New Rolex Model Line

[ref1655]

hypothetical of course...with all of the newbies purchasing, sporting & collecting the current Rolex offerings, a potentially new market has been overlooked, one that combines history, vintage appeal & more ways to spend money.

how about a Rolex VR series? the VR would stand for 'vintage-reissue' & could include iconic models such as a Mil-Spec Submariner, rare Daytonas, the early Explorer II & maybe a few noteworthy bubblebacks.

some guitar manufacturers (i.e. Fender, CF Martin etc.) do this with great success. the original models would still maintain their vintage/collectible status & the re-issues would allow newer as well as older customers to savor & enjoy a taste of the past. while these factory re-issues would not come cheaply, they would still be less than the current asking price of an original.

just a thought as it seems many here cannot wait to buy their next Rolex.

[capote]

Rolex has made a heritage line for Tudor but I doubt Rolex branded watches will follow.

[Timesurfer]

Do you mean reisuing new watches exactly as they were issued back when? or a modern faux-vintage watch?

I agree with capote on this one.....

i don't think that will happen but its interesting to ponder on the possibility....

[paltak]

You mean like Panerai has been doing? Drove away many if not most diehard Ristis.

[Snow-Dweller]

Originally Posted by ref1655

just a thought as it seems many here cannot wait to buy their next Rolex.

Don't need any help, thanks!

[ref1655]

Originally Posted by Timesurfer

Do you mean reisuing new watches exactly as they were issued back when? or a modern faux-vintage watch?

I agree with capote on this one.....

i don't think that will happen but its interesting to ponder on the possibility....

as close as possible...with limited contemporary amenities such as a sapphire crystal & a 5 year warranty.

while I'm talking out of my rectum here...

1. the tooling/manufacturing capabilities of such an endeavor are probably still available/accessible to a certain extent.
2. a limited production run (say 250 per model worldwide) would offer a sense of exclusivity & 'investment' options for those so inclined.
3. accessibility to these models would be made available only by signing up for a worldwide lottery at an AD...guaranteeing those retailers additional foot traffic & potential add-on sales.
4. those selected would have 45 days to place a down-payment at any AD...failure to do so would transfer purchasing options to those on a runner-up list.

as far fetched as all of this sounds, it doesn't take a Wharton MBA to figure that even on a small scale, such a venture could prove to be profitable in addition to adding to a sense of exclusiveness & purchasing adventure on the part of the buyer.

[madmax21]

I'd like to see this too, but I don't think it will ever happen...

[SamiKssiaa]

Nah I quite like the thought of some rare Rolex watches being out there, re issues would hurt them IMO.

[WristEnvy]

Don't like the idea and hope it never happens.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Chadridv]

This is a love/hate idea. On one hand to be able to get a hold of a vintage reissue Rolex would be amazing! On the other hand there really won't be anything "amazing" about rare vintage watches if Rolex was reissuing then at their discretion.

It just doesn't feel right.

For some reason it works well with my "heritage" Tudor Black Bay, but it has a lot to do with the price point.

The BB is probably my favorite dollar for dollar watch, but if it cost even $500-1000 more, I wouldn't be into it at all.

What do you think Rolex would charge for this first reissued run? The price point just doesn't work along with many other aspects of the notion.

[Fiery]

While I like your idea and way of thinking, I think Rolex could easily make similar amount of profits by simply issuing a Pt Sub-C, a gold DSSD, and a Pt GMTIIC. And it wouldn't need all that special new tooling either. And don't forget: Rolex is here to make money, not to please collectors. They aren't into limited production too, their goal is to make (and sell!) a s* load of watches of each model line.

[mikeschmidt]

Personally I don't like "reissues". Instead brands should create new models that draw from the past. It should not have vintage or heritage in the name as it will be odd +40 years from now talking about a vintage vintage watch. Similarly a vintage reissue will have a fraction of the appeal compared to the original or a unique watch that drew inspiration from the original.

Disclosure: I own a Zenith Heritage Vintage 1965 and the name ruins the appeal of this watch which I realized only after the purchase.