Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Rolex Watch ?

Rolex is the John Deere of watches, living off the name and ignorance of buyers.

[quote=Starman]

Vast majority of Rolex diver owners are not divers..they have no real use or purpose for a properly engineered
and constructed dive watch.[quote]

No, they might not use it for its intended purposes. It's their money, if they want to walk around with a $8500 dive watch on their wrist then good for them and good for Rolex and people who buy and sell them. As you pointed out there are other makers for divers who don't want to shell out $8500 for a watch.

This thread has sent me doing mucho online watch research. The Seiko Automatic Diver I recently bought on a gray market site for $200 led me to bone up on Seiko and now the idea of a Grand Seiko dive watch is compelling. Seems folks with experience with those watches find them to be as good if not better than Rolex quality.

My "POS" GMT's been ticking since 1981. Guess I'm one of those "John Deere" ignoramuses...

My comment was directed at current events. Rolex's were an expensive, upscale watch in 1981...not the best, but a great watch. IMO anymore they're just expensive. To each their own though. I've owned Rolex's and probably will again. I also own some John Deere equipment.

My idea of a durability test for automatic mechanical watches would involve the wrist of a guy who runs a jack hammer for a living.

For my application (durability, reliability and YES, aesthetics and reputation for a good product)the Rolex was the "Best" in my opinion. My dad had a Patek Phillippe, which ranks pretty much at the top of "best quality",would most definitively not withstood the every day usage of the GMT. Current pricing merely reflects inflation AND demand and while I would not consider spending 8K plus for a new GMT today, clearly I don't have to mine still works and works well and I don't know very many watches that can withstand what I put mine through.

Any perspective on value should acknowledge that you could probably trade your vintage GMT for a new one and then some. There aren't many $800 mechanical objects from 1981 that one can say this about, especially after having used daily.

A cursory look at the vintage market suggests anywhere from 6-8K for my 30 plus year old watch. Too much history and memories with this watch to ever trade.

How about American made?
http://www.watchtime.com/blog/rgm-watches-roland-g-murphy/

dave

RGM's are fantastic watches. Roland has bought several rose engines from Ye Olde Europe that were used by other watch mfg's.

http://www.martinpulli.com/watches/rgm-watch-company/

I was guessing it cost $1k. I was pretty close. Good investment. I'd rather have put the $800 in Microsoft though.

http://www.rgmwatches.com/watches/

I wish these spoke to me.

One knows he's wasting his time discussing, when the purchase of a watch, whose cost has not only kept up with inflation, but far exceeded it, digresses into poor stock market investment strategies to negate said purchase. If Rolex watches walked on water, the retort here would be "yeah, because it can't swim"...

You should retire the GMT and get a Breitling. Every pilot should have a Breitling.

I looked at them and didn't care for them. To me they are like the Lexus of watches. Superb quality, but like the glorified Toyotas they are, they just don't "sing" to me. Same for Breitling. I have a Zenith El Primero Chrono (basically a Rolex Daytona), but if I wanted that type of watch I think the Omega would be it.

I've got both a Breitling and an Omega. The Omega I currently own is a big Chrono...probably my best watch. I took a spell of wearing it a lot last winter. I finally got the battery replaced in my Quartz Tag though and am wearing it daily currently. I've never owned a Zenith, but they are fine watches. Baume makes a nice watch also. I have a plain mechanical Baume setting on my dresser right now.

The Navitimer is the most famous Breitling. Personally, I've never loved the look. It is okay and I'd own one if the price was right, but they are a huge watch too. I don't have huge wrists and don't like a watch that overpowers my arm. Doesn't look right. For the right price though, I'd wear a damned Grandfather Clock on my arm.

First we were supposed to feel "white guilt" now I am supposed to feel "Rolex guilt" for my Explorer II I got on the submarine tender in 1975...

I guess I missed this.

Microsoft stocks were an excellent investment. I don't even know the timeline because in 1981 I actually was running a jackhammer for a living and was more concerned with chasing chicks than buying watches.

My semi-disdain of the Rolex brand comes from actual experience. I'm glad you've had good luck with yours, but I've owned several and they all steamed sooner or later. Back twenty years ago a coa cost $200 and a goodly wait period. I'm sure they are much higher to get re-sealed now.

I had a chance at either a Sub or GMT back about 1996 for $600. I should have bought it.

Why would you say that? Most people here on this thread are expounding the virtues of expensive watches, whether most prefer the Rolex brand or not.