Is a high end watch worth it?

SIFU1A said:
....get the rolex if ya want one, ya only live once.....
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Exactly.

If you're at a point where you're even considering a "name" instead of just something that keeps time, get yourself the Rolex. Get it out of your system now if you have the money to do it.

"Rolex" threads are like "Sebenza" threads - mostly based on passion. And, like "the need for speed", passion costs a bit more than it should until it is tempered with experience and knowledge. Then "value" becomes part of the equation. Is a new Rolex "worth" it? Of course not. Is a new Mercedes-Benz "worth" it? Of course not. But, if you are lucky enough to be able to own such "toys", you will get to experience them firsthand (warts and all) and eventually you will gain enough knowledge that you WILL start buying things that are "worth" it. It's an expensive education, but it's a FUN education! ;)

Another common thread in these threads (sorry couldn't resist) are the contributions from the people who "hate" them - but have never owned them. (Yes, I've heard all the rationalizations.) Listen instead to the people who have experience with the product - whether it's been a good experience or a bad one.

Before I got hooked on knives, I was what most people would call a serious watch collector - Patek-Phillipe, Breguet, Audemars-Piguet, IWC, etc. And yes. I had a few Rolexes - including the all-gold ones. ;) (and, as a matter of fact, I DO know a few SERIOUS sport divers who wear all-gold Rollies). My personal resistance now with wearing a Rolex is that the world of posers is awash with fakes - and I'd rather wear a nice Timex (which I do sometimes) than a "fake" ANYTHING! I gave the last Rolex to my son, and my EDC's are an IWC Doppel Flieger and a $200 sterling silver "house brand" from a local carriage-trade jeweller who went out of business.

My advice, FWIW - buy a nice used Rolex AND a nice used Omega. Wear them both for a few months and by that time you should be able to make up your own mind whether in the future you want to spend for "show" or for "go".
 
I currently own an IWC Portofino, great watch. I have always liked Rolexes, but they are too much of a status symbol for me. Although my parents both have Rolex Datejust's they have owned for 15 years and have never had a problem with either of them.
 
So, yeah I really like the classic Rolex Submariner--the standard by which all other dive watches are measured. Give me a classic 5513 or omega SM300 over any of the new rolex. As nice as the newer watches are, I think they lack something in the practicality departments--the rolex sub needs a domed, AR coated saphire crystal (I would also vote for a matte dial and no indice surrounds) and the new seamaster needs a bezel that can be gripped with wet hands and to nix the unnecessary helium valve. I have also read a terrible watchmaker's review of the modern rolex movements--as in finishing way below industry standards. For modern practicality and getting out of the rolex/penis envy, I would seriously consider a Sinn EZM 1 or 3.

I'm just a beginner on the automatic watch scene--so for me it is seiko auto divers and a West Coast Time badged O&W sub-clone (dress diver as the bezel is impossible to turn in the water). To step up from these I would go to a Marathon SAR or Marcello-C, possibly even send it off to Bill Yao or Industrial Watch Works for customization. Check out www.broadarrow.net for great info and links.

I enjoy wearing a mechanical automatic watch--it has more charm to me than everybody else's quartz watches. I'm also a nostalgia buff. So check out the forums, look at what watches are out there, and decide if something floats your boat.

-Chad
 
If I was given the choice of either having a Rolex or a new dirtbike, I would most definitely go with the bike, not even a second thought. My reasoning:

A $250 watch will do what a Rolex will.

I will lose the watch, it is inevitable.

I would get WAY more joy out of flying over bluff and jumps that looking at a watch.

Now, some people like the status of a Rolex or a Mercedes, but thats just not me. In the end I want what I will get the most use out of and what I will have the most fun with, and in this instance it would be the bike.

Now if I was thinking of it as STRICTLY monetarily, then I would go with the watch, any sane person would, it will retain it value, and a bike cuts in half once you ride it. But what will you have more fun with?
 
My choice was a Rollie or a Briet.(Shark) I chose the Briet.broke a pin in the bracelet(new band cost!!you don't want to know) when it needed cleaning got it done($250)put a rubber diving band on it (looks great)!! I mostly wear a Casio or carry a pocket watch! Wear the B sometimes. Get what you want,if you don't you will ALWAYS wonder!!
Good luck!
Jim
 
i agree with kaxter...

Get a dirt bike and buy a casio g-shock that you wouldn't mind wearing while on the dirt bike....and with the rest of the money buy whatever you can afford eg. omega

i'm starting an omega semaster co-axial aqua terra fund for myself....being a student now i've got about $50...so another thousand or 2 and i'll get my watch...hehehehe....probably will take me 2-3 years...hahaha....
 
You're a doctor, you can afford both toys. :D

But seriously. Looking at all the post, I hope that you can see the trend. For a high end watch that will cost more then the dirt bike, you have both ends of the spectrum. Its a high end watch, there should only be one side of the spectrum, all positive. Rolex makes fine watches but if someone is bold enough to compare it to the accuracy of a timex, then rolex has a quality control problem.

Having once worked in the jewery business, I am stating from experience. There is a saying that many jewelers use. "Rolexes are like jaguars, they spend more time in the shop". My friends' family has been in the jewelry business for three generations. They carry most high end watches. Eveything from the quarter mill gold and diamond to the cheap 1 grand Tags. They do not and will not carry rolexes.

If you like the rolex then get it. Live your life and enjoy it. You asked so we give input but its really what you like. :)
 
Kaxter said:
....it will retain it value...
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Depends on the watch.

For example, try selling a NIB solid gold Baume & Mercier with integrated gold bracelet on the aftermarket. You'll be in for a very nasty shock. :eek:
 
Thanks guys for all the great posts. I know rolex is a great watch, but im gona hold off for now on it. I really dont have any place to wear it and for me personaly, id feel as if i was tring to hard, if ya know what i mean. Funny thing for what its worth, i have a few friends with normal 800k homes who try hard to be rich and buy high end cars and watches; then i have friends who truly are rich ( 3 million plus homes) and they drive normal suvs and wear timexs and such..not that it means anything; but i just found it interesting. Thanks again for all the replys.
 
OK, before anybody rushes out to buy a Rolex, have a read thru this review by Walt Odets.
It's a classic among classics and created the biggest controversy that Time Zone ever had.
Make up your own minds about Rolex quality.
All I can say is that you'd never find metal shavings in any Omega or IWC!!
Lenny
 
Dr sharp said:
Thanks guys for all the great posts. I know rolex is a great watch, but im gona hold off for now on it. I really dont have any place to wear it and for me personaly, id feel as if i was tring to hard, if ya know what i mean. Funny thing for what its worth, i have a few friends with normal 800k homes who try hard to be rich and buy high end cars and watches; then i have friends who truly are rich ( 3 million plus homes) and they drive normal suvs and wear timexs and such..not that it means anything; but i just found it interesting. Thanks again for all the replys.
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HHAHAHHAHAHA, where I live if you are in an 800k home you are FILTHY stinkin rich, and that is no exageration. An 800k home in Joplin Missouri is pretty much non existant, it really is. There are a few retirees that have large homes, but thats it. The average home here costs about $75,000. I know of one person that lives in a 600k home here, most expensive house I have ever been to in Missouri, so nice. I guess its all where you live.
 
from the Equation of Time website. It's their C2 model. I received one about a month ago, and it's hardly left my wrist since. :D :D Here's a wristshot:
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It's 47mm across without the crown, 50mm with, 54mm lug tip to lug tip, ~15mm thick, and 6.3 ozs. with the solid end link braclet. It contains a standard [read unfinished] Unitas 6497 movement, and keeps pretty accurate time. The only downside to the watch is that it's water resistance is essentially nonexistent. I spoke to the manufacturer, and he recommended not even showering with it on. Overall, I've been very happy with it, and although it's not high end at all [well, it is for my budget], it's a small amount of money well spent. You can purchase it for $595 here. The link shows a strap, but ask about the bracelet- it doesn't cost any extra.

Please note that I don't have any vested interest in the EOT site, I'm just really pleased with the watch, and if you're looking for something that's fairly unique, will attract attention and look really sharp, this is it. Rolexes may be more or less "a dime a dozen", but this watch will stand out in most any crowd.

I don't seem to like the watch too much, do I? :rolleyes: :D :p

Frank
 
Dr sharp,

Be sure and inquire about how much maintenance charges are for the Rolex, which are fairly mandantory to comply with any sort of warranty offered with these watches. I admire fine watches, however at a local dealer I was told that a routine Rolex watch service cost (recommended every 3 years) would run around $500.00. It seems to me that this is a watch you never stop paying for.
 
OK, here's my watch story.
My first "decent" watch was a TAG Heuer. Slightly nicer quartz watch than Casio, Seiko, etc. Definitely not worth the price. I then started reading Time Zone and lusted for a James Bond Seamaster. I bought one and loved it. Everything was well executed on it. However, I started reading all about the Rolex Submariner and started lusting after one of them. I sold the Omega and purchased a pre owned Sub. Loved it for a while til I took a good long look at it. The crystal rises above the bezel and forms a 90 degree corner. I looked at it one day under a 10x loupe. Lo and behold, there were many small chips in the corner. Bad design for an over $3K (new) watch. Then I looked at the bracelet. Simple stamped steel, very thin links, and not at all nicely finished. Sharp edges and all. The case of the watch was not even finished up to the standards of my previous Omega. Then, thru the magic of Time Zone, I discovered the IWC Fliegerchrono Auto. Went into NYC to look at one in the flesh. I was absolutely blown away at the finishing and quality of the watch. Beautifully finished bracelet with one of the smartest length adjustment mechanisms ever designed. Literally a 1 minute job that anyone can do. Rolex needs to be taken to the shop for bracelet adj. Gorgeous domed sapphire crystal with no exposed edges to chip, and no stupid cyclops crystal for the date to ruin the look. The finish of the alternating satin brushed and polished sections of the case was perfect. The layout of the dial was very simple, elegant, and extremely easy to read at a glance with no stupid reflections off the crystal like the Rolex. The clasp was a beautiful design with a release mechanism similar to the Omega, but only one button is required due to the beefier design. Contrast this to the flimsy double latch mechanism of Rolex.
So, I went looking for a preowned Flieger and found one for an awesome price with most of the warranty left. I paid around 40% list for an essentially new watch. It has been on my wrist ever since.
Before anybody buys a Rolex, do yourself a favor. Go to a high end watch store that carries both Rolex and IWC. Hold the 2 watches up side by side and look carefully. Ask to borrow a 10x loupe and do a close up study of the dials, case and bracelet finishing. Put both on your wrist. The quality difference is obvious. And don't let the fact that the Rolex is "Chronometer Certified" and the IWC isn't bother you. IWC has much tighter requirements for daily rate than COSC which is the organization that does the "Chronometer Certification" testing. Plus, the Certification adds about $500 to the cost of the Rolex.
Now, I'm really not bashing Rolex, they would be great watches if priced half what they are. If you really want a status symbol on your wrist, buy a Rolex like all the other junior exec wannabes. If you want an excellent wristwatch on your wrist, buy an IWC, Omega, Jaeger LeCoultre, Patek Phillipe, Blancpain, Lange, Gerrard Perregeaux, Audemars Piguet, Bregeut, FP Journe, etc.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
Lenny
 
If I had Bill Gates money I'd wear some $250,000 Audemars Piguet. Since I'm not that flush I have a Casio, a Citizen, a Luminox, and a Suunto. I can imagine buying a Titanium Seamaster one of these days though.

Rolex or dirt bike, dirtbike.
Rolex or Barrett semiauto .50, Barrett.
Rolex or put a new roof on my house, Damn it I need a new roof. :D
 
BigDeeeeeeee said:
Rolex or dirt bike, dirtbike.
Rolex or Barrett semiauto .50, Barrett.
Rolex or put a new roof on my house, Damn it I need a new roof. :D
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Let me add.
Rolex or Swatch, Swatch :D

As for a semiauto Barrett, any BMG .50 will do. ;)
 
They are worth it if you can afford it, if you can't afford one there are plenty of good workhorses available. I always loved my seiko's.
 
Buy the Rolex and be happy. I have a couple of high end watches and some low ends and I couldn't tell you if any of 'em are accurate by 5 minutes a month or a day. I don't think most people can. Buy it and enjoy the feeling of a helluva nice watch,,,nothing quite like it.
 
Here's how to check the accuracy of your watch. BTW, my IWC Fliegerchrono Auto is +2 sec a day.
 
I'm wearing the same Casio Marlin, a dive watch no longer made, that I bought for $30 ~20 years ago. It's been below the surface of the Atlantic, Caribean, and Pacific, up mountains, down whitewater rivers, over cliffs (and up), through the mud and sand, into contaminated areas where I was suited up and breathing filtered or canned air and never given any problem. It's eaten 4 batteries in it's life. It's a "ho hum" little polymer multifunction digital that I can buy replacement bands (the only part to break) and it's batteries at Wal Mart. Did I mention that it keeps accurate time? Does it impress folks? I'd imagine not, but I'm impressed by what it's been though and kept on "ticking".

If you want to impress yourself and others get an expensive piece of man jewlery, but try to get one that works, that doesn't break, that appreciates in value, and (most importantly) impresses other watch people instead of the girl at Burger King.
 
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