: Thank you for the education on Rolex. My
: awareness of the Rolex brand had been
: limited to: 1. Movie Stars
: 2. Rappers
: 3. NBA players
: 4. Guys in Las Vegas with gold neck chains
: I'm glad to hear that they make some bombproof
: stuff for people who are willing to put
: their life on the line for what they believe
: in.
IMO, unfortunately, this has become Rolex's downfall. In the 60s and 70s, arguably early 80s, Rolex had a reputation as a fine watch, whether it be the President or the sportier styles. It had a reputation as a highly durable, water resistant watch. Water resistance was one of the Oyster's key selling points.
The Sea Dweller was specifically made for Comex at first. Comex was a French diving company that worked on off-shore oil rigs etc. The Explorer 2 was specifically made for spelunkers (sp? "cave explorers") that needed to be able to see 24h time. The Explorer was worn by Sir Edmund Hillary (or was it Tensing Norgay?) on the first assent of Everest....etc
As I see it, Rolex-mania started in the early 1980s. The development of "yuppies", "hostile takeovers" and all the excess of the 80s fueled Rolex's success. Now they have the most copied, most after-market-messed-up watches on the planet. For example, they came out with the Yacht Master. The YM looks like a Submariner, but the bezel is platinum, shiny, and hard to read and turns in both directions. The water depth rating is less than the Sub. The face is made of platinum also, so it's harder to read. The crown is the same size as the Sub...WHY? ...Because they now are in an era of selling pure perception...not just "tool" watches.
