Radar-GMT2
17 October 2008, 08:35 AM
Hi all, I am a neby so hope this is ok here
I am new to Rolex as a brand I have however had a weakness for wristwatches for 20 years and have a varied collection so I dont know why it took me so long to buy a Rolex perhaps I thought I could not afford it (yet I have quite a number of watches over 2K so they are close to Rolex prices.
Anyway on September 21 st 2008 I bought on impulse a Rolex GMT2 50th anniversary model with the green 24 hr hand. Cost £3600 paid- full price.
It was a bit of an impulse buy I went into the jewellers for something else and decided to take a look while I was there.
I have worn it almost continually for 6 weeks except when I shower as I don't want to gum it all up with soap etc and have to try and clean the bracelet in all its nooks and crannys espescially the clasp area.
I like the bracelet design and love the clasp which is the best I have ever owned on a s/s braceleted watch. However the polished centre links ...well the jurys out still. I like the contrast but boy do they and the clasp for that matter scratch easily. The main bugbear I don't like is the shoulders of the case where the bracelet meets the case on the underside of the case the shoulders area very flat and quite sharp point. Now in everyday wear they have not dug into my wrists at all however if you take off the watch and feel the area where the bracelet meets the watch case it's pretty damn sharp and not at all finished or rounded ? it's like Rolex overlooked that detail when they stamp out the case. Contrast that with the same area on my Omega seamaster chronometer (automatic version) where this edge has been rounded slightly or "chamferred" much better in my opinion.
The watch is accurate to about 1 min a week +/- and it as you all know beautiful to look at I love the ceramic bezel very cool and a good move forward in my books over the older materials.
I must say I was definitely disappointed with my Rolex buy at first. I kind of hoped for a great leap forward in quality feel or design or performance but that is simply not the case my Omega Seamaster which cost a full 60 % less is in my humble opinion just as capable just as good a watch as my gmt2 on most parameters looks aside (which is always a subjective viewpoint) I have had my Omega 10 years and it still looks brand new and still keeps excellent time and has not had a single service yet ! the Rolex certainly shows more scratches to the bracelet after only 6 weeks !.
All of this is of course relevant to one's viewpoint I must say the intangibles come into play quite a lot with Rolex ...these are I like wearing a Rolex , I like the kudos of the watch brand it makes me feel good to wear it , it certainly is absolutely the pinnacle of classic design for a sports watch I am not easily influenced by brand image etc .....or am I ? because despite my misgivings above this watch it gives me those intangibles more so than my many other good quality reasonably expensive wristwatches ?? how bizarre is that ?.
Finally...
I do not baby this or any of my other watches I wear them during all activities so they do get a lot of wear other than dress ocassions or weddings lol.I think to many people become obsessed with not scratching and having a perfect out of the box showroom watch it's such a shame they are a tool for telling the time , its almost a sin to not use them FULLY in everyday life for just that job !.
Finally finally...
these are watches that look great with a bit of wear on them and even after decades of wear and use can be brought back to near mint condition by the Rolex service centres...so people wear them hard wear them freely...that's exactly what they were made for ...
Radar
I am new to Rolex as a brand I have however had a weakness for wristwatches for 20 years and have a varied collection so I dont know why it took me so long to buy a Rolex perhaps I thought I could not afford it (yet I have quite a number of watches over 2K so they are close to Rolex prices.
Anyway on September 21 st 2008 I bought on impulse a Rolex GMT2 50th anniversary model with the green 24 hr hand. Cost £3600 paid- full price.
It was a bit of an impulse buy I went into the jewellers for something else and decided to take a look while I was there.
I have worn it almost continually for 6 weeks except when I shower as I don't want to gum it all up with soap etc and have to try and clean the bracelet in all its nooks and crannys espescially the clasp area.
I like the bracelet design and love the clasp which is the best I have ever owned on a s/s braceleted watch. However the polished centre links ...well the jurys out still. I like the contrast but boy do they and the clasp for that matter scratch easily. The main bugbear I don't like is the shoulders of the case where the bracelet meets the case on the underside of the case the shoulders area very flat and quite sharp point. Now in everyday wear they have not dug into my wrists at all however if you take off the watch and feel the area where the bracelet meets the watch case it's pretty damn sharp and not at all finished or rounded ? it's like Rolex overlooked that detail when they stamp out the case. Contrast that with the same area on my Omega seamaster chronometer (automatic version) where this edge has been rounded slightly or "chamferred" much better in my opinion.
The watch is accurate to about 1 min a week +/- and it as you all know beautiful to look at I love the ceramic bezel very cool and a good move forward in my books over the older materials.
I must say I was definitely disappointed with my Rolex buy at first. I kind of hoped for a great leap forward in quality feel or design or performance but that is simply not the case my Omega Seamaster which cost a full 60 % less is in my humble opinion just as capable just as good a watch as my gmt2 on most parameters looks aside (which is always a subjective viewpoint) I have had my Omega 10 years and it still looks brand new and still keeps excellent time and has not had a single service yet ! the Rolex certainly shows more scratches to the bracelet after only 6 weeks !.
All of this is of course relevant to one's viewpoint I must say the intangibles come into play quite a lot with Rolex ...these are I like wearing a Rolex , I like the kudos of the watch brand it makes me feel good to wear it , it certainly is absolutely the pinnacle of classic design for a sports watch I am not easily influenced by brand image etc .....or am I ? because despite my misgivings above this watch it gives me those intangibles more so than my many other good quality reasonably expensive wristwatches ?? how bizarre is that ?.
Finally...
I do not baby this or any of my other watches I wear them during all activities so they do get a lot of wear other than dress ocassions or weddings lol.I think to many people become obsessed with not scratching and having a perfect out of the box showroom watch it's such a shame they are a tool for telling the time , its almost a sin to not use them FULLY in everyday life for just that job !.
Finally finally...
these are watches that look great with a bit of wear on them and even after decades of wear and use can be brought back to near mint condition by the Rolex service centres...so people wear them hard wear them freely...that's exactly what they were made for ...
Radar