Sorry to have to correct you, but...your original VietNam era GMT (1675) is worth WAY more than $2500. Most likely pushing $4k these days. It is a fact that Rolex sold watches in military PX's throughout the 60's & 70's.

Real watches don't have batteries...err...well, except my Omega Marine Chronometer...

http://www.joseph-watches.com/Text_Marcas/omega_16.jpg

I concur! Just buy a fake one.

May as well...you already have a fake 356. :D

Thanks! Excellent source! I have inquired on two watches and awaiting a response.

I'm after the "tool" variety. Not jewelry.

I have a Seiko with a faceted crystal that I got 25 years ago that looks sweet, keeps great time and sits in a box most of the time because I don't like wearing a watch. I like nice stuff, but never desired a Rolex

Probably- but a TAG Carrera was my first expensive watch, and so far I love it. Feels great, looks great, I get many compliments.

Sure the true watch snobs turn up their noses, but I wear what I like.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1198254401.jpg

I wear a $70 digital sports watch.

Expensive watches are lame.

Agreed, to an extent, but I don't think that a relatively low end Explorer I or Air-King is necessarily represenative of the entire line.


http://www.timezone.com/library/horologium/horologium0036







Tim

Quite true, but a watch is a watch and an investment is something else. Meaning they seem to sell at near retail and resell at wholesale.

What would you "move up to"??

If I had to just buy a watch, I'd buy something a little more unique. I have 2 Omegas, not bad and not elegant anymore. They had their day. I don't wear them at all but not because I'm ashamed. I'd only be ashamed of a plastic Casio, and I shouldn't be ashamed of anything.

As an owner of a SS submariner that has been on my wrist for over 20 years, I would say, if you like it, get it. Paid around 1200.00 for it back then, not sure what the value is today and nor do I care. It has been a great time piece for me. I will say that I have not purchased a watch or another time piece since and have no intention of ever wearing anything else. Once I move on and hopefully not in the near or far future, it will be willed to my son. I think one of the benefits of owning one is that it becomes part of you that you can pass along to a loved one. They then can enjoy for many years later knowing it was something that you passed on to them. Rolex seems to have that heritage.
When I was faced with this decision, a client advised me that once you buy a Rolex, you stop looking at other watches becuase your happy with what you have on your wrist. This has been very true for me. So for someone who owned multiple watches at the time, it was a sound investment.
I will say this, I think staying conservative with your selection, like a Air King or a SS sub mariner will keep your time piece "ageless".
Some Rolex's, IMO, can be too gaudy and reflect an image that my be over the top for some.
Like a Porsche,IMO, there are two types of owners of Rolex's:
The ones who own one because they want everyone to know they are rich and can afford it, or the ones who own it because they respect and understand the heritage, the history and the quality that comes with the marque.
My advise would be the same as to someone buying a Porsche:
Get what you like(911,993, turbo, etc)and wear it(drive it like you stole it) and dont worry about it appreciating. The value is in how it makes you feel.

I know that now, thank to you Stuart...

But when I bought my Tag it was because I liked the way it looked and more importantly their sponsorship and/or advertising of/at so many auto racing events.

I really do appreciate your post on watches, I have learned a lot from them.

Depends on who you are calling a watch snob mate. The Carrera is well made and very attractive. Interestingly, TAG originally reisuued the Heuer Monaco (the square McQueen one) and the Carrera as acccurate reissues of the 60's Heuer classics. But no one bought them. What the hell is a Heuer? So they put "TAG" back on them and guess what happened down at the Mall.


You wear what you like, thats all that matters.

Aw thanks. im not a watch geek, really. Have a few good/intersting ones left. But I do hate seeing something flogged in the mall on the back of faux heritage/history/tradition. Almost inescapable these days- watches, whisky, Porsches.....

I think the marketing tag that makes one gag the most- because you can hear the research that underlies it.... "you never really own a Patek Phillippe...you just look after it for the next genration..."accompanied by images of buff, sophicticated types teaching their small sons to shave or ballroom dance or play polo.... Beats TAG's Brad Pitt anyday for sheer chutzpah.

I truly appreciate the input, but that's kind of like saying if one really spent time at the Pelican website, one should have read the article on midyear cars and head studs. There's a LOT of info on both websites. Thanks to Tim Hanson, I did, however, read one rather unflattering review of the Explorer. I won't lie, it does influence my decision. Here's some excerpts from the summary -

"SOME PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS

The anomalies of the Rolex Explorer make it difficult to neatly summarize a personal opinion. For me, the only intriguing aspect of this watch is that a movement so lacking is basic workmanship is capable of being so accurately timed.

Ouch

In the current watch market, the poor quality of the movement--and relatively good quality of the case and dial--suggests that this watch should retail in the $600 to $800 range. To my tastes, a quartz-controlled watch would provide the functionality of this watch, do it even better, do it with better reliability, do it at an appropriate purchase price, do it at much lower routine maintenance costs, and, in most cases, provide a better piece of craftsmanship in the bargain. Obviously, for the person who wants "a Rolex" for reasons unrelated to the watch itself, this watch might be a choice.

OUCH!

For those who would insist on a mechanical watch, there are innumerable other choices in the price range of the Explorer, almost any of which would provide a movement of much better quality. There are also many watches at a quarter or less of the price of the Rolex that exhibit comparable or better workmanship and quality. In fact, I think it would be difficult to find another current production watch, at any price over a few hundred dollars, as deficient in basic workmanship of the mechanicals as the Explorer.

Get off the fence. Tell us how you really feel.

The contrast between the relatively good external appearance of the watch and the internal appearance is absolutely unparalled in my experience. I cannot think of another consumer product in which the gulf between the publicly perceived quality and the reality I saw is as broad as with the Explorer."

Yikes. Okay. I'm not saying I'm totally off the idea of a Rolex. There is a vintage Airking available that looks nice for not a lot of money. Are the vintage Rolexs good watches according to experts? What do "watch experts" think is a great watch for the price?

Friends of mine who are seriously into watches seems to agree that a Rolex is a "crude bit of kit". They claim that Lange & Soehne, Blancpain, and Vacherin Constantin (sp?) for example have far superior movements etc.

However, as someone posted up thread, once you wear a Rolex you stop being interested in other watches. It just feels right, and is incredibly solid and you know it will last you a lifetime.

Rolex is comparable to Porsche as a brand. Solid, reliable, high-performance (it's usually Rolexes that make it up Everest and to the North Pole etc) and it has a certain cachet. A Lange & Soehne by comparison would be like the million doallar Bugatti. Great if you can afford it - but really far too precious for my liking.

I really don't think you can go far wrong with a classic Rolex. That said, the Air King is the 924 of the Rolex world. You can do better.

I think you are quoting from the Exporer 1 review by Timezone doyen Walt Odets. The most controversial thing ever to happen at Timezone, it sent Mr Odets into self banishment. Mere mention of it will start barfights in rooms all over the interweb.

The power of the Rolex brand is strong, OB1.

ROTFL!!

This has been an interesting thread. I see the appeal of these now if they won't let you down. When ever I got to another country (haven't done it in a while) I buy an "interesting" watch. I have 3-4 like this. Some are pretty cheap, but no worries, they are just different. Problem is, I don't have any uber nice ones. Which means the one time every six months when I want to wear it, the damn battery is dead. So it sits in the box. I have a "decent" Tissot with the 3 dials for a stopwatch I never use. I think I paid about $450 in 1999...someone here posted a similar one. It makes me happy and I wear it every day. But it has a battery too....the damn thing seemed to be running slow. The stopwatch that gets tripped accidentally is a hug battery drain. :(

You guys have me thinking about a Rolex now, something I can pass down one day to my boy. I like the "sportier" ones I have seen here. (The Air King looked perfect for a 70 year old man, sorry dude.) Is there one with 3 eyes, I simply liked the look in 1999 and still do. What does "oyster" band mean?

'Oyster' refers to the way the case goes together, making it watertight to couple hundred meters or something.

The stem screws down tight and has a pressure gasket in it that seals better as the pressure increases.

Ah, OK, cool thanks!

Don't believe the statements made in the post you are quoting. Almost all of them are demonstrably false. Check out Timezone.com and TURF.com (The Ultimate Rolex Forum) for some real information Make your own decision after being informed. Rolex have some of the most robust movements anywhere. The Daytona has an in-house movement that has a 72 hour power reserve. That's almost like saying the 930 puts down 100 HP on .9 bar boost.