Hot Take: Quality and Price Don’t Equate
Went into my AD today to pick up my fiancées wedding ring. My AD says he wants to show me what someone dropped off today. He pulls this Starbucks out. While the quality is extremely well built and smooth bezel action, it just did not feel as good as the 2004 Peter Blake Seamaster I walked in the door with. Iv tried on other Subs before and I keep coming away with the same conclusion: these watches should be not be priced for what they are. These should be 4-6k watches at most. The brand is the best at what they do: market. But I 100% do not feel that watches like the Starbucks Sub should be priced at 11k retail. All you’re doing is paying for a name and the status symbol at that point. I honestly can’t argue with Rolex though. When you’re the king (no pun intended) of the watch market by a considerable amount, why would you try to improve on the quality of your product if you make 5 billion more (according to 2021/2 data) than second place? I think there’s better watch companies you can be giving your money to with better quality and lower prices . Just my two cents.
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Yup, having no competition equals lackluster quality.
We should all be so lucky to be in a similar position.
All I can do is tip my cap and buy what I can afford.
Yeah, we all know Rolexes are overpriced but are they wrong? I mean sure, Rolex charges $10k for a watch that should maybe cost $6k. But then again, it's the only watch in the world you can mention to anybody in the world and they'll know what you're talking about. Even I, a person who's a little embarrassed when somebody notices my DJ feels a little something for the fact that this is the best know, most respected watch brand in the world. And that's got to be worth something.
And what about Omega and everybody else? I guarantee Omega charges every single penny they think they can for their name. It just turns out that amount isn't as much as Rolex. Basically, everybody does it to whatever degree they can.
Demand and hype sets the price, especially in luxury goods. Rolex or AP or Omega etc is a statement you are trying to make.
IMO Rolex is the best marketing company in the watch game. No doubt they kill it with product placement and brand recognition. The Coronet is everywhere in expensive sports . Not sure if auto racing is expensive: go racing and find out. Playing tennis or golf at top tier professional levels is a giant monetary commitment your parents needed to make for you decades ago. Sailing : separates the millionaires from the billionaires. Rolex sponsors all of it.
Example Why sponsor a lowly F1 car when you can just sponsor toe whole damned race?
You don't need to spend anywhere near Rolex money to run into people paying for a name, more than the product itself. In the watch community Seiko is the classic example, look at the praise heaped on the SKX to this day. It's an objectively inferior watch to many others on the market, but the name on the dial makes it special to some.
Going even less expensive, you have Timex, the other watch brand that everybody knows. Timex charges more for their watches than Casio, likely in part because they know people will buy the name.
Eh to me the fit and finish for Rolex is noticeably better than Omega or others. It’s up to the market to decide how much more they wanna spend for one product vs another. No one is wrong it’s just a different opinion.
If you really want a respected Swiss brand (but why) then have you Tissot, who especially make Quartz watches for around 522 euro with delicious designs...
Note that all the others Swiss brand RESERVE or spare any really fine design to their most expensive models, which then automatically become incredible expensive, compared to Tissot...
But you if you don't need Swiss Made, can easy buy 3 as good looking Fossil or Invicta (who also use really delicious designs, without demanding premium prices) as one single Tissot...
Okay that last Automatic 600m diver cost 1111 euro, but that is still a Swiss Made bargain!
Dealer offered you a sub and you turned it down? I’m not sure I would have been so strong, but kudos to you for making that decision.
Just wait for the Rolex purchase I say….as soon as some more banks fail and go under, the stock market freaks out, then these watches will collapse in price! Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it! 😏
They are priced at exactly what the customers are willing to pay for, obviously you are not one of them.
You did good. Break the cycle! IMO Omega does make better watches and build quality.
Brand is king because consumers buy on emotion. Is Rolex the best build quality watch, no. But the same can be said for other products like iPhones and Nike shoes. Some consumers don’t care about brand but I would say the majority do.
Just wait for the Rolex purchase I say….as soon as some more banks fail and go under, the stock market freaks out, then these watches will collapse in price! Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it! 😏
“Trade you a Rolex for your rifle “ that unfortunately may become a common statement in the near future. More likely to be able to make a trade with a watch than cash though to be fair.
I'm a massive Rolex fan own several,do I think they are overpriced compared to some brands, Christopher ward for example,yes ,they both do exactly the same but compared to Richard mille they are a bargain,the thing about prices is like everything in life the better the advertisement and brand recognition the more you can charge
They only charge what people are prepared to pay! Overpriced? Certainly. Omega are increasing their prices in the same manner.
Tudor now cover the bases that Rolex used to a good few years ago. They do offer value, in relative terms!
So a couple of points:
1) How can I be a snob if I openly admit being a Timex fanboy? Timex isn't exactly a snob's watch brand. Simply disagreeing with you does not make me a snob.
2) There are lots of Miyota, Sellita, and Sea-Gull powered microbrands people go crazy for. Just because you like the ones with Seiko movements does not mean others aren't popular.
3) I'm not a fan of the Miyota 8000 series movements, but I'll take a 9000 series over anything Seiko below the 8R series. I like thin watches, and Seiko movements are anything but thin.
4) A Timex mechanical field watch on bracelet at retail costs less than a SRPD on a NATO at retail, and comes with sapphire... For $50 CAD more you can get a Timex in titanium, with 200m WR, and sapphire...
Seiko: Seiko 5 Sports Sports Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch SRPD55K1F - Mens | TheBay
Timex: Expedition North Field Mechanical 38mm Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch - Timex CA
Better Timex: Expedition North® Titanium Automatic 41mm Eco-Friendly Leather Strap Watch - Timex CA
But just so we are clear, and maybe you can feel less personally slighted by my Seiko comments. I'm not saying Seiko makes bad watches, I'm simply saying you pay extra because the name Seiko is on the dial.
Oh nearly forgot
The Timex M79 retails at the same price as the Seiko SRPD range
Doubtless you will be far more forgiving of this brand
🤔
https://www.firstclasswatches.co.uk/timex-m79-automatic-black-and-blue-bezel-watch-tw2v25100-p-87781/?correct_country=222&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gclid=CjwKCAjw_MqgBhAGEiwAnYOAetdUxjYNzQmVMFohhpP_5Xa62_oo5Cxh-CGa2JuG8bKpePgfk903PxoCawwQAvD_BwE