alterego Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 I know Rolls Royce will never build a million cars per year, bercause there are not enough customers to buy such a production. I own a Rolex and probably I'll never be able to afford a Rolls. But the point is: are both products comparable when it comes to quality and durability and status ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rrari1 Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 I do not think Rolex ever had a history of uber luxury. They were initially famous for their reliability. For a long times all watches were expensive, and most good ones were swiss. Rolex made a few innovations like waterproofing which cemented their rep as the most reliable watch. Their watches are more sports style than elegant. They would maybe be the BMW of watches rather than Rolls Royce. Patek Philippe might be the RR of the watch industry. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 Patek is probably the rolls royce. Rolex has always struck me as mercedes benz, if one were forced to draw a comparison.Yknow. The vintage ones being prettier and more lust-worthy than the modern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonyyammine Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 Of the big name brands I would go with Patek and Vacheron. If you want a watch that is comparably limited like the Rolls Royce then that watch in my opinion is a Philppe Dufour. Look that up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legend Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 Rolex is like a BMW 5 series sedan if an analogy has to be drawn in such a way. No way can it be an RR. I agree that Patek is a better comparison to being the RR of the watch industry. The APs, Hublots are sportier, and could be compared to the top range of Mercedes, BMW, or perhaps a Porsche Carrera. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 Yes, Patek is more akin to Rolls. Rolex is the watch analogue to Mercedes-Benz. Both (Rolex & Mercedes) began around the same time, have been credited with bringing more innovations to market than any of their competitors (even if they did not themselves invent all of said innovations), produce a wide range of luxury products within their respective ranges & generally maintain a high level of quality. I think it is worth noting that each produced 1 of their most iconic products the same year - the Sub & 300SL appeared in 1954. The main difference between them is that Mercedes lionizes collectors & provides ongoing parts/support for their vintage products Meanwhile, Rolex appears to do everything they can to undermine them (refusing to provide parts/service for vintage watches, limiting parts availability, requiring owners to replace vintage parts be replaced with modern parts, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 I agree completely with freddy! The gullwing is like the big crown sub! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptTripps Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 I always saw Rolex in the same light as Mercedes, Bose and Mont Blanc. You think it's the best, until you can afford it...and then realize that there are 100 brands that are better and more expensive. For that reason, I used to never wear a Rolex into a meeting with a new client. I could have a 10K Panerai on my wrist and they won't say a thing. I wear a $4K Submariner into a meeting, and I get a snide comment like "Jeez...looks like we're paying you too much!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alterego Posted April 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 How Interesting that most replies tend to identify/compare Rolex with Mercedes. Both of them are top quality and as far as I know pretty much along the same lines in customer satisfaction. Maybe that's true if we look at the price and status symbol quality of both products. I've seen Mercedes cars racing at various types of competitions (a demanding mechanical test for any car looking for recognition in the world) and they generally come out with very good performance. I've seen Rolex watches taking all kinds of punishment in the wrists of as many types of men and women in just about any profession or trade you can think of, and they generally come out in one piece, after 50 , 60 or more years of flawless performance. I've Never seen a Rolls in a race nor a Patek on the wrist of a tennis player, diver, pilot, firefighter, soldier or coach. Maybe these are extreme luxury items that can afford skipping the demands of the real world, shielded by their social economic prestige. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted April 23, 2013 Report Share Posted April 23, 2013 I think Patek & Rolls are meant to be more like ultra-refined works of art than hearty, well-engineered tools. But Bose?????????? Not even in the same stratosphere as the likes of Patek, Rolls, Rolex or Mercedes. As an ex-Bose 901 owner (& dealer), Bose has never been anything other than middling in quality. In the watch world, Bose probably equates more to Bulova or Seiko (which I believe now own Bulova) than Rolex. Not bad, but nowhere near state-of-the-art in any category, except, possibly, marketing (they market their products very aggressively). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 that watch in my opinion is a Philppe Dufour. Dufour is what people think Swiss watch makers are .. a man in a house high in the mountains making 4 watches a year to the utmost of quality and design. by hand while biting a table in his teeth (look that up) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hambone Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 No far from it. It is an expensive status watch, but it is more like the Cadilac Of the watch biz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 Again, i'm with freddy. No way is Bose a merc analogue. If anything, i'd venture Bowers and Wilkins. Badass and not crazy expensive. But actually worth the money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptTripps Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 My "Bose" analog was more about perception than reality. If I had a Bose Wavefront given to me, I wouldn't use it in the kids' bedroom for lulabys.<br /><br />My Wadia 860 was a $9,800 CD player, and you'd be surprised (or not) by the number of people that would see it, and then comment about some Best-Buy brand all-in-one that they thought was amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonyyammine Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 I don't know why everyone is bashing Bose I have a Bose system for 7 years already it sounds nice and never had a problem with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgtguk Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 I wouldn't compare Rolex with RR, like some of the guys have said I'd go with Bmw maybe even Audi at a push wait for the Audi haters......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 I love Audi, but their vintage history just can't hold a candle to merc's. Bose is good, don't get me wrong. They're just not great, and especially not at that price point. Back in the day, when i was using those sony all-in-one cinema systems, i thought Bose was the business. Then someone made me audition the B&Ws. It was like seeing in technicolour for the first time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 Vintage Rolex <----> Vintage Land RoverIconicSimpleDurable in the worst conditionsSuffer abuse well *cough*Measure performance by consistencyAvoid "features for features' sake"Refuse to stop workingOblivious to social strata Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 (edited) 16610 sub = Mercedes C230 Edited April 24, 2013 by chieftang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hambone Posted April 25, 2013 Report Share Posted April 25, 2013 Bose makes decent audio stuff. I have their wave radio/cd/iPod Player and Bose headphones. There is a lot said here about it,however it has nothing to do with the thread heading/question In the spirit of retuning to topic , Yugo=Rolex Cellini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wat44 Posted April 27, 2013 Report Share Posted April 27, 2013 No highs, no lows... Must be Bose Bose is like TAG. Are rolls Royce still he best? Dunno. But patek, VC, AP and Lange are the top 4 IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kal Vilmer Posted April 29, 2013 Report Share Posted April 29, 2013 (edited) The Rolex success history is tied with their iconic Submariner. The Sub's design is easily the most recognized watch design in the planet. If you ask an everyman on the the street which watch would they pick between a Nautilus, Overseas, Royal Oak and a Submariner probably 99% would pick a Sub. Edited April 29, 2013 by Kal Vilmer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiesn089 Posted April 29, 2013 Report Share Posted April 29, 2013 Quite funny, as I've just recently thought about the car manufacturer - watch brand analogy in order to explain watches to someone not too much into watches. Here's what I came up with. Rolex - Mercedes (I guess that's something we all can easily agree on) Omega - BMW Breitling - Opel Zenith, IWC - Audi JLC - Porsche AP - Ferrari (too many classy watches for Lamborghini imo) VC - Bentley (think Continental GT) Patek - Rolls Royce Lange - Maybach I think that's pretty accurate, Breitling maybe a little bit too harsh... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wat44 Posted April 30, 2013 Report Share Posted April 30, 2013 can grand seiko be lexus? http://professionalwatches.com/2013/04/grand_seiko_44gs_100th_anniver.html#more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alterego Posted May 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2013 can grand seiko be lexus? http://professionalwatches.com/2013/04/grand_seiko_44gs_100th_anniver.html#more I think you a have perfect match there. The Grand Seiko is clearly way more than the average watch of that brand selling at department stores, as the Lexus is a luxury car that is not available for purchase at the average Toyota deaaler. I wonder if nore people own Lexus cars than Grand Seiko watches, or is it the opposite ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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