Suppose It’s My Turn to Make the Ubiquitous “The Trouble with Rolex” Post… Well, Not Quite…
Seems like every week or so, the top trending post on WC has something to do with gauging whether Rolex is overrated, or underrated, or just a flex, or haute horology, or…. And so on.
Let’s be clear: I have no beef with Rolex. We can debate sales practices, pricing strategies, and the trickledown effect of minute changes year over year. But while I’ll likely never own one, the fact remains: They’re darn cool. It’s undeniable. You may not LOVE the designs, but I’d argue very few people can honestly say they hate the entire Rolex catalog.
This isn’t a post in defense of Rolex, nor is it extolling it’s virtues. I’m just trying to sus out why a brand with such a nearly universally liked design language, polarizes our little corner of the internet so intensely.
PLEASING ALL OF THE PEOPLE, ALL OF THE TIME
We’ve all seen that chart before. Rolex is the undisputed king when it comes to market share. I also think that with such massive recognition and broad appeal, there is no “average Rolex owner”. What I mean is, if someone wears a much smaller (by comparison) production quantity brand like JLC or Vacheron, odds are good they are a “watch person” (I’m not saying Rolex owners aren’t FYI). However, if someone wears a mass produced Apple Watch it’s more than likely they’re just another consumer with the de facto, quasi-luxury, status symbol on their wrist— and therein lies the point: Rolex’s consumer base touches both ends of that spectrum. I think the very fact they sell so many watches to so many different types of people, is what makes the subject of Rolex so divisive within the watch community.
I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that the Rolex brand transcends the watch industry. Their watches appeal to meticulous, passionate watch enthusiasts and collectors as much as they do to influencers, flexers, and people with cash to spend who can’t name a single brand besides Rolex.
And Rolex certainly can’t be blamed for pursuing either type of customer, especially when their bottom line looks so healthy from doing so.
THE CHOICE OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS
Where does this appeal come from? Iconic design is only part of the equation. Is it history? Nope. Many other manufacturers have decades or even centuries more experience than Rolex. Perhaps it’s engineering and finish? Possibly; Rolex has exceptional attention to detail, but they are definitely not the best in the game, even within or below the same price point (Grand Seiko <cough cough> 😜).
In so many facets, Rolex is a standout, but not industry-leading. Yet they remain THE name in luxury watches; why? Because of the one arena where they devote the majority of their effort and absolutely dominate: making their brand synonymous with luxury, prestige, success, and power— and they do so independent of things like history, innovation and technical achievements. (which they certainly do have).
This is why, when asked the question: “can you name a watch brand?” the average person on the street will answer one thing, without hesitation: ROLEX. No one else stands a chance.
Such is their associative marketing dominance, that if they had the mind to, I think they could decide to downgrade the manufacture and finish of their products to the level of, say, San Martin, and at least 50% of their prospective customers wouldn’t bat an eye as they proceeded to sign up for a waiting list to spend multiples of their paycheck on it. Indeed, some might even wax on about how it’s the “pinnacle of watchmaking” with great residuals, might I add…
… Ok, I kid, not trying to take shots. But I think there may be some truth to the fact that it’s not solely about the product. Rolex can’t help who buys their watches, and they’re certainly not going to change their approach now.
DON’T FIX WHAT AIN’T BROKEN
Rolex is, well, Rolex. They play their game, gain market share, increase brand value, gain more market share, lather rinse repeat. And who am I to fault a company for trying to maximize profits by increasing prices? (provided they’re not being unethical) Especially if there is a seemingly endless queue of people willing to pay for the privilege?
If a lifelong collector waits half a decade for a precious metal Daytona, good for them! If a clueless celeb buys a ridiculously overpriced grey market “Rollliiieeee for the ‘gram”, fine. It really shouldn’t affect me.
A brand is all about perception. And a strong brand is one that has managed to intrinsically associate themselves with a feeling or persona. And THAT is Rolex. For better or for worse.
Just a man with a few too many watches…
I'm not a Rolex fan, but your assessment is spot on. Well thought out & well written, thank you - you have made me see them in a new light. 👍👍
I'm not a Rolex fan, but your assessment is spot on. Well thought out & well written, thank you - you have made me see them in a new light. 👍👍
Thanks very much!
Well said couldn’t say it any better always been a fan of Rolex even in my early stages of collecting knowing that one day I will own one. I know there are those that don’t care for the brand but everyone have a different taste part of why watch collections are so unique to every collector, great post indeed!!
Great, great, great write up!!! Incredibly well-said and absolutely spot on!
Well said couldn’t say it any better always been a fan of Rolex even in my early stages of collecting knowing that one day I will own one. I know there are those that don’t care for the brand but everyone have a different taste part of why watch collections are so unique to every collector, great post indeed!!
Thank you! And I totally agree! Best way I’ve heard it put: “There’s no perfect watch, just the perfect watch for you.”
Great, great, great write up!!! Incredibly well-said and absolutely spot on!
Thanks so much! It’s a fun and interesting topic for discussion for sure.
If you go back in time, for the longest time a wrist watch was not for the average Joe, you had to belong to certain class to wear one. It was not until quartz watches came along that average Joe had a chance to buy a watch. Rolex makes a million watches but they still determine (control) who can buy their watches. The hate on Rolex is mostly because of the condescending attitude of the Rolex ADs and the subtle race/class based profiling. I personally don't "hate" Rolex product or their process, I just hate the way the ADs have treated me when I tried to buy one.
I have no issues with Rolex, my wife thinks that I hold a grudge against a guy who bought my 1980s Datejust but neglected to pay me for a year but that has nothing to do with my Rolex thoughts. Firstly, Rolex and pretty much all watches are superior to their older siblings, my $3800 Longines keeps as accurate time as my $17400 Omega DSOM watch. It may not be as well regarded, probably a lessor movement but it could be my only watch. In the first years of my infatuation with mechanical timepieces, I listened to veteran watch sellers, watchmakers and even guys who worked in the service department for Rolex Canada. They were consistent in their assessment of Rolex watches: good, dependable not high horology but you were not paying for PP,AP VC, or Brequet. Here is where their opinion becomes a bit unfair, they sort of regarded a Rolex owner( I was certainly a cohort) as a country hick for choosing a Rolex over one of the top brands. When I have a medical problem, I am listening to my specialist even if he comes off sounding officious or a jerk. He has a medical degree. This is my own personal situation, I don’t want to say this but I must. If I wanted to walk into certain area Rolex ads today and buy a watch with the lone exception of a Daytona I could. I actually do not and I am fragile enough to admit that all the folks who educated me about what a fine timepiece is or should be matters to me today. My hardwood flooring seller wears a 36mm two tone Rolex Datejust looks at a PP Worldtime complication and remarks that rose gold is pretty nicer! The MBA guy slumming working capital markets in real estate is more respectful when he spots a Patek. In this troubled world these events matter, my skin is thick but I do live in the real world. I love Rolex I would not be the watch enthusiast today had I not investigated the brand 35 years ago when I was a younger man. I was 100% convinced that this silly Rolex debate would not be something hotly debated on Watch Crunch. Would I catch criticism if I suggested that just perhaps modern Rolex owners can just enjoy the status of their watches and ignore the noise. Hell I love Breitling and Panerai watches! I look nothing like Rocky or Arnold but I am in the hobby for fun.
Is it purely a case of Rolex being so out of reach for most folk that they hunger for it? Do we hanker for that which is unobtanium? And once you do manage to save for 20 years and sell a kidney to purchase one, you then have a sense of being somebody. Is it all just about ego at the end of the day? It's become so commoditized that your average punter wants to show off, and not talk about its keyless works. You ask someone about the narrative behind the watch and they'll just tell you that they bought it at an AD and yeh, I sold my car to get it. I then show them a $30 vintage Seiko that is so rare, with no other model on the market, with a fascinating back story around having to hunt for an NOS movement globally, the phenomenal finish on it, polished screwheads in a 1980s fully jeweled quartz dress watch with trimmer?! My watchmaker goes nuts over it with more back stories on what he considers one of the best movements ever made. That is the joy of the hunt, not merely displaying the fact that you can afford a certain watch. And yes, Rolex is still great and I do own a vintage 15000 date. Not because I'm uber rich, but because it has a great back story, and the 3035 is such an iconic movement.
Thanks for a well written article but didn't swatch and omega prove your point with the moonswatch about a high end watch company producing a reasonable priced watch
Is it purely a case of Rolex being so out of reach for most folk that they hunger for it? Do we hanker for that which is unobtanium? And once you do manage to save for 20 years and sell a kidney to purchase one, you then have a sense of being somebody. Is it all just about ego at the end of the day? It's become so commoditized that your average punter wants to show off, and not talk about its keyless works. You ask someone about the narrative behind the watch and they'll just tell you that they bought it at an AD and yeh, I sold my car to get it. I then show them a $30 vintage Seiko that is so rare, with no other model on the market, with a fascinating back story around having to hunt for an NOS movement globally, the phenomenal finish on it, polished screwheads in a 1980s fully jeweled quartz dress watch with trimmer?! My watchmaker goes nuts over it with more back stories on what he considers one of the best movements ever made. That is the joy of the hunt, not merely displaying the fact that you can afford a certain watch. And yes, Rolex is still great and I do own a vintage 15000 date. Not because I'm uber rich, but because it has a great back story, and the 3035 is such an iconic movement.
Great point! Whether we enthusiasts like it or not, Rolex is a status symbol. And whether the product itself warrants such a distinction is irrelevant. At the end of the day, similar-tier makers like Omega with their superior (IMHO) engineering and technology, or Grand Seiko with their impeccable finishing, are not the ones being mentioned in hip hop lyrics or other popular culture. And that has almost nothing to do with the quality of the watches themselves, and everything to do with perception.
Thanks for a well written article but didn't swatch and omega prove your point with the moonswatch about a high end watch company producing a reasonable priced watch
I see your point. My little jab about the San Martin level watch was more about how some (not all and probably not even most) Rolex buyers care more about the logo and perceived status, than the timepiece itself. Kind of like those SUPREME shirts. Haha
I don’t think any enthusiasts who purchased MoonSwatches did so thinking they were getting a $285 Speedmaster Professional or to flex that Omega logo.
TLDR
I’ve been in Florence for the last week, and stumbled across a Rolex AD and several stores stocking vintage Rolex’s. Every single one had some blinged out family smearing grease over the glass and talking about nothing other than how much they cost (whilst nearly all of them wore Rolex’s although I couldn’t see if they were genuine for sure). I do not even exaggerate however this small customer base hasn’t put me off one day owning an Explorer 1.
At the end of the day, they are a business making money first and foremost so you can’t criticise them because of the customer base they have.
Nicely written and I agree with your points.
Great post and very good points. I do have a question however:
Where can I get that RELAX “homage” lmao 🤣
Haha, thanks! I’ve seen that “Relax” mod/build from a couple different sellers on eBay. This is the one that’s currently sitting in my cart: https://www.ebay.com/itm/235109693881?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=3mlB6o8KQ4u&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=_OcyOgngQW-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Unfortunately, I think $225 is just a tad steep for a novelty like this. Super funny though!
Rolex is cool because they made us believe they were. Seriously back in the 80s, the late golfer Seve Ballesteros and diver ads were here and there in newspapers and TV. The only other brand that had a lot of marketing then was RADO. Yet Rolex catapulted to unimaginable heights. If only RADO tweaked their marketing, quality and target audience.
Who could blame Rolex. Back then people could afford them and they were available easily. I guess the reason people complained about them now is simply because of the opposite; not everyone can afford them and they are not available easily (at least at the price you're willing to pay for one)
I know people have always regarded Rolex as one of the best, but an expensive watch. So, pardon me for not doing my research but how much do they cost in USD? Like the base model up to the most desirable common model? I'm precluding special editions or buying a bunch of diamonds. Just a regular production watch. Just an average price in US, if that's possible to do. Then I will try to compare with here in China. Though the info is hard to find in China because AD is only in Top Cities and regular people will rarely walk in and bother them about the price.
If you go back in time, for the longest time a wrist watch was not for the average Joe, you had to belong to certain class to wear one. It was not until quartz watches came along that average Joe had a chance to buy a watch. Rolex makes a million watches but they still determine (control) who can buy their watches. The hate on Rolex is mostly because of the condescending attitude of the Rolex ADs and the subtle race/class based profiling. I personally don't "hate" Rolex product or their process, I just hate the way the ADs have treated me when I tried to buy one.
Sadly, you are correct..but that has only been in the last 15 years or so. There was a time that I could walk in to my AD and pick up whatever Rolex I had the funds for. My first was a Datejust two tone for 2350. (still have that watch) in 1977. All the Flexing and price rise is pretty new. Like everything else the prices have gone a bit nuts.. JMO Enjoy the hobby
If you go back in time, for the longest time a wrist watch was not for the average Joe, you had to belong to certain class to wear one. It was not until quartz watches came along that average Joe had a chance to buy a watch. Rolex makes a million watches but they still determine (control) who can buy their watches. The hate on Rolex is mostly because of the condescending attitude of the Rolex ADs and the subtle race/class based profiling. I personally don't "hate" Rolex product or their process, I just hate the way the ADs have treated me when I tried to buy one.
You are absolutely correct. The famous vintage movie trope of a woman accosting a stranger and asking for the time wasn't born out of thin air. Wrist watches were expensive and asking strangers for the time was not uncommon.
I don't hate Rolex just like I don't hate most of the consumer product brands that manufacture all kind of goods that I'll never buy. Making a conscious decision not to buy a specific product or from a brand because something about their design, sales strategies, or their intended use doesn't align with your own philosophies doesn't mean that you "hate" them.
I know people have always regarded Rolex as one of the best, but an expensive watch. So, pardon me for not doing my research but how much do they cost in USD? Like the base model up to the most desirable common model? I'm precluding special editions or buying a bunch of diamonds. Just a regular production watch. Just an average price in US, if that's possible to do. Then I will try to compare with here in China. Though the info is hard to find in China because AD is only in Top Cities and regular people will rarely walk in and bother them about the price.
You are absolutely correct. The famous vintage movie trope of a woman accosting a stranger and asking for the time wasn't born out of thin air. Wrist watches were expensive and asking strangers for the time was not uncommon.
I don't hate Rolex just like I don't hate most of the consumer product brands that manufacture all kind of goods that I'll never buy. Making a conscious decision not to buy a specific product or from a brand because something about their design, sales strategies, or their intended use doesn't align with your own philosophies doesn't mean that you "hate" them.
No, it means I hate myself for not keeping my eye on the ball and making better life choices right out of high school.
No, it means I hate myself for not keeping my eye on the ball and making better life choices right out of high school.
Well I got drafted 12 days after finishing high school and promptly volunteered to all kind of strange outfits, so believe me that by comparison you made much better life choices than I did at that stage.
Well I got drafted 12 days after finishing high school and promptly volunteered to all kind of strange outfits, so believe me that by comparison you made much better life choices than I did at that stage.
Maybe... maybe not. At this point in my life, I feel like a few years of military service in my youth might have served me in good stead.
We'll said! Rolex is the best at marketing for sure