Osnabrueck

He didn't actually buy anything Ca. He was being facetious with the title of this thread.

Osnabrueck

Funny, I'm the exact oppisite. I only like steel bands. I would, however, like to have one leather band in my collection... eventually.

Somehow I don't feel like that Motorola RAZR belongs in that photo. I guess that shot is a couple years old or something.

Centurion

Just as usual you always have good points and arguments Osna. A submariner is an expensive watch but most upper middle class people could actually buy one if they really really want one. But like you mentioned at the end of your post Rolex and RR are synonymous with celebrity which brands like Philippe Dufour aren't. Perfect partnership is sometimes about hooking up with company which has the right image. Otherwise HP would have done their new Pavilion ads with popular artist like Pharell and Jay-z.
Like Roberto have mentioned before the Phantom does have the same appeal today as the old RRs had when they were in production. There are tons of new millionaries who have picked up a Phantom. That is the reason why I don't think RR is more exclusive than Rolex.

Osnabrueck

I just checked the price for the Breitling Mulliner Tourbillon. Can be yours for just $150,000.

Kinda rough - pricing the product tie-in as high as the product itself.

Osnabrueck

Lu - Hundreds of thousands of Rolexes are sold every year whereas RR sells only a few hundred cars in the same period of time. Rolex and Rolls Royce are aligned in the sense of hip-hop junk culture, but are definitely not aligned in the sense of their consumer base.

Let me put it another way, a Rolex partnership would be to the detriment of Rolls Royce. Rolex is a "luxury pop brand" synonymous with middle-class connsumerism, and projects an image RR is keen to avoid. In short, it's beneath them. There are plenty of A-list watch brands like Breguet, Patek Philippe and A. Lange & Sohne that are very well known and could build a positive relationship with Rolls Royce.

Come think, the perfect fitting for Rolex would be a partnership with Jaguar. Both brands are virtually laser-beamed towards the same audience.

Centurion

I guess you are right
Rolex = upper middle class
RR = The creame of the society.

Jaguar was a really show off brand during the 90s and Rolex is also a brand for those who have the desire of earning themselves som kudos in the society. Then again I doubt that Rolex would want to have anything to do with a brand which is on the edge of collapsing.

Osnabrueck

Probably not. But on the other hand, there's a real place for Jaguar in the automotive world. In fact, there's lots of Southern California buyers who equate Jag with true luxury and demand one.

While Rolex is a much healthier brand, they do tap into roughly the same psyche and income bracket and would probably seem relatively comfortable side by side.

The magic of Rolex is remarkable. Through smart marketing and a well-controlled distribution chain they've etched themselves into the heads of the general public as the last word in exclusive luxury watches. Because of their reputation and designs which are pratically frozen in time, resales are very high. It's like having hard currency on your wrist.

It's pretty easy to gague just how damn common Rolexs are - just go to Ebay. Type in "Rolex" and you're bound to come up with about 4,000 results on any given day. That's practically the same as the Seiko listings and roughly double what you'll find of other mass-produced brands like Omega or TAG Heuer!

Don't get me wrong. Rolex really do make a good watch. It's just that their watches are wrapped-up in so much marketing hocus pocus and connsumerist tradition that it's pretty hard to judge the watches on their own merits. Personally, I find most Rolexes to be pretty staid and gawdy - not to mention that they're often compelled to put a paragraph of type on the dial. The Daytona's dial hinges on the ridiculous.

Still, I have to admit a soft spot for vintage Rolexs. Mostly late 60s and earlier. I'd get a vintage Submariner if I had the money, but those things will run you an arm and a leg - even in shabby condition.

ree

I am a big fan of Breitling watches... I love these pics! I would prefer the classic one - the Navitimer and the Bentley one for special events!

Michael

this is the one that my father has:




To say that Rolex is not up to par with RR is just wrong in my opinion. As Osna has said, Rolex is solidified in time as the best watch maker. Omega and others can come close, but they will always be second, even if it is a matter of degree. They are truly the best watch maker because they got their first.

Osnabrueck

Woah, Michael! That's the opposite of what I said.

The gist of my past dozen or so posts was that Rolex is perceived by the public at large as the "world's best watchmaker" because they don't know any better.

The Rolex brand has many feathers in its cap (perhaps most compelling is the Submariner story and the development of mass-produced automatic movements), but by no means does Rolex sit atop the totem pole of fine luxury watches.

Since Rolls Royce is the ultra-luxury car brand of record, so should they be mated with brands of equal stature. Rolex just isn't in that league.