Were Rolexes really more affordable in the good old days?

[r_afficionado]

Originally Posted by Joemck

Thank you for your story. I’ve always appreciated your insight over the years. I just lost my father after bringing him thru surgery, ICU and rehab only to loose him to an infection. He was 82, former army and a union plumber. The pain is still raw & the hole in my life palpable. Appreciate your sharing.

I am so sorry for your loss. May God bring your father's soul to his glory. God Bless you and your family. In my prayers.

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[r_afficionado]

Originally Posted by LoveTheCrown

Funny you should mention an Accutron. I’m very fortunate in that I’m 54 and still have both my parents. I was at dinner with my parents last weekend and my Dad and I were talking when I suddenly remembered a watch he had when I was a small boy. It was (as he told me) a Bulova Accutron. The one where you could see all the ‘guts’ when looking at it. As a boy it mesmerized me because (this was the time when the Bionic Man was the most popular tv show and I was a huge fan, running around the playground in slow motion and making that sound as I moved) it looked like a cyborg. I asked my Dad what happened to it and he told me the it was stolen by a workman one day who was at the house doing some repairs. We then began a trip down memory lane. My Dad is older and has been battling cancer for a few years and I could see a twinkle in his eye as he recalled those younger years. So after dinner I was on a mission. I located someone in Michigan with the same model (doing this from memory), purchased it and had it shipped to my father’s house. He received it this last Wednesday and was blown away. My Mom told me he was crying he was so happy. I cannot tell you how happy I was to be able to do this. Never take anyone for granted and never miss an opportunity to tell your parents you love them. Don’t assume they know; we don’t know how many days we all have left with them. And here’s a picture of the watch on dads wrist.


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Dude! This made my eyes leak a bit. Great gift to a father who did something right. God bless you both! Time is truly a precious gift!

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[brandrea]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well today IMHO Rolex are no longer watches to be bought and enjoyed now by many little more than £££££$$$$.But today most all could buy a Rolex watch if they wanted too.But back in my days, and my Fathers days it was a lot harder to do.

I have a very special Rolex now my Father was fascinated with watches and
I can thank him I suppose for the watch bug.Now I can always remember,when I was quite a young lad, my Dad saying one day he will have a Rolex.Now myself at the time, had no idea what a Rolex was,my Dad saved hard and had about 3 other jobs eventually in 1980 he bought a Daytona 6263 for around £750 but not 100% sure, he wanted a Sub but the Daytona was cheaper and they gave him a £25 discount.At the time this watch, was quite a bit cheaper, than the other sports range,but still a lot of money.He was very proud of this watch,and it was only worn on special occasions.Dad was always a hard worker but suffered with ill health for most of his short life.Dad had 14 brothers and two sisters,a very large and close nit family.Now this 6263 is not a watch to me, its part of my Dad,and coming close, to his passing anniversary, thought I would share a part of his life with you all.Now thats what should be owning a Rolex today its not all about £££$$$$.

My Father was a miner for almost 40 years,but alas he died at the age of nearly 56 years.He suffered with his heart and chest after WW11 he lied about his age he was just 16 not quite 17,and although a collier,in then a reserved occupation.He joined the navy and was on aircraft carriers HMS Furious and HMS Glorious.Now the Glorious was attacked by the German battle-cruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and a direct hit in her magazine,caused her to sink.Out of a compliment of of around 1500 men there were only 39 recorded survivors.My Father was reported missing,presumed killed in action.But was picked up by a Norwegian fishing boat, after being in the sea for almost many hours.And with out a shadow of a doubt that experience, and 35 odd years in the mines after WW11 helped shorten his life.My Dad was a very strict, but fair, private man and did not complain about his illnesses.When he died, it was just like I lost my best friend,and now myself in the mid 70s, I still miss him.And in the 6263 a small part of him lives on,this watch is very special to me,and would never part with it.

A very worthy thread bump.
Peter and thanks as always for keeping it real.

EDIT: please post a picture of your (dad’s) beauty Daytona.

[Gazoak]

In the UK, the list price of my 16710 GMTII in 2002 was £2350 and were reasonably readily available. Today with inflation that equates to £3848. The current equivalent watch is £7750 so more than double the price. The only caviat is that the GMT today is better engineered, particularly the bracelet and cerachrom bezel insert. So the answer is a definite YES!

[brandrea]

A lot depends on your income IMO.

Back in 1992 I bought a SD16600 and it was about 10% of my total income. In 2017 I bought a 126600 SD and voila ... it was about 10% of my total income.

[Gazoak]

I think my GMT was about 20% of my total income. I would imagine your income pro-rata has gone up a lot in almost 30 years so I think they have gone up disproportionally in real terms.

[Juan Luis]

I got to see in the watch store windows, steel Rolex Daytona's at the exorbitant price of $1000.00 c. 1976.

[Gazoak]

Originally Posted by Juan Luis

I got to see in the watch store windows, steel Rolex Daytona's at the exorbitant price of $1000.00 c. 1976.

Wow! If only you had a crystal ball?

[garyk]

In 1979, a new Submariner from my wife cost a discounted $700. I think MSRP might have been in the upper $800 range. My Dad bought a 78 Cadillac for I think $12,000. So I guess allowing for inflation and 2020 value as a comparison, how do these compare?

[garyk]

Originally Posted by r_afficionado

Dude! This made my eyes leak a bit. Great gift to a father who did something right. God bless you both! Time is truly a precious gift!

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Very cool. I still have my 65 Bulova Astronaut.

[aleeboy]

I paid USD7,300 for my Rolex Submariner about 7 years ago.

Have no idea what they cost now, but I would not even consider a Rolex anymore after they allowed the market to blow out to these proportions.

[Chas58]

Yes, rolex prices have increased far more than inflation. I first priced a new Submariner for $250.

When I was first shopping for a Suby it was 4 months earnings with my paper route, or $250 for a Submariner (mid ‘70s). Back then it was a tool watch as quartz was just coming on the scene. Today, I find it hard to believe I was shopping for a new Sub for $250, but that is what they were selling for back then. With inflation that would be a $1000 watch today. Obviously it doesn’t cost $1000.

With the advent of quartz, I bought a nice quartz seiko diver which was more accurate than the Rolex and cost less than half! ;-)

In the early 1970s, Rolex was a great tool watch. Then the quartz crisis hit, and anyone could buy a cheap watch with better accuracy than a Rolex. So, Rolex went luxury, and here we are now…

[Number3]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well today IMHO Rolex are no longer watches to be bought and enjoyed now by many little more than £££££$$$$.But today most all could buy a Rolex watch if they wanted too.But back in my days, and my Fathers days it was a lot harder to do.

I have a very special Rolex now my Father was fascinated with watches and
I can thank him I suppose for the watch bug.Now I can always remember,when I was quite a young lad, my Dad saying one day he will have a Rolex.Now myself at the time, had no idea what a Rolex was,my Dad saved hard and had about 3 other jobs eventually in 1980 he bought a Daytona 6263 for around £750 but not 100% sure, he wanted a Sub but the Daytona was cheaper and they gave him a £25 discount.At the time this watch, was quite a bit cheaper, than the other sports range,but still a lot of money.He was very proud of this watch,and it was only worn on special occasions.Dad was always a hard worker but suffered with ill health for most of his short life.Dad had 14 brothers and two sisters,a very large and close nit family.Now this 6263 is not a watch to me, its part of my Dad,and coming close, to his passing anniversary, thought I would share a part of his life with you all.Now thats what should be owning a Rolex today its not all about £££$$$$.

My Father was a miner for almost 40 years,but alas he died at the age of nearly 56 years.He suffered with his heart and chest after WW11 he lied about his age he was just 16 not quite 17,and although a collier,in then a reserved occupation.He joined the navy and was on aircraft carriers HMS Furious and HMS Glorious.Now the Glorious was attacked by the German battle-cruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and a direct hit in her magazine,caused her to sink.Out of a compliment of of around 1500 men there were only 39 recorded survivors.My Father was reported missing,presumed killed in action.But was picked up by a Norwegian fishing boat, after being in the sea for almost many hours.And with out a shadow of a doubt that experience, and 35 odd years in the mines after WW11 helped shorten his life.My Dad was a very strict, but fair, private man and did not complain about his illnesses.When he died, it was just like I lost my best friend,and now myself in the mid 70s, I still miss him.And in the 6263 a small part of him lives on,this watch is very special to me,and would never part with it.

His life may have been shorter than it should have been but it was certainly well lived. I would love to see a picture of the 6263.

[Bybybmw]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well today IMHO Rolex are no longer watches to be bought and enjoyed now by many little more than £££££$$$$.But today most all could buy a Rolex watch if they wanted too.But back in my days, and my Fathers days it was a lot harder to do.

I have a very special Rolex now my Father was fascinated with watches and
I can thank him I suppose for the watch bug.Now I can always remember,when I was quite a young lad, my Dad saying one day he will have a Rolex.Now myself at the time, had no idea what a Rolex was,my Dad saved hard and had about 3 other jobs eventually in 1980 he bought a Daytona 6263 for around £750 but not 100% sure, he wanted a Sub but the Daytona was cheaper and they gave him a £25 discount.At the time this watch, was quite a bit cheaper, than the other sports range,but still a lot of money.He was very proud of this watch,and it was only worn on special occasions.Dad was always a hard worker but suffered with ill health for most of his short life.Dad had 14 brothers and two sisters,a very large and close nit family.Now this 6263 is not a watch to me, its part of my Dad,and coming close, to his passing anniversary, thought I would share a part of his life with you all.Now thats what should be owning a Rolex today its not all about £££$$$$.

My Father was a miner for almost 40 years,but alas he died at the age of nearly 56 years.He suffered with his heart and chest after WW11 he lied about his age he was just 16 not quite 17,and although a collier,in then a reserved occupation.He joined the navy and was on aircraft carriers HMS Furious and HMS Glorious.Now the Glorious was attacked by the German battle-cruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and a direct hit in her magazine,caused her to sink.Out of a compliment of of around 1500 men there were only 39 recorded survivors.My Father was reported missing,presumed killed in action.But was picked up by a Norwegian fishing boat, after being in the sea for almost many hours.And with out a shadow of a doubt that experience, and 35 odd years in the mines after WW11 helped shorten his life.My Dad was a very strict, but fair, private man and did not complain about his illnesses.When he died, it was just like I lost my best friend,and now myself in the mid 70s, I still miss him.And in the 6263 a small part of him lives on,this watch is very special to me,and would never part with it.

As a US Navy veteran, I salute your dad and thank him for his service. And thanks for sharing this story.

[air_king]

That’s an incredible story about a special man. Maybe even more incredible is that a man like your father wasn’t unique. His generation stepped up and did what had to be done, no questions, no why me, just get to it. The world is a lesser place without your father and men like him. Thank you for sharing.

Originally Posted by padi56

Well today IMHO Rolex are no longer watches to be bought and enjoyed now by many little more than £££££$$$$.But today most all could buy a Rolex watch if they wanted too.But back in my days, and my Fathers days it was a lot harder to do.

I have a very special Rolex now my Father was fascinated with watches and
I can thank him I suppose for the watch bug.Now I can always remember,when I was quite a young lad, my Dad saying one day he will have a Rolex.Now myself at the time, had no idea what a Rolex was,my Dad saved hard and had about 3 other jobs eventually in 1980 he bought a Daytona 6263 for around £750 but not 100% sure, he wanted a Sub but the Daytona was cheaper and they gave him a £25 discount.At the time this watch, was quite a bit cheaper, than the other sports range,but still a lot of money.He was very proud of this watch,and it was only worn on special occasions.Dad was always a hard worker but suffered with ill health for most of his short life.Dad had 14 brothers and two sisters,a very large and close nit family.Now this 6263 is not a watch to me, its part of my Dad,and coming close, to his passing anniversary, thought I would share a part of his life with you all.Now thats what should be owning a Rolex today its not all about £££$$$$.

My Father was a miner for almost 40 years,but alas he died at the age of nearly 56 years.He suffered with his heart and chest after WW11 he lied about his age he was just 16 not quite 17,and although a collier,in then a reserved occupation.He joined the navy and was on aircraft carriers HMS Furious and HMS Glorious.Now the Glorious was attacked by the German battle-cruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and a direct hit in her magazine,caused her to sink.Out of a compliment of of around 1500 men there were only 39 recorded survivors.My Father was reported missing,presumed killed in action.But was picked up by a Norwegian fishing boat, after being in the sea for almost many hours.And with out a shadow of a doubt that experience, and 35 odd years in the mines after WW11 helped shorten his life.My Dad was a very strict, but fair, private man and did not complain about his illnesses.When he died, it was just like I lost my best friend,and now myself in the mid 70s, I still miss him.And in the 6263 a small part of him lives on,this watch is very special to me,and would never part with it.

[adawil2002]

My first Rolex a Polar 16550 Explorer II was $1,360 in November 1986. Took 3 months to pay for it.

[Malum]

Bought a new gmt in 1997 . List was $3500.00 AD took of $500.00 , paid $3000.00 .

[jeorge]

Just for the rich,like today !

[Gazoak]

I think the Tudor brand is now a much better proposition. They are a reasonable price, readily available, they offer more professional models and they are well made.

[Maxy]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well today IMHO Rolex are no longer watches to be bought and enjoyed now by many little more than £££££$$$$.But today most all could buy a Rolex watch if they wanted too.But back in my days, and my Fathers days it was a lot harder to do.

I have a very special Rolex now my Father was fascinated with watches and
I can thank him I suppose for the watch bug.Now I can always remember,when I was quite a young lad, my Dad saying one day he will have a Rolex.Now myself at the time, had no idea what a Rolex was,my Dad saved hard and had about 3 other jobs eventually in 1980 he bought a Daytona 6263 for around £750 but not 100% sure, he wanted a Sub but the Daytona was cheaper and they gave him a £25 discount.At the time this watch, was quite a bit cheaper, than the other sports range,but still a lot of money.He was very proud of this watch,and it was only worn on special occasions.Dad was always a hard worker but suffered with ill health for most of his short life.Dad had 14 brothers and two sisters,a very large and close nit family.Now this 6263 is not a watch to me, its part of my Dad,and coming close, to his passing anniversary, thought I would share a part of his life with you all.Now thats what should be owning a Rolex today its not all about £££$$$$.

My Father was a miner for almost 40 years,but alas he died at the age of nearly 56 years.He suffered with his heart and chest after WW11 he lied about his age he was just 16 not quite 17,and although a collier,in then a reserved occupation.He joined the navy and was on aircraft carriers HMS Furious and HMS Glorious.Now the Glorious was attacked by the German battle-cruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and a direct hit in her magazine,caused her to sink.Out of a compliment of of around 1500 men there were only 39 recorded survivors.My Father was reported missing,presumed killed in action.But was picked up by a Norwegian fishing boat, after being in the sea for almost many hours.And with out a shadow of a doubt that experience, and 35 odd years in the mines after WW11 helped shorten his life.My Dad was a very strict, but fair, private man and did not complain about his illnesses.When he died, it was just like I lost my best friend,and now myself in the mid 70s, I still miss him.And in the 6263 a small part of him lives on,this watch is very special to me,and would never part with it.

Fantastic written Padi and sorry for your loss. Coming to TRF and read such posts once in a while makes it worthy among the pool of the Rolex shortage, price increase and low supply posts!

[Wood&Leather]

lmfao smh, and boomers have the nerve to cry about millennials.

just el oh el at affording a president as a public school teacher and a family to feed.

[Dr. Robert]

Yes! Hong Kong in the 60s & 70s.

[theflywrist]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well today IMHO Rolex are no longer watches to be bought and enjoyed now by many little more than £££££$$$$.But today most all could buy a Rolex watch if they wanted too.But back in my days, and my Fathers days it was a lot harder to do.

I have a very special Rolex now my Father was fascinated with watches and
I can thank him I suppose for the watch bug.Now I can always remember,when I was quite a young lad, my Dad saying one day he will have a Rolex.Now myself at the time, had no idea what a Rolex was,my Dad saved hard and had about 3 other jobs eventually in 1980 he bought a Daytona 6263 for around £750 but not 100% sure, he wanted a Sub but the Daytona was cheaper and they gave him a £25 discount.At the time this watch, was quite a bit cheaper, than the other sports range,but still a lot of money.He was very proud of this watch,and it was only worn on special occasions.Dad was always a hard worker but suffered with ill health for most of his short life.Dad had 14 brothers and two sisters,a very large and close nit family.Now this 6263 is not a watch to me, its part of my Dad,and coming close, to his passing anniversary, thought I would share a part of his life with you all.Now thats what should be owning a Rolex today its not all about £££$$$$.

My Father was a miner for almost 40 years,but alas he died at the age of nearly 56 years.He suffered with his heart and chest after WW11 he lied about his age he was just 16 not quite 17,and although a collier,in then a reserved occupation.He joined the navy and was on aircraft carriers HMS Furious and HMS Glorious.Now the Glorious was attacked by the German battle-cruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and a direct hit in her magazine,caused her to sink.Out of a compliment of of around 1500 men there were only 39 recorded survivors.My Father was reported missing,presumed killed in action.But was picked up by a Norwegian fishing boat, after being in the sea for almost many hours.And with out a shadow of a doubt that experience, and 35 odd years in the mines after WW11 helped shorten his life.My Dad was a very strict, but fair, private man and did not complain about his illnesses.When he died, it was just like I lost my best friend,and now myself in the mid 70s, I still miss him.And in the 6263 a small part of him lives on,this watch is very special to me,and would never part with it.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful story with us!
I for one would love to see photos of the 6263.
I hope you carry on to always wear it in best health.

Originally Posted by LoveTheCrown

Funny you should mention an Accutron. I’m very fortunate in that I’m 54 and still have both my parents. I was at dinner with my parents last weekend and my Dad and I were talking when I suddenly remembered a watch he had when I was a small boy. It was (as he told me) a Bulova Accutron. The one where you could see all the ‘guts’ when looking at it. As a boy it mesmerized me because (this was the time when the Bionic Man was the most popular tv show and I was a huge fan, running around the playground in slow motion and making that sound as I moved) it looked like a cyborg. I asked my Dad what happened to it and he told me the it was stolen by a workman one day who was at the house doing some repairs. We then began a trip down memory lane. My Dad is older and has been battling cancer for a few years and I could see a twinkle in his eye as he recalled those younger years. So after dinner I was on a mission. I located someone in Michigan with the same model (doing this from memory), purchased it and had it shipped to my father’s house. He received it this last Wednesday and was blown away. My Mom told me he was crying he was so happy. I cannot tell you how happy I was to be able to do this. Never take anyone for granted and never miss an opportunity to tell your parents you love them. Don’t assume they know; we don’t know how many days we all have left with them. And here’s a picture of the watch on dads wrist.


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What a lovely story/gesture, and I have no idea who is cutting onions in my house!
Stories like these, and meeting people like yourself and a lot of the gents on this forum is what makes me love this hobby.

[Chas58]

Just for the rich,like today !

IDK. You have to be "rich" today. But as a 11 year old kid, I could afford one back in the day with 4 months savings. You didn't have to be rich before the quartz crisis.

[RyanJ]

You don't have to be rich to buy a Rolex. All depends on how you manage your money.

[douglasf13]

Originally Posted by Chester01

Simply put in the MSRP of a Rolex in the 60’s and 70’s and put that figure into a cost of living calculator. What you will find is that Rolex went from being a quality item priced highly but attainably with some saving. Cost of living calculator will show Rolex prices have far outstripped cost of living/inflation and moved into the luxury category sometime in the late 70’s to early 80’s.

Exactly. The $375 Sub in 1973 would be around $2200 US now. Rolex had to transition from tool watch to higher-end luxury item in the 70s, or risk going out of business like lots of other watchmakers of the time threatened by the quartz crisis. Rolex was always pricey for a watch, but not insane (for what you get) like today. Most people would think even $2200 is outrageous to spend on a watch, these days. The only reason a Rolex may seem more attainable today is because of the prevalence of credit compared to 50 years ago.

Heck, even Tudor Black Bays are expensive compared to Subs from the 50s to the first half of the 70s.

https://www.minus4plus6.com/PriceEvolution.php

[tomallen]

Originally Posted by Unclebuck

There's lots of pictures of early astronauts wearing GMTs. As Air Force employees, I'm sure they didn't buy luxury watches.

GMTs were in the PX catalog and available to GIs not stationed in the U.S. at cost.