elliot55
2886
Hey Ping, This Is A Great Topic And ...
.... quite thought provoking.
I believe those who poo-poo this venerable brand are hiding their Rolex love in the closet. My first real watch was a Submariner I bought for myself when I was 22 with money won at the craps table. Through the years I have also had a "Coke Bezel" GMT, vintage Milgauss (left to me by an uncle who was a Livermore Labs scientist), a modern day Milgauss with green crystal, and an almost brand new GMT with ceramic bezel (bought it six months ago). As I began to collect other brands, such as JLC, Omega, Panerai, IWC, et al, I realized Rolex has a very special cult status amongst anyone who is looking to purchase a true Swiss luxury item. As you postulate in your post, a well recognized name brand and reputation can certainly make up for a brand's shortcomings. The Opus juxtaposition is spot on. But we have to face one very important fact: Rolex quality is unparalleled. While there is always a chance that $300 bottle of Opus could be vinegar, such is not the case with a Rolex. Boring as they may be, a Rolex is a marvel of engineering - almost perfect from top to bottom and never vinegar.
I've heard as many of my watch collecting friends say they will never own a Rolex as those that own several. Fact of the matter is: Mad Cult Status=Worldwide Currency. Many of my friends will come to me with questions about what watch to purchase and ultimately Rolex always enters the conversation. You can buy a brand new Rolex in the eight grand range, and if you were stuck somewhere in the world someone would be willing to give you six grand for it. And you can buy a Patek Philippe in the thirty-five-thousand dollar range and if you were stuck somewhere in the world someone would be willing to give you six grand for it. Unlike any other watch in the world, a Rolex is currency, and no other brand can touch it. There are many other beautiful watches in my collection, but when I travel there's a Rolex on my wrist.
- Scott
Rolex Perception & Why Some PuristS Will Never Buy One
Rolex Perception & Why Some PuristS Will Never Buy One If you pull any person off the street or start up a conversation with the fellow passenger sitting next to you on the plane, and ask him what he thinks the best watch is, more than likely, the answer ...
Great article with fabulous title :)
Thank you for another marvelous coverage from amazing series what we can call PPro Proudly Presents - Tonight Show with Ping ;) Sincerely Damjan
Little bit of a pity !.. Despite all, that was said : there are rarely things with a...
" A better Bang for the Buck " !! And believe me, usually there is always one for everybody ! Vintage vs modern - that is another Q ! Best, my friend ! hs
Mass produce...
Looking at the figure release by COSC a few years back before they stopped releasing the actual figure now, why pay so much for something that everyone is wearing, from rich kids to senior. Can there be much human touch if its produced like near to a mill...
Great read and interesting point, Ping! :)
I know where I started.... That is not where I am now! ;) Best Blomman
What an ode to Rolex Watches!
There is a paradox with Rolex watches, which may explain that you can Wonder IF Purists will buy a Rolex. The paradox lies in the fact that: - You can't sum horology to Rolex. Those who do that don't know anything about watches, to say it are sometimes i...
Good one
I totally agree, and you know, some are saying about modern Patek now too, that they aren't really the best watches, just have the perception of being the best watches. In parts of Asia, buying GF (starting around 300k) is now the ticket to "elite" club, ...
Very interesting
...I think it will always be a part of it when luxury products, history and marketing are factors. I'm just amazed by Patek's "You don't own a Patek, you just hold on to it for the next generation." or something like that. Really? After spending all that ...
Great post &
a perspective shared by many; albeit, rightly or wrongly, is debateable.... In my case, more so when I travel, I leave my PP/AP behind & wear my Rolex, trusting it's reliability & knowing it will withstand the knocks of travel. It always has. Best...
Great article but...
..it appears at least one of the interviewees simply does not know very much about Rolex (this is obvious from his answers) and harbors a rather strong prejudice against them (which detracts greatly from any broader meaning of what he says). "They all loo...
Thanks for the suggestion...
...I will definitely keep that in mind for the next article. :) There were absolutely no negative intentions toward Rolex fans...maybe some good back and forth conversation but no trolling for sure. Thank you for reading and for your comments.
**Note from the author...
I'd like to add that this article was not written with any negative intentions toward Rolex fans whatsoever. It was simply to provide one perspective and create some good conversation among the community. My father had a Rolex, after working and still wor...
Nice post....
....as ever, I would guess the world of Rolex buyers is stratified into a large number of "types". You clearly identify some of those types in the article. I meet plenty of people who like watches but wouldn't have a clue about the vintage Rolex on my wri...
Hey Ping, This Is A Great Topic And ...
.... quite thought provoking. I believe those who poo-poo this venerable brand are hiding their Rolex love in the closet. My first real watch was a Submariner I bought for myself when I was 22 with money won at the craps table. Through the years I have al...
I never thought I'd buy one myself for the usual reasons stated in your post...
but after having succumbed to its iconic albeit "common" charm, i realized that it has become a personal benchmark for value in however which way a watch enthusiast would want to define it. the mere fact that it's arguably the most hated watch brand speak...
Nice article, Ping ! . Sometimes human behaviour is a multi-facetted result..And often..
.. depending a bit on how narrow/ wide you want to define the term "Purist".. Again, not my primary brand , as a Purist also, but I like Rolex ( Vintage a bit more) & I buy them. Plus I do like them .. A lot !! - This since 1977, when a simple Rolex Date,...
What would it be if you loved Rolex! :)))
When I see your ever growing collection of Rolexes, I start to Wonder what it would be if you loved Rolex! :) :) :) All the best, my dear friend. Nicolas
Well, luckily I have a Master to follow in Dr Mamadu.. And I learn also by good friends !
.. And having said so, I have to confess.. It's a lot of fun, sometimes a bit expensive, but still very good fun !.. Only damned thing this year will be, to postpone the Duomètre Project, so I'm hoping for other " little" joys.. Best, my friend, hs ;) ;) ...
Well, I'm silently working on 1- 2 things.. But still needs luck and wise decisions! ;))
.. Thx for the kind encouragement, my good friend ! So many options, including some traps, but I try to do my homework better over time ! Interesting indeed, at times !... ;)) So, young Padawan is always grateful for Jedi's advice and Dr Mamadu's judgemen...
reliable, but not interesting?
i don't own a rolex, but there are some that i like very much. the cellini prince never seems to get its due, but it is beautiful to my eye. my thing with watches is getting something that is a little less obvious. so often, people seem to buy rolex to an...
Well known for public , but..
Have to agree it`s common and well known brand for the public and good resale value and easy available service. But , it`s like mercedes compared to Rolls Royce when you compare it to Vacheron Constantain or Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet.
i never really cared for Rolex.
It is as you've said that many people think/perceive (and believe) that Rolex is the epitome of watches. They represent a type of "status" therefore they are very common on many wrists of all walks of life. It's not a bad thing by any means, especially fo...
Great response and position which i share with you.
Buy what you love. If it happens to be a Rolex it is what is. At the same time i also feel that aspiring to be a Rolex owner is great too. The quality stands on its own two feet. At the end of the day there will always be Rolex haters for whatever reasons...
Agreed! :-)
There will always be haters. I wasn't so much of a hater of the brand itself. I just didn't want to wear what everyone else was wearing ~ until I found a model I liked and tried it! And I think that is the key. Let it touch your skin, rest on your wrist. ...
Blogs responds
I made a new post for this, but thought I would tag on this thread as well. An interesting, inside-look at Rolex by Ben Clymer: Cheers, Matt
Very interesting...
Thank you for sharing this. It's funny, because I know, we all know that many people LOVE Rolex and there is nothing wrong with that. There's little not to love. I just wanted to hear from the few people who didn't share the same love and find out why. Th...
I missed this post initially, but I will add my 0.02cents!
Rolex is a strange creature. When I first started off in horology, it was ABR (anything but Rolex!!!), as I felt that it was the easy choice, and tbh, it felt like it was the choice of the non WIS... Poeple bought rolexes to 'tick the box', not because of...
My 2 cents
When you hear the name "Rolex" mentioned what is the first word or words that come to your mind? Wristwatch Do you see a difference between vintage and modern Rolex? To you - what is the difference and which is better? Huge difference. The vintage Rolex a...
Thank you ciaca for your 2 cents! It's always appreciated and welcomed. :)
I like the simplicity and directness of your answers. That's what it should always be about and be like, just what you like. Thanks again.
Great article, enjoyed but...
I would have liked it to carry on more and hear even more viewpoints and discussion!
I liked your post a lot, and Purists' answers even more :)
Another very well written post Ping, i'm glad it came out again. As I said in my title, I liked your post but I took great pleasure and interest in reading the answers bringing knowledge to myself as I'm not a Rolex connoisseur really. In fact, before I g...
I felt the same way...
PPro and the members here have definitely raised my level of appreciation for Rolex watches. I totally get the vintage appeal. It's interesting that our perception can sometimes be so influenced by what we are exposed to. But it is nice that it is not sta...