Are Rolex worth the $?

[KFC911]

For Christmas....I wanna Rolex, a YETI, and a manicure....so I won't get strange looks at the hunting camp .

Enjoy your new watch Josh! I've never worn anything on my wrists.....except handcuffs

[ckelly78z]

Subjective is correct for this watch...for the purchase price, I will buy my next daily driver car.

I have always been too physically active with my hands/arms to wear a large clunky watch. My wife has worn my wedding band for the last 20 years, because of having to rebuild the ring twice from damage while I wore it for my first 10 years of marriage.

[p911dad]

If it makes you happy..

[Jims5543]

I have purchased a couple of vintage watches from this cat. I like vintage as it has depreciated and can only go up in price in many instances. With a little homework you can pick a nice watch to wear that can be an investment too.

https://watchestobuy.com/

Buyer beware he has a 1 month warranty and does not service some watches before selling them..

So get any watch he sells serviced as soon as you get it and decide if it is worth keeping.

Oh and while I understand the appeal of Rolex as a brand I personally find it to be cliche. I received one as a bonus when I was in my 20's, I still have it tucked away in the safe, I never wear it. I prefer to wear vintage watches or unique watches. I do understand the statement it makes, you made it and have rewarded yourself.

[javadog]

It depends on how long you own them.I have owned probably a dozen of them over the last 35 to 40 years and every one of them that I owned for a long time increased in value and I made money on it.

As for the quality, they are as well made as anything out there, if not always finished internally as well as some of the more exotic watches. They are far more reliable than other mechanical watches I've owned, Omega comes to mind here. The factory service centers are exceptional, with reasonable care you can keep one of these running and looking as new for decades.

If you should buy one, keep the original box and everything that came with it, as well as any documentation from its purchase and subsequent service.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by javadog

It depends on how long you own them.I have owned probably a dozen of them over the last 35 to 40 years and every one of them that I owned for a long time increased in value and I made money on it.

As for the quality, they are as well made as anything out there, if not always finished internally as well as some of the more exotic watches. They are far more reliable than other mechanical watches I've owned, Omega comes to mind here. The factory service centers are exceptional, with reasonable care you can keep one of these running and looking as new for decades.

If you should buy one, keep the original box and everything that came with it, as well as any documentation from its purchase and subsequent service.

Agree also be prepared to have it serviced. I am not sure what the intervals are on the new Rolex watches. My old Rolex (early 1970's vintage), when I wore it a lot, seemed to need a service every 5 years, a typical service would run in the $1,000 range. More or less depending on the amount of work it needed.

Also, lesson learned the hard way, do not go to Mall jewelry stores to purchase and especially to service. I used Mayors for 2 of my services and they did not service the watch correctly, but charged me top $$. Find an authorized service facility that is small. I found an old Italian guy right near Jupiter Island, Florida, when he opened up my Rolex a few years ago he asked when I last had it serviced. I told him 7 years prior. He said it looked like it had never been serviced in 20+ years. I know it had 3 services while I owned it for close to 30 years now.

In other words, Mayors was not servicing it, just polishing it up.

I have a couple of Omega's as well, I rarely wear them, I have them tucked away with the Rolex, I may wear them one day every few months.


If you really dig the Rolex buy one, and make arrangements to pass it down to your kids one day. That is my plan.

[sand_man]

I don't know about "worth", but I like nice watches and I wanted it.

As a much younger man, a Rolex was the first thing I treated myself to (classic Sub with date) when I landed the corner office in my late-twenties; first big promotion. Truth be told, I was young and most people who cared about such things, assumed it was a fake or that I was some kind of douchey stockbroker/sales type...it's just a watch for christ's sake! I sold it after a year for close to what I paid, and bought an Omega (that I later gifted to my father), and put the rest into a car. After the Omega, I collected a few Tags, a Patek, and in my mid-40s decided I wanted another higher-end "tool watch". I was in NYC for pleasure and had my sights set on a Tudor Pellagos. However, I made the mistake of visiting the Rolex store first, and once I had the latest Submariner No-date on my wrist, there was no turning back. It's pretty much my daily driver...occaisionally I rotate with one of my Tags. For me it was worth it and will leave it for my son some day...maybe in life if I can scratch together enough $$$$ for a Daytona!

[CurtEgerer]

Jim brings up a good point about servicing costs (for any mechanical watch). It is very expensive. Yes, there are those who say I've owned mine for 20 years and have never done anything to it and it runs. Well, your car may run for a long time too without doing any oil changes.

Anyway, I've often wondered what Rolex's profit margin is on, say, a Submariner? The watch has been around forever with little change. What could it possibly cost to manufacturer one of these things in the volume they're pumping them out? $250? $500? $750, maybe? There's nothing inherently expensive in the materials used. Not bad for a $10,000 watch!

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Does the watch match the price?

IMO, no.

[Seahawk]

I am not a watch guy per se...but I bought myself an Omega Seamaster when I made O-6.

It has only left my wrist to be serviced (once) or when I work on equipment on the farm.

It makes me happy, which was the whole point

[ckcarr]

First off, buying a Rolex is not an "investment" in the traditional sense. It may go up, it may go down, who knows..

But it is an investment in yourself if you feel you want or deserve one. If people are trying to make a decision based on a strict monetary basis, of course it makes no sense. But neither does a Porsche, a motorcycle, a nice camera, or 1,000 other "nice" things.

Why even ask on this board? You'll just get the bell curve of standard responses. It's what you want that matters...

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by tabs

Because you can does not mean you should. Think of the moral superiority you will have for not giving into the temptation of stroking your ego.

Says the man that likely has a Rolex or 3. But we'll never know no matter what he tells us.

Or look at this way, is expensive cookware going to make the food taste better? I don't have one, but I'd put up a copper infused Walmart pan against the best.

That point being that tabs has espoused about fancy cookware and coffee makers.

[Moses]

My wife bought me a Rolex Submariner many years ago to celebrate a milestone in my life. It was stolen last year. Of all the material things I’ve lost over the years this loss stung more than the others. I only wore it on special occasions but it had great sentimental value. Also, it was something I had always planned on giving my son when he celebrates a milestone in his life. My son loves the watch. He wears a Seiko automatic dive watch that looks very much like the Rolex Submariner.

Twenty years ago the no-date Submariner was $3000. Now they are about $8000. Luckily my insurance paid replacement cost. It feels good knowing I’ll be able to give this to my son sometime soon.

[Shadetree930]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I know, I know....its subjective.

Been thinking about a 50th gift for myself. Oyster perpetual Date Adjust is ringing some bells for me.

Does the watch match the price, or is there a steep premium based on name only?

Life is short and full of disappointments.

Here is a chance to have something that makes you happy.

Be happy.

[mgatepi]

I bought a GMT Master in 1986, paid $1650 for it and I still have the receipt, box and all papers. I have worn it virtually everyday of my life.....and it is easily worth $6,000 today. So for something that I have used for 32+ years and has actually increased in value...how can you go wrong?
If you are trying to justify buying a $8,000 watch forget it, you cant! But if you want to enjoy some luxury in life, and have the $$$ why not?
Buy it and enjoy it!

I actually have a bit of a different problem and that is; which of my 3 sons should I will it to? ( I started a thread on this awhile back)

[wildthing]

Worth it? That’s entirely up to you...

The 911 to me was worth it. Besides buying before the crazy market trend, it opened up autocross for me (sure I would’ve been fine with a Miata...)

My Breitling was also another frivolous purchase. It was a going-away present for myself, leaving my home country. Other than knowing I have a mechanical self-winding watch, it doesn’t really serve any other purpose. But it’s not priced like a Rolex.

Would I buy a Rolex? No. Screams old guy. I might spring for a Chopard Mille Miglia when I’m 50...

[aschen]

Rolex are very fine watches even if their marketing dept is the best/worst in the world (second place prob goes to Porsche). If your benchmark for value is quality of construction than a grand seiko is probably a better value. However, if you aim is to create a future heirloom to hand down its hard to do better than Rolex.

If you just want an extraordinarily nice mechanical watch, under the radar, you have many many compelling options from Tudor, Sinn, Omega, Grand Seiko, Oris, Nomos etc. One can buy a very nicely crafted watch for much less than a rolex.

[Fly Mach .86]

I bought my Submariner no date through the base exchange when I was in the Air Force in 1969 for $135.00. It's valued at $8000 today. If you can afford it, buy it and wear it.

[HardDrive]

Great feedback. I wear an Omega Seamaster everyday (Aquaterra). I do question if a Rolex will end up being a bit to ostentatious.

[aschen]

If you get the date just as proposed people with occasionally notice it because of the cyclops, if you get a no date perpetual pretty much only you will know.