Horology House - Rolex Scam

[IanM]

I guess it's up to folk what they spend their money on. One person's passion leaves another scratching their head.

I guess it's like golf bags, lots are made in the same factory... but the price changes depending on the letters written on the side!

 

[Foxholer]

It’s all about what you like, I’ve collected watches since 2008, got my first Rolex for 3.5k, now worth about 8k, decent return ?
Nowt wrong with Casio’s, got a few G-shocks as well.

As a bit of a 'collecting addict', I too collect selected certain watches (several brands but all low(-ish) priced nice looking), along with selected putters (not so low prices!). Also collected premium/rare wine a while ago, both nefore and after coming here from NZ. The profit from 1 bottle was the equivalent of the cost of my flight here, though there were also 'losses' (through both consumption and realisation) involved too! Can't say I've ever considered collecting the likes of Rolexes or similar though - too much tied up in a single entity and while I can appreciate the skills associated with their creation, either of my Edifice Solars or my Casio Solar provide the same or better accuracy (Atomic clock regulated) trouble and cost free. A good friend loves the similarly powered and regulated Baby G I gave her, though she uses the similarly provided Baume Mercier Riviera for 'special occasions'.

A playing mate (ex-member of Brockett Hall) recently disposed of 1 or 2 of his Rolexes that he considered more trouble than they were worth. He may have kept the one his father gave him though.

That forum thread was certainly an entertaining read.

 

[Old Colner]

I can't get my head round folk who pay thousands for a wee machine that tells you the time.
Same as folk who pay hundreds of thousands for a car that you cannot legally drive at more than 70 mph.
Perhaps it is an investment like classic cars,
I seem to remember that ended badly.

The same can be said for most things in life, especially golf gear, each to their own. You pays your money and takes your choice.

 

[CliveW]

I can't get my head round folk who pay thousands for a wee machine that tells you the time.
Same as folk who pay hundreds of thousands for a car that you cannot legally drive at more than 70 mph.
Perhaps it is an investment like classic cars,
I seem to remember that ended badly.

Some will spend thousands, if not millions, for a painting which hangs on a wall when a poster will do the same job. Others drape themselves with gold and diamonds just to look good so why not a fancy watch? As others have said, quality watches are collectable and do hold their value, if not increase with time.

 

[Don Barzini]

Reminds me of this news article: "Man's luxury watch successfully impresses fellow twats"

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news...ssfully-impresses-fellow-twats-20161024115895

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

I can't get my head round folk who pay thousands for a wee machine that tells you the time.
Same as folk who pay hundreds of thousands for a car that you cannot legally drive at more than 70 mph.
Perhaps it is an investment like classic cars,
I seem to remember that ended badly.

Having just what you need isn't much of a life.
That's just breaking even.
You're better off if some different sperm won the swimming race.

One needs some of the things one WANTS for a life to be worth living.

 

[Tashyboy]

Just a quick point on buying something that is more about image and status than buying something that will perform a task adequately for a lot less money, how many golfers buy Pro V1s when in reality a ball half the price would do the same job at our skill levels? How many of us buy expensive drivers when our swing is the overriding factor in determining where the ball goes so we could use a driver that costs at least half the price and would get the same results? Some people really like watches or cars and have enough disposable income so want to buy a really expensive one as they feel it says something about them. Same with a lot of golfers when it comes to golf equipment.

am fed up of saying it but that kind of common sense has no place on a forum that degenerates into regular
bickering.
well said Hk.

 

[CliveW]

I guess it's the same as having the latest, all singing, all dancing mobile phone. Why do you need to spend all that money when a cheap one will do?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I like good watches, but when it comes to Rolex (and Tudor) I wouldnt buy one. Not because they aren't nice, but because the parent company would rather withdraw excess stock and smash it all up rather than risk it devalueing everything else by being sold at lower prices.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Lady Doon wanted to buy me a nice summer watch for my upcoming special birthday. It would replace the M&S £20 one that packed up last year after about 10 summers.
Off to the shops today and we have a quick shifty at the expensive ones, she can tell that I am unhappy so we look at the M&S ones. Not a great selection and you can't try them on.
Off to Debenhams find a nice Red Herring one that I like, reduced from £25 to £20 to £10, She goes to pay and it comes up at £6.
She gives me a very funny look. I tell her to just pretend she paid £250 for it.

 

[srixon 1]

I like a nice watch but I would never pay stupid money for a Rolex, Omega or one of the other luxury brands. My idea of extravagance is a £250 Seiko. I have about eight watches and they all get a regular outing, including my 70 year old gold Roamer that I inherited from my grandad.

 

[BrianM]

I like a nice watch but I would never pay stupid money for a Rolex, Omega or one of the other luxury brands. My idea of extravagance is a £250 Seiko. I have about eight watches and they all get a regular outing, including my 70 year old gold Roamer that I inherited from my grandad.

Some Grand Seikos are more than Rolex ?
You say it’s stupid money but surely it’s subjective to the individual.

 

[SocketRocket]

I have gathered a number of watches over the years, nothing really expensive but ones that I like the look and quality and sometimes technology. I have a Seiko Kinetic, if I dont wear it for a year and then give it a shake it starts rewinding at stops at the correct time. A Citizen Ecco Drive that runs on Solar Energy. I have a number of Christopher Ward watches that are great quality and Swiss made but at much less than other quality makes due to his marketing model, an aviator, two divers, chrono, and a dress watch.

 

[Foxholer]

Just a quick point on buying something that is more about image and status than buying something that will perform a task adequately for a lot less money, how many golfers buy Pro V1s when in reality a ball half the price would do the same job at our skill levels? How many of us buy expensive drivers when our swing is the overriding factor in determining where the ball goes so we could use a driver that costs at least half the price and would get the same results? Some people really like watches or cars and have enough disposable income so want to buy a really expensive one as they feel it says something about them. Same with a lot of golfers when it comes to golf equipment.

Totally agree! My Drivers (h'mm, all 7/8 plus) and both sets of FWs and Rescues are at least 8 years old; my (Miura forged McGregor) irons (both active sets) are from the 80s (as is #2 spare set (US Spec/Blade combos) and I bought both sets of wedges from Rick Garg after an outing, at his beloved Centurion, quite a few years ago. I guess it's only the quantity of Bettinardi putters (8?) though all but 1 are around 20 years old) that I can be criticised for then!

Balls are Lakeball AD333 Tours, though I bought a load of (new) Srixon Distance at a bargain price for this, and likely next, Winter!

 

[Tashyboy]

Don’t know why, but I love watches. I went on a cruise a few years ago and bought me self a nice Omega Moon watch. It is a copy of the watch worn on the moon. It was original then omega banged um out by the thousands for the 50th anniversary of the moon landings. It’s a wind up watch so my phone probably keeps better time but I don’t mind. But it is my special treat. Ingest draw back of it. the bloody box it comes in. It is bigger than a shoe box. Wish to god it had come in a normal red omega box.
Re the Rolex scam. There’s a lot of work gone into making these fake watches, wonder where they all come from ?

 

[Britishshooting]

Don’t know why, but I love watches. I went on a cruise a few years ago and bought me self a nice Omega Moon watch. It is a copy of the watch worn on the moon. It was original then omega banged um out by the thousands for the 50th anniversary of the moon landings. It’s a wind up watch so my phone probably keeps better time but I don’t mind. But it is my special treat. Ingest draw back of it. the bloody box it comes in. It is bigger than a shoe box. Wish to god it had come in a normal red omega box.
Re the Rolex scam. There’s a lot of work gone into making these fake watches, wonder where they all come from ?

China is big for it! Some of the replicas apparently go for £600. These are the standard platform and then some people mod these with original Rolex parts such as bezel and hands etc. Reading through that link lead me to a few sites and a different world where some people have replicas that stand them at £2k for a watch that originally retailed for circa £6k. I don’t get it though as it won’t have Rolex internals and if anything goes wrong good luck getting a watch smith to work on it as it must be illegal due to copyright etc.

 

[CliveW]

Check out Parnis watches https://parnis.org/ and have a look at some of the reviews on You Tube.

 

[CliveW]

I wonder how many of the so called professional diver's watches are actually worn by divers. My son is a commercial diver currently working in the Antarctic and he wears a Casio G-Shock for work.

 

[clubchamp98]

Give me a shout when he pops his clogs! Just kidding, but really drop me a message!

I have a G-shock a citizen some rolex's and Tudors an omega seamaster and a citizen ecodrive. Nothing ridiculously fancy like some of the Patek's

I'd never say anything bad about the G-Shock or citizen, they are the least effort don't require the more regular services if any for that matter due to being disposable and actually my citizen eco-drive keeps better time than some of the more expensive watches I've had and it cost me £350. I actually wear it as a daily beater for work as it's a slip on and forget about it job as long as it gets some natural light it doesn't need a new battery or kinetic energy to keep going.

I just can't bring myself to buy rolexs on the grey market, I refuse to pay £3-4k above the RRP on a watch thats fresh out the stores, it's all about finding an AD that you build a relationship with and he'll let you in on some of the stuff thats not on display. Rolex AD's are very aware of people buying to flip hence the waiting lists which will result in some people never getting one.

There an investment for me, I enjoy watches but I also appreciate the £100 G-shock and £350 citizen does exactly the same job with less hassle than say my Deepsea Sea Dweller only difference is I can't dive almost 4000mm in the citizen which is a terrible shame and genuinely causes me issues on a day to day basis.

Does feel good though when you slip on a watch you've aspired to since being young as they were your dads dream watch that were out of reach for him.

I bought a Tag with the money my dad left me in his will.
He was a very frugal man and didn’t really buy stuff.
But I can leave my watch to my son and to his son my grandson in the future.
I only wear it now and again but it is a thing of beauty.

 

[gmc40]

Don’t know why, but I love watches. I went on a cruise a few years ago and bought me self a nice Omega Moon watch. It is a copy of the watch worn on the moon. It was original then omega banged um out by the thousands for the 50th anniversary of the moon landings. It’s a wind up watch so my phone probably keeps better time but I don’t mind. But it is my special treat. Ingest draw back of it. the bloody box it comes in. It is bigger than a shoe box. Wish to god it had come in a normal red omega box.
Re the Rolex scam. There’s a lot of work gone into making these fake watches, wonder where they all come from ?

Not sure what you mean by “it was original then omega banged them out by the thousands for the 50th anniversary”? The original moon watch design hasn’t really changed, has always been mass produced and the anniversary watches are limited editions with different design. Before the big box version came out 4 or 5 years ago it was sold in the smaller red Omega box.