I honestly don’t understand why you don’t have more subscribers, you present intelligent knowledgeable discussions. Tell us more about your surfing days! I love your videos about good deals on high horology. Thanks to you I’m saving my money for a JLC master control. I’m slowly getting there, I hope by July. Thank you for what you do and how you do it.

Rolex = Household name; Luxury = exclusivity. The two do not align for me. Nothing wrong with a Rolex, but if I were wearing that Parmigiani Fleurier (stealth wealth) and somebody recognized the piece, it would be a good conversation starter. With a Rolex it's likely that it would lead to a conversation I may not want to have. Great video and a great watch thanks Bill. By the way is that Kalpa XL? It has great wrist presence.

My issue with Rolex is that they artificially inflate their prices by holding back product. The new 2018 steel GMT is a case in point. It is supposed to retail for 12k but they allocate product to their ADs and then those same unworn watches sell for between 19k-23k on the secondary market. Clever if you are Rolex and have that kind of distribution infrastructure you can leverage, but feels uncool. Feels like being behind the velvet ropes trying to get into Studio 54 (not that I am that old). You know the line is a contrivance to make you want to get in... and think you’re cool when you do. I’d rather spend the money on a quality bottle of wine at home with my honey.

Interesting discussion! I have to say that most of the time the watches you discuss are either not my cup of tea or way WAY out of my price range but- I never fail to learn something new about watches and watch collection when I come here. Like life in general it's all about keeping an open mind and having enough confidence in your collecting preferences that you can respect and learn from the preferences of others.

You are very wise my dear sir, I really appreciate your video. Good message...

Rolex is one of the strongest brands of any type of product worldwide according to analysts who value brands. So of course there will be lots of hate like hate for Windows software etc. Also Rolex makes a lot of watches and sells a lot of watches annually. So they are not as exclusive and on KZfaq and the Internet often you have people looking to pay the Rolex price but get a lesser produced or more artistic or more complicated watch in the grey market. Like comparing a new Toyota FJ Cruiser versus a used Mercedes with mileage. People always looking to differentiate and maximizing price point value. Just human behavior. For a daily watch Rolex is very durable, you can really swim with them and knock them against doors and drop them. Not for everyone but nothing in life is... I added a deep sea blue after I kept dropping more delicate watches and while it is a bit large it is indestructible and good fun for its tool watch purpose.

Hi Bill, I wear a Citizen around the property (farm) a Tudor Pelagos for other outdoor pursuits ie coffee and maybe swimming, 4WDing. It's my off property watch, however my wife recently became ill and I feel wearing a "Professional/ Sports" Rolex to visit Medical Specialists opens doors because everybody recognises the watch. It's an unspoken thing, maybe a flex as you would say but it's a recognition that occurs unconsciously . The watch is instantly recognisable, where others aren't. Maybe they just see $$$$$ but who cares as long as my wife gets the best.

I don't really think the Rolex hate has anything to do with the watches. It's more AD hate. Go into a AD and get laughed at for trying to buy their watch, be told you need to buy a bunch of garbage they can't sell and they may consider you. Watches going out the backdoor. I like some Rolex watches but I do hope the Rolex market crashes.

Learned a long time ago you cannot judge a book by its' cover. The person that does has the issue.

Bill, bottom line is there ‘s nothing wrong about any particular brand...buy what you like! If that ‘s Rolex (or any other brand) then so be it. Enjoy your watch...and enjoy life!

Enjoy what you can afford without worries. Simple. If Rolex is your cup of tea, then fine. If not, then move on and don't alienate/antagonize Rolex owners. Simple.

Hi Bill. Personally I'm not a Rolex fan. They are very good quality watches but if you have seen about seven or eight Rolex models, you've seen them all. The wow factor is not there for me. Take care Bill, thanks.

Enjoyed the story a lot.

There are also those Rolex aficionados who really love specific Rolexes (particularly the divers and tool watches) who have no love for the Oyster Perpetual, the Cellini, etc. Some Rolex owners aren't really watch lovers. But it seems as though there are a fair number of Rolex Sub and Deap Sea owners who, in general, aren't Rolex lovers.

In the world of plastic quartz watches my Invictas are often mistaken for a Rolex by the hoi polloi!

I agree. Just buy the things you like and why bother with how other people think about your purchases.

badass looking, durable, cheap to service, can do manual work in and not care too much about scratching, wore my sub to my old shelf stacking job when i was poor all the time, cant ask for more in a functional affordable everyday watch

Choosing to own or buying an expensive watch like Rolex is simple a matter of individual preference, simply that and nothing else, not much different from choosing to buy a car of a certain make or clothes from a specific designer. The difference between a watch lover and the average watch owner is that a watch lover is not influenced or persuaded by the monetary aspect of it but rather by the craftsmanship quality and beauty of the watch!

Ink all over your hands. Why is it that a lot of watch people are also into fountain pens? What’s the connection?

That's the most sense anyone has made on this topic in the history of time. Big thumbs up.

Bill, I enjoyed your video , I gave my Rolex GMT to my son for his 40th birthday, he likes the watch but says it is. Not accurate. I am now one of your subscribers .

I followed a kind of trajectory in buying watches: after experiencing my first Rolex, my Omega just seemed to lose a little of its gloss - in some difficult-to-describe way. But after experiencing my Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms special edition my Rolex suddenly seemed "ordinary" (for want of a better word.) Rolex are produced to extremely high quality control standards - but ultimately they retain the soul and essence of a mass produced item, IMO. If you look at a Blancpain caliber at x15 magnification you can literally see the brushing and meticulously hand-polished edges of each component! Aesthetics aside, the timekeeping of the Blancpain caliber is also noticeably better than Rolex. My Rolex is certainly within the stated range +/- 2 seconds per day - which is pretty damn good by any average standards. But when it comes to Blancpain we are talking about something which is adjusted in 6 positions and seems to work almost by witchcraft! There is zero perceptible drift - week after week! Probably there is some compensating gain-versus-loss going on due to the typical positioning of the watch through 24 hours. But still... (Of course I still own the Rolex, because they are a kind of investment. But it rarely comes out of the safe these days.)

Don't own a modern Rolex, but I do believe they are great watches. My opinion is that they are overpriced for what you get. If I am going to spend 7k+ for a watch, it probably wouldn't be Rolex. I am a fan of their GMT models. I think its odd to brag about watches, it sort of would be like bragging about your shoes. I love all of my watches from cheapest to priciest, and just happy I get to enjoy them. Good topic, good show....

The problem with Rolex is its the most highly advertised well known up scale watch. Much as BMW is the same with cars. People who want to say look at me ,I'm a success buy them. If you hear of a baseball or football player buying a team mate a watch, its a Rolex. There is nothing wrong with the watches or the cars but to me it seems a higher percentage of people who own those brands are looking for attention.

Hey! Thank you for another enjoyable video. I wish it was about the watches themselves though. E.g. I'd love to hear what you had to say about rolexes price value ratio or some other technical insight I havent heard yet. Im a fan of their watches but they are a bit above my budget. Plus I would feel like a walking target with one on.

Rolex are made of high quality materials, and are made in house. But they are also mass produced, which is a no no for those who like a hand finished/assembled movement with a chronometer accuracy still. This is not to dismiss Rolex, they are good watches.

Thanks again ,great video and all the best for the New Year From Charlie Edinburgh Scotland

i have the black ceramic divers with alligator leather strap. its about the most understated one u can get.

My problem is they don't take care of their customers and make them available. They control supply like the Gestapo

Your right, Rolex's are great watches. The problem is they have become so popular and especially popular with a pretentious type of people. Back in the old days when Rolex watch were still a great watch people did not even know what a Rolex was. They are very well made very nicely designed on the traditional side and used to be priced better but because of their popularity are sold at about double the price they should be. Good for them.

I think you're right about those stages. Initially I always thought they were the end all be all of watches. Then as I learned more, I didn't hold them up as high, but in the end, it is what it is...it's not the best or worse, it's just an all-around solid built time piece by a innovated, recognizable brand that will be around for a long time. They retain their value better than most, timeless designed (for the most part), and should be relatively not too difficult/or cost prohibited for your grandchild to get it serviced.

Rolex force their stupid customers to pay for a name to wear on their wrists. Omega sell better quality watches at a more reasonable price for their customers. So tell me who cares most for their customers, and make sure their customers feel they have purchased a great deal when walking out of the store.

Rolex supply grey market (on-line retails) with watches if they sell them above MSRP before Rolex supply Authorised Dealers.. also Rolex retail prices have increased by 300% in 10 years...

Hi Bill. Another great one and provocative too! Within their respective segments, Rolex and Patek Philippe make a relatively high volume of watches and succeed because they are very shrewd marketeers. Patek’s application strategy and the success of limited edition Rolex models (coupled with the spectacular price fetched for the Paul Newman Daytona) has added to this mystique and an illusion of exclusivity (compared to peers in their segments). To me, the feverish demand created for these brands mean that they largely stop representing value for money, which when translated into English simply means they’re overpriced. Brands like JLC, Zenith and Oris, perhaps even Tudor (irony of ironies!) translate into a much fairer value proposition bearing in mind their comparative horological excellence. Your views?

Nice vid but it all depends what you see in a watch. If See Thru caseback and decoration is important, Rolex is not for you. By the way, my Rolex watches are running much more consistent than the JLC I got.

Rolex is a victim of its own success. Anyone who hates Rolex don’t know watches, they are class. Saying that, would I buy one, no. I love the Datejust, but I’d rather have a Polaris; for me, that’s the issue. Most Rolex owners aren’t watch guys.

Good non-judgmental presentation....I heard you mention New England....I am originally from Vermont.

There is Rolex watch, and there is Rolex culture. I don’t have any problem with the former despite the fact it is not my type of watch; but yes, I despise the Rolex culture, especially from ADs.

Hi Bill . What's your opinion over the Tudor Black Bay 58 instead of the standard and ubiquitous Sub?

The thought process is this... Everybody knows Rolex is a good watch, therefore even those that know nothing also know that Rolex is a good watch... therefore many people who wear Rolex know nothing about watches. People who know nothing about watches aspire to own one as a status symbol but wouldn't know a decent watch if it punched them in the face. Therefore out of anti-snobbishness (or even out of snobbishness because they are commonplace) people negatively associate with Rolex owners. A Rolex is simply too obvious for some. The hate is generally a rejection based on the Rolex following not the watches themselves.... personally I have negative view on Breitling and Rolex fanboys, but Rolex is a watch that makes sense both as an investment and in terms of reliability. I am not a big fan of Rolex so it wasn't one of the first watches I bought but after I had one or two less obvious watches I added a Submariner and an old vintage gold one from 1924, I am happy with these but they aren't high horology IMO. My favourite watch is my Royal Oak and I think it always will be.

Rolex are great i played football in mine this morning and you carry do that with many automatic watches.all in house.great watches and very accurate.

Please fix the exposure setting the video look likes a disco light. Its a easy fix, simple setting.

I won’t say I hate Rolex. I just don’t think the watch has the value that it costs for me. Like the Submariner can’t stand against the JLC Polaris for me. Just as a example. 🤷‍♂️ Or SEAQ Glashütte Or ..... GP Laureato If they would put some nice finishing on the movements and would put a exhibition case back. I would consider to buy one. I quite like the date just with Roman numerals. But it is not like I need to have it. There are many cool daily rockers there outside.

I have no hate of Rolex, owned one in the mid 90's, but you have to acknowledge that they are the most knocked off!

is it an Aristide Bruant picture you ve got in the back Bill ?

Rolex Milgauss was my first grail watch. I've had it for years now, and its still my favorite watch. I'm not as drawn to most of the rest of the Rolex collection. I don't care much for their "jubilee" bezel, which is on most of their offerings... it's totally subjective for me to say it, but it just looks too busy/flashy to me. Live and let live- not a rip on anybody.

Rolex does make some pretty nice models and I do like their Oyster Perpetual 39. But, watches are watches and don't let them define who you are. At the end of the day, as long as you are happy with what you have, that is the most important thing.

Nice video Bill. I've just bought my first Rolex, new from an AD. Green ceramic Sub. Thought that I might be disappointed with it after a while, find it too flashy and gaudy, attracting the wrong type of people, and also regret spending £6600 on it. 6 weeks in (yes, maybe the honeymoon period still) i absolutely love it. Have worn it every day (to the detriment of the rest of my collection), and it has initiated some really interesting conversations with watch enthusiasts. I think a small number of individuals give Rolex, and their owners, a bad reputation. Love the videos btw.

Coming back to this 3 years after the video, but recent events have definitely changed my opinion of the brand as a whole. First, I love a few of Rolex's line. Datejust 41 and the Milgauss were my favorite and I went ahead and got on a large rolex group to try to figure out exactly what I was going to buy. It was the members of that group that began to shift my opinion on wearing a rolex in general. They seemed often dismissive of other brands and unfortunately when we're talking about a brand, the culture behind the wearers does leak into my opinion of whether or not to buy their product. I was still planning on buying the datejust because I thought, "well I'll just be a nice rolex owner who also likes his seikos". I went to three separate authorized dealers, one refused to take my name for a datejust and advised me to buy a Milgauss first to develop a relationship, another answered my question with "it's on the website" before calling someone in front of me and the last said another variation of the first. I don't know if I'm being unreasonable here, but I've more or less decided to avoid the brand as a whole. Rolex makes great watches, but apparently not for me.

What do you think about the Rolex Prince , Bill ?

Great video. as a Yankee fan, (I make this similar to liking Rolex) , I agree and understand the crap spoken. Rolex is a great watch. I own one (gifted 50th by my GF i love will post on fb thread, and polar exp ii orange hand). I do not like the pretentious stereotype for Rolex or any brand. Only thing I do not like about Rolex is the plain case backs. That is it, display or decorate the case back like my Ball or Breightling

PEOPLE MAKE THAT BRAND FOR WHAT IT IS, price tag is derived from demand, it just simple rule in any economy, AND WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS GOING ON, people Enthusiastic without second thought that's the problem

In Australia we refer to it as the tall poppy syndrome. That's all it is from what I have seen since jumping onto Facebook pages for the past year. I really enjoyed your video.

Bill I met a Doctor that had the omega 007 watch on , and I told him what a great watch it is , and he was really surprised I knew what kind of watch it was , and it made him really happy when I told him how much I liked it , and I do like Omega, then I met my male nurse , and he was wearing a Seiko G shock , and I told him I liked it , said he loves it had it for years and it was able to take a real beating , it made him happy to , the next day I wore my G Shock , he gave me a high five when he saw it , I’m no watch expert , but can pick out a few watches , and like to compliment people on there watch , my buddy has a Rolex Submariner , when we get together for cards he lets me wear it , maybe some day I’ll get a grail watch ? God Bless Bill , Bill I see some watches that are worth a million dollars or more , my question for you is , would you ever pay that much for a watch if you became really rich? I don’t know if I could pay that much for a watch , even if I hit a huge lottery? Maybe a hundred thousand tops , I’d definitely get a couple watches from the Trinity, lol God Bless again Bill 🙏🏻

Thank you for video.Enjoyed it as always!

My 'beef' with the whole horological world is all the stuck-up attitudes with preconceived notions who feel the need to compartmentalize. This isn't a pissing contest, there's room for all the watch brands and then some. Clearly those of us into watches-- mechanical ones in particular-- have an affection for various aspects of them, so why tout such vitriol all the time? Rolex makes a great watch period. That the movements aren't adorned with fancy carvings or that they don't feature any obscene complications doesn't make them any worse than a Lange, Patek, Dufour, Smith, etc.; they're simply not so focused on superficial things like that and chose to instead focus efforts on constantly bettering reliability/rigidity and things that really matter- hence the reputation for being such great tool watches. There is of course still that level of mania needed to actually buy one as there's, objectively speaking, no practical reason to do so today, but we are, again fans of horology and owning one can mean so many things to us. I'm 28 and will be getting my first real watch-- a new Rolex 50th Anniversary Sea-Dweller-- later this month after saving for what seems like an eternity, not to boast as some ridiculous status symbol, but because I've got a great sense of nostalgia for the brand and, more broadly, watches in general ever since I was a kid surrounded by all my grandfathers watches (no Rolexes- mainly old Soviet pieces). I'm really excited for it, but also know that I'll be almost ashamed to wear it out where I live and in my circles as they definitely do elicit some strange reactions from people and can convey certain (wrong) messages. For me it has absolutely nothing to do with being a show of wealth- it is merely a fulfillment of a childhood dream and deep appreciation of horology. I'm aware of all the alternatives one could get into at that price range, but chose Rolex over everything else. I just wish watch people weren't so childish and hateful- they're just watches for fucks sake! I think any owner of a Rolex, Patek, Mille, Fornier, FPJ, etc. can objectively admit that a GS is the better watch, but what if anything is this obsession of ours if not rooted deeply in romanticism?

Fair advice sir I would expect nothing less from you, rolex is not top of my list ,do I like them yes of course I do ,brilliant craftsmanship but not top of my personal list.👍ps I've just read the list of you're publications wow, I don't think I've ever known someone educated to such a high level and no elitism just a normal guy great respect for you sir.

Rolex are good watches among many other good Swiss watches but the problem is with Rolex ADs worldwide they started a gray market supported by money laundering guys and people working in the gray market.Even if you are rich and earned your money in a legal ways you will not be happy in buying Rolex from the gray market paying for used or unworn 3 to 6 times the price at the Rolex AD as it’s not only good Swiss watch in the market

I guess we all form our opinions to some extent by our circle of acquaintances and culture. When I first got into watches I wanted to start with Rolex. Unfortunately, the only Rolex people I have ever known were pompous . Also, at the time I was developing an interest in watches was when it was cool for rappers to sport blinged out Rolexes as a status symbol. Those things sort of soured me to the brand. I think they make nice watches and I marvel that they can mass produce so many accurate watches a year. But my tastes have changed and a Rolex really isn't my style. If I were to get one, I might select a basic Oyster Perpetual (36 or 39mm) with a unique color for the dial (grape or slate perhaps). No two tone fluted bezel or date window though, the fluted bezel and Cyclops magnifier draws attention to it being a Rolex. Unfortunately, that version Rolex costs the same as a Habring2 Felix. I would go with the Felix instead. I don't like following the crowd.

What I don’t like about Rolex is that they are overpriced in my eyes. They don’t have the value they ask the money for. Compare a 8K movement from JLC with a submariner movement. Also this hype makes them kind of undesirable for me. Like many people want a Pepsi or a Hulk. They are ready to pay 17K for one of them. That’s crazy !! Go get a blancpain FF!!

tks a lot mr Bille,

Personally, my favorite Rolex models are the more unusual models like the amazing Genta-designed King Midas models from the ‘70s (the one worn by Elvis!). Edit: At the end of the day, it’s never a good idea to limit yourself by refusing to consider certain brands. It’s interesting that you brought up Hublot because they have a rather negative reputation around the industry. I too have seen a few of them that I liked, as I’ve found watches that I’ve enjoyed from literally every single brand that exists. They’re watches - throw your biases and aspersions out the window and embrace things you wouldn’t normally as you might find that you discover something new that you love!

To be honest Rolex is NOT a high horology watch that can stands on the same level of A.Lang&Sohne, Journe, Jaeger, BlancPain, PP, Moinet, Claret etc. Why rich people run after Rolex to quench their thirst. I mean today people are spending crazy amount of money on a luxury Rolex full of diamond to impress but what the watch does mechanically is absolutely Nothing. This is just pretentuous. I'm not jealous, that's facts. Rolex is not a quality watch, they never was and will never be. To be honest it's very tight for ROLEX to play in the top league among brands I mentioned above. These Brands are innovating mechanically not Luxuriously. While a Rolex are a mass produced. Most rich people don't really understand High Horology mechanical watches, they will stick to Rolex rather than a Breguet. These person won't even understand Resonance, Minute Repeater, Ratrappante etc

Another great video Bill. Must admit to being fairly ambivalent regarding Rolex. I guess there just not my style. For the same money I can buy something I really like. I think jealousy plays its part with the Rolex haters rather than anything else. Back in the 80'S working on London I had a Jaguar XJ6. It wasn't even new at about 8 years old. Every other driver on the road seemed to hate me. They wouldn't give way at junctions, would aim for me on narrow streets and look the other way. I even heard comments for people in car parks from people making derogatory comments. I think it's the same thing with Rolex as I had with the car. The joke was that I bought it dirt cheap as it was a 4.2 and horrendously expensive to run and probably cost less than the Ford Fiesta driven by the people who looked at me with disdain for supposedly being a rich twat.

My grandfather had a ROLEX since the 1950s, up to that point he was an Omega man, similarly my grandmother was wearing an Omegas both daily and for formal purposes, and then in the early 1970s acquired a ROLEX. My parents were waring ROLEX since 1960s and my sister, my brother and myself since the mid-1970s. I have been wearing it since I entered university in 1974 continuously. Uncles aunts cousins all the same. All these watches are chunky hard waring watertight and very robust. Consequently my perception of a ROLEX is an everyday sports educing watch. My father also had a golden Jaeger Le-Coultre that he was wearing since he got married in 1952, and once he got his ROLEX would wear his Jaeger Le-Coultre only as a habillé watch. This stuck in my mind is so when I got married I also got a golden Jager Le Court )not thicker than 4 mm) and have been using it as my habillé watch. In the 60’s not that many people knew of ROLEX, but quite a few in the ‘70s. My best friend Stelios (who I met in 1975) had a TUDOR and I was jealous of it because there was a feeling of reverse snobbery about it. Later on when I became conscious that ROLEX made watches with diamonds and other stones, I got perplexed and just couldn’t understand it. A thick watch is a utilitarian watch. An habillé watch is thin and light, so a ROLEX out of construction cannot be a habillé. The whole thing was silly and then, … and then the masses learned about ROLEX and anybody looking for a status symbol, starting waring a ROLEX. The more precious stones the better!! the more platinum the better!!! Diamond covered DEEPSEA Sea Dweller with gas escape valve ??? diamond covered bracelet??? and advertised as water resistant for 3,900.00 meters ??? No matter what the market wants (Russian oligarch thieves or ill-educated Saudi princes) a reputable company should not produce such objects. Of course a PIAGET for double the price and a quarter of the thickness makes all the sense in the world. Myself every day I wear my Oster Perpetual Date and don’t think of it. It has become part of my skin. I love my ROLEX. Some years ago I went to have it serviced but the watchmaker that use to be at ROLEX service in Athens had retired. The whole place was revamped and a beautiful and glamorous receptionist greeted me. Behind the desk was there and a salesman. When he looked at my 1974 watch he remarked that I should not wear it much, as it is old and spare parts would be difficult to find and maybe they would even have to send it to Genève!!!, so he suggested I perches a new ROLEX. To my understanding ROLEX marketing has lost its way. Now that my children entered university I bought a TUDOR Pelagos for my son and a TUDOR Style Champagne for my daughter and told them that a person in his 20s cannot be seen with a ROLEX. It is simply too pretentious now days. If they want one, once they become successful, they should make their own decision then. Some of their friends got ROLEXes but after a while stop waring them. My children thoroughly enjoy their TUDORs. Athos

I am too poor for Rolex. I would love to have a Grand Seiko. I like your videos very much.

Certainly one of the most controversial subjects in horology. I tend to agree Rolex means different things depending on which stage of watch collecting one is in. No doubt Rolex make great watches but state of art in finishing is not there given their production line doesn't afford that. The thing that really disappoint me on the brand is it's lack of care about its collectors. From my view they care a lot about selling new pieces but have small consideration about supporting vintage ones. Different from Patek who services its pieces even if they are hundred years old ;) Nevertheless, I still enjoy Rolex.

One of the knocks against Rolex is that moreso than other luxury brands they are mostly made by machine. Some people buy luxury watches knowing that they are less accurate than $10 quartz watches but do so as a way of supporting the artistry and craftsmanship of luxury watchmakers. By buying a Rolex you are not really doing this. You are supporting a robotic engineer and programmer which you can do by buying a $10 quartz watch. Also, it seems that a lot of Rolex owners really don't appreciate Rolex as a whole, but limit themselves to steel divers. Lots of Rolex owners would never think to buy a Cellini or an Oyster Perpetual. It's either a sub or nothing. This seems rather narrowminded. Of course other brands have the same issue with AP aficionados only caring about Royal Oaks, Jaeger fans only caring about Reversos, etc. but it seems more endemic in the Rolex world.

Great post and insight. Thanks for the perspective.

Sometimes a stereotype gets confirmed, that is all it is really. Nice to see that you collect off the beaten path and have your own taste, enjoy in good health.

The ROLEX Daytona costs about four times more than the ZENITH El Primero. As the quality and appearance of the two watches are so similar, why is the ROLEX much more expensive? That is my only beef with ROLEX. ( Am I wrong; can the price difference be justified? )

Me too Bill, I brought my first RR at 24, a Silver Shadow II, I brought it because I love the brand and history. I wouldn't buy a new RR, my next will be a 1957 Silver Cloud👍

I do think there is legitimate gripe against Rolex; which is their mass manipulation of the watch market, or as they call it ‘good marketing’. What is the chance of walking into your local AD and picking up a new steel Daytona, or any steel sports watch for that matter. Obviously pretty small. Rolex controls all the levers and are master manipulators of price, design/model, and supply. They operate more like a Swiss cartel than a legitimate business. This totally distorts the secondary market, where you often have to pay above retail for popular models. I love most Rolex steel sports watches, they are utter class if a little boring, but I find it difficult to support a company that operates in this way.

Rolex is for watches what Louis Vuitton for handbags. Both brands are very distinctive and expensive, making them the desire of those who want to look better off than they are, and causing those with money enough to buy any brand they like, an instant dislike for Rolex and LV, in their eagerness not to be considered one of those aspirants. Some years ago, Burberry´s brand was damaged when chinese imitations made their designs look ¨too available to anyone¨. They solved the problem by raising the prices to make them prohibitive for those who could only afford an entrance piece, and by refreshing the design of the famous pattern and moderating its use. Luxury products whose designs are discreet, rarely appeal to those who want to show off, but rather to those who appreciate what they really are. Still, all this is a bit unfair on those who truly love Rolex and Louis Vuitton. They should be entitled to enjoy them without suffering criticism or stereotypes...

Hey Bill, I don't hate Rolex. I recognize that they make reliable watches; I just can't afford one. And the more research I do, the more watches I find that have similar features to certain Rolex models that cost significantly less. But I haven't found an equivalent to a sky dweller yet, though. That one is unique, gorgeous, and pretty expensive!

Good one Bill. great Vid.

I love my Sub 5513 super great watch I also have a Tip Top

Rolls Royce .....my absolute favourite car since childhood.

The Rolex is great the issue is the ppl wearing them and the flex culture around it.

Great video ,all watches are good it’s the person that wears it ,that can be the problem Thanks Charlie

I don’t know, they just cannot called pretty, just like Audi, not ugly but definitely not pretty. Now I love Cartier, their santos just beauty

I'm one of those guys ( like you ) may be one day , may be not . Who knows ... ?

Hi Bill, for some reasons, I cannot contact you through email. Did you get my email messages?

Hey Bill , my Brother May have met the biggest idiot in the world the other day , his job brings him into a lot of people’s homes , and this one guy he did some work for had a huge collection of Rolex and other watches in his living room in a huge display case ? Not only that the watches actually spun around the inside of the case ! Now my Brother knows Rolex like just about everyone does but I’m guessing the other watches were very special probably even more so than the Rolex collection he had , I’m just wondering who does that ? Even if he has them insured or a pretty good alarm system, why take the chance he’s got to be an idiot , I mean the pizza delivery guy shows up and he sees 35 Rolex and other expensive watches rotating in probably some kind of high priced crystal case ? It just seems to me he’s inviting trouble, I wish I was with him to see what this guy had , there’s a pod I watch sometimes called the producer , this guys name is mike and he’s an actual producer,and he has this kid following him around with a camera and he shows this guys life style, mind you I’ve never heard of anything he’s produced but this man is loaded with cash , I wish you would watch it Bill , he has a watch collection that’s out of this world , I’d like to know what you think about his collection? Now he goes to the bank and takes one collection at a time , and there’s about 30 watches per carrier and I think he’s got about 4 of them , now he claims he has to keep them in the bank or his insurance won’t cover them ? He has one watch that is a huge crystal and inside it has a huge diamond on one side and the earth 🌏 on the other and the whole thing rotates , I can’t remember who made it ? But just that one piece is over a million dollars, and he has a lot of Richard Mille watches, he doesn’t tell you the prices but I’m guessing the Mille watches are pushing close to a million, I think it’s called the producer, guys name is Mike , and believe it or not guy seems like a really nice guy , just makes you wonder how nice life could be with that kind of money ! Lol and he says compared to some of his friends he’s poor ? Again great blog Bill , sorry about the book

Bill- love your channel. You mentioned that you got lucky with a book you wrote. What’s the title? Thanks

Mass produced luxury 😀😂

Rolex is a brand. They make good watches. But they are overrated. There are much better watches out there. They're often overpriced, and they engage in business practices that most people would consider unethical, to say the least. They refuse to give you the warranty card for your watch so you don't sell them at a premium, yet they limit almost all of their models to well below their capacity to boost their value through engineered scarcity. The pretentious issue comes in when people buy a Rolex without knowing if it's real or not just to show off. They often don't care about the horology of the timepiece and it really gets my goat when Rolex owners shun Patek Philipe owners or F.P Journe owners as owning bad watches, because to a Rolex owner, there is nothing above Rolex. Also for the price of a used Submairainer (good luck getting one from an AD these days), you're paying about $8000 on the used market. You can buy 2 vintage Patek Philipe's 3 Vacheron Constantins and at least one AP for that price!

Some cute buxom women came up to me the other day -- I was sitting at a sidewalk café enjoying my cappuccino and the sights -- and asks me "Is that a real Rolex?" I said "Lady, it is as real as your effrontery." i might have responded differently had I not seen my wife crossing the street towards me. Ah, the problems my Rolex Day-Date causes me!

Enjoyed the video. Like the content of this and your other work 👍

I don't dislike Rolex at all, I just find that for the price of their watches there are so many other more interesting watches, but that's just my personal taste. However, I have been told the only reason I don't like them is because I can't afford one, which was baffling since I was talking about wanting to buy an £8k Reverso in the same conversation prior to that comment.

ask any Rolex AD what they think of Rolex

I think there are 3 main categories of Rolex owners: 1. Want to impress others 2. Very concerned with resale 3. Just love the watch for the watch itself. There is some overlap of course. There are 4 main categories to Rolex "haters" 1. Think its overpriced 2. Can't afford it 3. Negative association based on A-holes who own a Rolex. 4. Too predictable choice. I can say at some point or another, I've been in numerous categories of both Rolex owners and haters, LOL.

its because rolex is a tool watch ie a working mans watch rolex schooled all the haute horology in marketing its jealousy from people wearing haute horology that nobody is interested in rolex is a household name nobody has heard of patek vc jlc etc perhaps they should do some marketing thanks for the video ps i love all watches at anyprice point i am looking for a jlc but i only have 7000gbp to spend any tips please guys???

Sage advise as always Bill, thanks.

"ROLEX" LIKE YOU, DON'T CARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ... SUPER TOPIC Kinda Like confession, lets everyone get their opinion Out Of Their System ... Grew up in N.Y.C. where EVERYONE & their Mother had a Rolex (all fake, OF COURSE) so very early thru overdose the brand lost its interest FOR ME ... However, the Wife is a Business Woman & she likes them so I recently got her an Air King 36mm which she uses for work ... I on the other hand & to keep the score Even got myself the Standard Horology Longines 75th Anniversary "Lindberg" Hour Angle 38mm Pop Open Engraved Caseback Mint Box Papers, because I Like Aviation A LOT (preferring it over the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch) for its historical Tribute to Lindberg's 1927 Atlantic Ocean crossing ... Went to Amazon for a Bill Sanders book & found 4 titles, which one is yours ? ANOTHER GREAT REVIEW AS USUAL. Major Jim, USMC

Unfortunately most of us if told to draw a Rolex can do so by memory. It's a part of world culture. Climb Everest. Visit the great Wall of China. Buy a Rolex. Bucket list!

Thank You! Werry interesting! ) Like Rolex. One day I’ wish to buy .

I would say the problem with Rolex is the price we have to pay for them. The Submariner for example. Great $3,000 watch! Too bad it costs $7,500-$8,000. How are we supposed to judge great watches? We could take every brand and check for accuracy after they have been professionally adjusted. We could do an endurance and survivability test. Then we may end up with a Seiko Diver as the world's best watch, or maybe it would be Casio G-Shock if we included quartz to the mix. In reality there is not much wrong with Rolex. Too expensive? Look at Tudor. Tudor too expensive? Look at Hamilton. And on and on. I feel like a watch snob when I buy a $150 vintage watch when nobody else thought it was worthy. I also own an Exp. II. Nice watch, but the best?

There are good and bad Rolex owners - same with any other item :)

Enjoyed the video and your take on Rolex! What is the title to the book you wrote? I would love to read it. Thx