When did Rolex STOP being a tool watch?

[Gold Crown]

Originally Posted by SubmarinerMariner

Didn't it stop being a tool watch the moment a buyer didn't actually buy it to go diving? The watch was designed for divers as a tool, therefore the moment a non-diver bought it cuz it looked 'good', it ceased its purpose as a tool watch for said consumer and became a fashion/jewelry/wrist ornament item...

I mean, I'm a diver - but I dive with more specialized watches for diving and seldom with a Submariner, SD, or PAM anymore...has it ceased to be a tool watch for me - probably, I DID buy it as a fashion/jewelry/wrist ornament to begin with...

Bingo! we have a winner!!!

[locutus49]

Thank you my friend.

Originally Posted by Bigsykedaddy

Very well stated.

[CRM114]

I sure am glad I'm into GMTs instead of divers and therefore immune to this "Tool watch vs. Not tool watch" angst since they still do the same thing they were designed in the 1950s for; simultaneously display multiple time zones at a glance (still far more quickly than digging out an iPhone etc) and look good doing so mated with either Jubilee or Oyster bracelet.

[yaquith]

I had my Sub since the late 60's. It was and still is a tool watch. Looking kinda tired, sort of like me. Still keeps good time. The hard part for me was the expense of maintaining the watch. Service costs are now about 8X the original purchase price. The Sub is in for servicing and the costs are expected to be in the 1K range. No regrets in using the Sub as a timekeeping mechanism vs. a good looking piece of jewelry. And now as I get older, the Sub has become one heck of a memory jogger!

[landroverking]

When folks started wearing them not to track time , but make a fashion statement.

[Gina Marie]

When replacing the dial costs more than a trip for two to Maui.

[deej]

Originally Posted by Gina Marie

When replacing the dial costs more than a trip for two to Maui.

+1


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[Richard Carver]

For me it's sapphire crystals. That's when you had to start worrying about breaking a crystal. You're 90 feet down on a diving platform, you have to replace a valve that's behind an 18 inch pipe, there will be watch to metal contact. fat old acrylic or a delicate sapphire? Take it off you say? Welcome to jewelry land.

Throw in a ridiculous ceramic bezel and spend your days taking steering wheel shots. Ceramic bezels are a profit center. Rolex gets to charge you 1000 dollars when you break one compared to a 75 dollar aluminum one which rarely needs replacing. There are those who swear they never break but is happens often enough there is already a 95 dollar replacement on the market...ah capitalism! :)

[nobbylon]

Originally Posted by Richard Carver

For me it's sapphire crystals. That's when you had to start worrying about breaking a crystal. You're 90 feet down on a diving platform, you have to replace a valve that's behind an 18 inch pipe, there will be watch to metal contact. fat old acrylic or a delicate sapphire? Take it off you say? Welcome to jewelry land.

Throw in a ridiculous ceramic bezel and spend your days taking steering wheel shots. Ceramic bezels are a profit center. Rolex gets to charge you 1000 dollars when you break one compared to a 75 dollar aluminum one which rarely needs replacing. There are those who swear they never break but is happens often enough there is already a 95 dollar replacement on the market...ah capitalism! :)

I had to laugh

[SeaDweller50]

I'd love to know the percentage of Submariner's ever sold that have been below 3m of water depth?

[Arclight]

If you don't drive nails with your hammer, is it no longer a tool?

[River]

Originally Posted by Arclight

If you don't drive nails with your hammer, is it no longer a tool?

+1


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[jbro352]

How much does price factor into this?

Question for the vintage experts... Adjusting for inflation, what was the cost (in today's dollars) of a 70's Sub in the 1970's?

Have inflation-adjusted prices gone up?