Some vintage watch collectors love Omega. Some love Audemars Piguet. Some love all kinds. But Rolex is among the world’s most recognizable luxury brands because Rolex lovers tend to get a little obsessed. Here are just a few of the reasons why.
- They’re purpose-built
From the very beginning Rolex based its watches to revolve around a certain purpose. Their quality and the skills that goes into building these watches for that specific purpose make these watches extremely long lasting and extremely handy. And that makes these watches much more than just a piece of art for the owner.
One good example of this is the GMT-Master model, which was designed for the pilots of the Pan-American airline for the specific purpose of showing time at two time zones at once for a phenomenon called jet-lag.
- Details, details
The length to which Rolex is willing to go for its details are absolutely extreme. From extremely difficult skills of that craftsmen of the past to new high tech tools, Rolex has always been on the forefront of details to the max. The details such as various dials and bezels and the famous crown emblem are what make these watches to go from 5000 dollars to a 80000 dollar collectible item that goes up in value forevermore.
3 It’s OK to accessories
One of the most iconic features of all Rolex watches, is their versatility. The looks and feel of these watches can vary in extreme ranges just by changing their metal straps to a NATO or nylon one. The possibility of accessorizing these watches give them immense power and life both in taste and durability.
4 Their value just keeps growing
All these qualities and attention to details combined with rich history and durability, cause these watches’ value to never stop growing. Particularly with vintage models such as the Submariner or Daytona. A Rolex watch bought for 2000 dollars in 1971 can worth up to 130000 dollars today in auctions across the world. But you are wrong if you think it’s all about the money. It’s about the character.
5 They’re tough
Backed by the craftsmanship that have been going into making these watches from the very beginning, Rolex designers have found incredible ways to make their luxury products, robust and long lasting. The Rolex Explorer, for example, was designed to be exceptionally robust, with special lubricants in the movement that could withstand extreme changes in temperature. Rolex specifically had high-altitude mountain climbers in mind, who might encounter profound temperature changes between day and night. One of the Explorer’s immediate forebears, an Oyster Perpetual chronometer (likely a reference 6084) accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on the first summit of Mount Everest in 1953. It survives in working condition today at the Beyer Watch and Clock Museum in Zürich.