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Old 19 April 2019, 11:49 AM   #1
aphil
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Who else thought "rolex is too common" before catching the rolex fever?

Like many of us here, I've liked watches since I was a child. First digital watches when they had just come out, then a very brief quartz period, then in my late teens I started discovering about mechanical watches. I first bought a tissot visodate that I still wear and love dearly. Then I got a breitling SO that I still cherish.

Then I was obsessed with omega (mostly because of james bond ), and I felt it was a bit more unique and I remained obsessed for years - but never pulled the trigger. For the same period of time, I had an aversion to rolex; thought they were "too common" "the most commonly counterfeited" "the safe choice if you don't know any better".
But then I found myself unintentionally checking rolexes in airports and trying them on. I still told myself "maybe it's nice but not for me".

Then a friend of mine got a black SubC; although I appreciated its looks, I thought it was "the commonest of rolexes" and it didn't click that much at that point in time. Then the BLNR came out and holy shit, I was in love. I found the blue part of the bezel to be just the right amount of playfulness and I immediately knew I wanted one. I kept avidly trying it on and in turn, it kept growing on me but I couldn't get myself to spend that much money on a watch. from 2015 - 2017 I was offered the BLNR multiple times with discounts, sometimes verging on 20 - 25% off MSRP when you add tax free!! Fast forward to 2019, I decided I would get my first rolex. The BLNR was still my first choice but I couldn't get one at MSRP, and I obviously still bang my head against a wall each time I remember how many times I rejected it. Ironically, I ended up getting a black SubC that's been growing on me by the day and that I will probably never sell.

It's really funny how our perception changes over time. What's your story?
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Old 19 April 2019, 12:04 PM   #2
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People keep saying SubC dates are common yet I rarely see them except for mine...

I love the brand and craftsmanship and always have! The SubC date was a no brainer firsts pick up for me!
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Old 19 April 2019, 12:27 PM   #3
milgauss1349
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Thought similarly and then I got a GV Milgauss


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Old 19 April 2019, 12:29 PM   #4
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Rolex is pretty common... but I mainly see Datejusts and not sports models.
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Old 19 April 2019, 12:37 PM   #5
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In my twenties I used to view Rolexes as really old men’s watches. Or the yellow gold models - I associated them with sleazy property developers who wore white shoes.
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Old 19 April 2019, 12:48 PM   #6
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Always thought they were an old man's watch but now I love them. Still in my 30s but rapidly approaching or already in old man's land I guess.
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Old 19 April 2019, 12:56 PM   #7
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Always thought they were an old man's watch but now I love them. Still in my 30s but rapidly approaching or already in old man's land I guess.
Wait till you hit 50
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Old 19 April 2019, 02:09 PM   #8
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I worked for an AD in collage and have always appreciated watches. Working there I was exposed to Patek, Rolex, Cartier, Ebel and Raymond Weil. I always appreciated Patek most followed by Ebel then Cartier, Rolex and RW (in that order). When I graduated from collage I decided to mark the occasion with a nice watch and selected an Ebel 1911 (at that time I did have a quite voice saying “buy a sub”). I didn’t want to drop Patek dollars and placed Ebel higher on the list than Rolex. I used to believe Rolex was like a tank and most others were like sleek sports cars. Fast forward 18 years when I stumble across a sub at an ADs shop on vacation and was hooked. Not sure exactly why my thoughts changed but now I have a SubC, BLNR and Daytona C with a couple more models remaining on the list.
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Old 19 April 2019, 03:58 PM   #9
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I am guilty...

Years ago I thought Rolex was a little too common, but now I am a real fan. Just bought a GMT II 116710LN and loving it!
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Old 19 April 2019, 04:16 PM   #10
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Never thought of Rolex being a “common “ watch even as a young man, and although I do see more Rolex’s on wrists today than I did say 3 years ago, I still wouldn’t say that Rolex’s are common.

Maybe they are more common amongst the WIS community though.

PS I find it hard to associate the word common with Rolex, maybe popular is better word.
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Old 19 April 2019, 06:52 PM   #11
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I never thought of Rolex as too common, or indeed even “common”.

I just never imagined paying anything like £5000 or more for a watch, even when I got to the point I could easily afford one.

I too had the opportunity of buying several times at good discounts, but still over the amount I had ever considered viable for such a purchase, especially two or three Daytonas that I now cringe at not even entertaining!

What makes me Surprised about “common” is just how UNcommon it is to see one worn. By all acounts on this here forum Rolex makes upwards of 800,000 watches a year, and has made at least half this number for many years, and quite a lot per year before that. Yet I rarely spot a Rolex in the wild despite actively looking these days. When I saw a two tone Sub on a fellow passenger on a hop on hop off bus in Sydney this February I was thrilled and amazed that I had actually seen someone wearing one.

Where are they all? There must be upwards of 20 million out there.

Well, I guess they are in the watch boxes of all the watch collectors and in the shop windows and safes of all the great dealers around the world, and tucked in drawers as the family heirloom for the general populace who has one from days of yore.
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Old 19 April 2019, 07:19 PM   #12
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Wait till you hit 50
Or 60!!


I always loved Rolex. Most of my life I was unable to afford them. I love them all.
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Old 19 April 2019, 07:23 PM   #13
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I've been seeing a number of them each day at work; they're all admitted fakes. I only know of one other there, it's an AK.

I never thought of them as too common. I know in the semiconductor industry over the years, there have been many younger guys looking at them as something to aspire to.
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Old 19 April 2019, 07:29 PM   #14
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Rolex is pretty common... but I mainly see Datejusts and not sports models.
So common in this big wide world today Rolex started the single letter 6 number serials in 1987.And over those years Rolex have made countless millions of watches they ran out of single letter 6 number combinations.From the latter part of 2010 Rolex introduced the now called random serial but a total of letters numbers but 8 digits.So if we still wear watches in future or over the next plus 50 years there will be countless millions more.
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Old 19 April 2019, 09:00 PM   #15
Ken B
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I started going down the watch collecting path many years ago. I always liked Breitling more than any Rolex, I got 1 then 2.. then an Omega.. Bought those brands because rolexs were everywhere. I had all chrono watches in my collection. I wanted to round out my collection so I got a Daytona. When I wore the Rolex I found that it felt just to small on my wrist. I tried several other Rolexes and all of them were small for me. I found that I would not be happy with any Rolex on my wrist due to the smaller size.

I like the look and quality of Rolex watches but I couldn’t get a 43-44mm Sub or Daytona so I just don’t own a Rolex anymore.

Of course Rolex came out with a 43SD after I went through my watch collecting phase. So I haven’t been to worried about getting one. That and I can’t try one on because they are impossible to get.

Btw, my wrist is 8” round so larger watches look better than smaller ones. My Tudor 42mm looks bigger since I wear it on the Nato strap.
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Old 19 April 2019, 09:17 PM   #16
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I was guilty of this thought too. A few years ago, when I had the first opportunity to get into luxury watches, I passed on from taking a sub, thought that I could always get one down the road if I wanted to. So I got my self into Panerai. When my finances allowed me to take whatever Rolex SS I want, they are no longer on the shelves...
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Old 19 April 2019, 11:51 PM   #17
aphil
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Quote:
Originally Posted by atn_uk View Post
I never thought of Rolex as too common, or indeed even “common”.

I just never imagined paying anything like £5000 or more for a watch, even when I got to the point I could easily afford one.

I too had the opportunity of buying several times at good discounts, but still over the amount I had ever considered viable for such a purchase, especially two or three Daytonas that I now cringe at not even entertaining!

What makes me Surprised about “common” is just how UNcommon it is to see one worn. By all acounts on this here forum Rolex makes upwards of 800,000 watches a year, and has made at least half this number for many years, and quite a lot per year before that. Yet I rarely spot a Rolex in the wild despite actively looking these days. When I saw a two tone Sub on a fellow passenger on a hop on hop off bus in Sydney this February I was thrilled and amazed that I had actually seen someone wearing one.

Where are they all? There must be upwards of 20 million out there.

Well, I guess they are in the watch boxes of all the watch collectors and in the shop windows and safes of all the great dealers around the world, and tucked in drawers as the family heirloom for the general populace who has one from days of yore.
Very interesting take. Especially true for the daytonas, SS zenith ones could be had for 10 k 5 years ago, now they're 30k

And admittedly, it took me a month for my sub to stop being a safe queen
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Old 19 April 2019, 11:52 PM   #18
aphil
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InitialAndPitch View Post
In my twenties I used to view Rolexes as really old men’s watches. Or the yellow gold models - I associated them with sleazy property developers who wore white shoes.

I still am not a huge fan of YG, I prefer the subtlety and warmth of WG
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Old 19 April 2019, 11:54 PM   #19
aphil
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Originally Posted by vipereaper30 View Post
Always thought they were an old man's watch but now I love them. Still in my 30s but rapidly approaching or already in old man's land I guess.

I want a BLRO next. How has owning it been for you? Care to post a pic?
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Old 20 April 2019, 12:21 AM   #20
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I see Rolex as a well known brand.
I see Timex or Casio as common.
There is a difference between the two. But to the question of why I bought my Rolex? It was because it was a well known brand. Well known because of it's attention to detail and quality. Once I was hooked on mechanical watches I wanted a Rolex.
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Old 20 April 2019, 12:25 AM   #21
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Common? I guess I hang around the wrong circles. I always loved them but perceived as unobtainable. Seikos are common. Movados are common. Rolex... not so much.
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Old 20 April 2019, 12:59 AM   #22
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I guess it is common for people who can afford it.
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Old 20 April 2019, 01:05 AM   #23
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Exactly how do you define common? I rarely see Rolex watches when I’m out!
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Old 20 April 2019, 03:33 AM   #24
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I see them every now and then, but I wouldn't really consider them 'common' per se.
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Old 20 April 2019, 04:51 AM   #25
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Originally Posted by padi56 View Post
So common in this big wide world today Rolex started the single letter 6 number serials in 1987.And over those years Rolex have made countless millions of watches they ran out of single letter 6 number combinations.From the latter part of 2010 Rolex introduced the now called random serial but a total of letters numbers but 8 digits.So if we still wear watches in future or over the next plus 50 years there will be countless millions more.
I doubt anyone outside of Rolex (or even many inside) know how the key generation is defined. But if it were truly 8 char random alpha-num then the entropy would be 36^8 - roughly 4 quadrillion (4,347,792,138,496). So pretty much everyone on the planet could have a thousand Rolexes each!
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Old 20 April 2019, 05:43 AM   #26
aphil
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Exactly how do you define common? I rarely see Rolex watches when I’m out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ferrissteve11 View Post
I see them every now and then, but I wouldn't really consider them 'common' per se.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monte Cristo View Post
Never thought of Rolex being a “common “ watch even as a young man, and although I do see more Rolex’s on wrists today than I did say 3 years ago, I still wouldn’t say that Rolex’s are common.

Maybe they are more common amongst the WIS community though.

PS I find it hard to associate the word common with Rolex, maybe popular is better word.
Let me rephrase; among all the luxury watches I spotted in the past 10 years, rolex seems to be the most common

Worthy of note is that in certain parts of the world - I did not grow up in the US, rolex can be the only recognized luxury watch and thus the one constantly sold in that price bracket. I realize that's the case everywhere, but in certain places this issue can be heavily amplified, which in turn makes it the most common among the luxury watches.

It doesn't matter now though as I overcame this mental barrier nonsense and got my first rolex and now hunting for my next
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Old 20 April 2019, 05:45 AM   #27
aphil
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I was guilty of this thought too. A few years ago, when I had the first opportunity to get into luxury watches, I passed on from taking a sub, thought that I could always get one down the road if I wanted to. So I got my self into Panerai. When my finances allowed me to take whatever Rolex SS I want, they are no longer on the shelves...
be patient and the right one will come along if you keep looking. I myself got lucky by finding a sub on my first visit to an AD! Little miracles do happen, just keep the faith
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Old 20 April 2019, 05:47 AM   #28
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As some here would empathize, I never wanted to be “that guy with a Rolex” in the office.

Apparently, no one cares and only one person said anything about my watch in 2 years (it was a gold Omega)
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Old 20 April 2019, 05:47 AM   #29
Bort
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No, never felt like Rolex were common.
I always thought that they were special, well made equipment.
I purchased my first, a 16803 Submariner when I was 27.
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Old 20 April 2019, 06:24 AM   #30
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Never thought of them as common. Though they were the best until I really got into collecting. Now I know better. Still my favorite brand.
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