Quote:
Originally Posted by SUPERDOC
you send me to a Rolex fansite in order to defend a Rolex product....
Hardly a compelling argument...
Why not just refer me to the General Rolex discussion threads on TRF
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Actually, I didn't send you there to defend any Rolex product; I sent you there to show you that you'd made a completely false statement.
Let's review:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SUPERDOC
Lets not be deluded...Rolex did not rise to its place during the and after the 'Quartz crisis' because of a conscious decision to stay automatic...they 'Pulled a Homer' - they simply lacked the technology and capacity to go quartz...for all they new at the time, they could have been bracing for the end.
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Totally false. The "fansite" you refer to and obviously didn't bother to read clearly and unequivocally documents that Rolex was working on the development of quartz watches *in parallel* with Seiko et al since the early 1960's, which categorically disproves your assertion that they lacked the technology; not only did they work on the development of quartz watches, they actually *released* quartz watches beginning in the early 1970's, developed their own in-house quartz movement, and sold them for years afterwards:
Quote:
It would be a mistake to assume that quartz watches were an afterthought for Rolex, even despite the company's overwhelming commitment to mechanical movements. Rolex began their own research into electronic timekeeping in the early 1950s, and was awarded their first patent for an electro-mechanical watch design in 1952. In fact, according to James Dowling in his book The Best of Time, of the 50 patents issued to Rolex between 1960 and 1990, 21 of them were for electronic watches. Rolex was even issued patents in the 70s for digital (LED) watch movements. One such movement made it all the way to the prototype stage and was issued the reference number 7065.
Rolex's first commercially available quartz watch was the Quartz Date 5100. Introduced in 1970, this watch shared the Beta 21 movement used by other Swiss companies like Omega and Enicar. Rolex only produced 1000 of these watches before beginning development of their own quartz movement and the watch that would eventually become the Oysterquartz. In 1977, after five years of design, development, and testing, Rolex introduced their first completely in-house quartz movements (the 5035 and 5055) and the Datejust (5035) and Day-Date (5055) Oysterquartz models that would house them....
...For 25 years Rolex produced the Oysterquartz in Datejust models (17000 stainless steel, 17013 steel/YG, 17014 steel/WG), and Day-Date models in all gold (19018 YG, 19019 WG). Special models of the Oysterquartz were also produced with jeweled dials, bezels, and bracelets.
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In other words, your statement was, and is, completely and totally false. Not only did Rolex not "lack the technology and capacity to go quartz", they engaged in R&D of quartz/electronic watches dating to the early 1960s, *and* created their own, in-house quartz movement which they sold for years.
That's not fanboyism, it is fact. And you might want to take a look at my signature before jumping to conclusions about that particular topic.
