Rolex- the stupidest, lamest company

[Jim Golden]

This is kind of crazy. I went into a Rolex dealer on Maui and he had tons of watches...but I didn't know you couldn't actually buy one. I have a Breitling Super Ocean that I like a lot. I simply ordered it from a registered and verified shop. No fuss, no muss. Wear it every day. I like the Submariner, but it's almost twice the cost.... The Breitling passed the COSC stuff. I'm happy with it.

 

[VertigoBE]

I like nice things - just never been into watches . When I lived and worked in Asia over 30 years ago every second person had a gold Rolex ( often bejeweled ) . Put me off Rolex for life. A decision between a Rolex and a Rigby or Westley Richards rifle ? No contest a rifle will win every time .

The same for me, every time I get the urge to splurge on a nice fancy watch (my poison is IWC), I see another custom built gun and that one gets the nod instead

 

[Altitude sickness]

If you want a truly limited production, quality dive style watch. And support a veteran owned company. My favorite.

Resco Instruments

SEAL owned watch company making timepieces designed for high performance and high class from downrange to downtown

rescoinstruments.com

 

[Luvthunt]

Have not worn a watch in 10 years. Cell phone does it all and then some

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

SOURDOUGH: That’s what I’m going through Now with Caesar Guerini trying to get a Summit Sporting 12ga, 32” barrels in Left Hand….hope I live long enough for them to make a few because no dealer will ever order one.
Also, if you want a watch with a well known Brand Name that ends with an “X” - get a ”Timex” - they are accurate, sold in Walmart, waterproof….at least for the year or two before they stop working

I would rather get mugged than go into a Walmart.

 

[AZDAVE]

They will sell you a nice rolex on street corners in NYC. Just saying

 

[Altitude sickness]

Is this your guy Dave ?

 

[AZDAVE]

Thats him but he didn't have any Timex Iron man watches. Have been using them since 1984.

 

[Macduff]

Rolex has to be the stupidest, lamest company I've ever dealt with. I want a specific Rolex for the wife. The conversation has gone like this:

[Big Rolex dealer in Boston] "I can neither confirm nor deny that we have that particular watch in stock," [he actually said that] "You'll have to come to our store in Boston to see if we have it." [WTF? He knows I'm in Louisiana. Okay so I'll try a Rolex dealer in NOLA, one that is part of a network of stores] "Very nice watch. We don't have it and neither do our other stores. we can request one from Rolex, it will take two to three weeks to respond whether they are wiling to make it or not, and if so when they will make it. Probably take four months or so if they decide to make it." [Double WTF. This is a watch Rolex currently lists on their website and they might not make it. That's crazy. And three other dealers essentially said the same thing. Rolex has to be the stupidest, lamest company I've ever dealt with.]

Glad I've never given Rolex any of my money, and never will. Oh, btw, I wear a Garmin Tactix Delta all the time, including when I'm hunting.

It's been said but I'd go with a grey market dealer on something like this.

The market for Rolexes has changed significantly in the last 6-12 months. The Rolex price index on WatchCharts has dropped by over 1/3 over the last year. ADs should have adjusted but many are still playing on the fact that most buyers don't keep track of the market.

18 months ago, buyers would buy a new, desirable piece from an AD and then immediately flip it for a nice profit. That's not really possible for most pieces anymore.

I say all this, wearing an '83 Sub that I inherited. I haven't bought new and unless it's a very specific piece, I doubt that I will.

 

[YancyW]

Yeah every watch in a dealer is for display only....friend back where I come from has top end jewelry shop...sells the top end watches as well....we bought a few rolexes over the years....but the days of walking in and buying one are long gone....when was back there last Aug I picked up my breitling as it had to go back to factory for full rebuild...including new strap glass etc...got back basically new watch....so gave it to my son for his bday...he likes watches ....when I was in was talking to my friend....said quite fancy new watch....asked about the titanium daytona....he looked at me and said not a chance...rocking horse shit....asked bout gold daytona..said nope....as we not bought for long time we don't have credits basically....rolex is big money for them, and he has had to buy or rent a whole new shop opposite their existing one to put a in a rolex showroom, even though none of the watches on display will be for sale....they told him if he didn't he would lose his rolex franchise...and his family has been selling them for decades....he said got some nice chopard and cartier ....tudor ..pannerai...plus other makes...including patek phillipe I could have walked out with....but not a rolex...could tell he was bit embarrassed as we went to school together ,and my mother used to buy a lot of stuff form then....but out of his hands...and massive long wait lists ...

Rolex Daytona 16528 White Dial

Model Name/Number: Daytona ref 16528 Serial: X506XXX Year: 1991 Gender: Men's Movement: Automatic 4030 Zenith movement Case: 18k yellow gold (40mm) w/ engraved tachymeter bezel and scratch resistant sapphire crystal Dial: White w/ luminous service hands and Tritium Index hour...

www.bobswatches.com

That is a great deal, zero spread in price from new.

 

[Altitude sickness]

AZDave, the Timex Expedition is a great Field watch. If it didn’t have timex on the face. It could be sold for $300. it’s that good of value.

My favorite every day is Luminox. I have 3 different models. No one cares to roll me to steal them either.

 

[roverandbrew]

I recently purchased a Tudor Black Bay because of the exact same issue with Rolex. Lots of my friends have shifted from Rolex to Tudor. Tudor will and is making watches for certain organizations upon request. A good daily wear dive watch is the Royal Navy dive watch by Cabot Watch Company. It replaced Rolex in the 80s.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Some of us were issued Tudor Oysters in the Navy in the early 80s

 

[Shako Badhan]

Funny this thread should pop up now, only recently started looking at getting a good watch. I spent a lot of time yesterday at a watch dealer trying on second hand Rolex and new Omega. I really like the no date submariner and the explorer, but don’t really see what you’re getting in some regards.

I really couldn’t bring myself to pay more than double what the Omega costs for a second hand watch, which at least on paper is not as good.

 

[Daisy]

Guys. Rolex is the Winchester model 70 CRF of luxury watches. It’s the entry point but well made in a factory. It is not the rigby highland stalker.

That said, they are bullet proof and hold value as well as any hobby purchase. If you like model 70, then you should like Rolex sub.

 

[Randy F]

A Rolex Submariner is an excellent example of pricing because it's been around for so long. I'm guessing there is a pretty good chance that when you got your Submariner there were only three digits in the price before getting to the quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. Things have changed a bit but the watch you have is sure to be an incredible piece.

I said earlier in this thread..."There are many reasons my wife and I have been an Omega family for more than 30 years. This is just one of them." Quality was never one of the reasons.

Rolex makes a very durable movement and do in house accuracy testing that rivals CSOC Swiss chronometer accuracy certification. They are indeed a very good timepiece. How they are treating potential customers has changed significantly over the past 10 to 15 years because of demand. As consumers, we get to decide what brands we support by buying them or not. Ultimately we (the public in general) have enabled Rolex to behave in this manner and until there is a recalibration, it's unlikely to change in the near future.

Here is a breakdown by model of Rolex Pricing over the years. You can do your own calculations for what that money means once it's been adjusted for inflation.

Rolex Price Evolution

Yikes. They’re “worth” more than my wrist!

 

[Daisy]

Funny this thread should pop up now, only recently started looking at getting a good watch. I spent a lot of time yesterday at a watch dealer trying on second hand Rolex and new Omega. I really like the no date submariner and the explorer, but don’t really see what you’re getting in some regards.

I really couldn’t bring myself to pay more than double what the Omega costs for a second hand watch, which at least on paper is not as good.

Omega will be worth half what you pay for it moment you leave store. Rolex will sell for same the next day, and at a profit in 3-5 years

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have never understood the attraction. Just a watch. I don't think they're particularly attractive and certainly not any more attractive than Seiko or Citizen ... and I wouldn't own one of those either. If buying certain brands of luxury shit is what it takes to project importance and power, I'm happy to appear to be one of the unwashed masses. I can find ways of being "exceptional" without caving in to idiot consumer marketing strategies. Many gifts to my late wife were pieces of wrecked, painted, broken antique furniture that we picked up for next to nothing and restored for her with my own hands. That meant a lot to her. I once bought her a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring for her birthday (shop was going out of business). I'm not sure she ever wore it. But she did wear her plain Jane wedding band every day and everywhere. That's it.

 

[Alistair]

Funny this thread should pop up now, only recently started looking at getting a good watch. I spent a lot of time yesterday at a watch dealer trying on second hand Rolex and new Omega. I really like the no date submariner and the explorer, but don’t really see what you’re getting in some regards.

I really couldn’t bring myself to pay more than double what the Omega costs for a second hand watch, which at least on paper is not as good.

My take as a Rolex and Omega owner.

Omega makes watches that are at least as good as Rolex, if not marginally better. Similar quality of construction, similar if not better movements, similar if not better accuracy, equivalently good case design (excepting maybe the Submariner which is arguably a little better in some technical respects than my Planet Ocean), better history to the brand.

However, Rolex has far more brand cache. If you buy an Omega, sooner or later, some random is going to come up to you with "Nice watch man, is it a Rolex?"

If you value that is a personal decision. It doesn't make them objectively any better, but it's there. Rolex charges you somewhere from $6-60k in premiums over equivalent specification Omegas for that fact. Good value? Not to me really, but a personal choice.

Resale is possibly better on a Rolex, or has been historically, but the last 12 months have demonstrated that this isn't a certainty, and if you're buying the watch to own and enjoy, not to flip, then it's basically irrelevant anyway.

I would buy, or at least consider Rolex IF they don't mess you around with the purchase experience. With the current state of affairs my advice is simple, fuck those guys and go to Omega, at least they treat you with respect.

 

[fourfive8]

I have never understood the attraction. Just a watch. I don't think they're particularly attractive and certainly not any more attractive than Seiko or Citizen ... and I wouldn't own one of those either. If buying certain brands of luxury shit is what it takes to project importance and power, I'm happy to appear to be one of the unwashed masses. I can find ways of being "exceptional" without caving in to idiot consumer marketing strategies. Many gifts to my late wife were pieces of wrecked, painted, broken antique furniture that we picked up for next to nothing and restored for her with my own hands. That meant a lot to her. I once bought her a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring for her birthday (shop was going out of business). I'm not sure she ever wore it. But she did wear her plain Jane wedding band every day and everywhere. That's it.

You nailed it exactly. Couldn’t agree more! @Ontario Hunter. Very wise…
This is my watch when I need to wear one for travel or for iPhone back up. Cheapo but reliable analog Casio with aftermarket nylon fabric, one piece, Velcro band