Rolex is the best of the best. Or not?

Most of the times, we tend to define “best” as “what we like most”, especially when dealing with qualitative analysis. When we use “better”, you should really define it by putting an “at what” definition.

This said, there are LOTS of watches which are better at something than Rolex, indeed. There a better watches in precision. There are better watches in durability. There are better watches in technical sophistication. There are better watches in reserve power. There are better watches in materials and decoration. There are better watches in social recognition and exclusivity, and there are better watches for bang for the buck.

But if you do not define the category, it becomes very difficult to tell the one you are referring to. And another thing is — Rolex is not a monolith. A Milgauss is not a Submariner — they are very different watches all around.

Well, it must be said that Rolex is a great all-rounder. That is, a very solid performer in all those categories above. And the company has an amazing branding instated, so that everyone in the world knows Rolex and equates them with quality, class, and distinction. So much that in the circles of true connoisseurs (some of which just love the Rolex watches for their design and quality), they are considered as “the luxury watch for those who know little about watches”.

So, I will flag a few categories here, and comment on them to see how some different brands behave vs the Rolex standard. Then you could decide by yourself.

Exclusivity/Cost

Despite the common knowledge, in terms of quantity almost every other brand is more exclusive than Rolex. The Rolex production amounts to 800.000 watches per year, more or less. The production of — say — a brand like Hamilton is around 150.000 watches.

This means that Hamilton is technically more esclusive than Rolex. So, we have to factor in a comparable price level or higher. If we do this, putting in the equation a similar or higher cost, we find that there are many watch brands which are more exclusive than Rolex, from the Holy Trinity (Audemars, Vacheron, Patek) to Jaeger, IWC, Piaget, Cartier, Breguet, which average around 20.000 up to 90.000 watches per year, down to the boutique productions of very costly and exclusive timepieces like FP Journe, Richard Mille and others, which sometimes manufacture less than 1.000 per year (just look at this beautiful Jaquet Droz — available in 28 units, at a price of 350.000 Euros).

Precision

Almost every one-dollar Chinese quartz movement is more precise than a Rolex movement (or any other mechanical). This said, if we value precision, Rolex is among the best of the pack. Most of its models bear the Swiss COSC certification of Chronometer — so, having extremely precise mechanical movements.

But the COSC is only available for Swiss watches, and other countries — namely Germany and Japan — have their own. So, we find that many watches have comparable qualities to Rolex in this category.

In the image above, you see a Tudor — the little brother of Rolex — which is COSC-certified, like the Rolex, and costs half of what you pay a comparable Rolex. Why? Because its movement is not a Rolex, but an ETA. The rest is Rolex-standard quality. Then, so what difference is it there? Almost just a name.

Durability/Ruggedness

Rolex watches, while technically tough and bon as tool watches, are nowadays used much more for show than for their intended original mission.

So, while retaining their qualities (Rolex are robust watches indeed), other watches are much more robust than them. One of the most rugged watches of the world — which costs very little — is the Casio G-Shock, a quartz sports watch, for example.

Technical sophistication/innovation

While we do not perceive it, there is a lot of technical sophistication inside watches. Companies try to innovate on the present technologies, as well as introduce new solutions to old problems (disruptive creative process).

Rolex excel at innovations of the materials. Their movements are very basic. They mostly use trusted, extremely refined designs that have been honed to almost perfection with the employment of the best materials available — that is, Rolex has done a lot of research on materials so to render their movements really amazing.

But if you search for advances in horology, you have to look somewhere else (Richard Mille are amazing under this aspect: they are like the F1 cars of horology, as you can see above) — this is not what Rolex aims for. There are currently many companies which do much more research in this field, especially since — after the ETA decision to pull out of supplying movements to other manufacturers apart from the Swatch group — manufacturing own calibers seems to be the new buzz of the market.

Reserve power

I am focusing on this particular aspect to make a homage to Rolex, actually. One of the least known facts about horology is that Rolex has been one of the most stalwart champions of the automatic movement in watches, and has greatly helped to innovate it to its present form and function.

But nowadays, that is, abot 80 years after that mechanism has been introduced, apart from the automatic winding, the reserve charge in a typical Rolex is just middle of the road as well as other brands. There are some movements, like the last Baume & Mercier Baumatic movement, recently introduced (here in this Clifton model), which have a reserve power charge of about five full days.

In a watch that costs half the price of a typical Rolex.

Materials/Decoration

While Rolex has an almost impeccable standard regarding their materials and finishings, which are absolutely top-level, there are many other brands which achieve the same level of quality: Swiss ones, German ones, and also Japanese ones (like Grand Seiko).

Where Rolex does not compare — nor they want to, actually — is in decoration of movements. A typical Rolex movement is utilitarian, in tradition with its looks as a beautiful “tool watch”. Internal decoration of movements is the realm of Patek, Lange, Vacheron, Breguet. Also, this current trend of skeleton movements pushes lots of companies to make decorated movements — something that Rolex — for lots of good reasons — does not do nor it aims to.

Price/Value

The price/value element in watches is important. There are many absurdly costly watches, which should be indeed not justified, but still they are there on the market, and they sell. Oh boy, how do they sell! A Patek Philippe Nautilus nowadays costs around 35.000 Euros, more or less — the price of a very nice car. Is its value correct? I remember that the same model could be bought a few years ago for 25.000 Euros. So, it seems that not only it is correct: it is even undervalued.

Rolex itself has a very high price list (which for some models is a bit unjustified), but it has to be said that a Rolex watch is like a letter of credit: everywhere you go, you could sell a Rolex and probably get what you paid for it or even more: and this is something that cannot be said for lots of other watches.

But regarding technical contents, materials and cost, we can very safely say that the price/value of Rolex watches is a bit inflated — that is, you pay for their excellent branding and status. For example, you could buy the new Baume & Mercier I was talking about before at less than 3.000 CHF — half the price of a Rolex — and you would get a manufacture movement with 5 days power reserve, and very high quality (B&M is part of the Richemont group, which includes brands like A. Lange & Söhne, Cartier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Officine Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin, and Van Cleef & Arpels). The new Tissot Chemins de Tourelles watches, presented by the Swatch group, are equally very good, on a lower level (around the 2.000 CHF mark), while the group is trying to restart Longines, on a higher level, to hold fast that niche of the market.

There are other brands which offer an amazing value for the price, like NOMOS Glashütte: manufacture movements, technical innovations, quality and a very high value for the price.

So, there are lots of other companies to consider when you compete in this kind of niche — but very few, it has to be said, have the same branding power as Rolex.

At the end, as you can see, it all boils down to the old saying: there is no better watch. There is the better watch for you.