Riddle me this...

[Mephist]

Rolex have the Oyster Perpetual, the Datejust and the Day-Date. Which essentially is more or less the same watch. Only that the OP got a clean dial with no date or day. If you do not use the date or day, then I would guess most people would choose the OP because of the clean dial with no clutter. Those needing date but remembering day would go for the Datejust, and those wanting both day and date would go for the Day-Date. Why not make all three lines available in white, rose and yellow gold + platinum?

You see lots of other brands with clean dials with no complications available in gold options. Why not Rolex?

[Spoonage]

The DJ is available in gold options if I recall correctly, or at least it used to be. If you want a gold time only Rolex there's the Cellini line which I argue is a better dress watch than the OP, DJ, or DD and is cleaner. For now those are the options. I'm sure the more expert and knowledgable will chime in soon.

[Brew]

I think they use pm as a differentiator and to get us to move "up line" to more expensive pieces. Seems like the clasp variations are used for this too.

[bobabreath]

If the OP is offered in both SS and gold, gold would be the slow seller. And it would probably sell even less than the Day-Date, so probably not enough appeal to be worth producing.

[Mephist]

Originally Posted by Spoonage

The DJ is available in gold options if I recall correctly, or at least it used to be. If you want a gold time only Rolex there's the Cellini line which I argue is a better dress watch than the OP, DJ, or DD and is cleaner. For now those are the options. I'm sure the more expert and knowledgable will chime in soon.

Yes I would agree with you that the Cellini line is a better dress watch then OP, DJ or DD. However OP, DJ and DD fills a purpose as a more all around watch then the Cellini line it is something between the sport watches and the Cellini dress watches, for example you can swim with them.

Originally Posted by Brew

I think they use pm as a differentiator and to get us to move "up line" to more expensive pieces. Seems like the clasp variations are used for this too.

Yes maybe you are correct.

Originally Posted by bobabreath

If the OP is offered in both SS and gold, gold would be the slow seller. And it would probably sell even less than the Day-Date, so probably not enough appeal to be worth producing.

Yes I agree it would probably sell less then the Day-Date, but I get the impression that after they launched the new dials in different sizes for the OP line it seems like OP is getting more popular then the last 10 years. And right now many familiar with Rolex looks at it as the base model or the gateway Rolex, but that does not make sense any more. 60 years ago Day and date was amazing complications on a watch and 70 years ago Date was amazing. So it makes sense that when the DJ came that was a more expensive and exclusive watch then the OP and when the DD came it was an even more fancy and expensive watch then the DJ. However today, date and/or day is not impressive at all. So only reason to choose date and/or day is if you find those function useful. If not I think most people would choose a clean dial with no date or day. At least I would and I am under the impression most others would too from what I read. So from the start the OP would probably sell a lot less then the Day-Date but by time I think they could become nearly equal. If they introduced fluted bezel, polished links on the OP too as they do on the Datejust and Day-Date.

[Spoonage]

True... but I guess you could argue that with 50M water resistance and a screw down crown you could still swim with it if you swap the strap. I know I'm reaching on that... But you could dress it down with a simple strap change.

[jsausley]

50M water resistance is not recommended for swimming.

Water Resistant 5 atm or 50 m Suitable for everyday use. Splash/rain resistant. Not suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, snorkeling, water related work, fishing, and diving.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Resistant_mark

[jrs146]

Originally Posted by bobabreath

If the OP is offered in both SS and gold, gold would be the slow seller. And it would probably sell even less than the Day-Date, so probably not enough appeal to be worth producing.

This^^^ I don’t think a gold OP would be a strong enough seller. Not with gold professionals and DD’s to compete with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AEC]

Simple: the OP owner is at a stage in his life where he tracks the calendar in his mind because he's hustling, making deals, earning commissions, and this man should buy a steel watch and save the rest for feeding his young family; the Datejust owner has attained the status to afford some precious metal on his Rolex, but now he only inks a few deals every once in a while, so his mind isn't cluttered with constant tracking of the calendar; the Day-Date owner is cruising through his "golden" years, and his Rolex darned well ought to be solid gold. He wouldn't know what day of the week it was (why should he care?) unless his Rolex reminded him!

The models are perfectly logical for the cycle of life.

[Uppersouth]

Originally Posted by AEC

Simple: the OP owner is at a stage in his life where he tracks the calendar in his mind because he's hustling, making deals, earning commissions, and this man should buy a steel watch and save the rest for feeding his young family; the Datejust owner has attained the status to afford some precious metal on his Rolex, but now he only inks a few deals every once in a while, so his mind isn't cluttered with constant tracking of the calendar; the Day-Date owner is cruising through his "golden" years, and his Rolex darned well ought to be solid gold. He wouldn't know what day of the week it was (why should he care?) unless his Rolex reminded him!

The models are perfectly logical for the cycle of life.

Love this!

[SearChart]

I would definitely like an ice blue platinum 34mm OP

[DP63]

Originally Posted by AEC

Simple: the OP owner is at a stage in his life where he tracks the calendar in his mind because he's hustling, making deals, earning commissions, and this man should buy a steel watch and save the rest for feeding his young family; the Datejust owner has attained the status to afford some precious metal on his Rolex, but now he only inks a few deals every once in a while, so his mind isn't cluttered with constant tracking of the calendar; the Day-Date owner is cruising through his "golden" years, and his Rolex darned well ought to be solid gold. He wouldn't know what day of the week it was (why should he care?) unless his Rolex reminded him!

The models are perfectly logical for the cycle of life.

Damn .... I got it wrong ... My wife bought me an OP for our anniversary as I wanted my "golden years" watch to be a simple face with no complications, something classy to wear with my arran sweater and corduroy trousers while I sit smoking a cigar and sipping a malt while watching the world hustle by from my garden .... no need for day or date as it all rolls in to one by that time in life

[KBM]

If they are essentially the same watch as you said, it would be equally redundant to produce all of them in all metals, wouldn't it?

I understand the dials look similar, but there are many, many relevant differences between an OP and a DD aside from the metal used.

[THC]

Originally Posted by DP63

Damn .... I got it wrong ... My wife bought me an OP for our anniversary as I wanted my "golden years" watch to be a simple face with no complications, something classy to wear with my arran sweater and corduroy trousers while I sit smoking a cigar and sipping a malt while watching the world hustle by from my garden .... no need for day or date as it all rolls in to one by that time in life

[abozz]

Rolex was the first watch to offer a window with the automatic date change, and the first to offer the day and date on the dial, by then it was a novelty and therefore a luxury, in fact the first DateJUst was in gold , then the steel version came out.

Now these functions are common today overcome by complex complications such as the perpetual calendar invented by Patek, and maybe you are right that the "luxury" of having only 18K DD is no longer justified.

[Cru Jones]

Well, the cases, movements, bracelets and clasps are all different, but, yes, the same watch. ;-)

[Etschell]

ive been begging for a subc without a date in PM for years. you know where that has gone. same place it is gonna go in the next 50 years - no where.

[Mephist]

Originally Posted by AEC

Simple: the OP owner is at a stage in his life where he tracks the calendar in his mind because he's hustling, making deals, earning commissions, and this man should buy a steel watch and save the rest for feeding his young family; the Datejust owner has attained the status to afford some precious metal on his Rolex, but now he only inks a few deals every once in a while, so his mind isn't cluttered with constant tracking of the calendar; the Day-Date owner is cruising through his "golden" years, and his Rolex darned well ought to be solid gold. He wouldn't know what day of the week it was (why should he care?) unless his Rolex reminded him!

The models are perfectly logical for the cycle of life.

Haha I like the way you put it! and I would not be surprised if this is the way Rolex views it and why they make the models as they do. However I do not think this is the case in the real world.

Originally Posted by kauebm

If they are essentially the same watch as you said, it would be equally redundant to produce all of them in all metals, wouldn't it?

I understand the dials look similar, but there are many, many relevant differences between an OP and a DD aside from the metal used.

Other then the day, date and metal I cannot think of any differences. Could you elaborate on some of them?

[Mephist]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Well, the cases, movements, bracelets and clasps are all different, but, yes, the same watch. ;-)

You can get the oyster bracelet on all three and besides no reason why the bracelet's should not be available for all of them, they all are the same size at least the 36mm. I did think they all had the exact same case? and the movement, yes as mentioned it is different because one has no complication the other have date and the third have day and date, other then that are they not the same? All have the parachrom hairspring etc... as fare as I know?

[AEC]

Originally Posted by DP63

Damn .... I got it wrong ... My wife bought me an OP for our anniversary as I wanted my "golden years" watch to be a simple face with no complications, something classy to wear with my arran sweater and corduroy trousers while I sit smoking a cigar and sipping a malt while watching the world hustle by from my garden .... no need for day or date as it all rolls in to one by that time in life

No, no, you didn't get anything wrong! The part I left out was that man cruising through his golden years has earned the right to wear any Rolex he damned well pleases!

Congratulations on your golden years OP, and I hope you enjoy watching the world hustle by from your garden

[DP63]

Thanks AEC, I (briefly) felt I had failed and that I needed to embark on a mission to buy a gold DD to regain my credibility hahaha.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KBM]

Originally Posted by Mephist

Other then the day, date and metal I cannot think of any differences. Could you elaborate on some of them?

As Cru mentioned before, basically every single component of the watches is different, even if the final aesthetic result is somewhat similar.

When you say "apart from the day, date and metal", you mustn't forget that, from a WIS standpoint, we're talking a whole different and more advanced caliber on the Day Date, the addition of an exclusive president bracelet and the precious metal.

It makes little sense to argue horology if you don't care at all for the caliber, differences on complications, bracelet and case construction, etc.

[Johny]

It would be good if you could special order a gold op.

[Mephist]

Originally Posted by kauebm

As Cru mentioned before, basically every single component of the watches is different, even if the final aesthetic result is somewhat similar.

When you say "apart from the day, date and metal", you mustn't forget that, from a WIS standpoint, we're talking a whole different and more advanced caliber on the Day Date, the addition of an exclusive president bracelet and the precious metal.

It makes little sense to argue horology if you don't care at all for the caliber, differences on complications, bracelet and case construction, etc.

Yes I see that. My point was that back 60 years this caliber with the day and date complications where actually very "high tech" but now showing the date and day is not considered very complicated it impresses no one as it would going back 60 years. If you are a WIS you should go for the Sky-Dweller with a much more advanced Caliber then the DD, and also available both in precious metal and SS. So today I do think most buy date and/or day because they consider it a useful feature, not because they consider it impressive complications. For that reason I think many now would consider a white gold OP just as impressive as a white gold Day-Date. So they could now offer OP, DJ and DD in precious metal. All three also comes with Oyster bracelet. However they could still keep the president bracelet exclusive to the DD line and the jubilee exclusive to the DJ line, or offer them to all three lines. And when it comes to the components and case, again I did think it was the same case on all three but perhaps not and I also think they use most of the same components, like the parachrome hairspring and the Paraflex shock absorption etc... However my point is not that a WIS or any other should buy the OP or DJ over the DD. Everyone have their own reason for choosing what they choose. It is just that I think there would be people that want a clean dial in precious metal and only Date in precious metal too. However I may be wrong.