Rolex Watches – Luxury and Quality
If you’re even vaguely familiar with luxury timepieces, you’ll be familiar with Rolex watches. Made in Britain and Switzerland since 1905, Rolex watches are among the most sought after and desirable of all luxury timepieces. The company is well known for their innovation, their build quality and and their iconic designs.
While they aren’t inexpensive, these are beautiful pieces of jewelry that nicely blend engineering prowess and art, with the occasional diamonds thrown in for good measure. While they’re not affordable for everyone, you’ll find that they will stop traffic and draw attention everywhere you go. They’re also likely to last pretty much forever, especially if they receive regular factory maintenance.
Read on for the full Rolex watches review.
Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary
Rolex Watches Build Quality
The build quality is among the best in the industry, and has been for decades. The company was the first to introduce seriously water resistant wristwatches to the marketplace; some of their models advertise water resistance to 3900 meters!
Their cases are made from stainless steel, platinum or gold, they use rock-hard sapphire crystal, and their mechanical movements are renowned for their precision and their durability. If you buy Rolex watches today, they’ll last as long, or longer, as you will.
While the company has offered a few models over the years with quartz movements, they have long preferred mechanical movements, and most of their current product line features automatic mechanical works.
Rolex watches are very precise, Swiss-made timepieces that are both durable and accurate. The company brings a long history of fine watchmaking to their current product line, and their current lineup of products are as good, or better, than anything they’ve ever made.
The company has a long history of historic innovation. They introduced the world’s first water-resistant wristwatch, and were early to market with an automatic movement. They produced the first watch with 100 meter water resistance and the first watch to display time in two time zones simultaneously.
They were also the first to market with both the date and day/date displays. They’ve had more products certified as chronometers than any other watchmaker. They continue that tradition today by incorporating high-tech ceramics and extraordinary water resistance into their current models.
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You’ll find that for the most part, these feature traditional styling. They have several product lines, Oyster Perpetual, Professional and Cellini. These are models for everyday wear, sports wear, and evening wear. Many of their models feature gold and platinum and even diamonds in their designs.
As their current product line features automatic movements, the displays are all analog. Many of their sports models feature chronograph features, with multiple dials and world-class water resistance. Bands are available in steel, leather, rubber and gold.
You’re not going to find unusual colors in the lineup; they’re going to feature silver and gold, with a few models sporting blue or black faces. You won’t find much in the way of reds or pinks; the company sticks to traditional colors and styling and leaves the fads to everyone else.
That said, they do offer a nice variety of timepieces; perhaps 100 or so altogether. Of course, they also produce limited edition models from time to time; these are often extremely limited in production and can be rather difficult to acquire, as collectors tend to grab them rather quickly when they become available.
As these feature elaborate mechanical movements, Rolex watches do require occasional maintenance. Every 6-8 years, it is recommended that you send your timepiece to Rolex, who will disassemble it, examine it, clean it, lubricate it, and repair it if necessary while replacing any worn parts. Then they’ll reassemble it, pressure test it, and clean the exterior of the watch and return it to you in like-new condition.
While this work must be done at the owner’s expense, the work does include a two year warranty, effectively renewing the original factory guarantee. Aside from this highly recommended maintenance, you should either wear your wristwatch regularly in order to keep it running properly or you should store it in a watch winder to keep it running accurately.
Keep it away from caustic chemicals or temperature extremes. With proper care, you’ll find that these watches can last indefinitely.
Your purchase includes a two year factory warranty against defects in materials and craftsmanship. This is about the industry average, and probably the only area where this company’s products could be regarded as “average.” That said, any factory defects will probably become apparent soon after purchase, and that two year warranty is effectively renewed every time you send your watch to the company for regular service.
This will surprise no one, but these watches are expensive, ranging from moderately expensive to extremely expensive. The least expensive model currently sells for about $5000, and their most expensive model retails for a little over $400,000.
You get what you pay for, however, and these are beautiful, well made timepieces that hold their value well. Collectors love them, and many models have been known to appreciate in value, particularly the older ones. The company prefers to sell their products exclusively through select dealers; these are almost always high end jewelry stores.
Because of this, there’s also strict price controls, and it can be difficult, though not impossible, to buy at a discount. There are a handful of retailers online who sell new, authentic discount Rolex watches, but there aren’t many.
Note: There are a few online dealers who specialize in modified Rolex watches; these are usually pre-owned models that have had third-party parts or additional jewels or gold added to them. In some cases, these watches have been treated with a process called PVD (physical vapor deposition) to change the color of the watch case.
The most common color using this process is black, as some people find them attractive and Rolex has never authorized the manufacture of a black watch. While these modified Rolex watches can be interesting, the modifications are not authorized by the company, and these timepieces may not be regarded as authentic by the company should you need to have one serviced. We recommend that you purchase only new, unmodified, models.
As we previously mentioned, this brand is officially offered for sale only via factory-approved dealers who strictly control both the availability and the sales price. If you buy from a dealer, you will have to pay the full recommended retail price; there’s no haggling an official dealer. On the other hand, there are a very few online dealers that sell authentic watches at a discount.
Rolex Watches Summary
As their reputation suggests, Rolex watches are attractive, durable and carry a legendary reputation. They are rightly regarded as a status symbol around the globe, and if you wear one, it tells everyone that you are a successful person.
They have a large selection of models for casual, sports and formal wear, they use high quality materials, including platinum and gold, and they’ll last for decades with proper care. Yes, they’re expensive, but they’re also quite limited in production and you absolutely get what you pay for. If you want what may be the final word in luxury timepieces, you should definitely put Rolex watches on your short list.