Rolex vs High End Knives

Just for the record, not everyone that owns a Rolex pampers it. I have abused mine for the last 10+ years with no regret. From consistent .50 caliber recoil to being taken to the ground it has been great. The awesome part about a well built watch is you get it buffed out at the jewelers and your ready for a night out on the town! I hope my Panerai gives me the same enjoyment my Rolex has.
 
Something I have always found interesting is, I have heard people say the Mercedes cars in Germany are nothing spectacular there. They are just another car, but over here they are highly regarded status symbols. Well, at least that is what a lot of people want you to think.
If that is true, it kinda sheds a different light on luxury items...

I wonder if the same thing holds true for other high end items, including watches ? If it is, what do the Swiss import for their luxury watches ? :D
 
Cmon, people open the back of a Patek P & if you cant appreciate or understand the precision micro craftsmanship ?? Then wtf w collecting & appreciating custom knives ? By the way PP, AP & VC blow the doors off Rolex/Omega in every measurable way (investment + $,precision, mechanics,history).
 
In 2012 if I recall correct Patek produced 1/20 the total number of watches when compared to Rolex. That's 50,000 units as compared to 1,000,000. That in an of itself should speak volumes. The one draw back for me on the PP watches is the styling. Maybe when I'm 60 and buy a Harley as well. lol
 
Most outrageous luxury item I have seen yet was a ST DuPont lighter in silver that sold for $6200.
 
I don't understand where people are saying Rolex watches aren't accurate. If kept properly maintained and properly wound, they will indeed meet or exceed COSC standards as chronometers. They are after all self winding mechanical watches and their timekeeping directly depends on the fastidiousness of the person wearing them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COSC
 
Karda said:
I don't understand where people are saying Rolex watches aren't accurate. If kept properly maintained and properly wound, they will indeed meet or exceed COSC standards as chronometers. They are after all self winding mechanical watches and their timekeeping directly depends on the fastidiousness of the person wearing them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COSC
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I went through a nice watch phase a few years back. For me, nice meant upper end Seiko's and Citizens. As I always do when I get interested in something new, I find the Forums and start learning...
I couldn't get over the number of people that bitch because a watch is 1/10,000 of a second of in a month. I made those numbers up, but the point is that people were complaining about something that really doesn't matter. Not at that extreme... Who needs a watch that keeps better time ? It's a little ridiculous.

I guess for people that are really into the precision aspect of the watches, maybe it is another measurement of quality. I don't know, and it really doesn't matter because I will never pay 5 - $10,000 for a watch. Even for watches that lose 2 seconds a month, is that really a big deal ? IMO that goes beyond being anal...
Again, I'm not criticizing people that buy these watches. We all have our different interests, and it is your/their money.

My current watch is a Timex diver. It looks very similar to a Submariner. I know it isn't , and I'm ok with that. I bought it at the WallyMart about 5 years ago and paid a whopping $48 for it... I am hard on my watches. I put the thing on when I get up, and take it off when I get home. It gets banged around on things a lot.
Not intentionally, but it happens. After 5 years of use, it still looks great when I clean it up. No big scratches, and it is still sealed and doesn't leak, and still has the original battery.
I do need to have a watch that keeps decent time, because one aspect of my job is time sensitive. So, about once a month I will check the time on my watch and set it to the time on my phone. There are many times I don't have to adjust it, but once in awhile I will have to change it 2-3 minutes. Usually the only time I have to change it is, if I forgot and didn't check it for 1 1/2 - 2 months. So I guess by those really into watches, that isn't bad for a $48 watch.
Sure the materials in my watch aren't the same quality, but for me it works fine. I appreciate quality things, and am a stickler for detail in everything, but I still have no desire to spend a pile of money on a really nice watch. It doesn't mean in 5 years I won't change my mind though.
 
I hear ya, man.
I've always had a thing for watches and found Seiko years ago. Specifically the Seiko 5 automatic. I've been wearing a Seiko 5 in some form for the last 30 years. Only one of them ever broke, and I was young and hard on it when it gave up the ghost by the winding pendulum shearing off.
If you manually wind that same watch by taking the back off and winding it with a screwdriver, it will still run and keep perfect time. She isn't anything to look at. Crystal and case are all beat up like it was kicked around a parking lot. The wife bought me a Seiko chronograph a few years ago. Waterproof to 10bar. I like it and it's tough as nails, but I like my automatics better.

That being said.... if I had several hundred thousand dollars to play with, I would invest in a Rolex submariner. Just because I like the look and feel of them and partly due to their lineage.
 
I was just trying to say That Omega needs to go back to shop every 10 years for maintenance unlike Rolex every 5 years . So my humble opinion is that omega is better watch for less money ;)
 
My omegas, rolexes, seikos all go in for to the shop when they need repair... Not before.

I do agree that Omegas are better watches for less money, but that is changing,... They have raised their prices way outside the standard deviation.
 
Karda said:
I hear ya, man.
I've always had a thing for watches and found Seiko years ago. Specifically the Seiko 5 automatic. I've been wearing a Seiko 5 in some form for the last 30 years. Only one of them ever broke, and I was young and hard on it when it gave up the ghost by the winding pendulum shearing off.
If you manually wind that same watch by taking the back off and winding it with a screwdriver, it will still run and keep perfect time. She isn't anything to look at. Crystal and case are all beat up like it was kicked around a parking lot. The wife bought me a Seiko chronograph a few years ago. Waterproof to 10bar. I like it and it's tough as nails, but I like my automatics better.

That being said.... if I had several hundred thousand dollars to play with, I would invest in a Rolex submariner. Just because I like the look and feel of them and partly due to their lineage.
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Seikos are good watches, and imo very reasonably priced . They must have sold about a gazzillion of the Seiko 5's, and I think they are still a bargain.
I really like their Chronos. The last one I had was a gray market Aviator Chrono. I enjoyed looking at it as much as wearing it lol.
For Chronos, I think Seiko's for the most part are very tastefully done. Some of the other makers Chronos make yer head spin just looking at them.

I too would probably buy a Rolex if I had copious amounts of cash, just so I could honestly form an opinion about them. Perhaps after wearing one for a year, my point of view would change. In all honesty though, I don't know if I'm enough of a watch snob to truly appreciate them :o
 
pwerfel said:
My omegas, rolexes, seikos all go in for to the shop when they need repair... Not before.
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They should never need repair if you have them serviced. Mechanical watches are like anything else mechanical (an automobile, for example) in that they need to be serviced (taken apart, cleaned, inspected, and lubed) if you want them to last. And the LAST place I'd send an Omega or Rolex is to the factory authorized service centers.
 
My views on watches have changed over the years. I have owned high end brands like Breitling and Sinn but not sure if they are worth it, really. Repairs/servicing was also brutally expensive. I sold the Sinn before I had to service it. I guess I was in over my head. I have found my level with a Marathon SAR. This is the best value watch on the market, IMO. Mine is a 2005 contract, the auto, and its bulletproof. I dont baby it at all and it just keeps going. I also think its as cool as hell - LOVE the design. I doubt I will ever own a Rolex. Wouldn't kick one out of bed though. :D

BTW I also own Seiko (Sumo) but it is now losing time, very disappointed in this, was under the impression Seikos were extremely reliable. It is 4-5 years old... no doubt it needs a service. My other autos haven't been serviced either though and are still keeping time.
 
The only time a spendy watch will save your life or bail you out of trouble is when you sell it and bring in the cash.

not true of a knife.

knives have the potential to make your work easier while potentially making you money and could stand to save your life or that of someone else.

The watch is a money pit where as the knife is a money tree/workhorse. /idea
 
Buffalohump said:
My views on watches have changed over the years. I have owned high end brands like Breitling and Sinn but not sure if they are worth it, really. Repairs/servicing was also brutally expensive.
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Find a COMPETENT local watch maker. Alternatively, find one you can ship to. I pay my watchmaker $55 for services of time-only handwinds and $65 for time-only automatics. My watchmaker takes in service work from local jewelers. He charges the jewelers the same but the jewelers then charge their customers $110 for time-only handwinds and $130 for time-only automatics. Those jewelers are making $55-$65 per watch for doing nothing but filling out the envelop/slip, calling the customer when the watch is ready, and ringing up the sale.
 
YoYojunkie said:
The only time a spendy watch will save your life or bail you out of trouble is when you sell it and bring in the cash.

not true of a knife.

knives have the potential to make your work easier while potentially making you money and could stand to save your life or that of someone else.

The watch is a money pit where as the knife is a money tree/workhorse. /idea
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A watch is a tool just like a knife is a tool. And just like watches many people pay big bucks for a particular knife. Same with automobiles, cellphones, appliances, compasses, axes, boats, etc.
 
Buffalohump said:
My views on watches have changed over the years. I have owned high end brands like Breitling and Sinn but not sure if they are worth it, really. Repairs/servicing was also brutally expensive. I sold the Sinn before I had to service it. I guess I was in over my head. I have found my level with a Marathon SAR. This is the best value watch on the market, IMO. Mine is a 2005 contract, the auto, and its bulletproof. I dont baby it at all and it just keeps going. I also think its as cool as hell - LOVE the design. I doubt I will ever own a Rolex. Wouldn't kick one out of bed though. :D

BTW I also own Seiko (Sumo) but it is now losing time, very disappointed in this, was under the impression Seikos were extremely reliable. It is 4-5 years old... no doubt it needs a service. My other autos haven't been serviced either though and are still keeping time.
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I like the GSAR, it's fine and good looking time piece IMO. My one is just back from having the bezel fixed and they basically replaced the whole watch, for very little cash too. I only have 2 watches I really use these days but I have had many of the high end watches we all know and love. I can't really fault these two and can't see me needing much else. :):thumbup:

(The GSAR is out by ~5 seconds in 24 hours and the Submariner is ~1 second out. Both those would be thought of as very accurate)

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leghog said:
A watch is a tool just like a knife is a tool. And just like watches many people pay big bucks for a particular knife. Same with automobiles, cellphones, appliances, compasses, axes, boats, etc.
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I stand behind my original statement.
 
MRaymond said:
I still don't understand why there are 2 previous posters saying that Karda said something inappropriate. My reading comprehension skills must be lacking because I just don't see anything wrong??? :confused:
BTW, I don't think anyone can say that people that buy a Rolex are foolishly spending their money out of one side of their mouth and say that buying a custom knife for (could be up in the $1000.00's +) isn't doing the same thing out of the other side of their mouth. Seems awfully "judgey" to me. Who are any of us to say what others should spend their hard earned money on? Then again, maybe I am not understanding what the OP was saying. (see reading comprehension):)


ETA: In the high end watch world, a Rolex is on the lower end than many think. I am not saying they are not great watches, just saying there are MANY other options that are MUCH more expensive.
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I used to work w/a guy who wore a Rolex, and he often stated that Rolex made the best and most expensive watches ever made. I've long admired quality watches (and knives) yet cannot afford "expensive" models of either. "Expensive" is in quotes to emphasize that what is expensive to me, may not be expensive to you. Regardless, I know a little about watches, and asked him if he'd ever heard of Patek Phillipe (PP). He hadn't. So, I pulled up an on-line retailer of watches and observed his face as he read the $70k price tag of the more "common" PP watches, then heard him gasp at the $375k prices of some of their higher end offerings.

Then I checked the time on my $300 (from Costco) Movado and sighed.
 
If you have a cellphone, you don't need a watch. A $20 knife from Walmart cuts just fine and a Prius will get you from A to B with a minimum of fuss.

Always liked mechanical things, cars, motorcycles, guns, knives, and watches. When I got to the point I could afford it, sold the VMax and bought a Harley Softail Custom. 18 years and 5 Harleys later, there is no other brand I will ever ride. When I could afford it, bought a new Porsche. 9 years and two Porsches later, am considering buying another. Porsches have been the best sports cars I have ever owned, a Corvette was the worst. Can now afford fine knives, Bose is my preference. When my Sinn 656 needed repair for the second time, bought a new Rolex ceramic submariner, love it and wear it all the time.

Riding the Harley, driving the Porsche, cutting with a Bose, or having a Rolex on my wrist feels good. Worked hard for over 40 years to get to this point, owning and using fine products is the reward. Cliché, but you can't understand until you experience it yourself.

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