So far, Rolex turns tool watches into flashy jewelry pieces.

[Meyrin]

Originally Posted by harvey

…they stopped being tool watches when the aluminium bezels went.

Very true...

[PenDelicate]

Love Rolex watches.

They're so classy.

[collarcity]

Originally Posted by harvey

…they stopped being tool watches when the aluminium bezels went.

Correct.

[Torshalla]

I guess I am too young / new to watches… but until I actually got into watches the name Rolex really did not resonate with tool watches, but rather luxury items. Maybe their image sets expectations they have to live up to…
In any case they still do great tool watches, they are just very expensive tool watches haha


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[cyind]

Originally Posted by koronet-kid

that has not been turned to jewellery, no gems or precious metal added hope Rolex keep it that way and long may it remain, never understood why its always been considered the bridesmaid.

Yes! The 226570 black dial is still a pure tool watch and has not been subjected to voyeurism!

[alphadweller]

Rolex are catering to a different demographic with this year's new releases. I'm priced out.

[zengineer]

If only there were other companies making and selling watches....

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by Torshalla

I guess I am too young / new to watches… but until I actually got into watches the name Rolex really did not resonate with tool watches, but rather luxury items. Maybe their image sets expectations they have to live up to…
In any case they still do great tool watches, they are just very expensive tool watches haha


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I'm over 60 and while admittedly I wasn't into watches 40 years ago, I never thought of Rolex primarily as a tool watch. People can trot out some old magazine ad with a guy wearing one while clinging perilously to the side of a mountain....but they weren't trying to sell that watch to mountain climbers. I understand they were at one time but if Rolex had decided to stick to their roots and avoid the luxury market, Seiko would have put them out of business somewhere within the Reagan administration.

[Tylerlsu2008]

Originally Posted by zengineer

I'm over 60 and while admittedly I wasn't into watches 40 years ago, I never thought of Rolex primarily as a tool watch. People can trot out some old magazine ad with a guy wearing one while clinging perilously to the side of a mountain....but they weren't trying to sell that watch to mountain climbers. I understand they were at one time but if Rolex had decided to stick to their roots and avoid the luxury market, Seiko would have put them out of business somewhere within the Reagan administration.

Agreed. If i'm actually climbing Everest or trekking Antarctica, I will surely be wearing something solar with compass, altitude, GPS, etc. Similar to I would wear a dive computer for diving or rely on my sophisticated avionics systems as a pilot. I get the romanticism and don't deny buying into it a bit myself, but at the end of the day, they are durable and useful pieces of jewelry.

[SLWoodster]

Don’t kid yourself. It hasn’t been a tool for decades. Just men’s jewelry.

You have platinum Daytona. lol.

[huncho]

i think the price of rolexes and inflation has more to do with them not being "tool" watches now. realistically modern rolexes are much sturdier than 4-5 digits and hold up to wear better but who's gonna be doing crazy work activities in watches that cost 10-50k?

a sub was 1.5k 40 years ago when the median salary was in the 28-30k range. now it's 10k with a median salary of 60k. that's 5% of a median salary 40 years ago (when people claim they were tool watches) vs 17% today. ironically people claim tudors are now tool watches and they cost 3-4k which puts them at the same cost vs salary % of a rolex 40 years ago lol, meanwhile there's no indication that they're more durable than ceramic sports models

they're blingier now but i think the cost factor makes them more luxury and messes with the mentality of what can be done with them much more than them putting diamonds on daytonas. that and nostalgia because while i agree that 5 digits have more charm, they feel very flimsy compared to anything rolex puts out today

[AK797]

So Rolex got instagrammed, who hasn't? This is our new world.

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by AK797

So Rolex got instagrammed, who hasn't? This is our new world.

It's only that recent if you believe this 1969 ad was only aimed at Concord pilots.

[warrior]

Yes….absolutely. The only people in this world obsessed with the idea of” TOOL” watches vs. jewelry are people
On watch forums. An extremely small percentage of those buying luxury watches.

Every single watch is a “ tool”;any watch tells the freaking tells the time.

Originally Posted by Tylerlsu2008

Agreed. If i'm actually climbing Everest or trekking Antarctica, I will surely be wearing something solar with compass, altitude, GPS, etc. Similar to I would wear a dive computer for diving or rely on my sophisticated avionics systems as a pilot. I get the romanticism and don't deny buying into it a bit myself, but at the end of the day, they are durable and useful pieces of jewelry.

[fliegenwulf]

Just because Rolex releases more PM models doesn't mean they will discontinue SS models.

ROLEX might be realizing the PM models improve brand value which could increase the perceived value SS Tool watches.

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by Etschell

well pot calling the kettle black with you having a platinum daytona eh?

To be fair, they have rubber tool watch straps like mine.

[codecow]

The new MOP Daytona with the round cut diamond bezel is ugly. It’s ugly even as jewelry.

The YG model with square cut bezel is not half bad looking, but I’d rather go platinum.

The Daytona overall is an interesting example with screw down pushers. If you’re keeping the higher water resistance by leaving them screwed down then the complication becomes more difficult to use.

It’s not a flyback chronograph either which also makes it less user friendly for some types of timing.

The time on them can be somewhat difficult to read depending on the exact configuration.

For me, all of the watches I have are basically jewelry as I don’t have a Garmin or any watch for hiking/running. These days I even carry my phone for those things.

If you want to look to watches as tools I’d look for people wearing them today as a tool. Is a doctor using a chrono with a pulsimeter scale to check heart rate or do they just clip a thing on your finger that measures a bunch of things?

Do divers wear dive watches or do they use dive computers?

[HogwldFLTR]

Originally Posted by Actor07

...and presenting a new Yellow 18k Gold DeepSea Sea Dweller. I’m not much of a fan of this tilt towards more “bling”

The Deep Sea seems like a watch in search of a niche. As an owner of a gold Sub, I feel it's already over the top. I've a hard time imagining strapping that monster on my wrist. Crazy adding the tool escape valve to a watch that will never go to depth.

[JustaWatcher]

There are still plenty of “tool” watches in the lineup…

[TuRo]

The last tool watch was the :
1) normal thin and not bulbous cased.
2) non WGS maxi dialled
3) adjustable lug holed
4) Non chunky heavy SEL.
5) Normal easy wear clasp size
6) Replaceable insert

Thus up to c 2003 and : 16710, 16610, 14060, 16660, 16570.

[BroncoOne]

Originally Posted by INC

I don't think Rolex belongs in the luxury jewelry market. These are just expensive, overstuffed everyday watches. I understand that their models have outgrown the watch market in terms of price, but if they go this way, it is an admission that they are no longer interested in horology, only profit. And it is a problem, because in the same time the mass production is exactly what a real luxury product cannot be. I think these solid precious metals and added diamond "things", in fact only cheap mass-produced mechanical watches which are terribly far from the real luxury.

And in my opinion, if they decided to go this way, then they can say goodbye forever to ever being taken seriously as part of the holy trinity. It is not horology any more. It just profitology which in my opinion will last as long as they will be able to sell these mass produced expensive XXI. century "Midases".

And yet, they can’t be manufactured fast enough to meet demand…

[BroncoOne]

Originally Posted by JustaWatcher

There are still plenty of “tool” watches in the lineup…

True, and precious few men in the modern economy that do the things that the tools were designed for as an actual way to support themselves. WhenI dive, it’s as a hobby , I’m not welding underwater bridge supports.