Quote:
Originally Posted by RPKESQ
In the watch world there are several types of consumers. But watch consumers who are interested in true quality horology know that Rolex watches are expensive for the quality and the movement quality is mediocre at best, especially in their less expensive models.
Rolex puts 90% of their production cost into the case and only 10% into the movement. There are much better buys and much better watches for the same or less money. If you have really spent time on Timezone.com you should have read the on-site review of an internal examination of a recent Rolex will underscore my comments. If you haven’t read it yet search it out.
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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?