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How much gold is in a gold watch? Like in this popular model, the Rolex Day-Date 40, reference number 228238, which is going for around 39,000 dollars right now in the market. Can you guess what portion of that price is actually due to the value of gold?… Take a wild guess… Would you say 50%, maybe 60? Hold that thought for a moment and by the end of the article, comment how close you really were! In the meantime, let’s talk a bit about gold… 

You know, that shiny metal worth about $1900 an ounce(61$/g) as for October 2020? Gold is actually a pretty popular investment, outperforming the US stock market in the last 20 years. 

From 2000 to 2020, you would have multiplied your investment in gold by 7 times. That’s more than double the return of the S&P 500 during the same period, and that’s assuming all dividends were reinvested, which doesn’t always happen. 

Excluding dividends, it’s 4 times more! A huge difference!!! 

But back to our little Rolex experiment. To find out how much gold the watch really contains, we need to weigh all the parts made out of actual gold… To do that, we took a watch apart.  

Even though the hands of a Rolex watch are also made out of gold, they weigh less than a 10th of a gram. That’s at most a few dollars in today’s market. As a result, we excluded them from our actual calculation. 

It is also important to note that a gold watch is not made out of pure gold. It is made out of 18K gold, which is around 75% gold by weight. 

We then weigh each gold piece one by one to come up with the final weight…

 178.3 grams

178.3 grams of 18K gold x 0.75 gives us a total of around 133.7 grams of pure gold, times $61 a gram we get $8,156, which is around 20% of the actual price of the watch. Surprised? 

Compare it to the chunk of pure gold in the image below. Let’s see how it compares to the 133.7 grams of pure gold in our Rolex watch. 

340.5 grams of 24K gold are worth about 20,770 dollars, more than two and a half times the gold value of our Rolex watch. So, as far as our experiment goes, only about a fifth of the value of this Rolex watch actually comes from gold.

This varies somewhat from watch to watch, but not by a lot, and it shows that most of the value of a Rolex designer luxury watch doesn’t have anything to do with its precious metal content. Now it’s time to see how well you did. Was your guess close to the 20% figure or way off? Let us know in a comment below. And make sure to subscribe to our replica Rolex newsletter to find out when we post more articles like this! Thanks for reading! 

Have you ever wondered why a Rolex is so expensive? It is one of the world’s most popular brands and perfect watches, the envy of some and the must-have timepiece for others. But have you thought why exactly it demands such a high price tag? At the end of the day, aren’t they just a regular timepiece with a classical label markup? As it turns out you are not just paying for the name but also for the timeless design and a watch with worldwide recognition manufactured with the top grade technology crafted over many years of existence.

Rolex was not only Kennedy’s precision jewel but also a central part of cinema history. Let’s take a closer look at Rolex history in general. In this article, we will point out the rare intricacies and by extension, how they justify the price, but of course, you will be the judge on that.

904L Stainless Steel

Rolex is the only company that uses 904l Stainless steel. To make the watches stand out from the crowd, Rolex gives its luxury watches a classic unrivaled design which includes the use of quality Stainless steel 904L. This type of steel is much stronger and shinier than the normal 316l steel, which is commonly used by other watchmakers.

904l Stainless Steel is not only expensive but also hard to make. Rolex started using this steel, usually referred to as corrosion-resistant superalloy extensively in 2003. 

Considering all Rolex watches are usually made in-house, most machines were replaced to produce 904l Stainless steel. It takes special skill and extra work to manufacture this steel type, hence most watchmakers continue to rely on the 316l steel, as a result, Rolex is probably the only company to use the 904l steel.

We think this is a very important reason Rolex is the top watch brand in the world, and also use 904l Steel in our manufacturing process.

Own science lab

Rolex has it’s own research and development department where it equips each facility with a professional science laboratory. The main purpose of these labs is to find more ways in advancing manufacturing techniques to produce efficient and perfect watches. They do this by researching new watchmakes and things that accompany them to stay relevant to the rising technology. 

It is safe to say that Rolex boasts extreme aptitude and stays organized to manufacture state-of-the-art timepieces. The Rolex labs come in various sections and the most interesting is the chemistry lab. There you find liquids, gases, beakers, and tubes that the highly trained scientists use to conduct their researches. They update the labs by the second to ensure up to the minute performance. 

Since we have the possibility to reverse-engineer their latest masterpieces, we are able to cut those huge costs and provide you an affordable price tag.

All hand-assembled and tested 

One of the biggest misconceptions about Rolex is that machines build their watches. The truth is that Rolex watches are given all the hand-on possible human attention to ensure they produce a fine swiss watch. 

Rolex uses machines in the process for sure, in fact, Rolex easily has the most sophisticated watchmaking machinery in the world. The robots and other automated tasks are really used for tasks that humans aren’t as good at it, like sorting, filing, cataloging, and very delicate procedures that involve the type of care you want a machine to handle. 

Most of these machines are still human-operated though, and everything from Rolex movements, to bracelets, are assembled by hand. A machine however helps with doing things such as applying the right pressure when attaching pins, aligning parts, and pressing down hands. Having said that, all Rolex watch hands are still set by hand via a trained technician. It would be an understatement to suggest that Rolex is obsessive about quality control.

We do our best to keep up to their level, replicating all the equipment used as close as possible to bring you the perfect watches.

An in-house foundry makes all their gold

Rolex makes its own gold- isn’t that mesmerizing? While they have a small handful of suppliers that send them steel, Rolex still works to steel in-house to make all the parts and all the gold platinum. 

24k gold comes to Rolex and is turned into 18k yellow, white or Rolex’s eve rose gold, which is their non-fading version of 18k rose gold. To our knowledge, Rolex is the only watch manufacturer that makes their own gold or even has their own foundry in-house.

Very strong Research and Development

Another thing that adds to the high price of a Rolex is that they spend a huge amount of money on R&D, like any other innovative company at the top of their game. 

When you want the best, you need to invest time, effort, and money into developing a product and continue to improve your product. Rolex keeps pushing the boundaries of innovation and developing new manufacturing processes, materials, and complications to put into their watches. We are glad they invest that vast amount of money into technology that we can replicate and bring it to our customers at the best value.

High water impermeability

Rolex watches come with remarkable impermeability, some are even water-resistant up to 300 meters, for example, the Rolex Submariner lineup. To confirm water resistance levels, each watch is usually tested under pressurized tanks and then outdoors in actual water, meanwhile to test the Deepsea watches, Rolex uses a high-pressure water tank that has been specially redeveloped through “Comex”(Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises).

An army of Gemmologists

To make sure they always present top-notch luxury watches to consumers, Rolex uses a massive team of gemmologists. These specialists assist in purchasing, testing, and setting precious materials, including gold and diamond onto various luxurious models. Besides, the company uses traditional jewelers to assist with hand picking and setting diamonds and precious stones.

Rolex outsources some of its materials used in the manufacturing process. 

These materials such as diamonds, emeralds, and rubies need to undergo tests to determine their genuineness. To do this, they employ a large number of gemologists to buy, examine, sort, and set diamonds and precious stones for the watches. They use special X-Ray machines to identify real and fake diamonds. There is a negligible amount of fake diamonds that get to Rolex, but despite that, they ensure to conduct tests for maximum precision. 

They wouldn’t risk producing watches with fake diamonds. The main diamond grade they use is “IF” Clarify and D-G color. They select and set each diamond and precious stone using hands for a more customized feel.

Since we are in the replica market, adding that kind of diamonds would not make it possible to provide a good value to our customers, hence we use cubic zirconia as a diamond alternative, which is a synthetic gemstone made of the cubic crystalline form of zirconium dioxide.

Fort Knox has nothing on Rolex

Like anything that costs a fortune, security is key. Rolex embraces tight security as it has so many valuables that require the safekeeping. From the gates to the foundry you will have to pass through quite a number of security checks.  

Their security is tight, it goes all the way to the underground floor. Everyone working with Rolex must have their ID badge docked every time to allow fingerprint scan identification. They scan and record every procedure, not to risk a security breach. Each movement on the Rolex features an exclusive serial number that matches with the case, which also presents a different and unique serial number. This completely eliminates possible imitations. 

If at all you want to access the Rolex safe, you should go through a bank vault door where you will look through an iris scanner that will automatically identify you by your eyes. This type of security can be found only in high-end brands producing luxury timepieces like Rolex. They use unmarked trucks that can’t be identified when transporting the Rolex parts from place to place. These trucks have extraordinary protection that you’ll find in treasures. 

Rolex watches are arguably the most expensive watches in the world, seeing the amount of security they put on their products.

put on their products. 

A year to make one Rolex watch

An advertisement for Rolex, long ago, claimed that takes about a year to make a single Rolex watch. As suspicious as it might sound, it is true even today. Rolex produces almost a million watches a year, but surprisingly, no shortcuts are taken in the manufacturing process. Rolex is interested however in quality and efficiency.

Basically, the entire company seems focused on producing the best watches and continually seeing how they can make them better. If you look at Rolex watches over time, they are more about evolution, rather than revolution. Of course, Rolex could speed this up for certain models if necessary, but each watch requires so many parts, and virtually everything is made from base materials in house. Once all the parts for a Rolex watch are completed, they are then mostly hand-assembled and individually tested.

The testing and quality assurance process is rather intense.

Rolex watches cost a lot do design

Watchmaking is a demanding profession, and Rolex models are the best example. A Rolex watch has very high in-house development costs in design and craftsmanship. It not only costs a lot to develop the design of the movements and assemble them, but the materials used in the actual construction are also not cheap either. 

Rolex even has several own R&D lab departments, which are well equipped with highly professional facilities. They spend their time developing more efficient manufacturing methods, but also new techniques to keep ahead of the curve. They even employ some highly sophisticated and sensitive pieces of kit like electron microscopes and gas spectrometers. 

As the parts can be very small, the materials used must be up to the task. Their stress room tests individual parts to literal destruction.

So now you know why Rolex watches are so expensive, and what steps we can cut and expenses to avoid, so you will have the possibility to buy your replica Rolex watch at an affordable price.

When Rolex decided to release their new models on September 1st of 2020, the watch world went up and arms over the new releases, and probably split seconds after the announcement, prices for the Rolex Submariner “Hulk” skyrocketed on the gray market as it was discontinued when they introduced the “replacement” for it, the 126610LV Submariner Date, also called the “Cemit”. Was that a mistake?

Before answering that question, we need to reflect back and look into what actually changed with this “new Submariner date” that we have.

Color, bezel, bracelet

The first thing to notice is obviously the color. Instead of the vibrant green sunburst style, we have a shiny black dial with added Chromalight for making it readable in the dark. On top is the green bezel that we all know too well.

This is the exact same green bezel that was used on the “Hulk” that has been discontinued, with the same kind of dullish color that becomes lighter depending on the light source.

The same goes for the bracelet- a solid brushed three-link bracelet that looks smooth but not too delicate.

Dimensions

Black dial and green bezel, nothing really groundbreaking, giving that we have seen this before, but when you look closer on the case, you will start to notice the changes. 

People started heated debates over the fact that Rolex announced that their new Submariner line is now going to be available in a 41mm diameter only, instead of the previous 40mm.

It’s hard to really imagine how those changes are going to affect the watch in real life just by reading the measurements on paper, so let’s take a closer look at some different measures. 

Let’s start with the first measurement, the actual diameter– one of the few dimensions that will affect you when you wear the watch. Believe it or not, the discontinued Hulk real diameter is 40,2mm, while the new Cermit is 40,5mm. 

It is hard to tell the difference, diameter wise if you don’t have a measurement device.

In terms of height, they are exactly the same- 12mm from the case back to the crystal.

The other important dimension that affects how a watch wears on your wrist is the lug to lug, which are also exactly the same, 47,6mm. So we can conclude they are both pretty much the same heigh, lug to lug, and roughly the same diameter.

The really distinguishable differences can be found at the clasp and at the lugs themselves.

The old clasp on the Hulk is slimmer with a width of 17,63mm, whereas the Cermit measures at 18,83mm on the clasp.

As we know, Rolex has reshaped the flanks and lugs of the new case, so that not only leaves us with a new silhouette but also with slimmer lugs in general because of it.

The new Cermit now measures 26,7mm which makes it almost 1mm smaller compared to the Hulk which makes it 27,55mm.

By this time it is safe to say that the 1mm increase in diameter has very little to the overall look of the watch. The culprits for the updated look are definitely the flanks which automatically lead to slimmer lugs.

Although the diameter increases on paper, it resembles more the slimmer looking Submariners from decades ago that people still love over all the time passed.

Movement

Possibly the biggest change happened behind the caseback because the Cermit has been updated with the movement, which is the 3235 which has around 70 hours of power reserve. Even though it’s the biggest change, it’s probably the least surprising as it was long overdue anyway.

So we have covered the similarities and the differences, we compared how it actually wears on the wrist, but why it is causing so much fuss? Let’s get back to the question from the beginning of the article, “Was that a mistake”?

In regards to the new case, we think that is safe to say that in regards to the new case, it is safe to say that gives its new design and silhouette it feels and looks a lot more like those vintage Submariners that many loved and it’s definitely cool to see that those changes really show on the wrist too, this is ultimately where it matters, right? 

But with this one, the issue goes deeper than just the looks. Given that the Cermit is now an inherent part of the Rolex Submariner line-up, it still feels weirdly out of place. 

It is simply a black dial with a hulk bezel popped on to it. It’s nothing new, not even color-wise, we have seen it before. But again, when offered at an AD, 99% would not turn it down because prices are already through the roof, and that is the whole problem. It is the reason why this release is so polarizing. It isn’t really about the color scheme in general, it is more about what it means in terms of pricing, availability, and the policies behind the Rolex game that makes people get up and arms about it, and rightfully so. 

This watch has become some sort of a symbol of why many people are turning back on Rolex, but luckily for them, there are just as many, if not more who are facing the other way, so they are not going anywhere, any time soon. 

Rolex could probably release lots of things without having to worry as their core fanbase seems to be absolutely unbudgeable. Another good thing is that they started to send the watches from the new release to the AD’s so they can see them earlier and know what to expect, although they are not for sale yet. It is “look, touch but don’t buy”.  

Overall, time will tell if this approach turns out to be more of a success or a mistake. 

We keep our eyes on the new release and will notify all of our customers as soon as we release the replica version of it. 

Meanwhile, go buy yourself a replica Rolex Hulk, because as we mentioned above, the price skyrocketed because of its discontinuation. 

Today we want to talk to you about how the watch market and more specifically the Rolex watch market has reacted to the coronavirus pandemic. We will first discuss reports around how authorized dealers are behaving, then we’ll jump into the numbers and see what story they tell before we any my prediction on how things might look at the end of the year.

People come to tend to have different opinions on this topic

We think it is important to remember that everyone has their own agenda and there are a lot of people who are in the watch industry or who own a large collection of Rolexes, that will have an interest in downplaying any news about a supposed price crash.Similarly, there are a lot of people who aspire to order a Rolex and want to make this story seem bigger than it is. We are going to strike a balance but like always you should think for yourself and remember this article is not financial advice.

How AD’s are reacting to this situation

We investigated and picked up stories and reports from forums, Facebook groups, and YouTube channels like Paul Forbes and David Khalil’s and more. We can’t authenticate is all individually but the amount of similar accounts all coming out are at the same time makes us think it’s definitely an element of truth to them.

The story is about a large, if not the largest authorized dealer in the UK, offering stainless steel Rolex Sports models to wait-listed customers. It catches that customers are expected to pay a 50% deposit and then collect the watches in store once stores reopen, furthermore the payment is through a third party payment company meaning this may affect your ability to do a chargeback.

This begs a question, where are all the wait-listed Rolexes suddenly coming from. In my opinion, prior to the coronavirus situation, AD’s had used wait lists as a tactic to generate more revenue. By getting a Rolex customer to believe that it is the only way for him or her to obtain a stainless steel sports model, the AD has made almost double the profit and also got rid of hard to move pieces. Now that business is fallen, they’re opening the safe doors and let more of these coveted pieces go in order to stay in business.

It also helps Rolex to maintain these whispers about how difficult they are to obtain. Humans always want what we can’t get. Exclusivity builds brand power after all. and Rolex is the undisputed leader when it comes to building and maintaining that brand. We don’t believe there is a genuine shortage of Rolex Stainless Steel sports models and we can investigate this further by looking into production numbers. Previously it was easy to know how many Rolex watches were manufactured each year, as COSC, the Swiss nonprofit organization which certifies the timekeeping ability of all Rolex models would release an annual report detailing exactly how many watches by the manufacturer they had certified that year.

However, it stopped detailing in the manufacturer in 2016. What we know from the last report which contained the manufacturer released in 2015 is that COSC certified 795,716 watches for Rolex. Omega meanwhile 511,861 watches certified in the same year.

Now while this doesn’t prove that there is a sufficient amount of Rolex watches to meet the demand, it does disprove the notion that Rolex watches are somehow uncommon or rare.

How does the market react

Moving on to how the market is reacting in terms of price. Fortunately, due to the internet, we have a huge amount of access to data from Chrono24, eBay, forums, and social media. Watchcharts is a website which amalgamates this data and puts it into some nice charts. if we look at the Rolex Submariner Ref. 116610LN, we can see that the average used list prices have fallen from just below £8500($10650) in January to just £7500($9400) in May. A drop of 1000 pounds in just four months an effect on this whole situation hasn’t really hit yet, in our opinion. The Submariner date retails for £7150($9000) so currently, the used market is just sitting £350($400) above retail. It isn’t all bad news though, if we look at the time to sell we can see are roughly at this price it takes only five and a half days to sell the Submariner, which means that there is a lot of liquidity left in this market.

What does this mean for the future of the Rolex watch market? Rolex ceases production since 5:00 p.m. on March the 17th due to the current situation, surely this means things will swing back around and Rolex prices should increase again. This is not the first market crashed survived by Rolex, and definitely not the last. It is a great time to buy a Rolex at a cheaper price.

Whatever happens to the Rolex market, the replica market is stable and always has a demand. Even more in situations of crisis, clients are trying to save every penny and look to save some money. You can have your Rolex Submariner 116610LN for around $200, which is a great deal.

When there’s a need for sports activities along with accurate timekeeping, Rolex is the name that would almost always echo in your mind. With diving, exploration, traveling, and racing already sorted, it wasn’t until early 90s that Rolex unveiled the watch dedicated for nautical lifestyle. 1992 marked the birth of the first nautical model from Rolex called “Yachtmaster” offered in full 18 karat gold and with the same movement as the Submariner

The 1999 introduced the steel and platinum version offered by Rolex called Rolesium. And then 2012 unveiled with six-digit Rolesium version with upgraded clasp and bezel. So was it just another Submariner?

Yacht-master has always been considered to have similar looks as Submariner and this is arguably what Rolex was trying to do when they came up with this reference. The original release of yacht-master, dating back to 90s was not too late after the quartz crisis had hit the market and when the concept of luxury steel watches was introduced in fine watchmaking.

Rolex has never been a luxury watch brand, rather they have always been a manufacturer that mass-produces good tool watches that were always made to do the job and offer the function they were built for, and they have never failed in delivering the function accurately and in the most extreme environments.

Although times have changed now and with current prices on Rolex, many consider them as a luxury watch brand, but deep inside their flesh and finish they are still good watches and really just very good tool watches so amid the concept of luxury watches, Rolex was producing professional sports watches and wanted to up the game without changing or disrupting the current line which was already very successful due to the function, water resistance, time accuracy and sporty characteristics it offered.

Rolex wanted to step into the luxury side of watches.

It made sense to add a luxurious product and a precious metal into a design that had stood the test of time, so it potentially receives a relatively easy acceptance from a wider audience. So Rolex decided to use the same Submariner design but change the watch enough to make it a new reference, and yet offer it in a more luxurious form and an upper-tier watch.

The best thing about Rolex watches is that they are not only a figure of decoration but they also always do the job they are made for, and this meant that Rolex didn’t just redesign the Submariner looks rather they considered the functions required for sea surfing as opposed to diving functions of Submariner.

For Yacht related activities there, was no more requirement for water resistance to remain at 300 meters like a Submariner and therefore the Yachtmaster came with 100 meters of water resistance. The unidirectional bezel is also a requirement purely for diving and with those intents aside, and then factoring in the sea surfing requirements the watch came with bi-directional rotating bezel.

To complement the luxurious correctness of the watch, the bezel comes with beautiful three-dimensional printing and in the precious metal of platinum.

The sandblasted finish of the bezel base with highly polished numerals on one end give that high-end look to the watch but on the other, reduces the overall presence due to the lack of the contrast from the watch case and the bracelet so it’s far less in-your-face due to smaller case appearance.

One very clear design character of Yachtmaster is the legibility to enhance the time reading function in extreme conditions and to deliver it, the watch comes with bigger hour markers and wider hands with greater luminescent material filled in them.

The hour markers under the macro show a decent amount of finish and equality aligns with the standard you would expect from this high-end Rolex offering. The blue text for yacht-master along with the blue second hand is one aspect people love about this watch. You have to see it in person to realize how much the text and seconds hand pop out to improve the watch experience. The quality of the text on the dial is also top-notch and has no issue we could spot or highlight under the macro. The dial is where the watch steals the show with those sunburst lines that are absolutely spectacular.

The way the dial plays with the light is truly mesmerizing and the rhodium color along with the sunburst finish does make the watch overall very interesting and unique in all different lighting with how it plays with the light depending upon the dial angle to the light source.

The finish and polishing on the hands is as expected, on par with the standard Yachtmaster comes with and the joint for the hands also passes our test for attention to detail, with the exception for painting, and you can see on the image below, the borders of the paint show slack workmanship but this isn’t the worst we have seen in a Rolex.

The watch comes with beautifully polished center links and brushed side links on the bracelet. The bracelet finish seems to be similar to the one on GMTs or Datejust. Overall it’s an impressive level of detail if we compare this with other Rolex models.

Before you get too excited, just to confirm that the undersides of the hands, unfortunately, are still not polished or even machined. It’s not surprising though as we have never seen a Rolex that has had the undersides polished but we do hope to see one someday soon.

On the wrist the watch feels far smaller than you would expect, knowing that it was a 40-millimeter case watch. It’s easy to believe without trying this watch on the wrist that it would be the same as the Rolex Submariner, but as we covered in our other articles, the case size is not always the best criteria of choosing the watch that will fit your wrist.

This watch feels far smaller than Rolex Submariner while it still shares the same case size of 40 millimeters. The lug to lug of this watch is 47.5 millimeter and lug width is also modest 2.5 millimeter only.

Then the watch comes with all polished cases to complement the smaller and luxurious looks.

So this watch is something between Rolex five-digit 40 millimeter watches and the current Rolex six-digit 40-millimeter ceramic watches with the maxi cases. It comes with polished center links and flip-lock clasp with no quick micro-adjustments on the go, but the clasp does come with a five-millimeter extension link to sweeten the experience.

If you wanted to buy a Rolex Submariner on 40-millimeter care size but was put off by the larger maxi case and only wanted something slightly smaller to contour perfectly on your wrist, we can pretty much guarantee you this watch would be your answer.

Rolex Yacht-master is truly a watch for you if you lived a Rolex Submariner but always found it a little too basic with all-steel looks or maybe although you love the design and looks but found the 49-millimeter lug to lug and maxi case as too big or too angular. Or even if you wanted the actual Submariner but always thought how good it would have been if the bezel was bi-directional and even if you had or still have Submariner but wanted to step up the game and enjoy the same looks and design, but add a touch of luxury with precious metal and polished looks, Yachtmaster will be the only watch to take all the boxes and bring you the smile.

This is the second part of the Rolex Submariner collector’s 101.

Reference 5513 (1962-1963)

The 5513 was introduced with the cases we see around 1962. It’s got a chapter ring which all these watches have where you see the full outer circle and all the dashes come off of it. The one above also has an exclamation point. It’s two lines of text ofcourse, you’ll never see 5513 with the chronometer text.

There are some other versions that are very interesting and very collectible like the Explorer dial.

This model also has chapter rings so it’s the earliest version of Explorer dial 5513 and at the moment the collector community has found 9 versions of Explorer dial submariners.

Around this time Rolex changed dial configurations to what people call an open chapter ring, where the dashes go straight out to he edge of the dial and the plots get larger so it’s a little bit easier to see underwater or at night.

This is a version that has an underline with the exclamation point where there’s a tiny circle under the six o’clock mark so it looks like an exclamation point. Those models with underline are recognized to not have any radiation Geiger reading today.

The variation above is called the double swiss dial because it’s got Swiss in white and Swiss and a gilt gold color.

There is also an interesting variation called MilSub. The 5513 was designed for the British Royal Navy. They adopted this gladiator hand and that minute hand which was borrowed from Omega Seamaster. they wanted the bezel to be fully graduated so it has hash marks all the way around and the spring bars are fixed so it could really only be worn with a NATO strap. These are obviously highly collectible

And then we have the last versions of 5513 which is a Maxi Dial mark 3 with the nickname “lollipop”, like the 5512 “lollipop” because the plots are quite large and you see Submariner above the depth rating and you see feet-first below.

All the Subs we covered until this point are no date Subs, now let’s review the models with the date window.

Rolex Submariners with date window

The first Sub with the date is the 1680, it’s what everybody calls the “Red Submariner“.

Again, like the earlier models, the very earliest have “meters first” in the depth rating and then you see it switch to a “feet first” version. The 1680 was also made in 18 karat gold. These were the first gold Submariners. It started with gold with a black dial and then later they introduced a blue dial version.

Then, we have some kind of a sibling of the Milsub, the Comex Submariner.

It’s a 1680. There are various versions of 5514 that were special for Comex with the helium escape valve on the side, and then we saw it with Sea Dwellers to follow. Typically we see the “Comex” on the dial and it was for the French diving company.

Last we’ve got a “white Submariner“.

Instead of being in red, the “Submariner” is in white and this was the watch that led to a transition into the 16800 with Sapphire Crystal and quick set and then all the versions through today.

This was our review on the history of Submariner. We do not have collectible pieces in our catalog, although we have a huge amount of custom replica Submariners and you will definitely find one for yourself.

This is the second part of the Rolex Submariner collector’s 101.

The big crown Submariners 6538

The Rolex Submariner 6538 is what a lot of people associate with vintage Big Crown Submariners. There are “Two line” and “Four line” versions. The 4 line has chronometer text on the dial, with various versions and placements of it, sometimes above the depth rating and sometimes below.

The last “Big Crown” 5510

In the 5510 you begin to see some slight differences in the dial versus the 6538 and you see the hash mark bezel from 0 to 15 minutes and the red triangle.

The last no Crown Guards 5508

The 5508 had sort of a wide production swath, we see cases made in ’58 all the way to cases made in ’62, and we see the differences from red triangle mark in ’58 to no red triangle in ’62 and an exclamation point dial that’s supposed to indicate that there’s less radiation coming from the watch.

Start of Crown Guard Era, 5512

With the end of the 5508, we closed the door on the first chapter in the Submariner, the no crown guards chapter, then we get the 5512. The very earliest of the 5512 is what’s called the “square crown guard”.

It was a very distinctive, very industrial purpose-built design and there’s very few known today. A number of these were shaved down what we’ve called Eagle beaks today, where Rolex presumably took a square crown guard watch and shaved it so it was easier to grab the crown and of course Rolex didn’t want to do that with every watch so they switched to this pointed crown guard design.

Very few 5512 with red triangle inserts. They get to the pointed crown guard and they keep that design for a few years.

Once we go to pointy crown guards, then we have the chapter ring and then we make the jump to the four-lined dials. There are also the micro nuances that we see during this time like the neat font style where all the printing is together in the same color.

The more common version is where the superlative chronometer officially certified text is a slightly different color because it was presumably added after. The last 5512 is what we call a maxi dial. The plots are larger, it’s the last run of matte dials and this is a maxi mark 3 lollipop where you see the depth rating changes from the meters first to the feet first toward 1969-1970.

The Submariner has a long history, so we divided this guide into three comprehensive parts. Subscribe to our newsletter to find out first when the second part will be available.

If you are a fan of Submariner as we are, but cannot afford one, our store is here for you. Explore our vast collection of replica Rolex Submariner watches to find your perfect model.

The Submariner was one of the first watches ever purpose-built for diving. In the world of vintage Submariners, we can break history down into four eras:

• The No Crown Guards Era which ranges from the 6204 to the 5508 and all of the cases with no crown guards.
• The 5512 which is the Chronometer Crown Guards Era.
• The 5513 which is the Non Chronometer Crown Guard Submariners Era
• The 1680 which are Chronometer Certified and have a date

First Rolex Submariner

A lot of people don’t know the first reference that’s recognized by the collector community, which is the 6204. This model has hands that are very different than the Mercedes hour hand we see today, they are called pencil hands. It has a rotating bezel but without hash marks between 12:00 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. The watch dial, however, shows the characteristics we see today, the triangle at 12:00 o’clock and the rectangles at 3, 6 and 9 on a “no date”. So it all started here, this is the smallest crown ever on a Submariner, it’s 5.3 millimeters and this watch also said Submariner on it so this was really the birth of the reference.

Just a year later we get the next model 6205

This is the earliest version of 6205, also with the pencil hands. There are multiple variations within these references. This version does not say Submariner on the dial, neither of these references has depth ratings, the bezel is the same as the predecessor version, and then we also have another version of 6205 this is where we see the famous Mercedes hour hand.

The hands on this one are very long and this is much more of what we see today.

The next watch we have is kind of an outlier of sort because it is a Submariner with an Explorer dial, the 6200 or what some people call the King Sub, and it’s funny because that’s the earliest Submariner reference but we see it come to market later.

It has the “3, 6, 9” dial, this is the first Submariner to have that and also we see the eight-millimeter crown which is of course what makes it most distinguishable. Big crown models are referred to as James Bond’s Submariners. And having one with the small logo like this is much rarer and having any in really good condition is extremely desirable.

The small crown Submariner 6536/1 (1956-1957)

The next group of watches we have is where a lot of people would see and immediately recognize true Submariner, or all the DNA is there, and that’s the 6536/1, also called a small crown Submariner. This feels very similar to the earlier models but it has a depth rating and the dial of 100 meters, no hash bezel, it also has that distinctive white seconds hand.

The last version of 6536/1 is the first model with the hash marks between 0 and 15 minutes, also with a red triangle mark, also with a depth rating.

The Submariner has a long history, so we divided this guide into three comprehensive parts. Subscribe to our newsletter to find out first when the second part will be available.

If you are a fan of Submariner as we are, but cannot afford one, our store is here for you. Explore our vast collection of replica Rolex Submariner watches to find your perfect model.

How to buy a replica Rolex watch

So, you’re out there looking at luxury watches and you’ve made the decision, “I’m going to grab a Rolex”? I’m going to be walking you through step by step how to buy your first Rolex. So, let’s start off with the question of why? Why buy a Rolex? These were the five reasons we identified that most men buy a Rolex.

It’s a status symbol.

Make no mistake about this. A lot of people grab a Rolex, because they know, what it signifies. It signifies, for many people – “you have made it!”. In fact, RBC Markets did this research and found, that 12.3% of people, that make over $100,000, had a Rolex on their list of things they wanted to purchase and that blew away any other type of watch. So, a lot of people for them, if you have a Rolex, you are successful.

Rolex is a very functional watch

Rolex is actually is a very functional watch. In fact, Rolex started off as a tool watch, these were watches that were made to function. They were the first ones to go under 100 meters and be waterproof, with the Submariner. When you look at them the way they’re built, they are built to last.

And, let’s talk about precision. A watch has to be able to tell time, but not all watches are going to tell time, as well as others. When it comes to automatic watches, Rolex does an amazing job of keeping accurate time throughout the day. In fact, Rolex was the first watch, to receive a chronometric precision certificate.

You appreciate the art of watchmaking

The third reason to grab a Rolex, you appreciate the art of watchmaking. Rolex is one of the few companies, where every single piece, every component is made in-house.

Resell it

Reason number four, resell. Because Rolex has built such a strong brand reputation and so many people know about them, the market is huge for buying used, selling used, even rare replicas. So, it’s something if you get tired of your watch, you can actually sell it sometimes at a profit.

It’s a reputable company

And reason number five, to grab a Rolex, reputation. Rolex has been around for over a hundred years. If you’re just getting into luxury watches, one of the big things – is fear. You don’t want to end up buying something, that’s going to make it look stupid. You’re not going to win awards for creativity for buying a Rolex but, It’s a safe bet, that you’re going to get a good watch at a, a little bit more expensive of a price, but there are many watches out there a lot more expensive, and replica Rolex watches are great to start with. Now, before you buy a Rolex, you probably want to know a little bit about its history.

Rolex History

The company was founded in 1905. It was founded as Wilsdorf and Davis, but it was renamed to Rolex because this name was thought actually just to sound better in multiple languages. But, as cool as the name sounds, people aren’t just going to buy a watch because it says Rolex, especially when it hasn’t established itself as a brand. So, in 1926, they made a really smart decision. There was a woman, that swam across the English Channel, but a lot of people doubted, so she went to do it again. And when she did it the second time, Rolex was there. They actually got her to wear a necklace with a Rolex watch right there.

Now, she ended up getting within a few hundred feet of actually finishing it, so in 1926, you had basically the waterproof watch. They put that on the map.

And not resting on their laurels, in 1931, they created the first self-winding caliber – called The Perpetual.

In 1945, Rolex created the first watch with a date on it called The Date just and this was caliber 740.

In 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary are the first men to climb Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. And guess, what they’re wearing? You got it, a Rolex.

Continuing to push boundaries in 1960, Rolex actually had a watch taken down to the lowest point on earth. It was called The Challenger Deep and it went down to 10,911 meters.

In 1963, Rolex creates the first racing chronograph, the Daytona.

Perhaps, the most important decade in Rolex’s entire history the 1970’s, when we saw this company rebrand itself. Not since they took on the name Rolex, have they done something so smart which is to say, “we’re not just about telling time, we are a status piece we are a symbol of luxury goods“. Why did they have to do this? The quartz crisis. So, we had all these cheap quartz watches flooding the market and guess what? People all of a sudden have an inexpensive watch that tells them a very accurate time, so Rolex took a step back and said, “what are these watches really about?” And if you’re looking to buy a luxury watch right now, I bet it is something- it’s not about the time, it’s about simply when you look at this watch, what does it tell you about your time, about the time that you’ve got left and your association with time, that’s why men get into luxury watches.

Basic watch terminology

Now, if you’re going to buy a luxury watch, you need to know a little bit about terminology, so let’s talk about all the various pieces.

First up, we’ve got the case. The case is the body of the watch. It houses all the internal moving parts. Almost all Rolex watches have a solid screw down case back and this sets them apart from a lot of less expensive watches where you see actually and use a snap-on case back or external screws.

Next up, let’s talk about the crown.
The crown – is an external knob, that’s on the side. It’s used to wind and stop the watch, and/or adjust the time and date. It’s marked often with a crown logo with Rolex. And for Rolexes, they’ve screwed automatically onto the case, making them waterproof.

Next up, you’ve got the watch glass. The watch glass – is the transparent convex crystal, that covers the face of the watch. Since the 1970s, Rolex has been using a synthetic sapphire crystal to make their watch glasses.

Next up, we’ve got the bezel. And the bezel – is the outer ring, that seals the case. Now, when you hear the word “bracelet”, this is going to be the band, that attaches the case and holds it to your wrist.

Next up, we’ve got lugs. These are the protruding edges of the watch itself that attach to the bracelet.

Now, when people say model, what they’re referring to is the outer design of the watch. The reference number will tell you the year and version, as well as the caliber.

And so, what’s the caliber? The movement(the caliber), that’s the type of mechanics inside the watch.

Next up, we’ve got the concealed clasp/crownclasp. That’s a clasp, that’s concealed under the link of the bracelet. Basically, it makes the bracelet look like a continuous loop.

Now, let’s talk about the Cyclops lens.

If you’re going to buy a Rolex with a date, you’re probably going to see that Cyclops lens. It’s a very distinctive feature of Rolex because they patented in 1950, and it was something, that just stood out from all the other watches out there.

Basic Rolex materials

Now, let’s talk about the nine basic Rolex materials.

Oyster steel. This is Rolex’s own superalloy and basically, it’s a 904L steel that is resistant to corrosion.

Rolesor. This is the combination of Oyster steel and gold in a two-tone Rolex.

Everose 18k gold. This is a rose gold that gets a unique color from added silver and copper and doesn’t lose its color.

Yellow 18k gold. This is Rolex’s own gold alloy with an iconic color.

White 18k gold. This is Rolex’s white gold, that many people think seems to radiate light.

Platinum. Rolex uses a 950 Platinum, which basically means, we’ve got 950 thousands of platinum and it’s generally combined with a little bit of ruthenium.

Cerachrom. This is Rolex’s, proprietary ceramic that they use in their bezels. It’s scratch-proof and UV-proof, so the color won’t fade.

Precious stones. You’re going to find these on higher-end Rolexes, and they use a wide variety of the different precious stones out there, diamonds being the most common.

And finally, we’ve got Chromalight. This is Rolex’s Lume.

Basically, it looks white in the daytime, but it glows blue in the dark.

Rolex bezels

So now, let’s talk specifically about the bezels. There are six types of bezels, you’re going to see on a Rolex.

First up, you’ve got the plain bezel. You’re going to see that in steel and precious metals.

Number two- we’ve got the fluted bezel. You’re only going to see that in precious metals.

Next up, you’ve got the engraved fixed bezels. You’re only going to see this on the Explorer II and the Daytona Cosmograph.

Rotating bezel with inserts. This is used on professional watches.

Rotating precious metal bezels. You’re going to see this on the sporty, but elegant watches, such as the Yacht-Master.

And finally, we’ve got the bejeweled bezels. As that sound, these bezels are going to come encrusted with precious stones.

Rolex Bracelets

Now, let’s talk about the six types of Rolex bracelets.

First up, we’ve got the Oyster bracelet.

This is going to have larger three-piece links for a sporty look. Now, the Oyster bracelet only comes with the Oyster lock clasp.

Jubilee bracelet. This has a five-piece link. It’s used in dress and sports watches and it comes with either an Oyster lock or a Crown lock clasp.

President bracelet.

It’s less common. It uses the elegantly rounded three-piece links and only comes with a Crown lock clasp.

Pearlmaster bracelet.

This is Rolex’s most elegant bracelet with five-piece links and a Crown lock clasp.

Rolex leather bracelet. It comes in a variety of colors.

Finally we have the Oysterflex rubber bracelet. The luxury rubber with an Oyster lock clasp.

Rolex clasps

Now, we’ve talked about clasps quite a bit, but what are they? They’re the locking mechanism that’s basically, going to open up the watch bracelet, so that you can slip it on and then attach it to your wrist.

Rolex has two types, that they’ve made popular. The first is the Oyster clasp-Oyster lock and basically, this has a two-part mechanism. You open it up right there and then you open it up like that and then you secure it and is the most popular because it comes off as the most secure.

Next up, we’ve got the Crown clasp/Crown lock. It’s very simple, there’s no second mechanism right there.

The essential Modern Rolex Movements

So, we’ve talked about the outside of the watch. Now, let’s talk about the inside of the watch, the movements in particular. You need to know these modern movements if you’re going to be out there looking to buy a Rolex.

First up, we’ve got the 3135. Now, this movement forms the basis of most Rolexes, made today. It was introduced in 1988 and basically, it’s got instantaneous dates switch at midnight, and it has many variants:

3155. It includes the Day-Date.

3130 which has no extra features.
3131 has an anti-magnetic shield, but it doesn’t have the date mechanism. 3132 includes the Paraflex anti-shock system but has no date.

2235. This is a smaller version of the original.

2230 is a smaller dateless version.

3186 has a 24-hour GMT movement.

3187 is the 3186 plus the Paraflex anti-shock.

Now, the next modern movement, you need to know, is 3255. This is a highly accurate movement, introduced in 2015. Rolex says it’s accurate to +3/ -2 secs/day, which is double the standards, set by official Swiss testing institutions. So, if you’re going for time telling accuracy, 3255 is the movement you want in your watch.

Next up, we’ve got the 4130. And we’re going to find this one in the Chronograph Daytona.
Finally, we’ve got the 9001. So, 9001 includes two time zones and an annual calendar. This is the most complicated Rolex movement and it’s available only in the Sky-Dweller.

Modern Rolex watch categories

So, what are the three categories of Rolex watches? Well, first, what we have is the Oyster Perpetual Classic.

These are versatile waterproof watches in classic styles. There are six models available.

Next up, we’ve got the Oyster Perpetual Professional.

These are going to be specialized performance watches and there are seven models.

Cellini.

This is the traditionally styled most dress watch that Rolex makes. They’re going to be less waterproof than the other categories, but they’re still water-resistant. There are four models here.

Let’s talk about the classic models.
The first one, I’m going to pull up is the Oyster Perpetual. This is the classic Rolex watch. We’ve got the three-hand time-only watch Rolex’s most basic watch. It’s a direct descendant of their original Oyster watches and it works as a sport or a dress watch. In my opinion, the Oyster Perpetual is one of the best Rolex watches out there. It is simple, it is elegant, and it’s at a great entry-level price.

Next up, we’ve got the Datejust.

It is considered the iconic Rolex dress watch. So where does the Datejust get its name from?
It used to be wristwatches took hours to actually change the date, with the Datejust, the date changes just before midnight.

Next up, we’ve got the Day-Date. This is going to be a Datejust plus the date of the week. It’s generally offered in fancier configurations, than the Datejust. It only comes in gold or platinum, and it’s sometimes called The President because so many world leaders have owned this watch.

Next up, we’ve got the Pearlmaster.

And this is going to be a Datejust covered in ethically- sourced precious stones. The blinged-out Rolex is basically what it is.

The Sky-Dweller.

I like this watch, but I love this quote, “If you want a watch that looks like a Russian oligarch just curled up around your wrist and died, you might be interested in the latest model of Rolex’s Sky-Dweller.”

I personally like the watch because it’s one of Rolex’s most complicated. It’s going to be able to tell the time in two time zones and it’s got an annual calendar.

Let’s talk about the Cellini collection.

This is going to be Rolex’s line of dress watches. They’re only available in precious metals and according to the catalog, it uses silver in refined lines. Having seen these in person, I think that they’re fine-looking watches. It really wasn’t my cup of tea, but I know many guys that love these watches and if this is what you fall in love with, all the better to you.

Now, let’s talk about Rolex’s professional watches. We’re going to start this off with the Cosmograph Daytona.

So, the Cosmograph Daytona is a very popular racing watch, made in limited numbers. Basically, if you want this watch, you’re going to have to get on a waiting list, unless you’re going after one of the higher end ones, made from precious materials.

Next up, we’ve got the Sea-Dweller.

This is going to be Rolex’s largest watch. It’s a heavy-duty dive watch. It’s only available in Oyster steel. The Deep-Sea version went to the bottom of the Mariana Trench with James Cameron. This thing is made to go underwater.

Now, this next watch is the iconic Rolex. When people say I saw somebody wearing a Rolex when they buy a Rolex, often times, the Rolex they’re talking about is the Submariner.

Now, why is this Rolex so iconic? Because, when you look at James Bond, you look at someone like Steve McQueen, you see them wearing a Rolex Submariner. And, guys, despite being the most common Rolex, this is still an amazingly functional great watch.

GMT-Master II.

This is a pilot watch with a range of colorful two-tone bezels with soda related nicknames like Pepsi and the Coke and the root beer. Now, the bezel type, it uses a bi-directional rotating 24-hour bezel for tracking multiple time zones.

Rolex Explorer.

As mentioned earlier the name of this watch in the association with it is with Mount Everest, Hillary, and Tenzing when they went to the top. This was the watch that commemorated them climbing to the top.
Explorer II – very different than the classic Explorer.

So, what is this watch for? This watch is all about caving, spelunking in dark environments, but the big feature here is the highly visible bright orange 24-hour hands.

Now, speaking of a functional watch, have you ever seen the Milgauss?

Look at the dial on this watch. Do you notice that second hand? Do you notice how it’s got that little lightning bolt there? This is all about how this watch is actually functional. It’s got the whole anti-magnetic shield. So, if you work in and around speakers, if you work in an environment in which your watch could be magnetized, you want to go for the Milgauss. And, even if you don’t need the features, a lot of guys just simply like the look of this watch. For them, it’s fun, it’s playful with the green tint with the orange lightning bolt, it’s a good-looking watch.

The Air-King.

And this one was marketed after World War II as an aviation watch because so many World War II pilots used Rolex Oysters for the legibility and the accuracy, it was something that they wanted to have a watch that basically was all about the air.

Yacht-Master.

Now, the Yacht-Master as the name implies is a yachting watch. And it’s got a bezel that goes both ways the reason being, so you could time races. While we are here let’s talk about the Yacht-Master II.

This is a yachting watch with a countdown chronograph programmed, by rotating the bezel and crown.

When and how to buy a Rolex

Before you spend any money, you need to have these three things lined up. So, the first thing you have to have in order before you buy a Rolex is your own mindset. You got to be honest with yourself on why you are buying this watch and for the vast majority of us, it is going to be because of our ego, because we want something, that’s a status symbol.

I’ll admit, for me, it was a symbol. You’ve got to be honest with yourself and when you have all of a sudden clarity on why you want to do this, then we go to the second part.

The second thing you need to have lined up when you buy a Rolex is your finances. You need to be able to buy that Rolex in full. Do not use a credit card, don’t put it on some payment plan, don’t be paying 20% interest. Guys, that is stupid. And you don’t want to be in a position that that’s going to cause you financial ruin. I know there are people that buy up watches and then they resell them. And they’re doing this as an investment they’re trying to make money off this. If that’s your business and you’re good at it and you have built your way up, congratulations, for the vast majority of us, that is not the case. Here our replica Rolex store comes handy since you can get a hold of your favorite Rolex watch without breaking the bank.

And, the third point- the more you know about Rolexes, the better deal you are going to get. I’m not saying that you got to spend a hundred hours studying Rolexes before you buy one. Some of you guys, out there have got more money, and you have less time, and you simply want one, you’re going to walk into a store you’re going to pay full retail price and you’re going to be happy and all the more power to you. But, if it’s something that you want to get the best deal if you want to make sure you get the right watch, and you don’t end up buying a watch that you don’t wear very often, you need to do your research.
That’s it for our guide, make conscious purchases and enjoy your watch.

Is Rolex actually better than Omega, or just Rolex’s expert marketing team is brainwashing us? Well, this is an incredibly daunting question, we hear it all the time, “Why is Rolex better than Omega?”, “Is Rolex better than Omega?“, and the much rarer question “Is Omega better than Rolex?“. Let’s focus on Rolex and Omega separately and then we are going to see what “went wrong with Omega” to have Rolex generally seen as being a higher tier. Let’s dive into the question “Is Rolex better than Omega”.

Let’s focus on Rolex

Rolex on paper is actually a much younger company than Omega. Rolex was officially founded in 1920. Early on, Rolex attained some pretty impressive achievements because in 1926, only six years after they were officially founded, Rolex created the proprietary waterproofing system that is the Oyster case with the threaded crown, making Rolex one of the first companies to ever use a threaded crown. Sure, all that really cool technology is impressive, but the best thing Rolex ever did for their company early on was creating a product line and not deviate from it. We’re going to have to forget that the Cellini series was ever a thing because they made way too many of them, kind of what Omega made, and Cellini never was very popular or wasn’t very prominent so we “forget” Rolex Cellini.

For the most part, consistency is key, and Rolex knew that and ever since the 1920s. they’ve created a catalog and they’ve been very stubborn and very rigid and they have not deviated from their products and the consumer base has rewarded them for it.

Nowadays, people complain that Rolex is scared of trying new things, they’re not risky enough, they don’t want to deviate from their catalog, but Rolex is doing this deliberately. They know that this fosters effective communication with their consumer base, people know what they’re getting when they get a Rolex, but most importantly people have a very clear image of what a Rolex is and people know immediately what they want and that’s invaluable to Rolex. Rolex wants that!

So this effective communication, the stubborn rigidity to their catalog, the confidence that their consumer base has with Rolex, all this has allowed them to expand and have the hugest brand equity out of any watch company ever.

Finally the last positive about Rolex is that they’re not controlled by any larger watch company. Rolex is controlled by a family trust technically, so no one really calls the shot except for Rolex, and this is in contrast to Omega.

Let’s take a look at Omega

Omega on paper is a much older company than Rolex, officially founded in 1848. We will start with the fact that Omega has made way too many watches throughout the years. They started in 1800s and they’ve been just churning out reference numbers ever since, having really obscure, random and confusing reference numbers. The unfortunate thing for them is that this is the exact opposite of what Rolex has done for their company.

Again, people criticize Rolex for not being risky enough and not deviating from their main catalogue, but Omega deviates from their catalog all the time and no one really knows a lot about their different watches. People know about the Speedmaster, Seamaster, maybe people know about the Railmaster, but not really.. But because all the obscure reference numbers, people missed some really cool watches throughout the years. To recap, a whole lot of reference numbers. a whole lot of variations a whole lot of movements.. It doesn’t do well for Omega.

Another big difference between Omega and Rolex is that Omega is controlled by Swatch group, and that means Swatch group can control what movements Omega uses, they can control where Omega is allowed to go or not, like for example Omega is not allowed to go to Baselworld, and that’s not good for Omega.

While all these heavy hitters like Rolex, Panerai, Vacheron, and some really high-level companies are showing off their new watches, Omega is not even allowed to be spoken about, because they just won’t go because Swatch group won’t let them go. This is business 101, the worst thing a brand can do for themselves is be obscure and that’s exactly what Swatch group is doing for their brands when they don’t let them show up at Baselworld. The more people see you, the more people talk about you and hopefully the more consumers you will have.

Another interesting thing that Omega did brandwise, is the fact that they kind of always seems to be playing catch-up with Rolex. Some older generations when they think James Bond they think Rolex. In the novels and in the movies James Bond wore either Rolex Explorer or some people say it was a Submariner. Definitely, Sean Connery wears a Rolex Submariner as James Bond but then in the books, it says that it had a numeral bezel so some people say it was an Explorer and some people say it was a Submariner. either way, it was definitely a Rolex sports watch. The younger generations will recall James Bond wearing an Omega Seamaster. We don’t state that the Omega Seamaster is a Rolex wannabe, we just point the fact that the James Bond wears a Rolex before Omega.

One big plus we have to give to Omega is that they subjectively have always made better coronagraphs than Rolex, the only issue is again Omega just made way too many of them. A lot of random reference numbers, random variations instead of sticking with what the customer know and make them good.

To recap Omega is an older company than Rolex but in our opinion they played it a little bit loose. They’ve made way too many reference numbers, they’ve made way too many different kinds of watches. When you think Omega you probably just think Speedmaster. They’ve deviated too much throughout the years. Looks like now they’re doing a better push into cleaning up their catalog, but unfortunately, the damage has been done brand-equity wise. The majority of people when they think of a watch, they think Rolex but they don’t necessarily think Omega, and for that reason, we think Omega is stuck playing catch-up with Rolex.