Dino944
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- Dec 24, 2011
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Oh, I'm quite aware that they're all as guilty as each other.
View attachment 1279207
But the discussion was about Rolex and my point was that there seems to be this idea that they (more than others) have stayed true to an ideal of honest watchmaking. I'm sure it can be argued that, to some extent and in certain aspects, they have. But they also churn out a lot of gaudy tat aimed at a certain market (I am in full-on snob mode now). And even their "no nonsense" tool watches have become more ostentatious. Whether this is deliberate, e.g. with polished parts such as you describe, or as side effect of rational design changes, such as the use of ceramic bezels, the overall effect is a blingier watch. Perhaps that trend started even earlier than I realised, but it seems to be a continuing one.
To your last comment, I suppose they (and the other guilty brands) could stop producing these watches, but this would be at the expense of their bottom lines. So of course this will never happen. The public gets what the public wants, I guess!
Maybe its more of to what degree they can stay true to the products they made in the past. Many of the changes we see are probably because of the public at large has changed. My parent's generation didn't walk around in T shirts that said LV, Balmaine, Balenciaga etc. Perhaps today's generation likes or wants more bling and so it is the watch companies' response to that demand. If people want something and one watch company doesn't make it, perhaps then people shift their purchases to brands that respond to their wishes. Rolex was one of the last companies to start making watches that were over 40mm. Dedicated Rolex forums had lots of posting that they wanted to see bigger watches from Rolex. Rolex finally gave in with the Deep-Sea. Did it need to be that large? Probably not, after all 40mm Sea-Dwellers and Subs of the past were certainly more than adequate in the days before dive computers, when divers actually depended on their wristwatches. In addition, a company like Rolex has the task of continuing to make watches that look like their classics, which people expect to be tool watches, but also appealing to people who already have the classic models and want something different, and to try to appeal to completely new buyers who want something modern.