through college (don't think a lot of students are in such a position) and have a lot of memorable moments because of that job.

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 😀

STANDY

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/
( make sure you read the whole thread as it goes to the next service after the first one )

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.

gbesq

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.

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.

gostang9

Rolex owners aren't the only ones not as well versed in watch lingo as the typical WIS. Many objects for purchase have functionality beyond the comprehension and awareness of a typical user. My neighbor works in IT for the local university, whenever I mention a computer issue to him, he'll ask what model I have and what processor, RAM, etc it has. I have no clue... I saw a laptop at the store, and I bought it. I'm not an IT pro, not interested in computers like some are. Doesn't mean I shouldn't own them if I can afford them...


First thread I started some years ago...

STANDY

Many generations on here, and many walks of life.
Here you could be talking to someone young with a family and a mortgage or someone 50 without a mortgage with a high paying job. At different stages of life many do or don’t have disposable income.
In Australia and some countries your superannuation comes out of your wages so you don’t have to save for retirement as much as others In countries that don’t have the same system.

So for some a new watch is saving for months and others it’s a swipe of a card. 😉

Dan S

Yes, admittedly I'm not familiar with the details of how things work in other countries. It seems like the other member was suggesting that the government will provide funds for his retirement. We also pay into tax deferred retirement funds in the US, but retirement wages are not guaranteed; it depends on how the investments do.

But hopefully you and I agree that having assets is still a good idea. Or perhaps I am just expressing myself very badly, because the issue of social services vs retirement wages was definitely not my main point.