Reply With QuoteI was chatting with a member recently who had a watch robbed from him somewhere in London. He said it really wasn’t a pleasant experience and still to this day he is conscious about what he wears.Originally Posted by wileeeeeey
I'm not a fan of scaremongering on this sort of thing but the stories on it are coming around a bit too often.
I think Mike Wood of this parish had one of his pieces taken from him last year in London.
I was chatting with a member recently who had a watch robbed from him somewhere in London. He said it really wasn’t a pleasant experience and still to this day he is conscious about what he wears.
That’s very sad.
I wear my Rolex watches. Insure them and wear/enjoy them.
The west end is like night and day Vs the city when wearing a nice watch. You'd be safe anywhere wearing something nice on leather or a GS etc but an AP bracelet or a Rolex with a Cyclops/PCLs and it could be a different story entirely. Not worth it for me .
The guy stabbed in Greenwich might have had insurance. Didn't bring him back to life.
I don’t worry about crime at all, I live and work in a very low crime area, and they are insured
It’s partly:
1) I’m a bit self conscious about the market value on my wrist
2) The inevitable edge of a door-frame dent would really frustrate me, as their condition is excellent
I really love my non-Rolex options too!
Dave
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Last edited by helidoc; 13th December 2020 at 13:00.
This thread reads awfully. Come on folk... grown ups are allowed to have different opinions and enjoy different things.
Folk get targeted for all sorts of reasons every day in big cities. Lots of people in London are wearing expensive watches, inevitably theft happens, inevitably watches will sometimes be involved.
Can't live your life in fear. Just be sensible. My 2 cents anyway.
I wouldnt jump thru hoops to own one,but when looking for a particular Rolex,Ill only buy if the price is right,and the right price is to pay less than I sold that same Rolex for.....
And thankfully I managed to do that buying another superb 2000 SD 16600 last week.
Unless you have a tendency to hang around in dodgy late nite locations or places where thieves could reasonably expect to find “soft” wealthy targets the risk of getting mugged for your expensive watch must be very low. I’m not worried about it.
The issue with expensive watches, for me, is more about not wanting to look wealthy or be perceived as “flash”.
Having worked in Soho/Oxford street for 20 years I wouldn’t suggest that you wear a Rolex about in pubs and bars around there. Come closing time things could get heated as you find yourself In a debate that you didn’t cause and suddenly your watch is gone. Seen it a few times . Last train home was a favourite, as was closing time on a Friday. Granted you can’t live your life in fear and as long as you are happy to simply hand your watch over without any squabble then fine. It’ll still scare the crap out of you however flippant you are.
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I have refrained from responding, but having had loads over the years the thread has made me think about my current view.
TBH, there is nothing in the catalogue that makes me want to spend - I think this started when the original Deepsea came out and the case shapes/size thing kicked off for the Sports range.
My view has not changed and probably never will - there is a possibility that one of the older stuff may be back in the fold, but that is a very slim chance currently.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I said be sensible, not be flippant. Some of those scenarios you're describing definitely fall outside of the 'be sensible' criteria, so we agree there.
So , what is your current view? You haven’t actually stated that.. or did I miss something?
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New case style - no.
Old case style - perhaps, had too many over the years to be keen right now and the prices are not commensurate with the ownership (for me).
As for procurement from new, done the AD thing when it was sensible, but given my dislike of the new case style then I will never be prostrating myself at an AD anytime soon.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Point taken, thankyou. I also procured when it was sensible and carried less margin for instantaneous profit.... I actually like the newer case designs but dislike the distasteful ora that surrounds the brand these days.
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On the aura, we agree.
Last edited by Chris_in_the_UK; 13th December 2020 at 21:51.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
The ‘Ora’ is only in the minds of some.
To the OP's question, "yes".
Among the current collection, the only ones I'd be interested in are the 40mm PM Yachtmasters and the 36mm OP. The Yachtmasters are way outside my price bracket and, although I like the OPs, I think they're a 3k rather than 4.5k watch. No doubt the value retention will be good but I'd still feel I was being made a mug of.
If the above encounter was face to face, how did he react to the discovery that roxylady isn’t a lady/female/woman at all? That you’re actually a man masquerading as a woman with the intention of buying keenly priced watches here to sell elsewhere for profit?
I’m more even tempered over the whole Rolex situation as this ‘scarcity’ can’t be the new normal without damaging the brand.
I echo this. I love the 5 digits that I have, and wear them from time to time, but Rolex has moved on to "brighter" and "bigger" things and a new generation. Plus for me as you get older, your tastes change, and I have a boxful of cheaper vintage watches that I now enjoy.
This is a good point. When I bought my first Sub Date new it was for the approximate price of a Tudor or similar today. Now you can look to treble that value, if not more. It does make you think, but also pause before deciding to put it on. But it's also how you comport yourself that's important, when you're out and about.
Yeah yeah... Was that supposed to be a Jedi mind trick :)
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It seems to me that the dealers aren’t quite the baddies I thought they were. They’re forced to sell at way below what the market is prepared to pay. So they have to find ways to make up the difference. Hence you have to buy non sports models from them. The enforced shortage also means they don’t want people doing a one off, once in a lifetime buy. No matter how special the occasion. If they’re going to give up a precious sports model they need to know that the buyer will return on a regular basis. It’s an awful way to do business. But what choice do they have?
As a bit of a lurker here, it's strange to think back to 2010ish. Went into the AD with no previous dealings, tried on and was offered my choise of a no date sub, date sub, or a V serial SD - 10% off either sub or RRP for the SD as it was known that it would be discontinued - that's what I took.
And, I remember thinking back then that 3.7k was a liberty given that it had jumped a grand or so over the last couple of years...
The focus on AD behaviour, and the shopping experience, in this thread strikes me as evidence of what's changed.. a reflection of the new rolex-buyer demographic - a retail-therapy focus that, to me misses the point about the brand's ethos, which has changed. It once appealed to me, but no longer does. I bought my first GMT2 in 1990, as a present to myself on finishing my first term at Sandhurst and wore it 24/7 for 10 years. Sold it in 2000. The lume had halved in brightness, Rolex wouldn't repaint it. It was a toolwatch, that was losing some of its 'tool' utility. 15 years later, regretted selling it, and bought a 'vintage' of the same. But somehow, probably caused by social media, I came to realise that people now fascinated by rolex were no longer people I identified with. The trajectory from 'watches for heroes' to 'watches for fashionistas' just switched me off and I found myself being 'judgier' about rolex wearers.. and realised people were probably thinking the same of me; no longer the tool watch brand of an adventurer, but a bling status symbol. With that, perhaps compounding my perception, the glittery fat lug 6 digit watches look like something Next would sell... just my view the brand's target market and ethos for its 'sports watches' has drifted from 'adventurer' to something else.
Attachment 18706
Edit - my pic, summarising the ethos drift- failed to show in the thread - couldn’t work out how to do it correctly!
Last edited by Brauner Hund; 16th January 2021 at 11:55.
Maybe cured is not the right word as they are simply not available. The whole option is blocked unless bla bla bla see all previous Rolex threads.
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Re: Edit - my pic, summarising the ethos drift- failed to show in the thread - couldn’t work out how to do it correctly!
Ha! The Insta crowd that supposedly patronise Rolex exclusively wouldn’t have any such problem!
😂
A purely imaginary problem? The going rate for desirable models is the ‘grey’ rate....that’s what these watches sell at in the open market. Those expecting retail pricing are actually expecting a market discount. Either way, it’s all a bog standard commercial situation.
After all, who is genuinely losing in this? The worst is you pay the going rate. So why all the complaints?
After all, these watches are freely available, at a price where you still have a fair chance of getting your money back. Or losing only a small amount.None are genuinely rare or unobtainable. You just can’t always get a discounted price.
Last edited by paskinner; 16th January 2021 at 13:08.
I find that whenever I see anyone announcing 'Just had the call from my AD.." or similar for one of the desirable models I now wonder whether they're driven primarily by profiteering, seeming attention or have a genuine intention to wear the watch in question long term. I don't blame anyone for taking the profit, it's just changed how I view posts like that.
I'd certainly never buy a Tudor after Rolex's shameless market ramping of the main brand, then graciously 'allowing' the little-people to buy their shitter brand.
On behalf of myself and other Tudor owners... thanks for that
Interesting. Doesn’t make much sense though.
It’s mainly bad behaviours from AD rather than Rolex itself,. What Rolex should really do is increase prices by 50% average, no more grey premiums, all bad AD behaviour and waitlists gone.
I’ll second that, wear my Pelagos and BB58 more than anything. GMT rarely worn now.On behalf of myself and other Tudor owners... thanks for that
No one's mentioned the 'fattening' of the Rolex brand too, not just the off-putting move to glitteriness, but fat lugs, and now 41mm.... aiming at the tastes of the RAV market?
Some of the responses are frankly amusing and laughable and some very predictable.
Some may be ‘cured’ of the need to own a Rolex but not of their need to vent on Rolex threads.
Most want because either they cant have and many think they are winners because their investment is safe.
Reality is its just a watch, I worked in the trade where desire and chat distract from the reality that if there were no forums, less internet chat and you could buy one anywhere at RRP (or Less) then most wouldn’t bother with them as they do with all the ‘others’
The main thing I learned from my time in the watch world was that once desire was addressed and ease of procurement was introduced I had absolutely no interest in the lump of ticking metal before me, I wore every model and now I wear an iWatch daily plus the watch I personally designed for sentiment.
Enjoy the chase because when you do find the finish line there’s no medals
RIAC
It's definitely an Internet effect! Bizarrely though, for me, as I mentioned earlier, as a pre-internet GMT owner, the rolex forum completely switched my interest off.. it was an echo chamber of people 'not like me'.... and certainly not like Jacques Cousteau or Chuck Yeager!😂
LOLOn behalf of myself and other Tudor owners... thanks for that
I agree with others here that the watches themselves are great watches, it's all the associated guff that goes with the brand that causes the issue and keeps them in the spotlight. Maybe that's a good thing if you are Rolex, but less so for frustrated potential buyers.
I haven't been in a Watch shop of any kind for several years now and have no intention of doing so when things start to return to normal. I find most sales staff patronising and I certainly don't need a lecture on how I need to build my reputation with the store by purchasing stuff I don't want or need before I can be considered a suitable candidate to purchase a watch.
I've owned over a dozen different Rolex and not had one that I didn't like and I'm certainly glad I tried them out as a brand, but I do agree if prices of the new watches were increased and they were more widely available a lot of people simply wouldn't bother. There is definitely something about wanting what you can't have about new sales and of course the ease with which some can make an easy buck doesn't help.
Rolex should increase prices, sell direct on line and end any connection with dealerships who are little more than retail suits with a limited knowledge of the watches at best.
I'm in a similar state of mind with my 16610 Sub. I generally only wear it for special occasions and since Covid, there have been none of those. I treat it very much these days as an insurance should things become even worse! Many of the current crop are not to my taste and while some of the sports models at RRP are 3x my former monthly salary (that's the formula for engagement rings and watches, is it not) they are way beyond my means at the moment.
I'm very lucky also to have an Explorer which is far less obviously Rolexy and so I wear that if I feel the need to have a Rolex on the wrist. However being in lockdown, I'm mostly wearing manual winders and quartz. There's much fun and value to be had at prices one twentieth of a modern Sub - assuming you can even buy one.
I’ve only recently returned to watch collecting after a few years doing other stuff. I was a big fan of Rolex and bought a couple roughly 10 years ago with little hassle and not paying anything over RRP for them. Can’t quite believe the stories of the shenanigans the ADs are putting people through for the pleasure of talking the customer’s money. I for one won’t be jumping through hoops to buy a mass produced item. If I can get one through an AD, great , if not I’ll get something else thanks.
Didn’t the lugs get thinner on the 41mm Sub?
You must have cried your eyes out when the BMW mini was launched.
The price is getting off putting for me ... having such a significant sum strapped to your wrist just feels a little excessive and possibly makes you a target for crime.
I consider myself to be relatively conservative and don’t like shows of wealth, wearing a Rolex jars against that.
I’ve always loved watches and grew up with the ads in National Geographic... when I bought my Rolex it’s the seeds those ads sowed and my appreciation for an excellent bit of engineering that drove me to buy it.
I chose an Explorer even though I’d always worn a diver as it seems less obviously a Rolex so likely no one would recognise it as a Rolex.
That said I’ve switched to a BB58 as my daily and the Explorer gets a run out when I fancy a change.
I have considered if my true preference is for a dive watch if I should sell both and get a new Sub but I think I would feel uncomfortable wearing such a recognisable expensive watch.
How fantastically non-sequitur.
Agreed. Absolutely iconic ads that caught my imagination 'back when'.
This forum would be fun if everyone had your views
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Its a merry go round, Ive had a good rideThis forum would be fun if everyone had your views
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RIAC
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