People who don't know watches buy a Rolex?!?

[Lordofrolex]

This statement is technically 100% true in the sense that because of Rolexes market. If someone wants to get a high end watch. Especially if they don't know much about watches. I would say 9 out of 10 will get a rolex first and move on from there. The statement about subs in particular may be wrong but the brand is the worlds biggest introduction into high end watches.

[phillycheez]

Originally Posted by zakattack62

Patek's hold their value better than a Rolex.
Not as common and people who wear them fly under the radar and don't care what others think.

If I could afford a Patek I would be wearing a Patek. But I can't afford a Patek. So I wear a Rolex. Anything less than $10k.. Rolex is a great value actually.

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[Yamazaki]

Probably. But that doesn't mean they are buying bad watches. They are still unknowingly buying great watches.

[insomniac2]

Sub is probably the most boring watch for a non watch enthusiast for that price range, i disagree that its the go to watch for everyone.

[Librarywilliam]

Sometimes I .get angry at things I read here but I am here everyday. If I am going to say something unpleasant, I first look at the number of posts they have and usually refrain

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by zakattack62

Patek's hold their value better than a Rolex.
Not as common and people who wear them fly under the radar and don't care what others think.

I don't know that I would agree with this generalization. Many people who wear Patek live in a world where it is very recognizable and as such wearing one identifies you as a member of the club.

[HL65]

Originally Posted by T. Ferguson

I don't know that I would agree with this generalization. Many people who wear Patek live in a world where it is very recognizable and as such wearing one identifies you as a member of the club.

And his statement is wrong as well. Many Rolex hold their value better than many Patek. Sure some Pateks do well but most drop substantially if bought at full retail like most other watches. Does a 5711 Blue 1A hold up well? Sure as does a 116500LN. If you bought a 5270 for retail you took a 35% plus beating like many other Pateks as well. So some hold up well and some not so much. Again just like someone buying a PM Rolex for full retail...Ouch. The same hold true for many if not most brands.
Patek and Rolex happen to be top 2 though overall for retention and marketability due to demand.

[speedmaster73]

Originally Posted by tifosi

People who don't know watches by Rolex because people who don't know watches think it is the best brand there is. Plain and simple.

valid point.....

just as people who KNOW watches know that a Grand Seiko is as good as a Rolex

[GradyPhilpott]

The whole point of building a brand and a good reputation is so that the rank and file don't have to know everything there is to know in order to make a wise decision.

Rolex has spent a century in that pursuit.

Is it any wonder that the name Rolex says everything that anyone really needs to know?

Of course not and that's the way Rolex wants it.

[Orangejoe]

Originally Posted by speedmaster73

valid point.....

just as people who KNOW watches know that a Grand Seiko is as good as a Rolex

LOL

GS is haute horologie, I'm not sure you want to do a side by side with a mass produced Rolex.

Different leagues.

Edit: upon further reflection, I've concluded you must have been joking.

[Orangejoe]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

The whole point of building a brand and a good reputation is so that the rank and file don't have to know everything there is to know in order to make a wise decision.

Rolex has spent a century in that pursuit.

Is it any wonder that the name Rolex says everything that anyone really needs to know?

Of course not and that's the way Rolex wants it.

Yes, like BMW for cars or Brooks Brothers for suits, they are the brand name you can safely recommend knowing that most likely everything will turn out right.

There is always the danger they'll come back with a regatta timer, a CPO 1 series with high mileage or God forbid, black cordovan shell shoes with the suit, but all in all the "safer" choice for the man -or liberated lady- who does not want to examine his/her decisions closely.

[bio guyver]

The answer is simple rolex is the most powerful watch brand and King in the watch game.

[Onikage]

Originally Posted by Hollister

You couldn't get a 16610 in the UK 20 years ago, it was almost the equivalent of the current Daytona. No ADs had them and there was a waiting list.

I semi-impulse bought mine in the USA in 2001. They had two in the window!

I remember seeing quite a few.. of course they could have been 16800s or 1680s for all I knew.

[rodneygt3]

Rolex is no different than other respected luxury brands. People purchase the product for many reasons. There is not really a right or wrong reason, and up to the individuals to spend their money how they see fit.

[zakattack62]

Hi there. Hope I didn't offend in any way. My only point was that Rolex is not the only brand that holds it's value. I feel you need to include Patek as well.

[Loevhagen]

Originally Posted by zakattack62

Hi there. Hope I didn't offend in any way. My only point was that Rolex is not the only brand that holds it's value. I feel you need to include Patek as well.

Patek is going downhill - both in terms of value and design.

So, I'll keep Rolex.

[zakattack62]

I'm fortunate enough to own both. Both are great watches. For the record, I prefer Rolex over Patek but you can't slam a Patek watch. There's a reason they sell for the price that they do. Having said that, nothing more solid than a Rolex.

Originally Posted by HL65

And his statement is wrong as well. Many Rolex hold their value better than many Patek. Sure some Pateks do well but most drop substantially if bought at full retail like most other watches. Does a 5711 Blue 1A hold up well? Sure as does a 116500LN. If you bought a 5270 for retail you took a 35% plus beating like many other Pateks as well. So some hold up well and some not so much. Again just like someone buying a PM Rolex for full retail...Ouch. The same hold true for many if not most brands.
Patek and Rolex happen to be top 2 though overall for retention and marketability due to demand.

Originally Posted by Loevhagen

Patek is going downhill - both in terms of value and design.

So, I'll keep Rolex.

[ABChop]

I would agree in general. Although there are always exception to the rule.
I no longer try to engage anyone wearing a modern sub in a conversation about watches. I have tried many times and soon realized they knew next to nothing about watches :)
Some are gifts from wives....so bought most likely on advise from salesmen.
Now obviously not all sub wearers are non WIS's ; ) But there's a bunch out there.

[douglasf13]

Originally Posted by Loevhagen

Patek is going downhill - both in terms of value and design.

I would say the same about Rolex.

[RKTudor]

I didn't have time to read all the posts, but my gut tells me the proper statement is, "people who don't know ANYTHING about watches buy a Datejust and people who know VERY LITTLE about watches buy a Sub.

I have owned both so I'm not putting the models down. I'm just speaking from my personal experiences.

Happy Holidays all!

[TimeRookie]

Originally Posted by liu_watch

People who don't know about watches - they buy Rolex.

People who know a lot about watches - they buy Rolex.

Cat lovers buy Rolex. Non-cat lovers also buy Rolex.

Successful people buy Rolex.
Pimps buy Rolex.

Therefore, all kinds of people buy Rolex. No need to generalize.


Here is an interesting read:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackfors.../#132fbd91708e

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Thanks for this article. I liked it!

[thesharkfactor]

Some folk buy Porsches know nothing about cars...

I remember saying to a customer with a Rolex one time "nicewatch, I like a date just!".. his reply- no, it's a Rolex.

[returntorolex]

Originally Posted by UnicoJG

I recently read a thread about the Submariner being the go to Rolex for people who don't know watches, however, wouldnt it be more fitting that people who don't know watches get a Rolex?

Over the years I've met several people who want to get a Rolex, but why?
The answer to that can be disputed by many and we all have different opinions.
When I've asked which Rolex do you plan on getting? The answers: don't know, the black one, the white one, the silver one, the one with the longest battery life, I don't know, how many different Rolex are there? Etc,etc.

Some of us love Rolex for the multiple reasons.
Some people just want to wear a Rolex for for the wrong reasons?
Your thoughts?

Phase II in the seven stages of Rolex grief....

[HL65]

Originally Posted by HL65

And his statement is wrong as well. Many Rolex hold their value better than many Patek. Sure some Pateks do well but most drop substantially if bought at full retail like most other watches. Does a 5711 Blue 1A hold up well? Sure as does a 116500LN. If you bought a 5270 for retail you took a 35% plus beating like many other Pateks as well. So some hold up well and some not so much. Again just like someone buying a PM Rolex for full retail...Ouch. The same hold true for many if not most brands.
Patek and Rolex happen to be top 2 though overall for retention and marketability due to demand.

Originally Posted by zakattack62

I'm fortunate enough to own both. Both are great watches. For the record, I prefer Rolex over Patek but you can't slam a Patek watch. There's a reason they sell for the price that they do. Having said that, nothing more solid than a Rolex.

Read my post again. Not slamming Patek in any way whatsoever.

[Dyim]

I buy what I want with my own money and my own reasons.

I don't judge or speculate what someone else is wearing on their wrist and their reasons for it.

[jon_jon]

People go through various phases/stages in the watch journey. Some start with other brands and end up at Rolex, whereas others start at Rolex and stay with Rolex and others who who look beyond Rolex and go into more expensive watch brands.

At the end of the day, Rolex is the 800 pound gorilla in the room in terms of production numbers and marketing. They are highly respected within the Swiss watch industry, even by companies who sell more expensive watches. Whether someone buys a Rolex without knowing anything about watches or buys a rare vintage watch at 5x the price of its current production model, there is a place for them all.

[liu_watch]

Originally Posted by Dyim

I buy what I want with my own money and my own reasons.



I don't judge or speculate what someone else is wearing on their wrist and their reasons for it.

I wish everyone thinks like you, so that we wouldn't have to worry about giving others a "wrong impression". Alas, the world isn't perfect and therefore some of us, salary earners like me, have to be mindful of gossips among superiors and colleagues.



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[srtown]

Originally Posted by thesharkfactor

Some folk buy Porsches know nothing about cars...

I remember saying to a customer with a Rolex one time "nicewatch, I like a date just!".. his reply- no, it's a Rolex.

Holy cow this made me laugh!

That said, every time I buy a car I could say I don't know much about cars.

[jmiicustomz]

Originally Posted by hbk25

The price of entry is right there on the sticker. No degree in horology necessary. And rolex sells a ton. So yeah most will simply wear it and never set foot in a watch forum.

Remember those standardized tests?
Rolex is to nice watch as BMW is to...nice car. And both probably share similar sufferings.

For every thousand 3 series owners, there's always the one who tracks the car, knows what an e46 is, and genuinely despises Chris Bangle.

Love this!!

To know the future is to be trapped by it

[jmiicustomz]

Originally Posted by douglasf13

I'm not sure what the controversy is. Rolex is the biggest Swiss brand, and the Sub is the apparently their biggest selling sport watch (DJ overall.) Whether we're talking about Porsches, Rolex watches, cameras, etc., most people walk in and buy what they hear or read is good.

Forum nerds account for a very small percentage of buyers, so, sure, lots of people buy Rolex (and Subs) who "don't know anything" about watches.

Hey who you calling a nerd?!?!? I resemble that remark! Lol

To know the future is to be trapped by it