amanico
[JLC Moderator]
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It is when I buy a Patek that I wonder if I didn't pay too much.
No, I don't Wonder, I know. 
Rolex is not simplicity, it is much more about Quality.
A feeling you immediately have, once the Watch in your hands, or better, on your wrist.
Quality also because do you know anyone who said its Rolex has an issue?
Some here experimented the thing: After many years without using it, they just set the time of their Rolex and voila... the Watch starts again, without any kind of issue.
Is Rolex the champion of Complications? You are right, absolutely not. They are the Champions of Reliability and accuracy.
Did you know that Rolex is certainly the brand who submitted to the COSC with success most of their watches? And that not when chronometry was a marketing word!
Simplicity is not a flaw nor an issue... Ask to Mr Dufour.
Even Rolex Simplicity can be elegant, too. Take some Vintage as an example, I am sure you will be convinced.
And there are comparisons which are not doable... For example, try to compare a Patek Cal 240, with a Zenith Cal 135, or with the Zenith movement housed in their Montre de Pilote, or with a JLC Duometre... Will you still be impressed?
As for your last question, no, Rolex is not the Swatch of Mechanical watches, for an excellent reason: Quartz watches, hence for a big part Swatch, were on to kill horology and mechanical watches.
Rolex had a quartz Watch in the catalog, but they were part of the Résistants. If Rolex was not there, I Wonder if we'd still have mechanical watches to admire...
Best, and thanks for this interesting discussion!
Nicolas
More posts:
No brand is mandatory, nor any watch, by the way.
You own a Watch from a brand only because you love it ( the Watch or the band; or both. ;) ) Well, at least this is my main criteria. Now if the question is to know if Rolex is popular, then the answer is obvious: Yes. They would not release between 600 0...
did not mean mandatory literally
but it is hard to ignore the brand. I always told myself I would never (say never) buy a Rolex just because of the huge recognition factor alone. Everybody knows the Rolex crown brand sign. Which is not always a good thing. Can be quite tacky even. But th...
It is when I buy a Patek that I wonder if I didn't pay too much.
No, I don't Wonder, I know. ;) Rolex is not simplicity, it is much more about Quality. A feeling you immediately have, once the Watch in your hands, or better, on your wrist. Quality also because do you know anyone who said its Rolex has an issue? Some he...
+1 on these words !. Also for me, Champions in reliability .. I liked..
.. your metaphor, with the Rolex watch, which has rested long, and flawlessly restarts its going ! Even would I mention, that even at a time while owning one and only, trustworthy Rolex piece, which has been with me all over the world, in deserts, on boat...
I agree
with most you are saying. That's also and precisely why I was wondering (and started this thread): is a Rolex mandatory? Somehow I keep being drawn to them. Even though I do not want to own more than 1. Even though I have got nicer (read: more elegant/del...
That is another interesting point to discuss...
If you look at the Watch production between 1975 and et's say late 80ies, so, for around 15 years, it was a kind of horological ( mechanical ) desert... While, in the meantime, Quartz watches were on almost everyboy's wrist... A lot of manufactures were o...
I am still a virgin
Been tempted a couple of times over the past 25 years, but in the end went for something more eclectic. But seeing some of the vintage Rolex in this forum really makes for some alluring propositions. But I feel I would be chasing the market, as price go h...
+1 here but please make that 16 years for me
There were and are some Rolex models that I like such as the GMT II Red/Black, the pre-Deepsea SD and the latest SD, the Explorer I and the Datejust with Roman numerals. But at any point in time, there are brands and models that I want more than these. So...
Funny that you should ask...
I have owned hundreds of watches over many years, and not a single Rolex. Regards, Tony C.
You are such a lost case, Tony. :)))))
I would very well see you with an old Explorer... Best, Nicolas
Yes.
That seems to put me in the minority, but I have come to feel that way. I used to be somewhat anti-Rolex on the ground that it was not haute horlogerie. Then I got one . . . and another . . . and I have found that they are a unique enough, and good enough...
as with all journeys...
paths are different for different people..so I would not say Rolex is essential or mandatory in any watch collector's trip.. however, speaking for myself..for the longest time, i was anti-rolex.. too common..too commercial..too blah blah blah.. however..h...
Absolutely. You can't understand watches without owning a a Rolex
I'm sure people may be surprised that I think this, being "Mr Grand Seiko" Despite disdaining them for years, I finally got one. And now I do think you should experience what makes a Rolex by far the highest volume Swiss watch with most name awareness and...
Yes, because
Rolex has some things no other watch has... it has the closest thing to perfect design ever made, on every level. Internal quality, legibility, time-keeping excellence, collectibility, ruggedness, elegance, and resale value. The other strange 'miracle' of...
a great outlook!
I can certainly sympathise with the collector you mentioned regarding a Dufour and a Rolex. If I had to go to only one watch that could do everything it would be a Datejust II. Perfect for aying with th ekids by the pool, formal evening wear and lounging ...
Used to...
I've not been a huge fan of Rolex (still am not), but I am a fan of how much they strive to hit perfection in the one thing they do well - build solid watches and work for what it should. I've only owned two, a Daytona and Milgauss - sold the Daytona beca...
Interesting question...
I think many collectors start with Rolex out of naivety. I'm not belittling the brand at all, but I think many people reach a point in their life or career when they think, "I deserve a nice, luxury watch". And the first brand that comes to mind at that p...
Absolutely NOT!
You pick whatever speaks to you - if it is Rolex, that's great. But it doesn't have to be Rolex or any big brands. Whatever makes you happy is a good one - this is just a hobby! Good luck and show us one day what you got! Ken
I think so...
In the world of watch enthuasists, there are brands that are compulsory in a collection although the design and mood does not suit you. You have to have at least one of it. Rolex is a brand that can't be ignored. If you try to ignore it, you will see more...
Like studying the classics ...
... at school. They still have relevance and put other pieces of literature into context. No, you don't NEED to own a Rolex, a Speedmaster Pro, a Royal Oak, or a Nautilus, but you do need to have an understanding about why they have become classics and wh...
Rolex is THE reference if you collect at any level,like it or not..
I mean,whether you start your journey with one or end it,or never own it at all,Rolex has a presence in the subconscious of every watch collector hard not to be reckon with. Why? Well for the status the crowned maison has achieved in the last 40-50 years....
I'm among those who have never owned one...
...but I do admire their single-minded focus on reliability and time-keeping. Just never found the one that was "just right" for me -- probably closest was the SS Daytona, but I already have a high-quality SS chrono (VC Overseas) so passed on that. Who kn...
Hmmm, difficult one when speaking for myself ...
I've been a watchcollector for 15 years now, and I always loved a few of the Rolex models. But everytime I actuallty tried one on, the magic disappeared. Kinda strange but true. I've been wearing the Deepsea for a few weeks lately. Great looks, great qual...
Recognizing the place of Rolex in watch history is one thing
However I'm not sure owning one is mandatory. But I understand your point.
I think for a lot of us, our horological journey starts and ends with a Rolex,
And in between we get lost in complication world. Hodinkee had an interview of several top independent watchmakers asking what you should get for under 10K: the collegial answer was a Rolex! Rolex is close to godliness! So yes: I do believe that every wat...
