Rolex is basic

I'm not a Rolex fan but can certainly see the appeal. It is THE flex for the general public that you've attained a certain level of success.

There was a story I encountered a long time ago about chocolate & strawberry ice cream were making fun of vanilla for being basic. Vanilla let them have their fun and then dropped the hammer that it was the best selling flavor of all time and therefore the best.

Basic is fine as long as it's executed to perfection, and even I, a non-fan of the Crown, can admit Rolex has played the game perfectly to set them selves up as THE quintessential luxury brand.

I don’t like the look of Rolex but the only Rolex I like is the skydweller. But they make quality products with top quality marketing. But they have a big problem, there are a lot of young people who identify Rolex as “is for old people”. If they don’t fix that image quickly, in 10yrs they will be offering a Daytona on a 0% apr finance scheme.

I agree and yes, Tudor is appealing to the younger crowd. That young crowd will eventually hit an age where Rolex is appealing as well.

Haha, but the young ones will get old too. Maybe that's when they will want an old people watch 😀 if not, more Daytonas for me 😏

But I agree, Rolex has a bit of an image issue. For me that's actually more of a reason not to wear them than the fear of being robbed which I am not too concerned about (at least in those places I tend to go to). If there's anything that can dethrone the crown it's that the public gets sick of the vibes their watches give off.

Rolex isn't vanilla, it's gourmet

Rolex makes plenty of flavors, whether you want a Skydweler, a Submariner, a polar dial Explorer II, a Daytona, or a fun color datejust. Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, even Rocky Road, Rolex has a flavor for you.

But Rolex isn't grocery store ice cream. It's small handmade boutique ice cream. If you've never eaten a hand crafted Strawberry balsamic you might be tempted to think it's the same. It's very much not

I don't know if Rolex is basic or if due to their success and influences their watches are just used as the blueprint for so many others.

If half the product out there is based on a Rolex but "with a twist" then by construction it makes the Rolex basic...

Not saying you're wrong, just that being basic doesn't seem to be a function solely of design/looks but also popularity 😀 and that's out of their hands to some degree. Hell, they are probably trying to not be so basic by making emoji themed watches 😅

If being basic means that I can sell everything I can produce at my own price with a 1-10 year wait list for my product, sign me up.

You must be new.. even in 2020 you could get a Daytona with relatively no wait. In the past ADs were offering payment plans to move pieces.

Here's my 2 cents - yes, I agree Roles is basic. But is that bad? Let's see... in something like mechanical watches, where you might argue its heyday was in the 60's and 70's pre-quartz revolution, there's a lot of appeal in vintage and vintage-styled watches, keeping the flavour and 'spirit' of the classics. That's why a lot of the big name brands use and re-use the same stylistic choices that made them famous many decades ago. The Oyster Perpetual, the Seamaster, the Calatrava, the Reverso, every Cartier... not to mention the Genta integrated bracelet designs. And I can appreciate and respect that, because I prefer vintage styled watches. But therein lies my disdain for modern Rolexes - if I wanted a classic Datejust I'd just buy a vintage one. Sure a modern one comes with better quality and features, but it's just more of the same of something older, and why get this when I could buy the original? But if I wanted to buy a modern watch - something that both draws inspiration without being too much of a copy - a lot of luxury brands do it better, design-wise, in my opinion. I just think Rolex's designs for their basic three-handers, divers, and chronographs have become stale, and bland.

Of course, I'm not including production quality or the movement statistics, and that might change one's opinions when it comes to choosing what watch to buy. But this is just for my perspective on watch design.

When you say small boutique ice cream, I think Vacheron Constantin or JlC. Rolex is pretty mass produced at over a million watches in production a year and growing…but made, designed and marketed very well.

Nothing is wrong with basic is what I was getting sround to. I can appreciate basic hence taking time to shoot them in macro for you to see. 😄

And you'd be guilty of bias. Wear a Rolex and you'll realize the bracelet is perfection, the second hand is hair thin, the indices are flawless, the dial is gorgeous (blacks are inky, white are snowy, blues are lusterous), and it just feels amazing on the wrist.

I'm not saying VC or JLC aren't premium, I'm staying the they aren't the only premium in town

I do wear Rolex, these photos are literally of the 2 I own. I don’t disagree but they are def not boutique.

If I recall correctly, it was vanilla that helped create my son.

Rolex makes a nice solid watch despite all the criticism, my 36mm datejust weighs more and feels more solid than my other watches

They may be considered basic because they are taken for granted. When a company has had their designs ripped off so MANY times in so many ways, people tend to forget that they were the originators. In time, to some, Rolex will start to feel basic and uninspired. Their loss.

Young people, get older, as they’re getting older, their tastes evolve……and, Rolex remains Rolex

Beautiful pictures. Rolex does a fantastic job on their lume. That’s what Rolex does, they do fantastic well. They’re the biggest watch brand in the world that makes the same basic and boring watches year after year. (That’s one hell of a business plan.) People get turned off because of the Rolex price, availability and the exclusivity factor. (Also a nice business problem to have) Rolex is also the most copied watch in the world. Rolex homage watches or a substitute Rolex like watch are affordable and popular.

The Rolex problem is a perception problem. Let me explain.

Here’s my analogy. Rolex is like a BMW or Mercedes. They’re very desirable and hard to get vehicles. For most people those luxury brands are just out of reach and if you own one your that guy. No one wants to be that guy. Kinda like owning a Rolex. But most people can buy a Nissan or Toyota with the same basic look. Kinda like homage watches. If Rolex was a Ferrari they would be unattainable. People would love them because of it because they know they will never afford one. Think AP or Patex. So that is Rolex problem. They’re just out of reach. One no wants what you can’t reach. Until you can.

I like Rolex watches. They are not my favorite brand but they are beautiful watches built to last. I admire them for what they do. They make fantastic boring watches.

Sorry if that came off as a rant.

I've been heavily into watches for less than two years and on watchcrunch since April last year. I knew very little when I started and now I know a bit. Every day continues to be a school day.

My perception of Rolex was fairly negative when I started, fuelled largely by lots of people on you tube and even in this forum who had and have no love for the brand.

Overpriced, overhyped and bought by the wrong type of people etc.

I even joined in regularly with the negativity based on my perception.

But then I actually bought one ( very unexpectedly as I only had to wait five weeks)

My perception based on my actual experience means that my opinion has changed. I have done a u turn that would make most politicians blush!

My datejust 41 is beautifully made, looks stunning, has a tremendous movement. I will never sell it.

I paid retail. Still expensive but in my opinion worth every penny.

I would not pay over retail. I may never buy another Rolex. There are lots of other great brands out there.

Now I own one I get the hype and I get the emotion many people feel for the brand.

I don't know whether they are basic. You could argue based on its complications my datejust is pretty basic? But when basic looks and feels like that I will take it every time!

I’m not sure I’d call rolex ‘basic’ - they’re arguably some of the best watches in the business. Sure, there’s plenty of exotica out there, but if you’re a serious collector, I’d think it pretty rare not to have a crown or two in your collection if you can afford it.

“Basic” would be more of your fashion watches; Hugo Boss or Armani. As soon as you get into proper Swiss watches, you’re far from oatmeal, vanilla.

All watches are basic.

APPLE WATCH RULEZ.

Long live Steve Jobs.

I think the bracelets are good but far from perfect. The folding pieces are the same length on watches of different size, that's a poor choice. Smaller watch, smaller wrist, smaller hand, smaller folding piece needed, bigger comfort acheived. Shouldn't be that hard but apparently it is... they are getting longer and longer. Used to be 40mm, now we're closer to 50mm.

But that's okay, bracelets are best in business probably. Their dials is what I really take issue with. I just had this one replaced by the Service centre because it was dodgy.

And at this point I am not even super critical. Their sunburst dials are inconsistent, plenty of images out there on forums, including my Datejust and the indices are for some reason not as clean as many others (noticeable only under high magnification admittedly but once you notice it there you start seeing it with the naked eye). On the above watch it's old one (new one is MUCH better) had lume that was very messy and the indices had bigger scuffs than normal. But what was particularly offensive was an imperfection in the lacquer, the size of about .5mm which is pretty damn big if you ask me. Stares at you each time you look at it in bright light... The black is inky only on the lacquer ones but it is no inkier than that of my Ebel Diver in the profile pic (which looks way darker because it has a dual coated crystal, in above image it wouldn't appear as gray) and the Ebel also apparently managed to make it structurally stable enough without needing the rounded off holes at the hands and the outer edge. In my experience, and I have 4, the dial manufacturing and QC of Rolex is a little questionable.

I think Rolex dials are about as good as Grand Seiko Bracelets... which are fine but nothing to write home about in that price. Just my opinion though 🍻

Love the composition of the first photo. That tilted spring bar kinda irks me but a great photo nevertheless!

The last thing that comes to my mind when looking at the DJ on the left would boring. I could not say the same though for the Sub. These days it feels like they are everywhere. This false sense for sure is magnified from the billions of homages and sadly fakes as well. I see a lot of motorsports and my sister/brother in law work at high end lux hotels and Subs are so predominant that it gets, you could say boring.

or Timeless...

I think you need to REALLY go macro in that case. Last time I put a macro on a brand new Rolex Submariner, there was a scratch on the hour hand. Rolex are well made but still mass produced and not the standard for high end finishing.

Yep. For a mass produced item, they are doing really well and I can appreciate Rolex for doing simple well and rinsing and repeating. When I go really macro on my JLC, I can really appreciate it.

Rolex, Omega, Patek, Jaeger, Panerai and other high end brands were all successful and share the same secret to their success (other than Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship) good marketing ads and famous personalities patronising them brands👍👌✌Whatever one chooses, be it affordable Seiko, Citizen, Orient, Seagull or upstart brands, important to note that it passes one’s need of getting a decent watch that tell the correct time👍👌✌