Why would anyone buy a Rolex, or any such high end, watch?

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Answer Wiki

- Rolex is a well-known and trusted brand of luxury watch.

- Luxury watches are jewelry for men.

- People wear luxury watches to feel good about themselves.

- People wear luxury watches to show other people that they are successful.

- People wear luxury goods as a subconscious signal to potential mates that they are a good partner.

- People find them aesthetically pleasing.

- People appreciate the artistry that goes into them.

- In a desperate situation, a Rolex can be used as collateral or even ransom since its value is well-known.

- There is a common saying in India that a normal watch tells you the time, while a Rolex tells the world your time (meaning your achievements).

- People buy a Rolex because they can. They’ve worked hard and are rewarding themselves for that work. Why not!

100+ Answers

Ryan Bich Tran

Ryan Bich Tran, Physician runner family man

Updated Jan 16 2018 · Author has 86 answers and 1m answer views

Good question for me. I used to own 2 Rolexes, now I wear a $12 Timex. When I first got the Rolex it was nice to wear. Heavy and big, instantly noticeable to everyone around me. I had a blue gold Submariner with a gold band. I know... Really subtle.

But then it didn't go well with shorts and flip flops, so I had to dress up with it. Then I started to misplace it as I'm an active person. Every workout,  bike ride, or swim, I would wonder where I left it. Then I bumped it a few times, "oh crap" did I scratch it? "That's 10k I may have  ruined" I thought. I then realize I didn't own the Rolex, it owned me, I was beholden to it, always worrying about it. In it's defense I was able to sell it for $500 more than I bought it for 4 years earlier.

Now I wear a $12 timex which I own, not the other way around. The other day I put a big scratch on it doing a kettlebell workout designed by Darren Beattie (very active on Quora).  Didn't bother me one bit. If I lose it I'll just buy another one :)

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Steve Black

Steve Black, Worked in Construction and since I was 14

Updated Jan 10, 2018 · Author has 4.6k answers and 14.1m answer views

I bought my Rolex Submariner twenty years ago with the first profit of a new company I started. It cost me £1,410.00 pounds. I have worn it nearly everyday since and it has never let me down, I have only had it serviced once. As I worked in construction it went through a lot of rough handling. I have some more expensive watches but nothing feel as good on as my Submariner (I have changed the band to a leather strap which feels more comfortable) and what amazes me is that I can still sell it for more than I paid for it.

Another thing to note is salesmen, reps, Maitre d's notice a good watch and the service does improve.

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Richard Warfield

Richard Warfield, Mammal

Answered Sep 21, 2014 · Author has 176 answers and 407.7k answer views

Because Rolex (the company) is very skilled at manipulating people into thinking they want a Rolex, and spends a ton of money towards this goal.

Let's look at Rolex as a business.

OK, actually we can't because Rolex is private company that doesn't release public financial statements.  Let's instead look at Richemont -- owner of brands like Piaget, IWC, and A. Lange & Sohne (as well as a bunch of other luxury goods businesses[1]).

I've compared Richemont to Seiko, which seems like an archetypal non-luxury watch company.  The luxury watchmaker's gross margin is around twice that of Seiko.  Richemont sells its goods for around 3x what it costs to make them compared to a roughly 50% markup at Seiko [2].

So where does they money you spend on a Richemont watch go?  Well for one thing much more of it is profit for Richemont's shareholders.  But around 31% is going towards "selling, distribution, and communication expenses" (not shown in the table as Seiko doesn't provide a comparable breakdown, but Seiko's TOTAL operating expense is only 29% of revenue).

Now, every business needs to spend something on sales and marketing. But the question is why competitive pressures don't cause the entire industry to converge towards a Seiko-type model with lower margins and leaner marketing. On the surface, the luxury watch market seems fairly competitive -- there are far more luxury watch brands than I can name and barriers to entry seem low.

The reason: THE MARKETING IS THE PRODUCT.

Even if you are the kind of person who isn't going to be influenced by an ad showing George Clooney wearing a Rolex, all this marketing spend goes towards maintaining a social milieu where people say things like (to paraphrase some other answers):

- "If you had ever worn a Rolex you would know it just FEELS better".  I'm pretty sure any object of similar shape and mass would feel about the same hanging from my wrist.

- "If you appreciate art, you can appreciate a fine timepiece." Ok, but why not luxury shavers or toothbrushes? Where is my Swiss made luxury facial hair care instrument?

- "A luxury timepiece is an investment".  Right, because paying a 200% markup on something is always a great idea when aiming to maximize your investment returns.

[1] I looked but wasn't able to find a listed pure-play luxury watchmaker - all seem to be either privately owned or part of a larger luxury goods conglomerate.  That fact itself tells you that it's not about the watches but about the luxury.  In any case I'm comfortable with the assumption that the economics of watches are similar to those of other luxury goods -- Richemont reports similar margins for its watch segments as for the rest of the company and watches are often sold side by side with jewelry and other items.

[2] This may understate the degree to which the markup on Richemont's watches are higher than Seiko -- retailers and distributors quite possibly keep larger margins for themselves on the former.

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Matt Wasserman

Matt Wasserman, Top Writer 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018

Answered Sep 15, 2014 · Author has 11.3k answers and 34.4m answer views

You have probably never worn a Rolex. The difference in feel between a Rolex (or any luxury watch) and a Timex is so pronounced that no one who had experienced both would ever say there was no difference between them no matter how insensitive they were to such things.

I personally don't like Rolexes much (although I do have a weakness for the Daytona), and I might wonder why someone would choose one over a TAG or a Patek Phillipe. A Seiko actually keeps better time than a Rolex, for the most part, but the feel of the watch is one of the design elements cheap watch makers save money on.

Anyway.

There is prestige. Everyone knows what a Rolex is, and everyone knows they cost a lot of money. Not so many people know what a Breitling is (but the people you really care about knowing do, so you get the benefits described by Steve Black).

Rolex has excellent marketing. They may very well have invented social and networked marketing. Rolex owners are a club. Some of them actually meet up to compare and talk about their watches. Meeting up with a club full of rich people is worth an awful lot to some people. Rolex owners also get special attention from the jewelers they do business with - more marketing.

And a Rolex is an investment, usually, not an expense. If you are the first to have any model in a given year you are guaranteed a profit if you choose to sell - people will pay a significant amount of money not to have to wait. But as long as you learn something about them before buying, and understand what makes one Rolex more desirable than the others, you can almost always sell your watch for more than you paid for it as long as it's in good condition.

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Suzanne Sadedin

Suzanne Sadedin, evolutionary biologist

Updated Sep 29, 2014 · Author has 281 answers and 7.6m answer views

Status symbols are one of the more curious quirks of human psychology. To understand how they work, you need to remove several of the veils that conceal our underlying machinery. And those veils are there for a reason. Prepare to be discomfited.

The first veil is the belief that status symbols are objectively superior. As several people have noted, this belief is false. A Rolex is objectively no more reliable, no more comfortable, nor more technologically interesting than cheaper watches. And this is true of status symbols in general. Double-blind tests show that cheap wine tastes better than expensive wine[1], and modern violins out-perform the Stradivarius[2].

The second veil is the belief that, therefore, status symbols are bullshit. As comforting as it would be, this is also false. In fact, almost everything we do is influenced by how we perceive social status[3], and its pursuit is an end in itself[4]. A man in a lab coat can probably convince you to kill a random stranger[5]. You think you treat other drivers fairly, but in fact, you defer more often to people in expensive cars -- who drive less politely[6]. You think you elect presidents based on character and political stances, but in fact, you usually just pick the taller one[7]. Pretty much all social discrimination can be flattened into status: without intending it -- again, regardless of our principles -- we automatically treat people better or worse based on race, gender, height, attractiveness and a bunch of other complex cues.  And being low status sucks. People don't listen to you. People push past you, ignore you, talk over you and push you around. You're much less healthy[8], more fearful and anxious about violence, and also more likely to commit violence[3]. Your status really affects your quality of life.

The third veil is the belief that we can use this information. If status symbols go with high status, let's buy status symbols! But in reality, we use status symbols only as a rough, first approximation of someone's status. Your real social status is a function of your socioeconomic situation. If anything, buying status symbols hurts you economically. You can certainly use status symbols to temporarily trick people into thinking your status is higher than it is, and thus elicit preferential treatment[9]. But as those people get to know you, they will use a mountain of unconscious social cues to judge your status more accurately. And people generally don't like being tricked, so this strategy will ultimately make you look pretentious and shallow. Status symbols are not a cause of high status, but a symptom. You can no more increase your status by buying status symbols than you can catch a cold by coughing.

So, if status symbols don't increase your status, what do they do, and why do we buy them? To answer this, we must go back to fundamental principles of communication, i.e. signaling theory[10]. People and animals choose their social and sexual partners based on certain qualities. These qualities are not always obvious, so evaluating a partner is often a risky and time-consuming process.

Now, imagine that you are choosing between two potential partners. One might be good, but you simply can't tell without further investigation. The other has a visible mark that indicates they definitely possess at least one quality you like. You only have time to investigate one. Which do you choose? Obviously, the one that has a sign of definite quality.

So, if you want to be chosen, it pays to have obvious signals that indicate definite qualities. But what makes a good signal? If just anyone can produce this signal, it's not really an indication of quality, and choosers will soon learn to ignore it. The signal must be one that can only be produced by a truly quality individual. It must be honest.

How do you make an honest signal? Well, that depends on the quality you're trying to indicate. But one thing tends to be consistent: honest signals are usually costly. Insofar as there's competition over a specific quality, you need to put all the effort you can into showing that you excel. If your demonstration is easy or can be faked, everyone will be doing it, and you won't stand out.

All of this applies as much to peacocks as to humans. A peacock puts all the energy he can spare into making a huge tail and shining feathers, precisely because huge tails and shiny feathers take a lot of effort. That means only the healthiest peacocks can produce such impressive decorations, which means peahens use them as a convenient way to choose healthy partners.

Humans have a neat proxy for certain qualities: money. Money isn't the same as status, but if you don't have money, it's unlikely you're high status. When you unhesitatingly spend large amounts of money on useless things, you are signalling that you can afford to do so. And that signal costs -- whatever it cost. Bingo. Honest signal. You just qualified for further investigation as a social partner.

Of course, you could just print out your bank statements before every first date. That would be an even more trustworthy signal than the Rolex, and you wouldn't have wasted megabucks on a useless encumbrance for your wrist. So why not?

Because money is only a proxy for part of what you want to signal. The world is full of rich, greedy bastards[11], who do not make good social partners. On top of driving like jerks, wealthy people are "more likely to cheat to win a prize, take candy from children and say they would pocket extra change handed to them in error". So potential partners are not just looking for money. They're looking for reliability, warmth, fairness, intelligence and many other nice, fuzzy qualities[12]. Overt displays of wealth actually signal a lack of these qualities. So you must signal your wealth tastefully. Better yet, signal your wealth with plausible insistence that in fact, you are not signalling your wealth, but other desirable qualities whose signals purely by coincidence happen also to signal wealth. Best of all, signal these qualities without effort at all, because your social partners want to know your intrinsic qualities, not merely what you will do to impress them.

So, during a date, you casually select an expensive vintage. Not because it's expensive, of course, but because it's the appropriate choice to match your partner's dinner. How thoughtful and intelligent, thinks your partner. And isn't it nice to be around someone who doesn't worry about money? Who appreciates life's finer things? What a pleasant person!

Now you can see through the answers on this page. There are people claiming that a Rolex is magnificent technology, coincidentally signalling their intelligence. There are people claiming that a Rolex is beautiful, inadvertently signalling their good taste. There are people claiming that a Rolex is reliable and an heirloom, accidentally signalling that they are respectable. And there are people claiming that a Rolex is good for business, purely by chance signalling that they are clever businessmen.

These claims vary in their truth level, but I think all the respondents are sincere. They honestly believe that this is why they bought their Rolex. If you consciously bought a Rolex to impress your acquaintances, they would react with scorn. You can only impress your acquaintances, and thus raise your status, by not trying to do so. So this is what we do. It's how we're programmed. You buy the Rolex simply because you're the sort of person who has a Rolex, i.e., somebody awesome.

The same dynamic underlies the teenage claim of "I liked X before it was cool!" The teenager is desperately signalling that she's not signalling that she's cool, because that would be, like, totally uncool.

Interestingly, people buy more status symbols in response to ego wounds[13]. That is, if you humiliate someone, they may respond by going out and buying a status symbol. Mechanistically, this helps keep the signal honest: we buy status symbols that restore what we believe to be our correct status, not exaggerate it. One implication of this research is that if your economy depends on convincing people to buy useless luxuries, it's a good idea to keep poking their egos. Insecure people are good consumers.

Of course, none of this applies to me. I honestly love Van Gogh paintings, not because it signals good taste within my social circle, but because they're intrinsically beautiful. I'm certainly not trying to raise my social status, or signal anything whatsoever. Not me, no.

[1]http://www.wired.com/2011/04/sho...

[2]http://thestrad.com/latest/news/...

[3]http://www.scientificamerican.co...

[4]http://www.hpl.hp.com/research/i...

[5]http://psychology.about.com/od/h...

[6]http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/...

[7]http://www.psychologytoday.com/b...

[8]http://www.sciencedirect.com/sci...

[9]http://courses.washington.edu/ev...

[10]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sig...

[11] http://articles.latimes.com/2012...

[12]http://www.scienceofrelationship...

[13]http://www.sciencedirect.com/sci...

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Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Oct 20, 2014

There is nothing beyond a successful marketing campaign that lead to Rolex watch becoming a widely and instantly recognized mark of wealthiness.

As someone who spend a couple of years in Switzerland and had several friends working for Rolex and several other luxury watch brands, here is a short summary of what other Swiss luxury watches have Rolex doesn't:

- Despite major profits and luxury brand image Rolex employs 90% of workers from outside Switzerland, at a minimal wage and with high turnover. Most other Swiss watch producers employ watchmasters for a lifetime with a very decent salary to ensure high production quality and competence accumulation.

- Within past 50 years, Rolex made very little investments into innovation or new design, be it product or processes. As a comparison Hublot donated around 1 billion to public research in material science, which resulted in a an scratch-proof 750 gold alloy with hardness on par with diamond.

- Due to this, Rolex quality in mechanics, casing and design is inferior to other  Swiss luxury watches ( and some non-luxury non-Swiss watches too).

In all, among Swiss, Rolex is perceived as an expensive kitchy bauble for new rich and a general sign of bad taste and over-inflated ego. If you ever met with Swiss, you would notice that none, except those related to the company, wear a Rolex, despite being proud of their watch.

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Matt Gentry

Matt Gentry

Answered Dec 23, 2014

I'm sure people buy and wear Rolexes for all kinds of good and bad reasons. I don't think you necessarily have to be a sociopath or a complete snob to wear a Rolex though. I wear one every day, with all different types of clothing - business casual to Levi's and a polo (I never wear suits) - and I could care less what people think about my clothes or my watch. I wear my watch because I like it.

I think there is something kind of cool about buying a watch and keeping it forever instead of treating it as disposable. I like the idea of having and maintaining my watch for the next 20, 30 years and maybe some day passing it down to a child. Maybe that's overly romantic? But I think it's a nice thought. I don't need 10 Rolexes. I have no desire to continually trade in and buy new ones. I like the one I have and want to keep and maintain it as long as possible.

Women wear all sorts of jewelry, cheap and expensive. Most guys I know, they wear a wedding ring and maybe a watch. So I guess it's our one piece of jewelry? Maybe that's a reason to buy a nice watch if you can afford it. But it's about the last thing you should buy, certainly not the first.  Watch a few episodes of Suze Orman "Can I afford it?" before you blow $10k on a watch.

I'm curious if a lot of younger people even care about watches. If everyone has a cell phone with them every waking moment, and it is automatically synchronized over the network to the exact precise time to wherever you are in the world, why bother with a watch that you have to wear, wind, change the battery on, have serviced, etc? I'm afraid watches are probably dying just like paper books. Say it ain't so!

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Michael Grace

Michael Grace, works at New Zealand

Answered Dec 27, 2014

I need to go back to 1984 when I needed a new watch.  I was tired of having to do the manual winding every day or two, which was the way for most watches of the time. Battery watches were untried technology, and were mostly of the cheap garish throw-away variety. Watches had to be taken off for showering, swimming and so on, and got frequently misplaced.

So I looked for a watch that I would never have to take off. It needed to be very strong, self winding, waterproof for swimming, diving and able to handle the hot mineral pools we enjoy in New Zealand. And a chronometer, of course.

So I got a Rolex GMT Master and it has literally stayed on my wrist for 30 years.  I can change the date and time for different time zones when I travel while I'm wearing it.

About once every 10-15 years, or so, it gets returned to the maker for a service, and recalibration, and that has been at no charge so far.

Actually very few people have ever commented on it, and it is so much part of me that nobody notices it.

Plus, for the first 20 years, or so, I got these amazing Rolex calendars each year with their wonderful pictures of Swiss scenes.  So in the hot NZ summers my calendar showed winter in the alps.  Almost like air conditioning.

Oh, and it is now worth 3 times what I paid for it.

1.3k views · View 7 Upvoters · Answer requested by Jeremy Chung

Dave Holmes-Kinsella

Dave Holmes-Kinsella, Elephant Eater in the Data Zoo

Updated Sep 30, 2014 · Author has 152 answers and 280.7k answer views

I bought mine partly for sentimental reasons - my dad bought one (a stainless steel model, in the 1950s) and I always loved the steady mechanical "perfection" of it. He was an engineer, so the idea of well made machinery has always had its own beauty for me.

I think they are beautiful in their own rubenesque way.

I bought mine in 1994, in Hongkong; probably 40 years after my father bought one in the same country.

But all of that's just history. I thought about how to answer it in another way - after all the utility function of the watch doesn't justify its price.

Let's imagine that the value in the watch is how much pleasure it brings me.

When I first owned the watch, I wore it every day - so I wore it 7 days a week for probably 6 years. Now I wear it once a month, max. So, for the purposes of this calculation, we'll say that I've worn it 2,500 days-to-date.

And let's also say that the pleasure it brings me is equivalent to the first cup of coffee; or the first cigarette of the day. Or even the first beer of the day - the wages of sin, so to speak.

Looking at this (Page on bls.gov ) a pack of cigarettes in the U.S. cost something like $2/pop back then. Curiously, the U.S. mandates that a Cigarette pack  has 20 of the things in them; so each cigarette costs 10cents.

If my cigarette habit was the same as my watch habit, then I would have had 2,500 * $0.1 = $250.00 worth of value from cigarettes over the years.

Thinking about coffee, let's arbitrarily take McDonald's coffee prices as a reasonable indicator of coffee prices in 1994, and we know from the lap-spill incident of  Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants that a cup of coffee cost $0.49 = but we'll say $0.50. So, my coffee habit over the years has cost me 2,500 * 0.5 = $1,250.00.

Looking next at beer; I'm going to go with premium pricing again. Your Starbucks drinking, cigarette smoking sinner is going to drink Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, because that's what I drank in 1994. let's assume that's priced about $1.25 for a beer, costing me  $3,125 over the years.

So, let's look at it all.

I bought my watch for about $2,500 USD back in the day. Today, a reasonable pawn broker would probably buy it from me for $1,500 with no questions asked.  So, that watch has cost me $1,000 over the years.

So, in terms of the wages of sin, we have Cigarettes < Rolex < McDonald's Coffee < Sierra Nevada.

In terms of residual value, it gets murky. I don't even want to try to calculate or document the volume of residue from 20 years of smoking, drinking coffee and quaffing beer. Safe to say, the retail value of  the residual is equivalently zero.

Given that my Rolex is *still* worth $1,500, then I'm ahead of the game.

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Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders, Cro-Magnon-American

Updated May 6, 2013 · Author has 179 answers and 779.7k answer views

It's a reasonable question, given that a quartz Timex will actually keep better time than the Rolex will. And even if you prefer a mechanical watch because you don't need to put batteries in it and you can geek out on the craftsmanship of it, you can get a nice automatic mechanical watch for under $200. If all you want a watch for is to tell the time, there's no reason to spend thousands of dollars on it.

But you could ask the same question about jewelry, right? Very few people can actually tell the difference between an expensive diamond and a cheap cubic zirconia, but people still like the knowledge that they have a diamond and spend thousands of dollars on them. It makes them feel good about themselves.

And luxury watches are essentially functional jewelry. People buy expensive watches first and foremost because they make them feel good. They find one that is their style, that makes them smile when they put it on, that makes them feel like the person they want to be, whether that's James Bond, or Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross, or a race car driver or astronaut or just their idea of a successful person. And I think the "social perception" component is secondary to that.

At the extreme level I think some people exhibit a sort of fetishism for high-end watches (and cars and handbags and other luxury objects). They become so obsessed with the object that they fall in love with it and will pay whatever they can to obtain it.

There is another interesting angle, when people buy fake luxury watches. So they have a watch that looks a lot like a Rolex, but only cost $50 or so. In that case I might think the buyer's motivation is to impress other people, but they might just like the design of the watch and want to wear it without paying the premium. And quartz replicas of luxury watches might actually keep better time.

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Andy Lane

Andy Lane, Dental Surgeon at Self-Employment (1978-present)

Answered Oct 8, 2017 · Author has 54 answers and 21.3k answer views

I bought my Rolex in 1979. This was before the “yuppy” era and the rise of designer labels. People just bought stuff because it was well made, had a nice design, etc.

At the time I had an active outdoor lifestyle, went skiing, scuba diving, off-road motorcycling, water-skiing, and travelled a lot. (Those were the days!) I needed a new watch because my old one was bust and went into my local high street jewellery store to replace it. I told the salesman that I was looking for a watch that would fit my lifestyle, be tough and I would never need to take off.

I bought the first one he showed me (I really hate shopping!), which turned out to be a fantastic decision. My Rolex Explorer II (the one with the orange 24hr hand) cost me £750; quite a lot in 1979, but not excessive. It’s automatic, so never needs winding or a battery. It’s stainless steel, including the strap, and for nearly 40 years it has remained almost permanently on my wrist. I don’t own another watch. It feels like part of me.

About 12 years ago I realised it really was time for a service, so I stuck my old beat up old Rolex in a Jiffy bag and posted it off to a company in London that did that sort of thing. I didn’t even think to send it by registered post.

A few days later a lovely chap called and asked me if I knew what I had just sent him? Well, I apologised for the fact it was a bit old and beat up, and hadn’t been serviced for years, but asked him if he could try to fix it so it kept time better anyway ‘cos it was like an old friend to me. “No”. he said, “DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE SENT ME?” Well, I was a bit taken aback, so I just said “I don’t know, you tell me!”

“It’s a Steve McQueen Rolex and it’s worth about £12,500!” - well, you could have knocked me down with a feather! Crikey! So, because I had the good fortune (and impeccable taste of course!) to buy an item that the king of cool himself had worn suddenly it turned out to be a fantastic investment!

I’m never going sell it though, and my daughters will have to fight for who gets it when I’m gone. This watch really is part of me and who I am now. Could I ever feel this way about another inanimate object? No, I doubt it, but we have been through so much together it really does feel very special indeed.

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Paul Komarek

Paul Komarek, Animal biologist with a concentration in reptilian genetics.

Answered Apr 26, 2015 · Author has 91 answers and 451.4k answer views

I'm a broke college student, but back in my days of making decent income and working in the business community, I acquired a Rolex and still wear it every single day. To me, it's knowing how much work went into the timepiece, the quality, the feel, the durability. It certainly isn't a status symbol and I'll tell you why:

I wear a stainless steel Rolex Submariner--the original Submariner, not the one with the (what I feel) stupid cyclops date feature that many people MUST HAVE in order to guarantee it is noticed as a Rolex right away. In the 4-years I have worn this watch, only 2 people have ever asked me, "Is that a Rolex?" or even noticed it for that matter. No one cares. No one eevn realizes it's a Rolex and that's the nice thing about it. It's casual, but can be sporty or business-like, if needed. It's a very versatile watch.

How did I justify it? I like (and collect) watches in general. If I just kept buying decent, nut not superb watches, after about 20 years, I would have spent a lot more than I did on a Rolex once.

And lastly, and probably most importantly, it's an INVESTMENT! If you look at these watches, they either hold their value, or, more commonly, go up in value over time. Since my watch was one of the last to be produced using the pre-2012 style, it is extremely valuable and I know for a fact that I could sell it for more than was paid for it... I've had several offers from friends in the past.

All of that said, I think you'll get a bunch of answers on this based on the individual. Buying it as a status symbol is not necessarily a "bad" or "wrong" reason. If you're working in an environment where status is key, then so is a watch like a Rolex. I will admit, when I go to business meetings, i still glance at the wrists of those I'm doing business with. Their watch tells a lot--and that's not saying that if they're wearing a Timex, the deal is over. What I look for is "taste." Wearing a black suit with black cuff-links and a nice blacked out $400 Luminox watch is going to get my attention much quicker than someone with a run of the mill Rolex like myself.

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Michael O. Church

Michael O. Church, studied at Carleton College

Answered Sep 25, 2014 · Author has 1.5k answers and 14.2m answer views

Nostalgia. Not just personal nostalgia, but a social nostalgia that one needs to gain fluency in, if one wishes to succeed in the business world.

Why do people spend $200,000 per year on a college education when a person could learn as much by traveling, reading, taking online courses, and reaching out to people in research fields? Why do they turn down full scholarships at roughly equivalent colleges in order to attend Hah-vahd, which is 140 years older than this nation itself?

Why do people spend $5,000 on a bottle of wine that even professional wine tasters can't differentiate from a $65 bottle? The orchard might be 300 years old, but the grapes are no different. Besides, even a $20 wine, today, would be world-class by the standard of a few decades ago. So what's the deal in drinking wine from the same orchard as Napoleon?

Why is an apartment overlooking Central Park worth $20 million while an equivalent one overlooking an equivalent park in Seattle, Chicago, or Minneapolis is worth only $500,000? For that matter, why do people spend $600 per night to stay at the not-that-impressive Gramercy Park Hotel in order to get a few hours in the not-that-impressive (but private, and old) Gramercy Park?

Why do rich prep-schoolers pop their collars, a practice that originated because sailors did it to protect their necks from the sun? Most of them wouldn't know the first thing to do on an inter-continental sailing voyage.

Why do people who live in the deserts of the U.S. Southwest use inordinate amounts of water in an attempt to make a rectangular patch ("lawn") of non-native grass look as green as England?

Why do people spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on companion animals bred to do work that humans no longer need, or to certain historical "looks" that probably never existed, when mixed-breed animals of equal or better health, intelligence, and temperament go unadopted?

Don't get me started on diamonds (which are not that rare) and De Beers and the "tradition" they manufactured of diamonds in wedding rings and "3 months' salary".

The past is the most exclusive thing in the world, and it will always be scarce if one looks back far enough. The future might not be; who knows?

This is not to say that Rolexes aren't quality timepieces. They are. Some people can genuinely appreciate them. However, the main reason that there is such high demand for $30,000 watches is nostalgia. Explorers relied on these quirky, mechanical devices to estimate longitude. Railroad barons loved watches, since their business was the first one to make accurate time really matter. That's what it's all about: connecting with the past, and placing oneself in a high-status, victorious position. Since most of us have very rich and very poor ancestors, people take liberties in what they choose to "remember".

Expensive watches aren't just about participating in nostalgia, however. They're also about showing fluency in it. That's the lift it provides in business. It's a way to show wealth without being flashy or obnoxious, and to claim connection with those who are "destined" to rule the world.

17.5k views · View 129 Upvoters

Daniel Gordon

Daniel Gordon, Jeweler, Retail, Fashion, Social Media, Technology

Updated Sep 21, 2014

I have sold Rolexes for almost 20 years. All I can say is, if you appreciate art, you can appreciate a fine timepiece. The mechanical movement that is powered by your body movement energy speaks to so much more than placing a power cell in a piece of circuitry. Don't get me wrong, I think Quartz movements are a marvel as far as inventions go. But when you sit back and think about all that goes on inside a mechanical watch, you can't help but think about the utter genius that went into designing such accurate (non-electronic) pieces of horological art.

The mechanism which powers a fine timepiece is a fascinating piece of machinery, just as all the digital engineering it takes to create a computer small enough to wear on your wrist or battery powered timepiece. I encourage you to go out and learn about complications and movements inside fine timepieces such as annual calendars, perpetual calendars, minute repeaters and more. Horology is an art-form. Some will appreciate it more than others. And, I have respect for those who don't, as well as those who do. Think about it for a moment. It's basically a computer without an electric power source.

69.9k views · View 817 Upvoters

Kent Fung

Kent Fung

Answered Sep 15, 2014 · Author has 4.8k answers and 18.9m answer views

To a certain extent, luxury products aren't about what's necessary or practical in a functional sense. Why would someone buy a Ferrari when the vast majority of the time, the fastest you can legally go is 65 mph? Why would you buy a tailor-made suit when sweatpants and a sweatshirt are warmer, more comfortable, and cheaper to clean? People enjoy owning items that are better looking, with more quality manufacturing and more style.

I would assert that if you really think there is "no difference" in the feel of wearing a Timex or a Rolex, you clearly have never worn a Rolex. It most decidedly does "feel" better. More solid, higher quality. And to someone who sees details, a fine wristwatch looks infinitely better than any Timex, even from a distance. Yes, I can tell, and with nothing more than a casual glance within 10 feet.

For the record, I don't actually like Rolexes. I do, however like fine mechanical watches of other brands.

I like that my watch is meant to be kept and maintained and worn over many years -- perhaps even passed on if I should someday have children, while the Timex is meant to be worn and thrown out when it breaks, which it will at some point in the mid-term future. I like that my watches -- mostly mechanical rather than quartz -- work based on something other than a computer chip or transistor. It's a nice emotional touchstone to our roots, I think.

One more thing about Rolexes in particular: Many members of the U.S. military, back in the old days, favored Rolexes for this reason: in addition to be a durable and dependable timepiece, a Rolex is a ready source of cash anywhere in the world. If you find yourself stranded somewhere and in desperate need of cash, for sure someone will give you some cash in exchange for that Rolex. That's not a bad thing.

32.4k views · View 126 Upvoters

Herbert Philbrick

Herbert Philbrick

Answered Sep 22, 2014 · Author has 52 answers and 66.7k answer views

I bought mine in 1979 from a authorized Rolex dealer in Dallas.  Back then, we used to call watches like this a "Texas Timex" because it seemed like everyone you met had one.  That was a joke then and it's still a joke!  I think I paid around $5,000.  As you can see, it still looks pretty good.  About every five years or so, I take it to the regional Rolex service location near downtown Dallas to have it cleaned, adjusted, polished and re-pressure sealed.  Is this conspicuous consumerism?  Sure it is.  I worked hard to be able to afford this luxury and I've really enjoyed wearing it for the last 35 years and I'll leave it to my son when it's time for me to shuffle off.   I hope he'll be able to wear it as long as I did, then he can leave it to his son.  I certainly don't consider this watch to be an investment, and I know I could have donated that money to a charity - but I didn't and I don't feel guilty about it.

5.8k views · View 30 Upvoters

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Sep 24, 2014

There’s no objective standard by which a $2,500 Rolex is 50 times better than a $50 Timex. But, the perception of quality – and the pleasure we get from it – is highly subjective.

There are some nearly objective standards by which the quality of something can be judged. Several years ago, Consumer Reports rated the BMW5 as the best car they had ever tested (it’s since been topped by the Tesla Model S). In general, the best car you could buy, according to the standards by which cars are judged, costs about $85,000. For every dollar you spend up to that point, you’re probably buying a better car. Beyond that, you’re paying for something else. Either a specialization (e.g. a Formula 1 car) or something that adds subjective value - a particular brand, gold hubcaps, etc.

Usually, people who spend lots of money on subjective value will overwhelmingly try to convince you that the cost is objectively worth it - even when the data shows that it’s not (this has been proven overwhelmingly with wine - high cost is poorly correlated with better taste). But, it’s a hopeless, and ultimately pointless defense.

If you truly place subjective value on craftsmanship, a particular vineyard, or some other luxury marker, then maybe it’s worth it to you - especially if the opportunity cost of those dollars is acceptable. If you have enough money where $2,500 can't truly be spent on something better – and you love the idea of owning a Rolex – then go for it.

But, there’s one other important thing to note: luxury brands prey on insecurities and convince us that we can spend money to signal our success. This is a dangerous game, and people who have been sucked into it have too much sunk cost to admit they may have been suckered. Most millionaires don’t invest in signs of conspicuous consumption and luxury. You may want to consider what owning a watch like that is actually signaling... many of those nice watches, high-end cars, and luxury homes were purchased on credit. The incomes and debts may be larger, but it’s all relative. Before deciding you’re someone who “appreciates the finer things”, you might want to consider whether you want to be the kind of person who needs a $250 bottle of wine to feel happy. It seems like you have a lot more options if you can get the same degree of happiness from a $10 bottle - even if you have $250 to spare.

1.2k views · View 4 Upvoters

Calvin Chik

Calvin Chik, I'm a work-in-progress

Updated Sep 27, 2014

Because it sends a message.

Every accessory you carry signals something about yourself. Social perception is vitally important in the corporate world. It's not stupid at all.

Patek Philippe is arguably the most prestigious watch brand in the world. See the phrase "Values and standards" there? We'll come back to it in a while.

Brand-new Patek Philippe watches can range from $20,000 (entry-level) to over $900,000.

And what does owning a Patek Philippe entail? Among other things,

- Rinse the watch in lukewarm water after contact with sea or swimming pool water

- Have the water resistance of the relevant watches tested once a year

Manual winding: A manually wound watch should preferably be wound every morning before wearing it. This will ensure optimal running of the movement throughout the day and make it less sensitive to impacts and variations of temperature.

People who wear this watch in a corporate setting sends a message. "I am successful. I am talented and I have so much resources, $400,000 is nothing to me. I can afford to spend this amount on a time-piece (that requires me to wind it up daily, to rinse in lukewarm water every time it touches sea water, to send it for maintenance every year...)."

This is what an expensive watch signals. This is also perhaps why people who work in dead-end jobs (but spend their money on expensive watches) invite scorn and derision. People around him took a closer look and realised he doesn't have the resources to match the signal he's trying to send out.

In another scenario, a business owner who doesn't have the cash flow to pay his supplier immediately may be negotiating for more supplies. He can tell the supplier he will leave his Rolex behind as his guarantee he'll pay up by the due date.  It's an option  a businessman wearing a Casio doesn't have. High-end watch builds business trust.

Why are luxurious watches so expensive? Men only have a watch. Women have handbags, purses, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and earrings.

I don't own a Rolex or any watches in that price range (it's inappropriate for my age), so I can't comment on the "feel", but Steve Black's answer gets it pretty much right on the dot.

It's all about the signal you want to portray. I heard of a Chief Justice in Singapore. He wears a $20 Casio watch. It sends a strong message to the public and his associates: "I do not value luxury. I am incorruptible."

The watch you choose is all about what you want to signal about yourself.

Sources:

http://www.patek.com/contents/de...)

http://www.chrono24.com/au/patek...)

http://www.patek.com/contents/de...)

41.2k views · View 421 Upvoters

J.A. Maguire

J.A. Maguire, Electrical Engineer at Northrop Grumman (1983-present)

Answered Nov 25, 2017 · Author has 548 answers and 777.3k answer views

A few months ago, I saw three late-teen/early-20’s hispanic guys in a department store ogling some fancy, many-hundreds-of-dollars, gold-colored watches* sitting in a glass display case. I asked them “Do you guys have SOTA (state-of-the-art) smartphones in your pockets/on your person?” They all nodded yes. “So, since those smartphones tell you the time just fine, why are you so interested in these expensive watches?” In their pigeon English, they all indicated that the desire for an expensive watch was just badge value to indicate success (no matter how much actual success stood behind it). i.e., it was to impress women

This reminded me of when I was in college in the early 1980’s. A few of my fellow white male students were motor-heads, obsessed with fancy automobiles. Within months of graduation and entry into their first jobs, they had cobbled together the down payment on a Porsche and were then making big payments on their car loan every month. But to afford those wheels, they had to scrimp and save everywhere else in their lives

- they billeted in a one-room “loft” above somebody’s garage (or similar sparse arrangements)

- too many meals at Chez McDonald’s

- turning down impromptu “Hey, let’s go to a Laker’s game” post-work plans with colleagues (because they couldn’t afford the ticket).

Did the Porsche act as bait to initially attract women? Yes, it did. Did the spartan (read: cheap) lifestyle that had to be maintained to pay for the Porsche (that they normally couldn’t afford) keep those women around long enough to “enjoy”? No, it did not.

Lesson Learned: Rolex’s, Porsche’s — and similar accouterments — don’t mean anything if you don’t have

- big, swanky house in an upscale neighborhood

- an American Express Centurion card

- regular meals at Michelin-rated restaurants

- routine globe-trotting, jet-setting vacations

- etc., etc.,

to go along with them. And guys, you should really ask yourselves: when the lights are off, is Cara Delevingne really that much better than Rebel Wilson? i.e., The later probably doesn’t need to see you with the Rolex or the Porsche.

* I don’t know if they were Rolex’s, but whatever brand they were, they probably played in the same sandbox.

1.2k views · View 3 Upvoters

Dave Thompson

Dave Thompson, works at Electricians

Answered Sep 24, 2014

I do not own a Rolex but I understand why someone would buy one, especially from a male point of view.

I hate wearing jewelry. I think its dumb and for women. So from my narrow view the watch is the only piece of jewelry I can wear. So having a nice watch is like wearing a nice ring or nice necklace. Its not so much about keeping time. If it was about keeping time then everyone would use their cellphone.

There is a huge difference in quality of watches. I havent looked into the quality of watches in several years but I'm sure there is a difference in the timekeeping of a Timex vs a Rolex. The Timex would probably break first and lose the correct time first.

I'm not a flashy person so I will usually wear a Seiko, which is considered middle of the road in quality. I can tell you that there is a huge difference in quality of a $500 Seiko than that of a $25 Timex.

With how common cellphones have become I think a more relevant question would be "If you are going to wear a watch why wear a Timex?". Whats the point?

1.5k views · View 4 Upvoters

Tim Krauskopf

Tim Krauskopf, Serial Entrepreneur, early Internet, trucking, technology

Answered Sep 27, 2014 · Author has 596 answers and 583.3k answer views

I suppose you may have actually needed to know why a Rolex is all three of these things: 1) a timepiece (a la Timex), 2) an engineering marvel as a precision machine, and 3) a work of outstanding design that has value as art.

But I see in your question that you want to divide the world into people who deride luxury goods and those who are duped into paying outrageous sums for goods that have a 99% functional equivalent for 99% less.

If you think that division is useful, consider this. In some prisons, they make a "loaf" of foodstuff that contains all of the required calories for healthy sustenance. It tastes so bad, it is reserved as a punishment -- to provide a prisoner with nothing more than the required minimum. I also ask you consider your living situation. Have you taken a single bunk in a communal barracks with shared facilities? That would meet your sleeping/shelter requirements at far less than I am sure you pay in rent right now. Maybe you do only wear T-shirts and jeans for clothing, close to the cheapest that would serve. If you have even one stich of decorative embroidery or own a cashmere sweater, you already participate in upgraded consumption. One more -- (my pet peeve) do you drink bottled water? Talk about a planet-wasting luxury.

We need/want to eat better than the cheapest we can get, we want to dress and sleep and tell time and transport ourselves (cars) all at an advanced standard of living. The planet-savers amongst us have a good reason to ask why the Rolex exists and why we dedicate so much of our food-generating resources to meat. Both are very inefficient. Planet-saving was not the question asked. Some sort of moral/intelligence question was.

Luxury goods have differential impact on the planet, but I fail to find an overall moral difference between luxury consumers and you.

If you are looking for an intelligence difference, then you should get a much more broad-based understanding of luxury goods, their development, marketing, consumption, and yes, meaning, before calling their owners "stupid".

2.3k views · View 6 Upvoters

Richard Hooker

Richard Hooker, worked at Cartus Relocation

Answered Sep 23, 2014

I'll give you two reasons...

I've been infatuated with James Bond films since as long as I can remember (over 30 years), and as a result have wanted a Rolex Submariner for almost as long.

(admittedly Timothy Dalton wore the less desirable 'date' version).

I'd never been able to justify the price so would contend myself by staring into jewelry shop windows for extended periods of time, much to the frustration of my wife.

One day several years ago we were walking past a jewelry shop and she suggested we go in and for me to try one on. After initial push back from me I agreed and we sat down and I tried on the Submariner I had been longing after for so many years. She jokingly asked me if that was the one I always wanted and when I confirmed she looked at the salesman and said, "We'll take it". She was being serious.

What took me by surprise the most was that after committing to being a stay at home mother to our young children she had no direct income of her own. She had been patiently saving little bits of money here and there over several years, often at the sacrifice of buying things for herself.

I wear it with pride every day and when I'm not pretending I'm an international spy I'm constantly reminded of the wonderful gesture and thought behind the best gift I have ever received.

12.7k views · View 109 Upvoters

Elizabeth Greene

Elizabeth Greene, I am not an expert.

Answered Dec 31, 2014 · Author has 2k answers and 4.6m answer views

I would like to own a men's Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller.

To me this watch is not a status symbol.  I have very little patience for those who value others or themselves by the cost or quality of a watch.

Instead this watch is a connection to a fantastic story of exploration.  At 1:06 p.m. on the 23 of January 1960  a bathyscaphe named The Trieste touched down 6.8 miles from the surface in the deepest part of the Mariana Trench.  This was the first ever manned mission to this depth.  The two explorers aboard traveled to the last unmanned corner of the earth at significant personal peril.  They spent 20 minutes on the bottom, where no man had gone before.  They observed the first evidence of life in the deepest parts of the sea, a fish and a shrimp.  It doesn't seem like a fantastic accomplishment, but their record stood unchallenged for over 50 years.

There was an experimental model of the Rolex Oyster watch attached to the outside of the hull.

I remember reading about this as a child and it inspired me.   The Submariner and Sea Dweller are direct descendants of that experimental Oyster.  I have wanted one since.

My preference for the Sea Dweller is based in the knowledge that this is a working man's tool.  These watches were given to the commercial divers working for Compagnie maritime d'expertises.  The divers in this company, like the divers that volunteered for SEALAB, pushed the limits of human physiology to work in the deep sea.  They developed technology to dive in places where we'd only send ROVs today.  It's hard to imagine these chaps being in any but the most obscure of history books, but I'll remember them.

2.8k views · View 8 Upvoters

Patricia Perkins

Patricia Perkins, Healthcare & nonprofit leader living in SF, Boston & UK.

Answered Dec 23, 2014 · Author has 795 answers and 699k answer views

I would agree with many of the comments above, and in particular with the comment about using a Rolex as collateral. I used mine as collateral or "bribe price" to get medical supplies into a disaster zone in 2013. And, this was not in a war-zone. I never replaced the watch, though I filed a report and since I had insurance as a disaster worker did get back some of its value. I wear a Seiko Coutera watch for daily use or a Swatch watch. Personally, I covet the Reverso style of Jaeger-LeCoultre, and I believe that luxury watches are also jewelry for women, particularly women working in medicine or the sciences.

Fancy jewels can seem off putting in those work environments, not to mention that babies and small children--your own, others, or your patients--like shiny earrings and I have lost a lot of earrings that way.

You might want to attend a watch auction at Sotheby's or Christie's, or read the watch section of The Financial Times (published 2-4 times annually) to garner a sense of the value of this industry and the prices at auction.  Or, should you ever be in Geneva, Switzerland, visit the Patek Philippe Museum, which showcases the history of watchmaking complete with many engineering highlights.

1.4k views · View 4 Upvoters

Lawrence Chan

Lawrence Chan, Hedge Fund Manager, Author of The Art of Chart Reading

Answered Dec 23, 2014

In many countries, particularly in Asia, where people are not insulated from reality that this world is pretty darn violent and practical, Rolex is both a social status tool and a means of emergency funds.

Poor people often "wear" their savings with them all the time while the rich people often "gift" their associates with Rolex because of the known value. It is easy to control the value of the "gifts" because Rolex has a wide range of watches at different "luxury" level.

Many people in Asian cities can tell you the price of various models at a glance. That's the social status function of Rolex as others pointed out.

But Rolex somehow gained a reputation that its watches have very good and stable 2nd hand prices that you can easily resell them to many jewellery stores and pawnshops. Hence Rolex has a hidden function of being a storage of value.

I used to collect mechanical watches as a hobby. Rolex is one of the brands with nice appreciation potential for the limited edition ones. So there is this third function for a luxury watch - being a collectible for investors and hobbyists.

2.4k views · View 3 Upvoters

John Pod

John Pod

Answered Dec 27, 2014

Well lets SEE.

You buy a ROLEX Day Date Presidential solid 18K gold for $675 in 1973.

You wear it every day for 42 YEARS taking it off at night.

You wear it to work on your car, to remodel your house, to run an impact wrench, to build a sizable trust for your family.  If you have concerns about scratching, denting, getting paint or grease on it don't buy one. It is watch for God's sake.

My Rolex has been all over the world it has been ripped off my wrist and ran over, drowned, beaten, abused and it still "keeps on ticking".

You always know that if everything goes to hell in a hand basket that you can always get 20 times what you paid for your ROLEX .

I think that is why I own and wear a ROLEX.

For our 30 wedding aniversity my wife finally allowed me to buy her a ROLEX Lady Presidential 18K with a factory string diamond dial and diamond bezel, she wears it as her every day watch.

I plan, when I leave planet earth, to pass my ROLEX on to either one of my sons or my grandson. I expect that when they wear it they will remember me.

992 views · View 3 Upvoters

Shankar Iyerh

Shankar Iyerh, works at India

Answered Oct 14, 2014 · Author has 376 answers and 1.8m answer views

First of all, yes there are some way more pricier watches out there, there are better watchmaking traditions for eg. Makers of Breguet made a watch for Napoleon himself and they still are in business. There are watches (automatics) that keep better time than a Rolex and there are complications that will blow your mind - have a look at  - Franck Muller l Crazy Hours or if you can afford USD 3 million or more - The 10 Most High-End, Ultra-Complicated Watches Of All Time

Yet, Rolex is a ubiquitous choice given they just market better than anyone else. Be it Dr. No - 1967 where Sean Connery shows his Rolex Submariner - Rolex is a luxury that someone can aspire to buy and own and there is a satisfaction for mere commoners who get it!

An opinion of a Collector - who managed to get a rolex in an auction!:

There are watches and there is a Rolex.....

For most Rolex owners I know: Rolex is a celebration of technology and it is as much as someone  aspires the latest model of a smart phone, for me watchmaking is an art  that is beyond comparison. The time it takes to make a masterpiece and  the amount of engineering that goes inside is unbelievable. Rolex is an expression of art, it is not  just a watch it is something that you merely pass on to the next generation ( I know it sound's similar to patek's ad, but it is applicable here), a Rolex is built to last a life time - which is why they always have a resale value and some productions just get more expensive than others.

Even more incredible is the technology that goes into making one, from the choice of the best materials to making things their own. Rolex production line has constantly innovated with the state of the art technology and yet the movements are hand assembled at crucial junctures, of course they have the most complicated machinery to sort, catalogue, place and screw in. Rolex makers are obsessed with technology and they are even more obsessed with Quality Control and Rolex makes its own gold and platinum, has a foundry to make its parts.

A ROLEX WATCH TAKES A YEAR TO MAKE - no short cuts, no then, not now, and never again.

1.4k views · View 2 Upvoters

Alex Jauch

Alex Jauch, Product Guy, Architect and Author.

Answered Mar 10, 2015 · Author has 175 answers and 1.4m answer views

For a man, a good watch is one of the most tasteful pieces of jewelry he can own.  Wearing a sports watch with an expensive suit looks like you found it in the gutter or you stole it.

Also, there is something very satisfying about owning something so incredibly well made as a Rolex.  I have a 24 jewel Oyster Perpetual that my mother bought for my father in 1964.  I wear it almost every day.  Because it was my father's watch, it has a special meaning for me but I think I would enjoy it even if I had bought it for myself.

My point is, this is something you can pass down to your sons.  They will still enjoy it.  It will never go out of style.  Quality and precision have a value that will never change.

My father passed away when I was very young.  When I wear his watch, I have a piece of him with me.  This is all I have that belonged to him, that he wore every day.  There is a continuity of my family that this watch represents.  I also have his tie clips, some cufflinks and a few other things, but only the Rolex is something that I can use every day.

That is why a man should buy a Rolex; because your sons and grandsons will thank you.

1.2k views · View 6 Upvoters

Peter Nguyen

Peter Nguyen, works at Google

Answered Sep 24, 2014

Daniel Gordon's answer was a good one. Allow me to simplify it in terms of the art analogy he made.

Think of a high end mechanical watch as a painting of something and a standard quartz watch as a photograph of the same thing. The photograph is much more accurate than a painting. It's also (generally) much cheaper than the painting. Why on Earth would anyone ever want a painting that's a lot more expensive and much less accurate than a photograph?

Because there's value in something that was labored over, that interprets its object with style, and was created it a way that could've been done hundreds of years ago. The craftsmanship of a painting--despite its clear shortcomings compared to a photograph--makes it special and worth something to people who appreciate it.

Sure, there's always the status symbol factor, but I'd argue that having a painting hanging on your wall offers a legitimate (i.e., not just preying on people who have more dollars than sense) benefit that a photograph does not.

3k views · View 11 Upvoters

Mike Conlon

Mike Conlon

Answered Jun 19, 2015

I would buy a used Rolex from a reputable seller as a way to store wealth in a portable format with legitimate utilitarian function. As others have said, regardless of your feelings about the brand and their actual scarcity/quality, they are a currency recognized worldwide.

I'd probably sooner get a really realistic tattoo of one, just for kicks.

I own two watches. One is a real Longines I inherited from my grandfather when he passed away. It was the gold watch presented to him at the end of his career as a civil servant. I wear it when I dress up, only on special occasions, usually private matters like weddings, funerals, graduations, and the like. If he'd been presented with a Rolex instead of a Longines, I'd wear that Rolex instead.

The other is a Vacheron Constantin knockoff I got for about $20 in a market in China. It is a mechanical watch even though it clearly states "automatic" on the back. It is a skeleton style watch with the movement visible through the front and back, also a couple of dummy, non-functional complication dials. I got it because it was a cheap mechanical watch which displays the movement. I wear this to important business meetings when I need to ostentatiously display contempt. Could have bought a Rolex knockoff, but how gauche!--if I'm going to wear a knockoff, it will be a knockoff of a decent watch, not a plebian Rolex.

615 views · View 1 Upvoter

Roger Even Bove

Roger Even Bove, former Economics Professor at West Chester University of PA (1982-2009)

Answered Sep 21, 2014 · Author has 73 answers and 12.9k answer views

I do not wear a Rolex watch. I was given a gold Rolex Oyster self-winding watch for graduation from Harvard in 1960. Over the next ten years it proceeded to stop randomly and frequently. It was returned frequently to the authorized repair in New York and also sent to a local Swiss watch specialist. The only explanation I ever got was that I was not active enough for the self-winder. Apparently, regular five-mile runs and a daily stop-start commute were not enough. Eventually the watch rusted out. I discussed it with a very dedicated watchmaker about the time this happened. He suggested that we gut the watch and put an Omega in the same gold case. I gave up and returned it to the donor, who sold it for its gold. The only other person with whom  I have ever discussed this was a Slovak businessman whom I met two years ago and who had a similar experience. Since then I have been proud to wear watches that cost no more than $100.

3.7k views · View 19 Upvoters

John Heeg

John Heeg, Consultant, project manager, homebrewer, cyclist, former disaster volunteer and EMT, fisherman, shootist, d...

Updated Oct 1, 2016 · Author has 1.9k answers and 2.9m answer views

1. For the same reason people buy expensive cars, houses, clothes, skin and hair treatments, personal trainers, life coaches, etc. It is to impress, and maybe to intimidate.

My kids bought me a $69 Invicta Speedway watch. Invicta takes its designs from Rolex. The Speedway looks just like a Rolex Daytona. I have been in a Rolex store and from across the counter, the salesperson thought I was wearing a Daytona. I've had people call out, "Nice watch." Just walking by in stores. Their eyes bug out just a little bit and they salivate a bit and in that moment they are jealous of ME. Ha...if they only knew.

The person who buys a Rolex wants that response, plus will add the other accoutrements for the whole package.

By just wearing a well tailored suit, people will go Wow, but maybe they can't put their finger on why. That contrasting piece of jewelry will draw their attention and will be the thing that really consolidates what they are feeling. If it doesn't complement the rest of the package, that feeling may quickly go away with them questioning their initial response.

See the article on Steve Wynn's style

http://digital.nichemedia.net/i/...

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Cary C Collins

Cary C Collins, CTO

Answered May 28, 2015

Suzanne Sadedin wrote an amazingly good article on the sociological/psychological motivations for buying luxury goods, but it completely misses one very important point for this specific question.  The question is not "why would people buy an expensive luxury watch," it is "why would people buy a Rolex."

And the correct answer to that question is more like this: the Rolex brand is largely a trap for people who want to show off that they have an expensive watch, but haven't actually done research on real luxury watches.

Now, Rolex fans, don't burn me at the stake yet.  Rolexes are nice watches, and there are some people who just like Rolex.  There is nothing wrong with liking Rolex.

But if you are considering buying a Rolex specifically to show off your wealth, you are about to make a HUGE mistake.

Buying a Rolex  to show off your wealth is like a fresh-out-of-college new Wall Street  trader buying a BMW convertible to show off his wealth.  Sure, it's  expensive, and it's more than what most people can afford.  But if you  start comparing this level to people who are actually rich, it's not  even close.  Wealthy career traders own cars where the tires alone cost more than that BMW.  Rolex is actually more of an mass-produced, "entry level" luxury watch.

Assuming  a billionaire were the sort of person to show off his wealth with his  possessions, he wouldn't be caught dead in either a Rolex or a BMW.   He'll be wearing something like a Blancpain or a Jaeger-Le Coultre while  he's driving around his special limited edition Ferrari or Bentley.

1.5k views · View 1 Upvoter

Mark Milotay

Mark Milotay, Father, author, entrepreneur, dreamer, and goal setter

Answered Apr 11, 2015 · Author has 164 answers and 263.5k answer views

I've owned a few Rolex-es and sold them all on except for the 1930s one which I am keeping for my children's children. They are nice watches, but not what I care to wear any more.

For far less than I've spent on my cheapest Rolex I have bought a bevy of Seiko automatic diver's watches from the 70s-90s. None of them cost me all that much, I love the looks, heft and function of them. The most important thing for me is that when I mash one into a concrete wall or post, they can be affordably repaired and it doesn't diminish their value substantially. With my Rolex-es I use to worry about scratching them, damaging the bezel or cracking the crystal. When it did happen, it cost me a pretty penny to make right.

I also own a lot of other collectible watches, that don't have the recognizable cachet of a Rolex and I like that about them. I know they're special and I don't feel a need to telegraph that to everyone else who sees the watch on me. Those in the know will see them and appreciate them, but they're collectors of a similar ilk to me.

1.4k views · View 2 Upvoters

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Oct 20, 2014

I don't own a Rolex but have a luxury watch of a different brand (Maurice Lacroix) and for me the motivation to buy the watch had nothing to do with status.

Art

I see a fine watch as a piece of art and to this day a lot of manual work is required to make one. I like the fact that my watch has a glass back, allowing one to see the movement and appreciate the intricacy of a beautifully made mechanical device. Parts of the movement have been decorated by hand. Just like some people enjoy fine paintings or sculptures, a fine watch can be enjoyed for its intrinsic beauty, especially if the movement is visible.

Too much technology

These days everything seems to contain a microprocessor and require firmware updates (mobile phone, TV, consoles, computers, GPS devices) and the concept of a watch that is purely mechanical is appealing to me, perhaps a yearning for a bygone, simpler era?

Lasting value

A fine watch is also an item of lasting value, compared to the modern trend of disposable consumer goods. Computers, TVs, DVD players, consoles, mobile phones all become obsolete relatively quickly and it is nice to have something that will not be virtually worthless in five years. I'm not considering this for resale purposes but rather like the fact that my watch won't need to be replaced in my lifetime. If it breaks it can be repaired.

Symbolic value

On some level, by wearing a fine watch I make a statement to myself that my time is valuable and that it should not be wasted.

Thoughts on Rolex

I don't think anybody would dispute that Rolex make very fine watches, however for me they are too recognisable as an expensive watch and for this reason I would not want to own one. I prefer something a little more "under the radar", a watch of equivalent quality that doesn't scream "expensive" quite so much to the untrained eye.

For practical reasons I own a cheaper watch that I can wear with shorts and a T shirt, when I work in the garden etc. but I wear my good watch when I wear a collared shirt and get a lot of enjoyment from it.

948 views · View 1 Upvoter

Dona Dimaculangan

Dona Dimaculangan

Answered Jul 5, 2018 · Author has 86 answers and 40.5k answer views

There is a good number of people looking for places that sell Rolex in Manchester. The reason for this is because of the desire to possess one of the most sought-after expensive watches!

The idea of owning a Rolex gets better once you get to wear and enjoy such beautiful timepiece. We all have been striving to succeed in our very own way and being able to afford it gives an extra sweetness to your success.

Though some may ask what can be benefitted as a Rolex watch buyer in Manchester? It is due to following reasons:

1. The culture of Luxury. Just because of the collective appreciation along with the passion for a finely-made timepiece.

2. Boosting Point. Looking your best is part of social etiquette, and this includes being the owner of the most in-demand Rolex watch. You can also take advantage of the limitless design by finding the one that matches your personality.

3. Legacy. It is not just soothing to the eye and wrist or perhaps a quintessential gift to consider because it can be your heirloom. Many have invested and sought every collector's item and without a doubt have been hailed to be one of a person's legacy.

These are just the primary reasons. There are still more reasons that other people may present as their reason for buying one. Regardless of the justification, they may present we can't hide the fact of real life obsession with watches.

88 views

Daniel McLaury

Daniel McLaury, Aspiring Mathematician

Answered Oct 22, 2014 · Author has 2.8k answers and 9.4m answer views

Some watches are expensive because they're made of precious metals and have diamonds and so forth all over them, and I find it pretty silly to wear something like that.  There's no creativity involved in mining or cutting diamonds, and virtually no creativity involved in designing jewelry of any kind.

"I have a brilliant idea -- let's take a bunch of identical, generic diamonds and put them in a circle around the clock face!"  "Wow, it took a real genius to come up with that one!" (Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce)

But then there are watches that are expensive because building them required solving an incredibly complicated math problem and then building some of the highest-precision tiny mechanical parts ever made in order to put that solution into practice.

Figure: Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30° mechanism (source: Wikipedia)

The tourbillon (French for "whirlwind"), for instance, was developed in the late 18th century to counteract the effects of gravity on a mechanical watch.  They're incredibly delicate to build, and incredibly beautiful pieces of engineering.

True, a quartz watch is infinitely more accurate and costs essentially nothing, but it also requires essentially no creativity to design one: it's just a really, really weak version of the computers in my phone, my Kindle, my desktop, my laptop, etc.

At some point it comes down to taste, I guess.  Practical matters aside, would you rather have a closed-form solution for a differential equation, or just brute-force it with RK4?  Rather take a spiral staircase or an elevator?  Eat a perfectly red, perfectly spherical tomato from the grocery store, or a funny-shaped heirloom?

6.3k views · View 16 Upvoters

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Sep 22, 2014

I am resisting the opportunity to answer with a snarky "because I can."

But, the truth goes deeper. Every time (no pun intended) I look at my watch I am reminded of the obstacles that I needed to overcome to be able to generate enough disposable income to make the purchase at the time I made the purchase decades ago.

Additionally, while I have a number of other newer fine watches, nothing gives me the same satisfaction as wearing my "old" Rolex. It is your basic 18kt gold-stainless Datejust model with a blue dial. I would not consider another watch except the Submariner, and I certainly...

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Jake Mercurio

Jake Mercurio, Internet industry, wearer of many hats

Answered Sep 22, 2014 · Author has 52 answers and 153.9k answer views

I sold luxury Swiss wrist watches on eBay for a number of years and I can tell you their is a big difference between even a Seiko watch and a Timex, let alone a Rolex and a Timex. The differences are not so much functional as they are aesthetic.

Some of the differences:

Weight. It might sound ridiculous but we humans tend to equate weight with quality. For watches this is actually somewhat the case. A heavier watch is somewhat more durable than a lighter one.

Precious materials. Rolexes are so expensive 1) because of the brand name but also 2) because it's a piece of jewellery that includes a good amount of gold and especially diamonds.

The movement. Yes a Timex (with a quartz movement) is an extremely precise time piece. However for hundreds of years watches relied on extremely delicate mechanical engineering to keep time. Luxury watches continue this tradition with automatic and mechanical movements. Personally I love that my watch actually ticks, and I respect the craftsmanship and engineering required for it to be even 99.99% accurate. Even though a quartz is absolutely superior in keeping precise time.

Technology. Alright, finally some hard reasons to support a higher price. Water resistance. Rolex in particular is known for diving watches that will remain water tight up to 300 meters (if I remember correctly). A cheap watch might stop working at the deep end of a pool. A Timex can usually manage up to 100 ft theoretically (II've never tests it). Its surprising the amount of technology that goes into making a mechanical watch work under water.

All this said, once you get above $2,000 (without diamonds) you are really paying for the heritage and prestige of the brand. Personally I find the sweet spot is between $300 and $1,000. You get a lot of fashion and quality in that price range.

4.2k views · View 8 Upvoters

Raka Singh

Raka Singh

Answered Nov 8, 2017 · Author has 108 answers and 56.2k answer views

For those who are already enamoured with horology, justifying a sizeable purchase of a fine mechanical wristwatch is an easy task. For those looking in at the watch-obsessed from the outside, it’s a puzzling proposition. While there’s no denying the admittedly indulgent nature of collecting mechanical watches, it’s a far more logical pastime than one might expect. Moreover, it is one rooted in heritage, tradition, craftsmanship, and community. By looking at the reasoning of many collectors, let’s explore the merits of mechanical watches, and why it is that we love them oh so much.

craftsmanship : First off, let’s address one of the biggest reasons why many choose to opt for a higher-end timepiece: the unparalleled craftsmanship that’s reflected in a fine watch. Unlike many battery-powered offerings, a handmade mechanical watch is an intricate system comprised of hundreds of parts, which in some instances can be compared to an exceptional work of art.These are not mere shiny toys, but notable feats of modern engineering that demand years of training and practice to be made both properly and beautifully.

Value : It’s also worth noting that unlike similar big-ticket items, top-tier mechanical wristwatches are known to hold their value quite well, and some even appreciate in value. One brand that has managed to satisfy the financial interests of their buyers rather well is Rolex, who through the constant strengthening of their brand and concurrent gradual raising of retail prices, has essentially guaranteed the value of their watches to hold. This not only speaks to the quality and icon status of Rolex watches, but the fact that a well-made mechanical watch is a life-long investment.The main reason to buy a watch should always be that you really like it, but it’s also good to know that you could always get a decent amount back if you choose to sell the watch. If you buy one of the true icons, you’ll probably get more than you originally paid.

Heritage : In a time when consumer products are continually rolled out according to technological life cycles, a mechanical wristwatch can provide a breath of fresh air, as watchmaking is an age-old craft that’s largely impervious to the allures of new technology. This gives collectors confidence in their purchases, as they know that their prized possession won’t be made obsolete by the next best thing to come to market. Furthermore, with regular service and care, a mechanical watch will easily last for generations and remain an object of admiration and desire within one’s family.The eternal quality of a mechanical watch is also supported substantially by the recent surge of interest in the vintage watches of yesteryear, and the astonishing price tags they’re often accompanied by.

Community : Last, but most certainly not least, is the human aspect of mechanical watches. Since the dawn of the industry, watches have been crafted with the specific needs of their owners in mind. As a result, they are ultimately a reflection of those who wear them. Purpose-built sports watches like the Heuer Autavia and Rolex Explorer are fine examples of this notion, as the stories of human achievement connected to their development and use serve as inspiration for collectors across the globe. Stories like these have the potential to pique one’s interest in watchmaking, eventually leading them to share their passion for mechanical watches with others at collectors events and http://gatherings.At the end of the day, a mechanical wristwatch can give you many things, no matter if you are just looking for a reliable tool, a good investment, or something that inspires passion. Though the reason why one collects mechanical wristwatches may be a highly individual matter, understanding their appeal can be quite simple. If you’re still not convinced, get out there and see for yourself what a mechanical watch feels like on your wrist.

These are few of the reasons why Mechinacal Watches are a different League.

465 views · View 1 Upvoter

Abhishek Bhanukumar

Abhishek Bhanukumar, studied at Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain Evening College

Answered Apr 5, 2015

I'll keep it short.

My Great Grand Father bought a Rolex in the 1970's; it was around the period my mother was born.

I've heard stories of how he used to wear the watch ALL THE TIME.

He even wore it while he had his bath because he was told that it was water proof.

He passed away around 10 years back.

At the time, my granddad was able to sell the watch for Over 10 times it's original cost.

And today, if the watch hadn't been sold, we would have been able to sell it for at least 50 times it's original cost.

In all the while that my great granddad owned the watch, he had it serviced just once apart from replacing the battery on a regular basis.

So he made a wise investment because, it was so well built and worked perfectly after almost 30- 40 years. This is apart from all the oohs and aahs he received when people saw him wearing a Rolex.

We live in India. Even today, a Rolex is something that is highly valued. It was no doubt one of his most prized possessions.

329 views · View 1 Upvoter

Boyd Casey

Boyd Casey, Bon vivant, student of life, seeker of truth.

Answered Dec 26, 2014 · Author has 112 answers and 313.8k answer views

When I was in the retail automobile business just about everyone who was successful had an expensive watch (mostly Rolex) I bought an 18kt Submariner. It was partly an ego trip and status symbol but it also showed a level of achievement to others in the business. As previously stated it was also a form of security because you can easily convert a gold rolex into cash anywhere in the world, but it also makes you a target for criminals (especially if you travel internationally.) My watch was worth much more then the annual per capita income in many parts of the world. Times have changed. Ostentatious displays of wealth are gosh and politically incorrect,and in the digital age there is no need to even own a watch. My smartphone tells time (much more accurately then any Rolex) and it tells the time anywhere in the world, has alarms , remainders etc. It is a PC and communication device in my pocket. In 2015 people with wealth are much more concerned with going unnoticed then drawing attention to themselves.

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Koushik Venkatasubramanian

Koushik Venkatasubramanian, Loves traveling

Answered Sep 25, 2014 · Author has 394 answers and 2.5m answer views

My grandfather's brother got him a Rolex on one of his trips to Europe back in the 50's. My grandfather used it till 1982 and then sold it.

Know what? Until my grandfather died (2008), he used to talk about the Rolex and how special it was to him and what a bad decision it had been to sell it. And never once did he refer to it as a "watch" or "time piece". Just Rolex.

What made him talk about it for 25 years after he sold it? I don't know. There is something magnetic about the brand, the legacy, the heritage!

On another note, I recently wanted to buy a luxury watch, and bought a Rado. Know why? A) Because I personally feel that I should achieve something better professionally before feeling comfortable about a Rolex on my wrist and B) Because at this point it will still make a big dent on my savings, I'd feel queasy about wearing a portion of my personal wealth as an accessory!

3.9k views · View 8 Upvoters

David Krueger

David Krueger, AI Researcher @MILA (Bengio), former intern @FHI (Bostrom)

Answered Sep 22, 2014 · Author has 65 answers and 84.7k answer views

I just googled status symbol.

Here are the first two (image) results.

So yes, I would say it is for social perception.

But why would you think people are stupid for caring about social perception?  It is so important.  Humans are social animals.  We have intense and profound social needs.  How other people perceive you affects how they treat you.

The real questions, IMO, are:

1. How do people think that status symbols (like a Rolex) affect the way they are perceived (what, specifically, are their goals or expectations in using status symbols)?

2. How do status symbols actually affect the way people perceive and treat each other (does it work, or just make you look like a rich asshole)?

3. How and how much does this vary (across individuals, environments, and objects)?

4. What constitutes a status symbol, and what are the ethics governing them?

Personally, I find the idea that I am getting better service because I can and do blow/invest thousands on a status symbol with no practical advantage (besides advertising my willingness to spend and knowledge of brands) somewhat revolting.  I guess I am not alone, hence the negative reaction to the "I am rich" app (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/...).  And hence the rationalizations.  IMO, this is a big goal of a lot of luxury marketing: to provide consumers with a clever rationalization that makes them seem and feel like discriminating sophisticates, rather than simply purchasers of status from the company with the magic brand.

3.6k views · View 1 Upvoter

Ben Lee

Ben Lee

Answered Jun 24, 2016 · Author has 203 answers and 138.7k answer views

Its like why would you do anything to try to seem cool? Same reason. Everyone is doing something to reflect how they want people to percieve them and spending a lot of their time and effort to do this… so its really just an expression of this desire. So, yes, it is a status symbol and not everyone respects it as a symbol in all societies and sub-groups, but most people are trying to gain status, social acceptance and respect in some way. For example, some people try having a lot of likes on their instagram, having a good job, telling stories to people, showing how skilled we are at a certain thing, showing they are a good person in some way the list goes on and on etc. etc. Ok, so if you don’t appreciate watches at least you can understand that people do it to gain respect.

So, Why in particular would society respect a watch? Because of the labor and thought that goes into its creation, which is a lot, as the inner workings are incredibly precise and intricate and also the rare and high quality materials used in its construction (ie. Gold, diamonds, other precious metals and jewels) which is basically a way people have been trying to “show off” (you could easily go with a different word choice here) for thousands or years. So people respect it because it is meant to be something timeless and beautiful. Even if all people are equal in death, in life, in all societies, people gain status and try to achieve it. This is pretty much a fact of life that we have to accept. So why buy a rolex??? Its just a style thing. So, if you like it, and thats your style, then go for it. It says what you’re about without you having to say anything like if you are wearing a certain clothing or perfume or something. And, well, If you don’t like it and thats not what your going for then do something else.

141 views

Whitchurch Rajkumar

Whitchurch Rajkumar, I live an interesting life

Answered May 2, 2017 · Author has 55 answers and 222.5k answer views

I own a Rolex Oyster Perpetual(the least expensive model), that I got around Oct 2016.

For me buying a Rolex was to test myself to see if I could make a decision and stick to it.

Last year 2016. I started reading about mechanical watches and movements. I was really intrigued by the fact that company’s such as Rolex, Patek-Phillipee and others had perfected the craft of making amazing watches that are mechanical in nature and run with such high precision.

I then thought what is the cheapest luxury watch I could buy, that is also a well-known brand. Believe it or not Rolex fit that bill real we.. Trust me there are other watches that are way way way more expensive than a Rolex.

This thought was always percolating in my mind in 2016.

I had made a trip to India during Oct of 2016 and was transiting London in Oct 2016. Thanks to Brexit prices were low , and inside the airport the shops were tax free and duty free. As a result a watch that was usually $5K was now around $3K. Now came the time where I had to measure myself as a man, to either get the watch or walk away given all the data I had.

So I made the decision got the Rolex. Which was one of the best decisions I ever made. The ability to take a stand to spend a good sum of money on a watch without dilly dallying was my biggest takeaway from my experience.

That experience now helps me to make spot decisions and push boundaries taking risks to keep pushing my self forward to greater success. Those who get into analysis paralysis amount to nothing in life but average.

So wearing this watch reminds me that I am more than average and better than most people (I know this is kinda shallow but symbols have a profound way of affecting the human subconscious).

That is my story of why I bought a Rolex.

372 views · View 1 Upvoter

Siddhartha K. Rastogi

Siddhartha K. Rastogi, Professor, Economics, IIM Indore, India

Answered May 1, 2015 · Author has 328 answers and 2.9m answer views

Every watch shows time; Each watch shows class.

In economics, this phenomenon was observed by Veblen in context of diamonds. He asked why diamonds - a completely useless object - is so pricey. Such goods, where high price is a way of exclusive class, are called Veblen goods.

EXAMPLES: Gucci or similar brand goods, diamonds, jewellery, cars like maybach, and exclusive clubs.

A typical test of Veblen good is to drop the price to very low levels. If demand drops heavily, it is a Veblen good. As Veblen said, if diamonds were found like pebbles on the roadside, nobody would want those.

5.5k views · View 61 Upvoters · Answer requested by Chandresh Kakliya

Tim Nygaard

Tim Nygaard, accounting professor

Answered Sep 23, 2014 · Author has 1.8k answers and 751.2k answer views

I have my father's 1954 datejust. my mom used her entire month's pay ($200) from the post office to buy it for his birthday. mom gave it to me when he passed on. it has overwhelming emotional meaning to me, and I wish I could wear it daily.

now, the actual piece: the first refurbish (1985) was around $1100. it cannot be serviced by my corner jewelry store...rolex will not send them parts. so, I must send it to rolex, insured, to get service. this will take a month or two. then, the bill....never less than $450. usually they have to replace the winding lock and crystal.....and it still loses or gains a minute a day. there is NO communication from rolex with an estimate of cost or amount of time it will take. it will be a surprise.

sadly, I cannot afford to do this every 2 years or so, and that's how often it needs it.

so, the memories of my dad sit on my desk, with a crown that doesn't screw down, while I wear my $32 timex.

it is depressing that rolex does not have an affordable method of repair for such an exclusive, and supposedly reliable watch. because of this, I would never purchase one. that said, I would wear dad's forever. ...if I could afford it...because it was dad's. ...not because it is a rolex.

715 views · View 2 Upvoters

Maclaine Morris

Maclaine Morris, Co-Owner at AsoRock Watches

Updated Apr 28, 2019

A Rolex is more of life status. These are for people that want to showoff what they have accomplished and make it obvious to the outside world. Although why spend tens of thousands when you can spend hundreds on watches that have the same quality if not better! No need to spend more for a name. Here at Asorock Watches we strive for a new generation of watches distributed globally!

the thing we strive for the most at Asorock Watches is for top notch quality and a reasonable price! Our launch date will be mid 2019. our campaign on indiegogo goes live the 15th of January so be ready for that! Backers of our company will receive 40% off for showing your support in our branding! I hope to hear from you guys on the 15th!

Asorock Watches Of Nigeria (Awon) or simply “ASOROCK” is an affordable luxury lifestyle watch brand inspired by Nigeria, designed in the USA, Made in Japan and Sold Worldwide with free global shipping.

Asorock, however, is more than a watch company. we are really a charity at heart, using the sale of our awesome watches to be able to make our dreams come true of building free schools, hospitals and much more in Nigeria for the less privileged.

Asorock Watches is here to tell you what time it http://is….It's Africas Time, To the World. READ MORE ABOUT US HERE Africa's first watch brand company

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Russ Dewolf

Russ Dewolf, Founder/ CEO RRCB Media Assets Inc.

Answered Nov 15, 2015 · Author has 8k answers and 3.5m answer views

Every earnings bracket has products designed to match. Humans like to buy what they can afford, and the watch (or car, suit, house, gym membership), that a wealthy person can afford is going to be more expensive than the watch a person in a lower economic situation can afford.

I'm certain that many people buy them for signalling status as has been mentioned, but the fact is that even with regards to products that signal no particular status (either because they are not visible or have a utility that is essentially private), people tend to spend more if they can afford to.

We also buy products for aesthetic and more prosaic reasons that go beyond their simple utility.

For example, I owned a Rolex for a few years when I was younger because it was the toughest watch I could afford that was specifically designed for scuba diving. I sold it as soon as Citizen came out with a superior dive watch at about 2/5ths the cost.

I could have bought thirty Timex dive watches for the same price, but since Timex watches were nowhere near as robust or dependable as the Rolex was, I felt the cost was justified, especially since I had the money.

267 views · View 1 Upvoter

Arists Cook

Arists Cook, Find affordable pricing forDLC coating watchesof premium brands like Rolex .

Answered Jul 12, 2016

Along with money, you need some basic idea about the Rolex brand and its products, to buy one. These watches have been denoted as exclusive, exceptional and expensive choices across the globe.

If you are willing to buy luxury watches, Rolex could be the premium pick for you. You will find a wide array of models with different specifications, design patterns and exclusiveness.

A. Availability - You can buy black Rolex watches from an authenticated seller, from exclusive stores or ecommerce sites. Both newly launched and vintage models are being available on the online marketplace.

B. Best deals – compared to the local sellers, online merchants of black rolex watches offer reasonable pricing, more options and great conveniences. You can compare the price of the same model at different stores to get the watch at the right price.

C. Credibility – The attractiveness of black Rolex models make it more enviable. These watches stand out from all other brands.

D. Design – This premium watchmaker have launched lots of models in the global market. Some special edition pieces also available time to time those attract more buyers. The design perception of the Rolex is incredible.

E. Essence - All its models stand for quality, class and choice. All modern and exclusive features make these watches as masterpieces. No other watch can meet the strength and possibilities of Rolex watches.

At the online store of the DLC Watch website, you can find some exclusive Rolex and other luxury watch models available at cheap prices. You can purchase one with ease and the assurance of genuineness.

554 views

Kumar Prateek

Kumar Prateek, Masters in Industrial and Production engineering

Answered Oct 30, 2014

I think that at least once in a life you should buy a thing which is out of your salary budget.

1. It will give you satisfaction that you own something big.

2. It will motivate you to achieve further more success, earn more and future endeavours in life.

3. It will give you confidence that nothing is impossible to buy . You have buy something luxurious before and you can do this something like that again in upcoming future.

4. Rolex can introduce you to some of the nicest people. You ask about their Rolex and they ask about yours.

Also, I feel that if you own a Rolex and you are wearing Timex or Fastrack, you will not bother much for a scratch or loosing it.

P.S. :- It's as marvelous a conversation piece as it is a timepiece

1.6k views · View 5 Upvoters

Sriram Sunil Varma

Sriram Sunil Varma, Think different, learn a plethora of knowledge.

Answered Oct 29, 2014

Why do you buy something?

You buy, to use it and get your work done.

But when you buy something and it lasts for a generation, made with excellent build quality with the finest material and can be termed as a masterpiece, then it gets a brand recognition.

And brand recognition is not something that cannot be obtained in a short run, when the value of the brand increases, it becomes a legacy and has its own heritage.

Why ROLEX??

Everything has a shell life, in case you do not lose it or by other unstoppable circumstance.

People like to leave something that is bigger than their shell life (eg.Fame)

Also people enjoy the privilege to be among the few that have achieved something.

Sean Goble's answer to Why would anyone buy a Rolex watch?

Koushik Venkatasubramanian's answer to Why would anyone buy a Rolex watch?

Christopher Shortt's answer to Why would anyone buy a Rolex watch?

Matt Wasserman's answer to Why would anyone buy a Rolex watch?

All the above answers share how they got their rolex's from their previous generation people.

Suzanne Sadedin's answer to Why would anyone buy a Rolex watch?

Suzanne clearly explains why the rolex is most sought after in the entire portfolio of luxury brands and why brand in general has been hardwired to our brains.

Personally i would like to buy a rolex because

Become  part of a few who buy it (Although this has changed with rolex mass producing the watches)

Get a goods which is totally worth its price.

Can be left as a legacy to younger generations if the watch can be taken care.

1.5k views · View 1 Upvoter

Daniel Friedman

Daniel Friedman, B.A., Journalism, University of Maryland, class of 2003. JD, NYU Law, class of 2006. Edgar award nominated ...

Answered Dec 25, 2014 · Author has 63 answers and 71.4k answer views

A mechanical wristwatch uses clockwork and energy stored in coiled springs to keep time.  The innards of a watch contain complicated, tiny components and must be built and maintained by hand.  Until the 1960's this technology was pretty much the only way to keep precise time on a device you could carry around with you.  They weren't cheap, but they were necessary, and most professionals wore them.

However, the advent of quartz technology, which uses an electronic oscillator powered by a battery, created a new option that required far fewer complex moving parts and could be mass-produced at a much lower cost. Since the advent of this technology, the Swiss watch industry has declined considerably.

Today, you can obtain quartz or electronic devices that keep accurate time for pennies, and you probably carry a phone that gets the correct time off the Internet. The functional need for Swiss clockwork today is pretty much zero.  Watches are now status symbols or luxury products.  In inflation adjusted terms, they're now more expensive than they used to be, and the volume of watches produced is much lower.

Design choices like stamped clasps, hollow bracelet links and aluminum dive bezels, which used to keep the prices of good steel watches in place for middle-class consumers, have been replaced by fancy options that justify higher prices.

It's not generally considered stylish for men to wear jewelry or fashion accessories beyond watches and wedding bands, so that's the niche these things fill now.  Men buy them for the same reasons women buy Vuitton handbags or diamond earrings.

843 views · View 1 Upvoter

Lawrence Ransom

Lawrence Ransom, former College Dropout

Answered Oct 12, 2017 · Author has 555 answers and 90k answer views

I don't own a Rolex, but I do have a watch collection of somewhat less costly brands, and I understand completely the desire, as I am attracted to high end fountain pens, firearms, and cars. The only jewelry I wear is a watch, unless you consider a fine writing instrument jewelry. I drive a luxury car. None of this is for status' sake, or to impress anyone. I don't 'need' the bling as I already enjoy a wide circle of well educated and accomplished friends.

I appreciate the craftsmanship and workmanship that comes with high end products. Many are hand-made with meticulous attention to detail. And many luxury goods also come with history and an overdose of tradition. Sure no Rolex will keep time as accurately as a $7 quartz watch sold at Walmart, and so what? My fountain pens will never write as reliably as a $.25 Bic, and my $2k Luger and classic Colts are not as effective a weapon as a new Glock. My classic Lincolns are functionally obsolete compared to any new car.

If you examine the complexity of a Rolex movement, consider the skill involved in its design, manufacture and assembly, the question ultimately becomes "how can they do it for the price?"

102 views · View 1 Upvoter

Saran Udayakumar

Saran Udayakumar

Answered Sep 13, 2015 · Author has 1.1k answers and 28.2m answer views

If you've ever wondered why a Rolex was so expensive you may want to watch this demonstration of a Rolex Submariner being disassembled, showing the intricacies involved in the time piece in exquisite detail.

The demonstration is of course performed by a professional watchmaker, who meticulously picks apart the watch with great skill.

Although back in the 50’s, they weren’t as expensive. A brief history in the video description states: “First revealed to the public in 1953, the Rolex Submariner was a diving watch for everyone. Appealing to both professional and hobby divers, the Submariner set the standard for the category, its affordability and practicality unmatched. Rolex also developed non-chronometer versions of the Submariner that were even more affordable, costing roughly two weeks’ pay at the time.”

1.5k views · View 4 Upvoters

Edward Chang

Edward Chang, Founder of Wellington & Cromwell, an exploration and adventure lifestyle brand

Answered May 7, 2015

I can't speak to why anyone else might buy a rolex watch but I do have a rolex story.

I owned the rolex submariner no-date 14060M which I purchased for about $5000 USD.

I was playing 100/200 no limit texas hold em poker in Macau at the Wynn and I had about $3000 USD in front of me when I got felted going all in pre flop with KK vs. AJ.   The donkeyfish hit his Ace on the flop.

I walked across the street and sold my rolex to one of the many pawnshops for $2600 USD which I was able to triple up to $8000 USD over a 20 hour poker session.  The transaction took less than ten minutes and I had been planning on selling the rolex anyway as I mostly wear the beautiful Tudor Black Bay these days.

I think I could have done a similar pawn transaction with an IWC, Panerai, Cartier, Omega, AP or Patek.  In some situations its handy to have something of value on your person but sometimes its a liability.

288 views

John Chesire

John Chesire, Former Fighter Pilot; Current Opsimath; Top Writer.

Answered Sep 22, 2014 · Author has 3.1k answers and 25.5m answer views

Incredibly, I bought my Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date in 1971 for a mere $140 at the Subic Bay Navy Exchange in the Philippines.  It may have been mismarked as a week later it was priced at $180.  I also wanted the gold and stainless Rolex, but it was $300 and more than I could afford.  Today I wish I had bought it too.

I suppose James Bond influenced me.  I also was single at the time flying combat missions in Southeast Asia.   Thus I had a tendency to enjoy the finer things, since I wasn’t sure if I would survive the war.   Fortunately I did survive and so did my Rolex.  I have worn it most every day for the past 43 years!  Of course I have had it reconditioned a few times since, each costing many times its original price.  But it is well worth it.   The watch is a part of me.  I feel naked without it.

11k views · View 35 Upvoters

Sameer Gupta

Sameer Gupta,

Answered Sep 18, 2014 · Author has 1.3k answers and 2.5m answer views

This answer focuses on non-aesthetic & non-hedonistic reasons:

1. Semiotic reasons.

2. Longevity.

3. It  can be a leverage or  a collateral *,depending on situation.

4. It can back your tiny risk appetites .

5. It can be a good gift.

6. Easy to resell at good resell value.* (cf: laptops,houses,cars)

7. Someone may have an appreciation for well built things,a good watch doesn't disappoint this person.

8. Having it will be good memory,once you don't have it anymore .(~hedonistic)

Downsides:

1. It can get you robbed,tricked or resented.

2. It ll not wake you up in the morning.

3. It ll not make you punctual.

Disclaimer:

I never bought a Rolex.I only bought a Tissot (long back) & it did almost all the above for me.

*Depending on how you use it.

[1]In simple terms, how is fashion a semiotic system?

1.5k views

Bjarke Calvin

Bjarke Calvin, worked at Magnum Photos (2004-2008)

Answered Sep 22, 2014 · Author has 70 answers and 51.3k answer views

There is a world of difference between a Rolex and many other watches. It's a piece of amazing craftsmanship that will last for centuries and work for decades without repair.

Just to give one example of how brilliantly it's engineered and crafted: It does not need batteries or winding up as it is powered by the kinetic energy of your arm moving.

Lastly it's not truly as expensive as cheaper watches, as a Rolex is a good investment that will actually increase in value as it gets older (vintage Rolexes are worth 10 times more than new ones).

Granted there is a lot of people who wears a Rolex to show of, but there are also real reasons that it's an amazing product.

If only more people would appreciate great crafmanship instead of buying and throwing away junk the world would be a better place.

1.6k views · View 2 Upvoters

Jack Rymsha

Jack Rymsha

Answered Sep 23, 2014 · Author has 619 answers and 608.2k answer views

I can think of many reasons why someone might want to own and wear a Rolex; I always used to (want to, that is).

It's a tremendous status symbol, for one thing, and instantly recognized as that.

A Rolex (or Omega) wrist watch is the ultimate perfection of a precision mechanical timepiece for the man who demands the best, and who can afford to pay for it.

I'm not sure whether the retail price of any of these excellent watches has much to do with quality of the movement or the timekeeping accuracy of their Swiss "Certified Chronometer" tab of paper, with the red wax seal, packed in the gift box; it probably has everything to do with it.

Plus, of course, what the watch's case and bracelet are made of. "Cast from solid 18k gold" costs more than a case "carved from a single block of stainless steel."

No mechanical timepiece--clock or wrist watch--can come close to the timekeeping precision of a quartz movement. So, for about the past ten years, I've worn and relied on my $200 stainless steel Hamilton "Khaki" wrist watch -- yes, it's analog, which I prefer, with hour and minute hands, and a sweeping second hand that jerks from one second to the next--to keep me on time.

But I still keep, and treasure, my grandfather's 100-year-old pocket watch, and wind it, set it, and wear it when appropriate, with my Phi Beta Kappa Key on the chain, as I know he would want me to.

Have I answered your question? It wasn't exactly a simple one; at least not as I took it. But I hope that I have.

315 views

Clayton Cook

Clayton Cook

Answered Dec 24, 2014 · Author has 81 answers and 197.8k answer views

Why do jewellery shops exist?

- essentially jewellery for men

- you don't lose too much money - so they're not that expensive over their lifetime if you can afford the initial purchase price

- status in some areas

I don't own one, but have a Fortis Automatic.  Almost half the price of a Rolex, but it's been in repairs for 4 months now due to difficulty finding parts - I wanted the tough bracelet of a Rolex, but not the Rolex brand (because of the negative aspects of the brand).  If i'd purchased a rolex it would have been fixed very quickly.  A good friend of mine sells prestige secondhand watches and recommends Rolex.  A lot of other brands simply lose too much money.

I just purchased a Sony smartwatch yesterday for $200 while waiting for my watch to get repaired.  It is more accurate time wise and has way more features.  BUT it's digital.

It's nice to have something mechanical these days.  Plus I could throw it at criminal and knock them out with it :)

1k views · View 1 Upvoter

Mary Kober-Young

Mary Kober-Young, Retired (2010-present)

Answered Nov 4, 2017

Well I am on my 5th Rolex and would never want to put anything else on my wrist. My father bought me my first one, a solid gold vintage ladies model. Pretty, but my arm wasn’t long enough so that I could read the time. Ever since, I’ve traded and upgraded and fell in love with the Air King. The quality and durability is what I admire the most. I am VERY hard on my watches and wear my current one daily. My last Air King survived my working on freight teams at both Home Depot and Lowe’s. I did however have to replace the crystal at least 3 times-unfortunately they aren’t inexpensive. I am now retired and no less brutal on my watch as I do all the house and yard work. These watches are made so well that they easily outlive the owner and my kids are no doubt hoping to be the recipient when I wear out.

Sorry about the length of my answer, but it’s the first question I’ve attempted to reply to. Hope this helped!

87 views

Joe Berkshire

Joe Berkshire

Answered Sep 21, 2014 · Author has 403 answers and 453.7k answer views

If a Rolex was marketed under say the Walmart brand it would not sell.

Appreciating the fine engineering quality is just self deceiving humbug.

You may only need a one bedroom apartment but if you have the money you buy a fancy detached house with all the trimmings - to remind yourself daily and others of your perceived status.

The world works with people deluding themselves that they are better than other people because they can afford fine possessions. Then they eventually find that instead of impressing others - they actually hate you because you are making them feel small.

It is nothing to do with value or price - simply what others might think of your status.

Of course, there is always yet another another self deluded hopeful who can't quite raise the cash for new offering to buy your fine items at a good price.

1.3k views · View 3 Upvoters

Iain Marsh

Iain Marsh

Answered Oct 20, 2014

I wanted to buy a "premium" watch for daily use after I came into an amount of money that was enough to buy one.  I don't wear any jewellery and live pretty frugally ordinarily.  I looked at what was available in my price range and almost bought a Rolex from the lower end of the range, not because it was all I could afford, but because it didn't look like a Rolex at first glance.  It was stainless steel, didn't have the date bubble or the milled bezel, so suited my dress preferences.  Ultimately, I bought an Omega Seamaster Professional which is a bit more glitzy, but is still unassuming to the casual observer.  Both the Rolex and Omega are made extremely well, there's no sloppiness in the bracelets and the watches have some heft to them that a cheaper watch lacks.  Eight years on, the Omega has performed faultlessly and still looks spot on, can be worn for any occasion and has probably not depreciated to any great degree, making it a cheap buy.

610 views · View 1 Upvoter

Annie Wang

Annie Wang, studied at University of California, Davis

Answered Sep 26, 2014 · Author has 964 answers and 2.8m answer views

A watch is just another way to engage in the semiotics of status. Your choice if watch indicates the tribe you belong to, or aspire to belong to.

I used to work in hedge fund and nearly every man and woman I worked with had a Rolex. None of them had incredibly expensive Rolexes, but they were Rolexes. It's just the default watch for finance the way Tag Heuer is the default watch for architects.

For other men, they will be better served politically and socially in their offices by a Timex. My husband wears a Timex.

I actually don't know why anyone would buy a Rolex over a Patek Philippe, though. I think the Rolex brand has been thoroughly polluted by the extraordinary number of Rolexes available, and the large number of entry-level Rolexes.

3.7k views · View 8 Upvoters

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Sep 21, 2014

I requested, and was given, a steel Rolex Date watch when I received my PhD in 1969. I've worn it every day since. It's beautiful and it always tells the correct time. I love finely crafted mechanical devices, but there are few of them left that an individual can own: no more mechanical cameras, no more tape recorders. Of course if you want to know the time you can look at your phone, but mechanical things have a special beauty. I don't flash it at people, in fact if a stranger asked me I would probably deny that it was real, because I don't want it to be stolen. I just like it. That's the answer to your question: you buy it because it's worth it to you; if you don't think so, don't buy it. Most young people don't wear watches these days anyway.

1.8k views · View 4 Upvoters

James P Dehnert Sr.

James P Dehnert Sr., Sr. Linux Administrator/ IT Manager

Answered Sep 22, 2014 · Author has 222 answers and 493.9k answer views

My first Rolex, a white faced Daytona, was a christmas gift from my wife.  Since then I have worked up to 6 Rolex's.

When push comes to shove they are just jewelry for men.  I will say they they are the most rugged watches I have ever owned, and I am fascinated by the complexities of watch movements.

In the end I buy and wear them because I love how they look,  how they work, and the craftsmanship behind them.  The exact same reason anyone buys a luxury item, be it watches, art, automobiles, anything!

While Rolex movement are more utilitarian in general, there are movements out there that are absolute works of art.  The  Girard-Perregaux Tri-Axial Tourbillon movement (1st pic), or the A. Lange & Sohne Datograph Up/Down (2nd) are just mind-blowing when you consider the scale.

4.7k views · View 19 Upvoters

David Holland

David Holland, Accountant

Answered Sep 12, 2015 · Author has 3.9k answers and 1m answer views

For the same reason that I would want to drive an Austin Martin over a Toyota.  Both will get me to the same destination and in Los Angeles, both will get me there at time.  The same difference between these cars is the same reason one would want a Rolex over a Timex.  Also remember, that Rolex can come  gold and some have diamonds.  My father when he was alive was a Jeweler.  In the late 60s,  early 70s, the shop he worked for dealt with Rolex watches.  He would be the first to say they are over priced even in when the bands are made of gold, but you are paying for the name.   You can buy a gold Tiffany ring for tons of money or you can buy a knock off that looks identical to  the Tiffany  where the quality and the gold is identical to the origanl Tiffany.  It will however be cheaper because you cant call it a Tiffany.  So yes, Rolex watches are great, probably overprice and worth having if you have the money.  Can you do better for less, of course you can, but it wont be a Rolex

200 views · View 1 Upvoter

Kevin Mark Wray

Kevin Mark Wray

Answered Dec 24, 2014 · Author has 259 answers and 896.9k answer views

I have a luxury watch (not a Rolex).  It looks great and it certainly sells a level of success I have achieved.

Why I bought it is another reason.  My law partner at the time was the son of high end jeweler's and while in his parent's store (which was below our law offices), I commented to my partner that I used to wear watches but they broke a lot and did not last.  He asked one of the employees for a watch and handed to me and said:

This watch won't scratch, won't fall apart and matches everything you wear and are.  A cheap watch looks cheap.

So I bought it.  It was a sizeable expenditure for me.   It was 7 years ago and the watch still looks great and run impeccably well (I do not think its lost a second of time).

An expensive luxury watch's biggest asset is that it always looks good and never goes out of style.  Just like a really good suit

493 views

Kristen Wiley

Kristen Wiley, Rolex Expert, Writer for WatchChest.com

Answered Feb 19, 2015

I think it's possible to write a short novel on why anyone would want to wear a Rolex or other luxury brand, but after being in the industry for a little while I believe that if you strip it down it is based off of two things:

1. You're investing in your appearance. You can call it "status" all you want, but for some, you purchase it for the same reason you have a suit perfectly tailored or have your hair cut and styled. If it helps you feel confident, you'll put your best foot forward in life and in business.

2. You want to. You may appreciate them. It may be an interest, an investment, a conversation piece, or something you just enjoy. It's pretentious for some. Others may just to fit in. But whatever their reason, they simply want to so they will.

I don't see anything wrong with either reason, but there's also nothing wrong if you don't see any value in them for you or your lifestyle.

523 views · View 3 Upvoters

Peter Conrad

Peter Conrad, former Architect 38 Years, Building Inspector 8 Years

Answered Dec 28, 2014 · Author has 670 answers and 474k answer views

It seems that fewer and fewer people wear wrist watches as personal electronic devices are used more and more. Every phone, tablet and Fitbit gadget has a clock in it. I am old enough that I find using my watch to tell time a useful habit, but I have never cultivated a desire for using a watch as an adornment. Like one of the other answerers, I wear a $19.99 Timex that is good looking, keeps excellent time, has an illuminated dial and "takes a licking and keeps on ticking." It does all the wristwatch things quite well for a very low price. All the  answers about jewelry, aesthetics. value, workmanship, etc., are perfectly valid for some people, but, at least in the case of wristwatches, not for me. I would be more willing to apply these reasons to my choice of an automobile. But I long ago determined that, in any case, one's watch should not cost more than one's car, and one's car should not cost more than one's house.

409 views

Mark Schneider

Mark Schneider, Business Consultant

Answered Dec 25, 2014 · Author has 1.4k answers and 1.8m answer views

The problem with Rolex is that their brand has been knocked off so many times, that everyone thinks its a copy you are wearing even when its legit. A true connoisseur would buy  PATEK PHILIPPE SA - Home or similar if its a question of status symbols. Understatement rather than overstatement is the motto here.

When it comes to luxury brand watches (which is really the question here), at least for men a brand luxury watch is the only legitimate jewel a man can wear with a nice suit. A brand watch does generate attention together with a nice suit.

For general wear and tear you wear a casio, Timex or similar. If you go out with your wife/partner/girlfriend, you put on a nice watch. It's as simple as that - accessories for the man. Women already have everything else in this department.

1.2k views · View 2 Upvoters

Jane Watsons

Jane Watsons, Hi everyone! My name is Jane. I live in NY and work as a PR manager.

Answered Jan 19, 2016

A watch has become a symbol of status long time ago. Its not simply an accessoire that shows you time, its something more. Good luxurious watch can tell a lot about its owner.

Why Rolex is famous and sooo expensive? Because it is a premium Swiss brand of wristwatches, extremely famous and reliable. And expensive, for sure, but this combination of quality and luxury is worth its high price. This watch cannot be cheap, but you can buy Rolex at reasonable price for sure. Especially if we’re talking about the pre-owned watches, their price is not sky-high.

As far as I know, Datejust, Oyster and GMT-Master are among the most popular Rolex models. Such model as Air King costs not more than $4000 (you can find it here, for example http://www.ermitagejewelers.com/...). New watch will cost twice this price.

You should be careful when buying a Rolex not to buy a fake. Its authenticity is the most important thing. Try to find an authorized reseller, who will give you a warranty on your watch origin and what is more important - service.

308 views

Bruce Goett

Bruce Goett, is a Kelowna, BC freelance writer who specializes in writing web content and blog articles.

Answered Mar 25, 2014

Some people buy expensive bikes, others expensive cars. Some people, like me, are fascinated by beautiful timepieces - they can be works of art and they are functional. A nice watch has been the traditional gift for special occasions such as an 18th birthday, graduation, or retirement for generations for good reason. I buy expensive watches, not to impress people, but because I get pleasure every time I check the time. High end collectible watches can also be an excellent investment. Buy carefully and you can make far more money down the road than you will with a lot of  other investments. Plus, you can wear and enjoy your investment while it's making money for you. There will always be a ready market for vintage high end watches like Rolex.

4k views · View 4 Upvoters

Brent Finley

Brent Finley, Slacker

Answered Nov 4, 2014 · Author has 884 answers and 1m answer views

I own a Rolex Oyster Bubbleback and a Breitling Navitimer, both are from the 1950s, and each was one of my grandfather's.  Pictures off the web of each:

I wear them because I like them.  I have had both since I started college.

True story:

In college I had a friend who had the same Rolex watch, but in stainless steel, rather than gold.  We were playing some sports game and everyone from both teams had put their watches in a pile nearby.

After playing, we went back to the watches, and every one had been stolen, all of the the new fangled plastic digital watches (this is the late 1970s) were gone.  But the two Rolexes were still there.

1.9k views · View 3 Upvoters

Rob Enderle

Rob Enderle

Answered Mar 29, 2015 · Author has 106 answers and 93.6k answer views

One of my favorite stories about a Rolex (and it is true) is back when I worked in Telecom there was a meeting between the CEO, CFO, and the head of sales.  All three sported gold Rolex's and the CEO and CFO commented on how much better the sales guy's Rolex looked.  He smiled and said he'd bought it for $10  in China and he buys them in bundles of 10 so when one gets scratched or broken he just tosses it out.  The reason it looked better is that it's finish was unmarred and its vastly thinner crystal actually showed the watch face better.  Granted it was also illegal but he got the same (or better) stature for a fraction of the $10K the others had paid.

835 views · View 3 Upvoters

BW Blasser

BW Blasser, Explorer, Student, Researcher

Answered Dec 27, 2014

Money laundering. Think about it: a swiss bank account can be frozen and more than $10,000 must be declared upon entering a country whereas a nice expensive watch goes unnoticed and you can resell it for a decent amount to get your money back. It's a good way to cash out if you have to exile yourself abroad as well via pawn shops.

Sources:

1. Rolex for Casino Cash Fuels Singapore Pawnshop Growth

2. Sensitive Words: “Watch Brother” and “Watch Uncle” - China Digital Times (CDT)

1.3k views · View 2 Upvoters

Adam Bonn

Adam Bonn, Photographer. Fan of stuff. Can be long winded.

Answered Jun 7, 2013

discounting the people who are simply making a wealth statement, then buying an expensive watch is for someone who appreciates the quality. Its a bit like a car, a cheap car will have many features (eg aircon) that you'd find on an expensive car, but the expensive car has the little discernible touches of quality, eg upholstery, sound of the door shutting etc... quality watches have quality little touches most noticeable in items like the bracelet, the clasp, the bezel action, the crown action which you don't find on cheaper watches... also top brands are all in house manufacture, so you're wearing something bespoke to the OEM, not something assembled from various parts sourced from around the world. Obviously to justify the cost of this you really need to be into watches (or simply be wealthy and wishing to make a wealth statement)

1.3k views

R Negoro

R Negoro, former Manager

Answered Dec 29, 2016 · Author has 1.1k answers and 445.6k answer views

If you want to use something that is accurate and nice and useful and practical, you would pro a ly be interested in a casio or a seiko. There could be a few reasons :

1.So the buyer feels that he has some status already and wants to buy it. He could decide to show it off or even just buy it to personally prove it to himself and keep it safely tucked at home.

2. Rolex could be used to deceive people regarding your status.

3. An avid watch collector could be adding to his position.

4. An investor cum connoisseur, buys a rolex usually used, to have the pleasure of wearing it and selling it once the price increases. There is pawn value for the rolex, high resale value if you buy it used.

66 views

Pranav Gokhale

Pranav Gokhale, works at VMware

Answered Sep 29, 2014

Let me tell you simple words why people buy Rolex watches .

Its a watch right ?! All it does is show time .

"Ordinary watches just show time ."

"Rolex watches show the time , the person is living through "

The Rolex watch indicates that the person is going through the best phase of his life (economically )

In Hindi it is better put as

" Ghadi aadmi ko wakt dikhata hai "

"Rolex ki ghadi aadmi ka wakt dikhati hain !!"

697 views · View 3 Upvoters

John Thompson

John Thompson, Pro. Day Trader / Relationship Counselor at John Thompson/Surfing Bear Trading (2007-present)

Answered Dec 17, 2017 · Author has 2.2k answers and 174.9k answer views

Many Reasons… First, Its to Set Yourself Above Normal.. and It shows the world Your Not a Flake .. They can Talk with You on a Different Level.. Just walk into a store.. any High End store.. wearing a Rolex.. they Immediately Know You Can Afford there Product.. Your Not just some Yahoo walking in off the street.. You will have a Higher Status..

Go into Any Bar.. Look at How Women AND Men Treat You.. Respond To You… Very very different.. Believe Me.. I have had mine for over.. 33 Years.. and ut Still has as Much Status as it did when Brand New…

Even if You buy a Used One.. Then You will Know for Yourself… and You can always sell it in Hard times.. But I don’t think I ever Would… John Thompson

9 views

Johnty Andersen

Johnty Andersen, Researcher into Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Anti-Aging Medicine

Answered Dec 24, 2014 · Author has 1.4k answers and 1.4m answer views

I have owned Rolex Submariners since I was 24 and the latest one I bought a few months back which is below.

I recommend Rolex because they hold their price and after 10 years of ownership often achieve what you paid for it especially if you buy a used one that is in mint condition. The other thing is they are durable and well made so I would rate Rolex among my three favourites the other two are IWC and Breitling although I also own a GTLS Tritium MWC see MWC Watches which is kind or Rolex styled but with vastly superior night performance.

956 views · View 1 Upvoter

Russel Fernandes

Russel Fernandes

Answered Dec 29, 2014 · Author has 68 answers and 7.6k answer views

Rolex is one good option for men to wear jewelry and at the same time demonstrate an appreciation for fine craftsmanship in watchmaking.  On the latter for example, no one needs a Rolex, just as no one needs a high end Mercedes when a Ford Fiesta will do just fine to get you from A to B. Sure many do, but everyone driving a nice car or wearing a nice watch or tailored suit is not necessarily showing off.  At the same time others not having the means to own a Bentley or wear Armani do not have to knock those who do. There is room at both ends of the material world just as there is room for people at both ends of the means spectrum without either side having to scoff at the other.

201 views

Paul Jaybee

Paul Jaybee

Answered Mar 26, 2015

Steve Black said: "Another thing to note is salesman, reps, Maitre d's notice a good watch and the service does improve."

My question is, "So far , so good. But given that your income/wealth is a few cuts above the waiter's, do the tips improve commensurately?"

And with the sales people are you such a hardball negotiator that you come across as downright cheap? In my more extensive experience in luxury retail all too many rich folks come across as real tightwads. So much so that my employer, caving in to this cheapness, did not come up with a raise for years, did not offer health insurance and was a real minimalist with paid vacation and sick days. Not pretty.

In my customer service experience, rich people are not necessarily better tippers and are often downright mean in their sales negotiation. It's a fine line between being smart and being a jerk.

452 views · View 1 Upvoter

Quora User

Anonymous

Updated Sep 25, 2014

While I wear a stainless steel rolex watch and there are others who wear the diamond crusted with 14K gold chain links, those are the ones who distinguish themselves from the rest of the rolex wearing crowd, in my humble opinion.

I wear a rolex watch because I like the way the watch looks and feels on my wrist.  Symbolically, it represents a personal achievement.  It has nothing to do with improving my self esteem or social perception.  Far from it.  I don't drive an expensive car or wear expensive clothes so the watch sticks out.  I tend to hide it under my shirt sleeve so that it does not attract any attention.

I also believe that Steve Jobs would never create an iwatch.  Simply because there are other time pieces out there that are more prestigious and the iwatch would never disrupt that, in particular a rolex watch.  This is my humble opinion of course.

897 views · View 1 Upvoter

Tran Chau

Tran Chau, Banker (2007-present)

Answered Nov 9, 2017 · Author has 103 answers and 2m answer views

I bought a Tag Heuer Twin Time ($2,600) with my first bonus. It looks just like this.

It felt great, and it looked great. Although it wasn’ t flashy, it was classy and people complimented me often.

But it was heavy, I often took it off because it made it hard to type at work, and I was constantly afraid I would scratch it.

I started running and lifting regularly again shortly thereafter and shifted to a Timex Ironman watch ($20). It felt great to not worry about scratching or breaking it, and I realized people who cared too much about what watch I wore weren’t my kind of people.

I still have the Tag and wear it to business functions and weddings. It works when you have to look the part, but I found the Timex is more of a practical every day watch for me.

612 views · View 2 Upvoters

Suresh Veera

Suresh Veera, Citizen of this planet, Spiritual, loves challenges, continuous thinker & more!

Answered Dec 23, 2014

Its for Splurging, Show off and then capability to buy that luxury accessory!

TO travel one point to the other, You know you can by Walk, Public transportation, Economical Totyota/Honda or performance specific BMW, or Rolls Royce. But again in this scenario you have the luxury, comfort, Pleasure, Experience with each type of Toyota, BMW etc..But in case of buying & wearing Rolex, You have more of a kind of to show your richness, Splurge for some people and then can't keep excess cash in the Bank or lockers. Its also a stats symbol for many in their social circle to have such kind of items, because ultimately the objective for all of these is "TO know Time?"

370 views

Paul Mansfield

Paul Mansfield, Earned my grey beard beating computers into submission

Answered Sep 22, 2014 · Author has 1k answers and 1.3m answer views

I'm sorry but I always think of the old joke

A yuppie had just parked at the side of the road, and as he opened the door of his BMW, when suddenly a car came along and hit the door, ripping it off completely. When the police arrived at the scene, the yuppie was complaining bitterly about the damage to his precious BMW.

"Officer, look what they've done to my Beemer," he whined.

"You yuppies are so materialistic, you make me sick," retorted the officer. "You're so worried about your stupid BMW, that you didn't even notice that your left arm was ripped off!"

"Oh my...," replied the yuppie, finally noticing the bloody left shoulder where his arm once was, "Where's my Rolex?!"

6.2k views · View 55 Upvoters

Mayank Shukla

Mayank Shukla, critique of critique,india enjoyer,who let life flow to awesome! You can find me in Indian politics answers...

Answered Dec 24, 2014 · Author has 221 answers and 268.7k answer views

Mainly three type of customers exists

Passionate Buyers

You have already heard http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/...

It is for such customers, they make advertisements that are elegant, fancy and passionate with heavy punch/tag lines.

Business class

The place where brand names are needed and they give glamour look to person and company he is running.

Apart from company CEOs i would request you to take a look at the owner of " most sold and most famous restaurant of your town". You will see them having such item of luxury, which they don't need but can afford and is a good show off item.

Gifts

Girlfriend boyfriend gifts each other under blindness of love, the most expensive gift of her/his field of liking.

335 views

Deborah Peterson

Deborah Peterson, Fashion Blogger

Answered Apr 12, 2018

Rolex watches are the best brands and these have the best quality products. To have a good impression people use different techniques and particularly men wear watches to get attention. It is a well known and trusted brand of luxury watch.

But buying such watches is too expensive! so we have a great option for you; If you can’t afford such expensive watches then Rolex replicas is the best option for you to buy your favorite watches that fits to your budget.

39 views

Lakshmi Andra

Lakshmi Andra, Luxury Watch Expert (2000-present)

Answered May 14, 2018

When you buy and wear luxury branded things like watches, it shows that you may know and appreciate quality and that you won’t waste money on lesser quality items.

It gives you a sense of power, that nothing else can - There are at least two dimensions to the culture of appreciating and desiring luxury items like branded watches. One dimension relates to a person's ability to appreciate the inherent value of a specific luxury item such as its materials, design, construction quality, and of course utility.

For the purpose of this discussion, we can call that a luxury item's inherent value. The second dimension to the culture of appreciating and desiring luxury items is because of social perceived value.

This is why buying and wearing a Rolex, or sporting any acclaimed brand, helps you inevitably in your social standing

49 views

Kev Bough

Kev Bough

Answered Jan 9, 2017 · Author has 4.3k answers and 5.1m answer views

If you’re a true enthusiast :

-The Rolex Submariner is famous for its durability. It’s a tool that you can rely on rather than just a piece of luxury for showcase.

-Heritage. The current existing models are the result of decades of development.

-Things related to specs, features, and materials.

-Swiss made craftsmanship.

-Resale value is relatively strong.

-Another watch for the collection.

-People like the design.

If you’re not an enthusiast :

-To show off.

-You don’t know what to spend, so you go for the most famous watch brand, Rolex.

-To make yourself feel special.

-A symbol of economic achievement.

269 views · View 1 Upvoter

Bettie Pack

Bettie Pack

Answered May 30, 2018

Rolex is a well-known brand and it is popular for its durability, design, style and finishing. Rolex is a universe of its own: respected; admired; valued, and known across the globe. They are perhaps the finest mass-produced industrial timepiece on the planet. People want to buy a Rolex for one of the following main reasons: to celebrate an achievement, to own a watch that appears to hold value, to communicate a level of career or life success, to own a luxury watch that is a simple choice, or to wear a timepiece with a lot of history. Most Rolex watch models would satisfy each of these needs.

No reason is better or worse, but it is interesting that most people's desire to wear a Rolex falls into one or more of these categories. And there are some sites like leohamel.com provides you with good quality Rolex watches and not only Rolex but you can also find other brands watches like Omega, Swiss, Hamilton Jazzmaster, etc at a price which will fit your budget easily.

47 views

Crowly Mathew Arackal

Crowly Mathew Arackal, IT Professional, Entrepreneur

Answered Apr 27, 2015 · Author has 9.1k answers and 7.2m answer views

Somebody will get you the same pleasure when they buy the Rolex Watch you get from buying a good Citizen Watch.    But remember a poor man will get much better pleasure by buying a 10$ to 15$ watch!!

So what is the conclusion?  They buy rolex because they have to buy it.  No other reason.

Today most of us do not look at a watch to check time. I prefer my mobile phone.

130 views

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Oct 30, 2014

Two Men were sitting beside each other, one was wearing Titan watch while other was wearing Rolex Watch

First Man - How much is the cost of your Rolex watch?

Second Man - 4 Lacs

First Man - You are wearing watch worth 2 lacs while I am wearing watch worth 1 thousand and both of them show same time. So what is the difference?

Second Men - My watch is showing my time(like how my time is going) while your watch is showing your time.

311 views

Christian Nyegaard

Christian Nyegaard, Product Manager

Answered Sep 26, 2014

As with all my watch purchases over the years, I've bought Rolexes because I want them.

These are the kind of things you cannot try to quantify down to a "why?" when it's not reasonable to buy a high end watch to begin with. There are obvious quality aspects involved, but nothing that actually justifies the price.

Why do people by LV bags? Why do people buy a BMW with the same amount of horsepower as a comperable Toyota?

It's all about feelings and desires, my reasons are my reasons alone (albeit reasons I know are shared with other watch guys and girls as well) and they will not stand up to anyones scrutiny but my own.

1.2k views · View 2 Upvoters

Zhu Zhengyi

Zhu Zhengyi, studied at University College London

Answered Nov 7, 2013 · Author has 400 answers and 1.1m answer views

Why would anyone buy paintings? Photographs tell a picture better.

Why would anyone buy a Rolls Royce? A toyota gets you there cheaper.

Why would anyone fly business? Economy gets you there on the same plane.

Why would anyone wear Ferragamos? From a distance Kenneth Cole looks the same.

Why would anyone want to sleep with (insert whatever chick's name you want, say Jennifer Lawrence whatever)? A hooker.... I think you get my point.

2.5k views · View 12 Upvoters

Sean Goble

Sean Goble

Answered Sep 22, 2014

I'm the third generation to wear my Rolex.  My grandfather, who bought it as one of very few splurges in his lifetime, his energy wound that watch as did my father's after him, and it hasn't wound down since I had it so I feel as if I'm carrying a bit of them when I wear it, contributing my energy to winding it as well and part of all of us will be shared with my kid.  Find that type of generational bond in a Casio.

5.2k views · View 41 Upvoters

Irene Mann

Irene Mann

Answered Sep 21, 2014

There is nothing "stupid" about buying a watch finer than other choices in almost every measurable aspect. Therefore, your question incorporates invalid premises and cannot really be answered as you asked it. But I'll try anyway: it's the difference between buying something disposable and making an investment.

921 views · View 1 Upvoter

Tarita Subramanian

Tarita Subramanian, Business Excellence Professional (1996-present)

Answered Oct 16, 2014 · Author has 725 answers and 1.1m answer views

I see this fascination with watches more with men than with women. Men notice other men's watches and ties and other accessories.

So if a male colleague is going to to meet a prospective client who will (hopefully) shell out millions of dollars over the next 5 years for services rendered, I find he will be dressed in a good suit and the accessories will be subtle yet expensive. Rolex or Omegas on the wrist, Hermes tie, monogrammed cuff links, Italian shoes etc etc etc.

If a significant part of one's job is sales or customer relationship management, I believe this attention to detail is important, not frivolous.

1.1k views · View 1 Upvoter

Kimbal Summers

Kimbal Summers, studied at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

Answered Oct 27, 2017 · Author has 203 answers and 188.8k answer views

You can apply the same reasoning for wearing a Rolex to anything fashionable - which identifies with Class, High Quality and Prestige; - specific brands of Cars and Clothes, Stereo Amplifiers, drinking certain brands and years of Wine, owning specific breeds of Pets, living in elect post code locations for having a home, sending your kids to specific schools, and so forth.

In the end everyone desires to stand out and be better than the average.

It’s all about flaunting one’s ego to the world.

104 views

Raphael Segal

Raphael Segal, Software engineer, human being.

Answered Sep 27, 2014 · Author has 963 answers and 1.9m answer views

First of all, status symbols aren't necessarily stupid: in many circles they're a price of entry. To many people they're a constant reminder of their hard work, or a reward for the same.

The thing about really expensive watches is that the "product" changes. For a cheap watch, you're buying a wearable timepiece. For a super expensive watch, you're buying status and an heirloom that both happen to have a watch form-factor.

691 views · View 1 Upvoter

Parth Rathod

Parth Rathod, So called 'engineer'

Answered Nov 5, 2014

Well, in a way it shows the same time as any other 10-20$ watch. Then why would anyone spend such a huge amount of money on a watch.

I read this somewhere but I don't remember the exact words.

Rolex don't only show the correct time but it shows the time of the person's life. That he has achieved success, he's powerful and that he's worthy enough to be a proud owner of a Rolex.

773 views · View 2 Upvoters

Dana Paul Franz

Dana Paul Franz, Physicist, MBA, Musician, Photographer

Answered Dec 24, 2014 · Author has 149 answers and 106k answer views

Here's a good read. If you think there is nothing special about Rolex, perhaps this may help explain:

10 Things To Know About How Rolex Makes Watches

934 views · View 2 Upvoters

Peter Shum

Peter Shum, Troublemaker

Answered Dec 22, 2017 · Author has 67 answers and 13.3k answer views

People buy high end “things”, including watches, mainly to satisfy their own vanity purpose. Namely to advertise “I can afford it. Can you?” Arguments such as “Price reflects quality”, “You get what you paid for”, etc. are excuses, just that. I have worn “regular” but “quality” watches such as Seiko, Citizen, Bulova, etc that had lasted me many years, and they don’t cost one tenth of what Rolexs, Omegas, etc. cost - never mind Patek Philippe and Blancpain! Also people who buy Rolex and Omega are only fooling themselves. If they are so rich, they should buy Patek Philippe and Blancpain, when...

(more)

Syed Masum Reza

Syed Masum Reza, former Customer Executive at Cegura (2014)

Answered Jul 27, 2018

Not everyone buys a watch such pricey.Not everyone is wealthy enough to buys such high end items.There are few who actually are able to afford high end items such as a rolex watch.

Those who can afford rolex buys a rolex, for them it is a mere status symbol.Moreover there are people who buys a rolex just to add one more item to the collection as Rolex's are collectible and fetches good amount of money in future.Apart from these two category of people “The riches and collectors” there are people who saves up money to buy a costly Rolex to treat themselve to an extraordinary item.

Now some one has already explained what veblen effect is you can continue from there.

One more thing It is a article of snob appeal . Brand attraction is major driver of their price.Think of it like this “rolex is the ferrari of watches”.

31 views

Dennis Deeds

Dennis Deeds, Trained Observer

Answered Jan 13, 2015

As mentioned in the other responses to this question, there are any number of reasons to buy a Rolex.  I bought mine as a reward for completing my advanced degree.  Could have bought a Timex.  But, a Timex is more appropriate as a reward for finishing grade school.

Also, I like mechanical watches.  I have several Seiko and Hamilton vintage watches in addition to the Rolex.  What I don't have is a watch that runs on replaceable battery power.  A $40 watch goes in a drawer and is forgotten when it reaches the end of its life cycle.  A contemporary Rolex, or vintage watch, will tick on forever and either be sold for a profit of handed to the next generation.

316 views

Bruce Morgan

Bruce Morgan, studied at University of Washington

Answered Dec 24, 2014

I do not own a Rolex and may never.  I also will never own a Lamborghini, or a bespoke suit from Saville Row, but I am happy they exist and that others enjoy them.  Rolex's are an engineering and artistic marvel.  Yes, they are a status symbol, but so what?  I appreciate the passion required to create such a superior product.  Personally, I believe it is the most important piece of jewelry than a man can own.  A $12.00 Timex may be fine for working in the yard but if I want to look put together a Rolex is a fine finishing touch.  I will never live without a wristwatch and feel naked without one.

266 views · View 1 Upvoter

Charles Ostman

Charles Ostman

Answered Dec 23, 2014 · Author has 106 answers and 93.1k answer views

Sorry, I can't even believe this would be a real question.  But OK . . . why???

I own quite a variety of watches, none of them cost over $100, and they all function (and look) just fine.  Some people are impressed by the glitzy $5,000+ watch bobble.  I'm sort of the opposite.  My first thought is, why is this person so desperate to impress with such unnecessary gaudiness.  Second, if the flashy watch is the attraction magnet for "whoever", I'm not so sure I want to attract those who would automatically flock to such, like moths to a light.  Maybe I'm in the minority here . . . but that's my honest opinion.

366 views · View 1 Upvoter

Ankur Gokhale

Ankur Gokhale

Answered Oct 1, 2014

Its a waste of money, a person would buy such kind of expensive watches if he is having way too much of money.

After all Rolex and $5 watch shows same time. Its just about pride and nothing else.

81 views

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Jan 12, 2016

Originally Answered: Why do people wear Rolex watches?

To keep good time.

With the invention of the Smart Phone, the concept of the Wristwatch has been dying out.  Even the Digital Wristwatch is disappearing... a very good friend of mine wears a Digital Wristwatch, and she rarely takes it off.  However, with the exception of myself - she's the only one I know who wears it.  As far as Rolex goes, I don't yet own one (being in College... a Rolex looks weird on people under 40) but they are REALLY no longer used for keeping time - the Rolex is just one hell of a status symbol.

1.3k views · View 1 Upvoter

Shivam

Shivam, Senior Data Scientist at McKinsey & Company (2018-present)

Answered Jul 23, 2015

There are already many great answers. But I still have conversation to show:-

After this Quora question Timex went to the Rolex to find the answer.

Timex:- "Whats the difference between you and me. As, be both show time." ?

Rolex:- "Baby you show the time to that person, whereas I show the time of that person".

53 views · View 1 Upvoter

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Aug 15, 2015

You buy a Rolex instead of a Timex because you don't shop where they sell Timex. It's really not that complicated. You don't market a Rolex to people who can't afford it. What good would that do? Wealthy people shop at more upscale stores. As a result they are exposed to items most of us are not. They can also afford them hence why others don't see these types of items.

I think expensive is a relative term, and what's expensive to me might be nothing to someone else. You know what expensive means to yourself.

Everyone shops within their comfort level. A Rolex is merely a trophy you can wear. Traditionally given to mark a milestone in life or your career.

211 views

Kenneth Detro

Kenneth Detro

Answered Dec 23, 2014

Seiko 5 Latest Mens Automatic 21 Jewel WhiteFace SNX121K1

Best of the inexpensive watches. Fully automatic and mechanical; repairable and good looking.

303 views

Phoenix Watch

Phoenix Watch

Answered Jun 13, 2018

High end luxury watches give the wearer a sense of satisfaction nothing else can. Branded luxury watches have always been looked at as a symbol of aristrocacy and sophistication.

The intricate aesthetics of the Rolex Datejust models is what sets them apart as symbols of universal and classic style. They actually and truly embody timeless form and function, which is firmly rooted in the pioneering origins of Rolex. The simplicity of an original. Understated as it should be. To read on more - visit :

What Sets The Rolex Datejust Apart?

25 views

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Nov 14, 2014

A Rolex makes a better gift and can be passed from generation to generation as it can always be repaired.

Rolex watches always use a mechanical movement that can always be repaired

A real Rolex has a smooth sweep for the second hand

Quartz watches (most other brands) can often only be replaced rather than repaired

A fake rolex is generally quartz (cheaper) and the second hand "ticks" due to the quartz movement.

585 views · View 1 Upvoter

Benjamin Bykowski

Benjamin Bykowski, VP of Interactive & Technology - Falls Digital Part-Time Chef, Part-Time DJ, Full-Time Dad

Answered Dec 24, 2014

Certainly for the status symbol that it is.

However, I recently got a Moto360 smart watch and using the Facer app (Android Apps on Google Play), I was able to download a couple different Rolex watch faces. So I can look the part and only pay a measly $250 for the watch (and check email, texts, make calls, navigate etc. etc.)

580 views

Rahul Pandey

Rahul Pandey

Answered May 3, 2018

Rolex goes back a long way in history and tradition in watch-making. They are undoubtedly luxury watches, hence, expensive. But if you're a connoiseur of watches then you must own a Rolex watch. It adds some extra elegance and power to your personality.

28 views

Niharika Sahu

Niharika Sahu, Author of Kalyug Chronicles Series.

Answered Oct 18, 2014 · Author has 106 answers and 94.4k answer views

Let me tell you a short story of two friends met after 10 years,One of them was wearing a Rolex watch and other one wore a normal Timex watch,The timex friend asked the Rolex friend same question "It's just a watch that shows time. And there is no difference in the feel of wearing a Timex vs a Rolex except for socially perceived value of your status. " The Rolex friend replied in one single sentence-"My watch shows my time and your watch shows your time".

This is the other reason you are searching for i guess.

428 views · View 1 Upvoter

Hannah Straw

Hannah Straw, works at Teaching

Answered Dec 23, 2014

My answer to this question is 'I have no idea'. However, I would like to add that I would immediately judge someone wearing a Rolex watch, and not at all in a positive way. Like a flashy car or other, expensive 'status symbols', I would wonder what the person was overcompensating for and I would make judgements about that person's financial choices - why spend that amount of money on something as banal as a watch, when you could spend it seeing the world, or donating it to a good cause.

273 views · View 2 Upvoters

Dave DeMarais

Dave DeMarais

Answered Apr 6, 2015

I love watches, I have many but most are broken due to the work I did. I was a FF/Paramedic, and a K-9 handler and SWAT.

The abuse MY watches took where unreal. I had Seiko, Casio, boluva, even tag heur and Timex. Also I even had high end watches like Rolex which blows. My wife purchased a Navy seal watch which was stainless steel that I have for over 16 + years and only change the battery 3 times definitely a watch that last!!!

231 views · View 1 Upvoter

Alex Barker

Alex Barker

Answered Mar 12, 2018

Rolex watches reflects your personality. Purchasing a Rolex online has the potential to appear very daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. There are great benefits to purchasing online, including no sales tax and unbeatable deals for some of the best luxury watches out there.

25 views

Olivia David

Olivia David

Answered Apr 19, 2018 · Author has 141 answers and 12.7k answer views

If your are looking to buy diamond Rolex watches? Then I would recommend you to visit Popular Diamonds Inc. They have huge variety of watches. Must visit or contact for more information.

23 views

Luxury Watches

Luxury Watches

Answered Jul 11, 2018

Rolex is often the first nice watch a guy considers, but until pretty recently a lot of serious watch enthusiasts would do everything they could to talk someone out of buying one (and in a manner usually only used to talk a jumper off a ledge). Over the last few years, however, things have changed dramatically. In a pretty short time, Rolex has gone from being the brand watch lovers loved to hate to being one of the most collectible and often-worn watch brands in the world. And this comes from the very same group of watch nuts that used to dismiss it as a brand for naive new money only.

So, what changed? It isn't the watches, at least not dramatically. One of the most interesting things about Rolex is what it doesn't do. It doesn't come out with dramatically new watches every year --in fact, it doesn't come out with dramatically new watches any year. Unless you're a hardcore Rolex collector, you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a Submariner from 1964 and one from 2014, and they're so conservative in design that a change of two millimeters in case size is as big news in the watch world as a solar-powered Lamborghini would be for car guys.

What has changed, though, is what people see in them. You can buy a Rolex for any number of reasons, but a main one is that they keep their value pretty well, unlike many expensive luxury watches. I always hope that someone spending 5, 10 or 20 thousand dollars on a watch is doing so because they actually like it and they hope to be still looking at it 10 years from now, but we all get older and tastes change. If you do find yourself with buyer's remorse down the road, it's nice to know you stand a good chance of getting a decent chunk of your ill-spent money back.

28 views

Matthew Tiffany

Matthew Tiffany, works at Dominion Enterprises

Answered Oct 22, 2014

Why do people buy a Rolex? There are many reasons and good answers already.

As far as why I would get a Rolex? Personally it would be for the quality of the mechanism, meaning I wouldn't get one because I wouldn't be able to afford the high end ones. If I had unlimited funds, I wouldn't buy a Rolex. I would instead buy Omega, I mean for Neil Armstrong had one on the outside of this space suit when he walked on the moon. It was completely unmodified and fully functional too. Just my thoughts on watches, basically my answer is I wouldn't buy a Rolex.

251 views · View 1 Upvoter

Amritanshu Pandey

Amritanshu Pandey, Witnessing miracles

Answered Jan 5, 2015

An ordinary watch will tell you the time.

The Rolex will tell others that you are having a prosperous time.

106 views · View 1 Upvoter

CJ Hinke

CJ Hinke

Answered Sep 22, 2014 · Author has 86 answers and 187.8k answer views

If you're going to make a dope deal, wear a Rolex! True story: An acquaintance of mine back in the 80s was buying a load of pot at a tiny airfield in Sinaloa. Of course, there was a problem, and none of the 'solutions' were favourable to the gringo! Easily solved by presenting the politician's son in charge with his gold Rolex. He made lots of money after that and bought more fancy watches but forever complained about giving away that Rolex in trade for his freedom and maybe his life.

1.3k views · View 2 Upvoters

Carly Morson

Carly Morson, Watch Enthusiast, Rolex, Cartier, Breitling, The Watch Gallery

Answered Jun 15, 2016

Buying a Rolex and other high end watches is a great investment, should you have the money to do so! Also you are buying a watch for life, that won’t date, as a result a Rolex watch is the ultimate timeless classic.

Here is a link to our own 30 page Rolex buying guide. We cover the history, collections, authentication, a price guide, service & maintenance, movements & the latest models:

http://www.thewatchgallery.com/b...

51 views

Ashish Kumar

Ashish Kumar

Answered Jul 23, 2018

ANyone have a great enthusiast over purchasing Rolex watches can afford and buy the watch, As it is equipped with the elegance and moreover simplicity with the lifestyle. At Ethos watch boutique, one can easily purchase the best watches under the sun. There are number of luxury watches where one could easily find the best watches to wear.

10 views

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Nov 13, 2014

Normal watches show you time,

Expensive watches show your time.

89 views

Gabriel Maestas

Gabriel Maestas, Engineer, gamer, movie goer, reader.

Answered Aug 21, 2013 · Author has 80 answers and 674k answer views

For some men, wearing a Rolex is a a status symbol. For others, it's a matter of being taken seriously. Some men want to be unique. A lot of men where Rolexes for the same reason women would want a Harry Winston engagement ring--it's the best of the best! Other's appreciate the history, the workmanship, the engineering. It honestly depends on the person.

1.1k views · View 2 Upvoters

Dragi Raos

Dragi Raos, IT consultant, lapsed physicist

Answered Sep 21, 2014 · Author has 4.6k answers and 2.6m answer views

Expensive watches are practically the only universally accepted pieces of jewelry for men, and that's all they are. OK, there are cuff links, but only with formal dress; in some cultures gold chains are OK, but not in all; rings beyond wedding bands are also accepted or frowned upon to various degree. But expensive watch works everywhere.

15.9k views · View 58 Upvoters

Muhammad Imran Ijaz

Muhammad Imran Ijaz, works at Upwork

Answered Sep 9, 2015 · Author has 567 answers and 393.2k answer views

A Rolex watch is style and people love to have a stylish and luxury watch on their wrist. But with the development of smart watches like Apple and Block Modular Smartwatch the trend of having and wearing  a Rolex Watch is declining day by day. The people love to have a stylish, smart watch nowadays.

The smart watches have more features and functions than the Rolex Watches so i am sure it is better to have smartwatch instead of having Rolex watch.

125 views

Ashutosh Khandelwal

Ashutosh Khandelwal, works at L'Oréal

Answered Oct 10, 2014

Very interesting question, something a few friends of mine have asked me too when I bought expensive watches. I have never owned a Rolex, but yes, I do have the desire to make it there as well.

As a matter of fact in today's world of gadgets mostly people dont check time on their wrist watches but on other devices like phone, etc.

People would still buy a Rolex because:

"You wear a watch not to check time, but to show the world YOUR TIME!"

1.4k views · View 2 Upvoters

Alok Menghrajani

Alok Menghrajani, N00b at Square

Answered Dec 29, 2014

Not directly answering the reason to buy but more a reason to own: mechanical timepieces (if taken good care of) last forever and can be passed down from one generation to the next.

Patek Philippe even ran an ad campaign around this idea, with the statement: "You never really own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation."

441 views

Gowtham Arumugam

Gowtham Arumugam, Blogger, Aspiring Digital Marketer, Sports Marketer

Answered May 11, 2015 · Author has 207 answers and 419.3k answer views

A conversation I read somewhere between a person who is wearing a normal watch (A) and a person wearing a Rolex (B).

A: My watch shows the same time as your Rolex. What is the difference in it?

B:No. My watch shows my time and your watch shows your time.

Edit: For those who didn't get it, he says his living is better the other person.

279 views · View 2 Upvoters

Christiane Pittaluga

Christiane Pittaluga

Answered Sep 21, 2014

I would add that if you are prone to thinking badly of people who "waste money on expensive things" try thinking about the fact that it is only when people buy expensive things like art or designer clothes that artisans, craftsman and factory workers get to make them.  We could all dress in simple functional garments and we could all move towards a subsistence economy.  I don't know any artists who have contempt for the people who buy their art.

1.4k views · View 4 Upvoters

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Apr 22, 2018

Agreed, that is why we have high quality, elegant timepieces founded in Switzerland at affordable prices. Shop Now as we are clearing our 2017 collection! starting at $10 at Prestige-Timepiece: Watches, Shop and Accessories

23 views

Quora User

Anonymous

Answered Oct 31, 2014

The same reason this costs US$120 million

ITS ART BITCHES !

223 views · View 1 Upvoter

Dave Bailey

Dave Bailey, CEO coach, serial founder, angel investor, writer.

Answered Dec 24, 2014 · Author has 402 answers and 2.1m answer views

Every valuable watch tells a story. In a culture where everything is disposable, what about the idea of treasuring and looking after something that can stand the test of time.

1.5k views · View 3 Upvoters

Sos Jean

Sos Jean

Answered Sep 9, 2015

Như tôi biết, Nixon 51-30 for those người thừa cân, giá cả hợp lý, phù hợp cho học sinh, sinh viên and công nhân bình thường .Công Ở đây, you can find one đánh giá chi tiết of it:

14 views

Shivam Arora

Shivam Arora

Answered Oct 19, 2014

In hindi we say-

"Timex insaan KO waqt dikhati hai,,

Aur Rolex insaan KA waqt dikhati hai"

Translation -

'Timex shows man, the time

Whereas

A Rolex shows the man's time'

255 views · View 1 Upvoter

Bhavesh Jain

Bhavesh Jain, studied at RNS Institute of Technology

Answered Jan 4, 2015

I think the below attached video link says it all!!

Rolex Submariner Watchmaking Demonstration | Watc…:

May be that's the reason why I would own a one!!

331 views · View 2 Upvoters

Mario Curcija

Mario Curcija, Lecturer at University of Shkoder (2009-present)

Answered May 18, 2017

Some will answer you because it is a symbol status, and it is correct, but not only. Rolex is an investment, they do not lose value. And then Swiss luxury watches are a beautiful gift to be left to inherit.

46 views

Gisela Chan

Gisela Chan

Answered Jul 25, 2015

I's mostly a social status. The same reason someone buys a shirt for $10 a Wall Mart or someone who buys a $150. shirt at a high brand store. Most Rolex Watches are very expensive I believe anyone is easily wroth over a few thousand dollars  Page on greatestcollectibles.com and yes all they really do is tell time. You can buy a decent watch at any major store for about $20. and it will tell time just fine and even last years.

145 views

William Hughes

William Hughes

Answered Sep 24, 2014

I bought my submariner in Paris in 1965 for $100 and, when I turned it in recently for service, I was asked if I would take $4,500 cash 'as is.'  I am willing it to my grandson to be sold and applied to his future education.

10.1k views · View 83 Upvoters

Stan Harris

Stan Harris, intensely curious

Answered Sep 22, 2014 · Author has 1.6k answers and 1.3m answer views

It's retail therapy for the middle classes, and a conversation piece. Take any sentence and somehow fit in the words "my Rolex", "my latest Rolex" or "oh, the Rolex? Oh that!"

I say "middle classes" because the rich people who care about watches generally have more rare and interesting watches.

Wealthy high-status males tend to like "grand complications" at $300,000 or so. I don't think Rolex gets into that territory.

1.5k views · View 4 Upvoters

Charles Faraone

Charles Faraone, I Love Sunsets

Updated Oct 31, 2014 · Author has 2.9k answers and 7m answer views

“Man will do many things to get himself loved, he will do all things to get himself envied.” - Mark Twain

The same reason people flaunt ivory and brag about eating overpriced shark fin soup. Expectations of inflating esteem (being envied) trigger the same dopamine quirts in our primitive brains that junkies score with heroin.

If a Rolex watch sold for $50 they’d sell less of them, not more.

3.2k views · View 15 Upvoters

Adrien David

Adrien David, Adrien David is a designer working for Edmond Watches for last few years. Edmond Watches is a top Swiss bra...

Answered Dec 17, 2014

Rolex is one of the best and well known brands in the world. There are also so many watch brand are available like, Timex, Adidas, DKNY, Edmond Watches, Boss, Limit etc. if someone interested to buy, yes he/she can.

95 views

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