As someone on the wait list for a Rolex sub, and having tried many alternatives, I wondered what people thought about the VFM of a CW v Rolex.

This is the most modern of my CW watches and I love it.
The question, Is not intended to spark debate, I just would like to know, via a vote, and taking VFM as the main factor. Is the Rolex worth it ?

I voted No, I've handled one of the newer Subs in my life, a Hulk and I honestly couldn't justify the 10x asking price over the newer CW Trident.

Regards Steve

You might want to edit your post Steve as the poll question shows "Is a Rolex Submariner worth 10x the price of a Trident C60 pro 300" but your post accompanying it seems to suggest the question is the other way round as you voted Yes (i.e. "Is the CW better than the Rolex").

I voted No for "Is a Rolex Submariner worth 10x the price of a Trident C60 pro 300".

Given value is subjective, it'd be interesting to hear the reasons from those who voted the Rolex is worth the extra cost over a CW.

@magicman

I have voted (for CW by the way) and I know you didn’t ask for a debate, but I hope you might indulge my Sunday evening thoughts, in case you would find them at all useful. It goes without saying they’re just my own opinions and many may or will disagree, for which I would have no complaints.

In our household we own four Rolex Submariners, two of the older 40mms by my wife and two of the newer 41mms by me. They’re fantastic watches, beautiful looking and I wear them frequently. I also own three very different CW watches now, albeit for a shorter time, and I enjoy them all a lot, in different measures.

I think it depends on how one defines ‘value’ (and I know I digress a little or a lot into enjoyability here, which is also maybe different to value):

- Do I think a Rolex Sub is component- or build-wise 10x the value of a CW: No
- Do I enjoy the aesthetic value of a Rolex Sub 10x my CWs: No, I buy watches for the look and many CWs I actually prefer to the Rolex on any given day
- Does the unavailability of a Rolex make the ‘thrill of the chase’ 10x a CW: possibly. This depends on one’s lust for this, which is a very personal thing. I myself have been smitten by it from time to time.
- Is the possible ego boost (which some may equate to value) of sporting a Rolex sub 10x that of a CW: depends on the company you keep. I’m often surrounded by people wowed by a Rolex. Others love just talking watches and finding out more about a brand and their philosophy.
- Financial value: with your 10k Rolex you can walk out the door and sell for far more than 10k. Your 10x1k CWs I suspect you can generally sell for cost at best. If that’s the value you want then a new Rolex is for you.

Best,
TB

Rightly or wrongly I've never considered this scenario as;-

1. I've not Checked a Rolex Sub over close up, and
2. I've no interest in buying a Rolex; sub or any other model.

I therefore feel I'm not qualified to offer an opinion and have not voted.

Guy

PS> Sorry, Steve. I know this isn't much help, but it's the way I see it.

I have owned a few Roleys (Rolies), including buying two for my better half. Great watches, but in my opinion, they don't warrant their price tag in the slightest.
I have enjoyed my watch hobby/collecting FAR more since.entering the CW arena.

Take from that what you wish

CBMVic20 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 25, 2024 11:27 pm You might want to edit your post Steve as the poll question shows "Is a Rolex Submariner worth 10x the price of a Trident C60 pro 300" but your post accompanying it seems to suggest the question is the other way round as you voted Yes (i.e. "Is the CW better than the Rolex").

I voted No for "Is a Rolex Submariner worth 10x the price of a Trident C60 pro 300".

Given value is subjective, it'd be interesting to hear the reasons from those who voted the Rolex is worth the extra cost over a CW.

Thanks, I've tweaked it.

Regards Steve

The criteria set for the poll is a bit like asking, is black: black and is white: white?
The value of Rolex (and all 'premium' brands) and CW watches are based on the perception instilled in people by clever marketing and group think mostly.
Rolex aren't marketed for, or aimed at people looking for VFM. IMHO most of the true value in owning a Rolex is for perceived status and more than a little in peeing contests. CW is successfully convincing people they are getting VFM quality.
Real VFM is something like San Martin, but only if you evaluate the watch you get for your money and ignore the zero status of the brand.
VFM is inversely proportional to status and perceived luxury in watches (and many other things).

There are watches I would pay Trident prices for, but the Trident isn’t one of them.

There are (in theory at least**) watches I would pay Submariner prices for, but the Submariner isn’t one of them.

I don’t do dive watches. I’ve tried them, but I don’t see the attraction. Therefore I will not mess up your poll.

**In practice I doubt whether I would really ever pay that much for a watch nowadays.

Rolex is one of the few global brands where you are buying the brand first and the product second. You are buying your perception of what owning that brand says about you, or at least what you think it says about you. Rolex have worked very hard and spent a lot of money to create this situation. Do they make good watches? Yes, they actually do. Are they VFM in their price class? No, but it hardly matters because of the way they are perceived.

I'd say that above a certain price point VFM matters much less. The trick is assessing what that price point may be. Is it $10, $100 or even $500? However, I would say that if you're paying $1,000 or more for a watch you're buying luxury. In a simple world if you added up all the parts, labour, marketing and so on then a Rolex isn't worth 10X of a CW but, the world isn't simple, is it?

I think you can probably guess which way I voted. My question to AVO would be is a Rolex 1908 worth X times more than a CW Bel Canto (although I suspect he'll duck the question because he doesn't like the Bel Canto )

albionphoto wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 11:48 am I think you can probably guess which way I voted. My question to AVO would be is a Rolex 1908 worth X times more than a CW Bel Canto (although I suspect he'll duck the question because he doesn't like the Bel Canto )

I’m not really ducking the question, Mark. But it seems a bit pointless to decide which is the better value of two things I don’t particularly value, if you follow my drift. They’re good watches but they don’t interest me. So the same thinking would apply in the case of the Rolex 1908 and the Bel Canto. Now, if you started mentioning watches like the Piaget Altiplano or the Vacheron-Constantin Malte I could probably give you a definitive answer, though holding to my caveat of not being prepared or in some cases able to spend that much on a watch.

I think the value equation is quite relevant.

£10000 v £1000 is a very big step.
Actually £1000 v £100 is a similar proportioned jump.

As I acquired more watches the cut off point for an impulse purchase has lowered considerably. I don't need more watches, although I see many I would like to own, but now £100 merits an amount of ponder power, and it's still not an instant grab.

The question, Is not intended to spark debate

Once you bring Rolex into the discussion, that horse has already bolted

Is a night in a 2 star hotel better VFM than a 5 star hotel? But that's not the point is it?

Surely a luxury product is about how it it makes you feel. If you have £10k to spare for a watch, then a £1K watch isn't indulgent. If you've worked and saved hard to get to £1k and that's a lot of money for you, then that will feel like a special purchase. I can guess which way the poll will go.

Perhaps for balance it should be repeated on a Rolex forum?

I think that if you compare rolex to many other watches that cost several thousand £££s then the fact that you could wear it and then sell it again without losing very much money, makes it almost unique amongst all the brands and for those that can afford it, justifies the extra cost that comes with the brand over some watches of a very similar quality (Omega, GS for example) . I think the OP should maybe rephrase the question to a more relevant comparison. Is CW still offering the class leading value for money it once did? Of that I'm no longer sure. There's still some very nice watches in the 500-1000 range if you look hard enough, and not many of them seem to be CWs of late sadly.

Rolex doesn’t use the same transparent 3x cost pricing model as CW uses. The same question could be asked about any of their watches, not just the Submariner, which happens to be a dive watch. The same goes for many of the luxury watch brands & how they price their product. But, that really isn’t the point. Rolex has built up a reputation over the years for making dependable, high quality watches. They don’t price their watches at a point at which no one will pay it. Quite the opposite! A simple example of how supply x demand economics works. Rolex has been very good at maintaining a situation in which demand exceeds supply. There’s a reason why there are long waiting lists for their most popular models. A lot of people think that they are worth it. We are most likely not a good or representational group for your poll. I literally have done what you are asking by currently owning 12 Christopher Ward watches. No, they are not all dive models. But, with the money spent, I could have bought a Rolex Submariner! For me anyway, the cumulative enjoyment of my CW collection has exceeded the ownership of one Rolex.

Delmar

exHowfener wrote: ↑Mon Aug 26, 2024 12:59 pm

The question, Is not intended to spark debate

Once you bring Rolex into the discussion, that horse has already bolted

Is a night in a 2 star hotel better VFM than a 5 star hotel? But that's not the point is it?

Surely a luxury product is about how it it makes you feel. If you have £10k to spare for a watch, then a £1K watch isn't indulgent. If you've worked and saved hard to get to £1k and that's a lot of money for you, then that will feel like a special purchase. I can guess which way the poll will go.

Perhaps for balance it should be repeated on a Rolex forum?

Balance?

Balance about how good, bad, indifferent Rolex are?

Not going to happen anywhere!

Neil