KiwiRob From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 1267 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 2546 times:
That's why I would never buy a rolex most people would think its a fake and I tend to associate them with car dealers (when I sold cars just about every salesman in my dealership had a rolex). IMO the finish on a rolex is terrible, worse than a TAG or Omega and nowhere near as finely finished as a true luxury watch like a Patek , Jaeger, Blancpain, IWC, Lange.......
Alphafloor From Chile, joined Jun 2004, 1261 posts, RR: 52 Reply 2, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 2438 times:
Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 1): IMO the finish on a rolex is terrible, worse than a TAG or Omega and nowhere near as finely finished as a true luxury watch like a Patek , Jaeger, Blancpain, IWC, Lange.......
Here's where you lost your credibility... you don't know much about watches. Worse than a TAG... hahahahaha !!!!!
Bongodog1964 From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2006, 1879 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 2409 times:
I always suspected that the one I bought from a beach seller in Bali for $10 wasn't genuine, the Gucci watch I bought for the wife at the same time was possibly dodgy as well
NIKV69 From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 8822 posts, RR: 56 Reply 4, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 2388 times:
Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 3): I always suspected that the one I bought from a beach seller in Bali for $10 wasn't genuine
NIKV69 From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 8822 posts, RR: 56 Reply 6, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 2345 times:
Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 6): Well the price was a bit of a clue, but the clincher was when the metal strap made my wrist turn green
How about the fact you bought it from a guy on the beach!
Bongodog1964 From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2006, 1879 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 2298 times:
Quoting NIKV69 (Reply 7): Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 6):
Well the price was a bit of a clue, but the clincher was when the metal strap made my wrist turn green
How about the fact you bought it from a guy on the beach!
Every great retailer has to start somewhere
He might be rivalling Walmart or Tesco in 20 years time
Kmh1956 From Bermuda, joined Jun 2005, 3278 posts, RR: 11 Reply 8, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2268 times:
Having worked in the jewellery/watch business for many years, I would never buy a wach from anyone other than a licensed retailer to begin with. The company I worked for sold Omega, Tissot, Tag Heuer, Patek Philliipe, Cartier etc....and we had excellent relationships with all the companies. The staff had training sessions on a regular basis, by representatives of the watch companies, so that we had impeccable product knowledge when selling these things. The proudest day I ever had at that company was the day I sold an 18k gold and diamond Patek right before Christmas....and we didn't work for commission!
'Somebody tell me why I'm on my own if there's a soulmate for everyone' :Natasha Bedingfield
Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 3448 posts, RR: 34 Reply 9, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2256 times:
The one thing that triggers whether or not it is a fake to me with a lot of higher end watches are the fact they use scratchproof sapphire crystal faces. If you get the reflection of a lightbulb in the face and it looks blueish then it's genuine sapphire crystal and more than likely a genuine. I've seen quite a few fakes from a variety of makes, some very convincing and am yet to see one with a sapphire crystal face...though I did just Google the term and found some fakes boasting sapphire crystal faces!
Personally I'd never buy an expensive watch from someone other than an authorized dealer. You might pay a little more initially but if you are a repeat customer then you can get very competitive discounts. Through my local AD I can get Breitlings for about the same cost as they sell through online places like Prestige Time and Joma Watches that sell the real deal but without warranties.
Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 1): IMO the finish on a rolex is terrible, worse than a TAG or Omega
No. I'm not a fan of Rolexs but I'll say they are better made than those. I do like my brother's Tag Monaco though:
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 12727 posts, RR: 22 Reply 10, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 2250 times:
Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 1): That's why I would never buy a rolex most people would think its a fake
I suppose you associate with people that would never assume you would have a Rolex that is.
If you had a certain social stature, or grouping, owning such a watch could be quite matter of routine.
From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California
Luv2cattlecall From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 1578 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2157 times:
Quoting LAXintl (Reply 10): If you had a certain social stature, or grouping, owning such a watch could be quite matter of routine.
Exactly! In some lines of work...one is basically required to have a Rolex...it's the only way to make sure they're not running late for their private jet to D.C.!
When you have to breaststroke to your connecting flight...it's a crash!
KiwiRob From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 1267 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 2116 times:
Quoting Alphafloor (Reply 2): Here's where you lost your credibility... you don't know much about watches. Worse than a TAG... hahahahaha !!!!!
I'm quite a fan of watches, I don't think Rolex are very well finished especially the clasps on the bracelets and the bubble over the date, the casework isn't as good in my opinion as a TAG or Omega. I have long thought about buying a sub or daytona, I just don't think they are really worth the money, they are not a true luxury watch, they aren't any better than Omega.
What rolex is though is a great marketing company who have conviced most people into believing their watches are something special when they really aren't.
Quoting LAXintl (Reply 10): I suppose you associate with people that would never assume you would have a Rolex that is.
Not in the slightest, apart from a lot of dodgy Russian shipowners who all like gold or platinum diamond encrusted perpetial oysters with day date a lot of the people I sell to with are super wealthy and wouldn't dream of buying a rolex as they are too common. I wear a Jaeger Le Coultre Master Compressor Extreme World Chronograph when I travel and have two Omega Seamasters for everyday wear.
Alphafloor From Chile, joined Jun 2004, 1261 posts, RR: 52 Reply 14, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2078 times:
Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 12): I'm quite a fan of watches, I don't think Rolex are very well finished especially the clasps on the bracelets and the bubble over the date, the casework isn't as good in my opinion as a TAG or Omega. I have long thought about buying a sub or daytona, I just don't think they are really worth the money, they are not a true luxury watch, they aren't any better than Omega.
Well Kiwi, if you're a real fan of watches you can't make a statement like 'I don't think Rolex are very well finished'. You must recognize they have among the best calibers (reliable and extremely well finished) ever made and they still spend a lot in research&development for them. If you don't like their bracelets and their watches that's another story, and the bracelet is not what makes the watch work. And saying that a Rolex isn't worth the money invested well... most of them if not all of them don't loose their value. I've bought a Daytona and eventually sold it 3 times the price, talk about worth the money And their watches aren's something special ? Again, do you know the story of Rolex watches ? The Sub ? The Dweller ? When you wear a Dweller, you wear a piece of history.
-Rolex obtained first official certification for a chronometer wrist-watch.
-Rolex obtained the first class A certification from the Kew chronometric observatory. Rolex invented and secured with a patent the really first waterproof watch case, now known as the very well known Rolex Oyster.
-Rolex delivered their first watch with the invented automatic rotor, precursor of the modern watches. Creation of the Roled 'DateJust', first waterproof automatique chronometer and giving the date.
-Creation of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 'GMT-Master' - a chronometer with a calendar, originally created for professional pilots and gives at the same time two different hours (and yes, this is a complication... who said Rolex doesn't make complications )
- 1971 First appearance of the Rolex 'Sea-Dweller', first wrist watch resistant at more than 610m of depth, the first watch for professional divers equiped with an helium valve. Nowadays the 'Sea-dweller' is certified for down to 1220m/4000 feets depth.
2000 The world famous 'Cosmograph Daytona' 4130 is out
...and you think their watches aren't something special ? It's not only about marketing...
Dougloid From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 2014 times:
A guy I worked with at Douglas had a beat up Rolex he wore. He had lived in Sacramento and was out wading in the river and spotted this watch sitting on a rock. No telling how long it had been sitting out there.
Tugger From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 1981 posts, RR: 2 Reply 17, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 1982 times:
Quoting Dougloid (Reply 16): A guy I worked with at Douglas had a beat up Rolex he wore. He had lived in Sacramento and was out wading in the river and spotted this watch sitting on a rock. No telling how long it had been sitting out there.
Not that he may want to do it, but each watch is serialized and if he wanted to be nice and a "good citizen" he could go to a local Rolex dealer and find out who the original owner was and possibly track down who lost the watch.
Not sayin' he's going to want to do it but he could.
Tugg
everything I have learned I have learned by mistake
EMBQA From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 8543 posts, RR: 19 Reply 18, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 1979 times:
I have a friend that is a 'freight dawg' He got me a fake Breitling in HGK. It looks great and keeps good time, but you really need to look close to tell its not a real one.
[Edited 2008-11-24 10:52:46]
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
Quoting Alphafloor (Reply 14): Well Kiwi, if you're a real fan of watches you can't make a statement like 'I don't think Rolex are very well finished'. You must recognize they have among the best calibers (reliable and extremely well finished) ever made and they still spend a lot in research&development for them. If you don't like their bracelets and their watches that's another story, and the bracelet is not what makes the watch work. And saying that a Rolex isn't worth the money invested well... most of them if not all of them don't loose their value. I've bought a Daytona and eventually sold it 3 times the price, talk about worth the money And their watches aren's something special ? Again, do you know the story of Rolex watches ? The Sub ? The Dweller ? When you wear a Dweller, you wear a piece of history.
-Rolex obtained first official certification for a chronometer wrist-watch.
-Rolex obtained the first class A certification from the Kew chronometric observatory. Rolex invented and secured with a patent the really first waterproof watch case, now known as the very well known Rolex Oyster.
-Rolex delivered their first watch with the invented automatic rotor, precursor of the modern watches. Creation of the Roled 'DateJust', first waterproof automatique chronometer and giving the date.
-Creation of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 'GMT-Master' - a chronometer with a calendar, originally created for professional pilots and gives at the same time two different hours (and yes, this is a complication... who said Rolex doesn't make complications )
- 1971 First appearance of the Rolex 'Sea-Dweller', first wrist watch resistant at more than 610m of depth, the first watch for professional divers equiped with an helium valve. Nowadays the 'Sea-dweller' is certified for down to 1220m/4000 feets depth.
2000 The world famous 'Cosmograph Daytona' 4130 is out
...and you think their watches aren't something special ? It's not only about marketing...
I know a lot of what you are referring too, but I just don't like them, the external finish isn't that great, I don't think it's as good as the two Omega's I have, never mind the Jaeger which is on a different plain altogether. Now granted Rolex hold their value well and are considered an investment but so are most other high class watches. If you ask the average punter what they think an expensive watch is most will say TAG and Rolex, I very much doubt may people would know who Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Ulysse Nardin, Glashuette Original, FP Journe, Hublot, IWC.......are, these are true luxury watches built in minimal numbers whereas Rolex churn them out in large numbers and owe their market position to clever marketing and public perception.
Leezyjet From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 3922 posts, RR: 59 Reply 20, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1949 times:
I've had a couple of fake Rolex's from China just to wear as a cheap watch to work as the one and only time I wore my real one to work, I chipped the glass
I've compared them alongside the real thing and the only way to tell was by holding both of them, and one was heavier than the other (although I forget which way round it was).
From what I heard, the latest way they fake them in China (i'm talking about the higher quality fakes here not the obvious cheap ones that turn skin green etc) is to actually buy a real one, then dismantle it, copy the parts but they use a lower quality material than the real thing. Not sure how true that is though.
"She Rolls, 45 knots, 90, 135, nose comes up to 20 degrees, she's airborne - She flies, Concorde Flies"
Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 3448 posts, RR: 34 Reply 21, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 1888 times:
Quoting Leezyjet (Reply 20): From what I heard, the latest way they fake them in China (i'm talking about the higher quality fakes here not the obvious cheap ones that turn skin green etc) is to actually buy a real one, then dismantle it, copy the parts but they use a lower quality material than the real thing. Not sure how true that is though.
I can believe it. The work that goes into some fakes is incredible.
This is a documentary I saw earlier in the year that goes into some of the ways fakes are created and the fake trade in general. It is pretty fascinating.
Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 19): whereas Rolex churn them out in large numbers and owe their market position to clever marketing and public perception.
I didn't realise how many Rolexes are made each year. I think Rolex make more in one year than Patek Philippe have since they came into existence...in 1851!
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
KiwiRob From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 1267 posts, RR: 2 Reply 22, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 1831 times:
Quoting Fbgdavidson (Reply 21): I didn't realise how many Rolexes are made each year. I think Rolex make more in one year than Patek Philippe have since they came into existence...in 1851!
I know, Rolex makes 700,000 or so watches per year, Patek makes about 20,000, comparing a Patek to a Rolex is like comparing a Rolls Royce to a BMW, one is a mass market product the other is largely handmade by craftsmen. I'll say it again the success of Rolex is due to clever marketing and the general publics misconception on what a decent watch really is.
-Glad I got my HEUER before TAG came in and made it a fashion-statement...
OH -and my 34year old stainless-steel Submariner (the one with curved plexiglass) was purchased to keep track of the time I spent in Blue Holes.
Scooter01
"We all have a girl and her name is nostalgia" - Hemingway
Alphafloor From Chile, joined Jun 2004, 1261 posts, RR: 52 Reply 24, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1730 times:
Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 19): I don't think it's as good as the two Omega's I have,
Ok Kiwi, you don't like them... that's another story. But having a father who happens to have worked for both manufacturers in research&development, Omega and Rolex, I made my mind about these two and I rather prefer Rolex just because their caliber are so way above the Omega's. I would only buy the Seamaster only for the historical value of it only if I didn't have already one.
Alfa75 From Iceland, joined May 2005, 598 posts, RR: 0 Reply 25, posted (1 year 2 months 1 week 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 1566 times:
Quoting Alphafloor (Reply 14): Nowadays the 'Sea-dweller' is certified for down to 1220m/4000 feets depth.
Is that so the extremophiles that live at those depths can tell the time when you drop your Rolex overboard in the middle of the ocean? I have to laugh when when I see things like that. Who would be using a watch at that depth? Or do they put it on one of the arms of their submersible?
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And their watches aren's something special ? Again, do you know the story of Rolex watches ? The Sub ? The Dweller ? When you wear a Dweller, you wear a piece of history.
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