Yeah, I'm not really bothering with any of that, as any in-depth content is better left for a larger device.
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Apple Watch vs Rolex
- Thread starter r0k
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Yeah, I'm not really bothering with any of that, as any in-depth content is better left for a larger device.
I use it basically for time, messages, email, weather. I'm not going to scroll through Twitter on a sub 2 inch box when I have my 6 plus with me.
Nobody here has ever said the Apple Watch will not replace a Rolex for 'someone'.
The difference of opinion has always been those people including yourself who have said mechanical watches will eventually be replaced and given pocket watch examples etc.
My point has always been that this may be the case for some but not all. I'm living proof of the opposite way of thinking yet am equally busy in my daily life with a need to be connected. As you say different lifestyles and workflows mean people look for convenience. I just don't have a gap that needs to be bridged personally and would prefer a nice watch to a smart watch. Neither of us are right or wrong because it's subjective.
In that case, you're right. I do believe that mechanical watches will suffer quite a bit compared to their current position, just like electric cars will someday replace most gasoline powered cars, or wristwatches replaced pocket watches. I'm not saying it will go to zero, but the current under $1k watch market will be in trouble in the nearer term, and Rolex will eventually feel the effects of that. For most millennials, it isn't a question of Rolex vs. Apple Watch. It's a question of no watch vs. Apple Watch.
If a guy like me in my late 30s gets it, I can only imagine how a 16 year old feels about it. I'm not even on Twitter.
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In that case, you're right. I do believe that mechanical watches will suffer quite a bit compared to their current position, just like electric cars will someday replace most gasoline powered cars, or wristwatches replaced pocket watches. I'm not saying it will go to zero, but the current under $1k watch market will be in trouble in the nearer term, and Rolex will eventually feel the effects of that. For most millennials, it isn't a question of Rolex vs. Apple Watch. It's a question of no watch vs. Apple Watch.
If a guy like me in my late 30s gets it, I can only imagine how a 16 year old feels about it. I'm not even on Twitter.
I tend to agree that low-medium price mechanical watches will suffer from the continued introduction of Apple watches - especially when the latter reach a realistic, sensible autonomy in terms of battery life. However imho the likes of Rolex, IWC's and Omega's - just to name a few excellent high-end brands, will never take a significant hit in terms of sales.
Douglasf13, just a little friendly advise. Never, ever sell your Submariner. If you do, you'll one day regret it - guaranteed! The Sub is a phenomenal watch, up there with the SeaDweller. I have a SD and a 40+ year old DateJust; could part with the latter if required but never the SD. I still have no yearnings for an AW, but must say I am enjoying this thread.
Cheers.
The thing is, the price of the likes of Rolex have been in a bubble for a while, and they make a million of the things per year, so they're not exactly rare. Rolex, IWC and Omega may not be high end enough to avoid the effects of smartwatches, and I can see their bubble popping over the next 5-10 years, if smartwatches become ubiquitous.
I've loved mechanical watches my whole life, but I'm not really interested in owning nice drawer clocks, which is what my Rolex and Omegas have become, since I'm not interested in taking off the Apple Watch in favor of them. As I've mentioned before, it's kind of like owning a fancy typewriter that I replaced with a MacBook. I dont really have a use for it, so it's just sitting around collecting dust.
The mechanical wristwatch has only been around for a century, and the Rolex has really only been considered jewelry about half of that time. I don't think it's a trend that's future proof, now that there may be serious competition for wrist real estate.
You really can't compare the Apple watch to a Rolex/Omega. The apple watch is an electronic gadget that just like the iphone will be replaced almost every year with a newer model. I have the Apple watch, sub, DSOTM and I wear them for different reasons. There is a since of pride when you wear the Sub/Omega unlike the Apple watch. Its like comparing a Prius to a Mercedes. Sure the Prius has more tech etc but the Mercedes is a nicer car. There is no way I would give up wearing my mechanicals over the Apple watch. I wear my Apple about once a week. Also the one thing I've noticed here in SF is it seems half the people have an Apple watch. There will always be luxury cars and watches regardless of the smart cars and smart watches.
I think it depends on whether you use the activity tracking feature of the watch. If you don't, the Apple Watch is just another watch among your other watches, and like you, you could wear it about once a week, depending on your mood or the occasion. But if you use the Appple Watch for activity tracking, then you wear it every day, and all your other watches are collecting dust in the drawer. Could also happen if you rely on getting notifications on your wrist. No Apple Watch, no notifications, so your other watches collect dust.
Oddly enough, my wife and I own Prius and a Mercedes cars, as well as owning Apple, Rolex and Omega watches.
The big difference is that, outside of gas mileage and economic impact, the Prius and Mercedes accomplish largely the same overall goal, so we do go back and forth between them, depending on the application.
The watch comparison is different, in that my Rolex really only tells the time and date, while the Apple Watch has much more functionality (unless maybe if you're a diver.) There really isn't a time where I want to choose something over the Apple Watch, because I find it so useful everyday, and I don't really care that much about jewelry or what people think of it. The Apple Watch on the link bracelet is nice enough looking, for me. In fact, I just bought my wife an Aqua Terra in April, and she hasn't touched it since we started wearing Apple Watches a couple of months ago. It's the same with my Rolex and Omegas, too.
It's not really like a comparison of a Prius and a Mercedes. I think it's more like a comparison of an expensive vintage sports car vs. a Tesla, in that the Rolex is much more limited in capability, overall, but it is pretty "cool." Most, although obviously not all, are going to drive the "Tesla" most of the time, so the likes of Rolex are going to slowly be reduced to being interesting primarily to horology enthusiasts, especially as Baby Boomers and Gen X generations die off (I'm in my mid-30s.)
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I like to rotate my watches so wearing one watch all the time just doesn't work for me. I can certainly see the appeal of the Apple for fitness tracking, notifications etc. Im pretty active and don't have any issue pulling my phone out to check notifications. Too bad its not socially acceptable to wear 2 watches (Rolex & Apple). Yea nowadays people don't buy a high end swiss watch to tell the time we buy for the prestige, quality etc. That Platinum Daytona sure is a thing beauty but way out of my pay grade. Someday
I like to rotate my watches so wearing one watch all the time just doesn't work for me. I can certainly see the appeal of the Apple for fitness tracking, notifications etc. Im pretty active and don't have any issue pulling my phone out to check notifications. Too bad its not socially acceptable to wear 2 watches (Rolex & Apple). Yea nowadays people don't buy a high end swiss watch to tell the time we buy for the prestige, quality etc. That Platinum Daytona sure is a thing beauty but way out of my pay grade. Someday
I rotated my Swiss watches, too, because they largely did the same thing, but in a different uniform. With the Apple Watch, this is probably the longest I've worn a single watch without changing it up, although I do switch bands, occasionally.
In terms of who buys Swiss watches, there are those who do it primarily for horological interest, and those who do it primarily as jewelry, but I'd say most fall somewhere in between those extremes. Don't forget, there was a time when people bought expensive pocket watches to see the time and show prestige, too. Times change, no pun intended.
Oddly enough, the Apple Watch may show wealth more than a Rolex. Buying a $1K, or even $17K, Watch that likely needs to be replaced every few years is more costly than buying a $10K watch that lasts a lifetime, although service intervals are also required on the Swiss watches.
More like a dinner knife vs. a swiss army knife?
Same here. Telling time is the least of its functions.
I guess my interests are more horological as I spend as much time on the watch forums as Macrumors lol . I figure they will release a new watch every 1.5 to 2 years. I go with the SS at $550 and will hopefully get about %50 percent for it when its time to upgrade so figure ill spend about $300 every year or 2. Thats pretty cheap. Now the Gold watch is a different story but I'm not touching that.
. I figure they will release a new watch every 1.5 to 2 years. I go with the SS at $550 and will hopefully get about %50 percent for it when its time to upgrade so figure ill spend about $300 every year or 2. Thats pretty cheap. Now the Gold watch is a different story but I'm not touching that.
Not worn it since April. Sad really. It was my daily companion for decades. It still sits on my desk and I pick it up every now and then and give it a shake to get it going, but it just seems completely pointless now.
Reminds me of the used (but near mint) Nikon F3 I bought for pennies a few years ago: Breathtaking engineering and an absolute joy to operate. But from a bygone era (the 1980's) and completely irrelevant in today's digital world.
I am looking forward to when the watch will have GPS/and cellular capabilities. Eventually it will become more and more iresistable maybe even for us hard core watch collectors. Im going on a cruise for a week with little to no connectivity and will be doing lots of swimming etc. I bet you can guess what watch ill be taking?
I guess my interests are more horological as I spend as much time on the watch forums as Macrumors lol
Oh, me too. I've really only started posting a lot on macrumors because of the Watch. I think it's good for people to see slightly opposing views from a couple of watch nerds like us.
You didn't get the link bracelet? Oh man, that's one of the great things about the line, IMO, and it helps suppress the emotional loss of my "nice" watches.
I've owned several Rolex and Omega bracelets, and tried on bracelets from the even higher end brands, and the link bracelet really holds its own. I think it really elevates the Watch from being a nice smartwatch to being simply a nice watch in its own right.I am looking forward to when the watch will have GPS/and cellular capabilities. Eventually it will become more and more iresistable maybe even for us hard core watch collectors. Im going on a cruise for a week with little to no connectivity and will be doing lots of swimming etc. I bet you can guess what watch ill be taking?
That's a great point of emphasis. I own a business in TV, and I unfortunately alway have to be connected, so the Watch actually frees me up from the grind, but I can see the opposite happening for others. I'm going to Hawaii soon, and I'm only bringing my Apple Watch, and I'm even gonna snorkel with the thing.
Man, this thread is touching on all of my habits! I'm from a family of camera nerds, and we have a huge collection of film cameras. I love Hasselblads, and I occasionally run some film through them, but it's digital nearly all the time for me, at this point.
Snorkling wow your brave. I wouldn't want salt water getting into any of the exposed areas like the mic, speaker etc.
Yea cameras and guitars are another hobby lol. Im just down to an X-T1 now which I really like. Im so thankful I'm not into cars. I don't even own or need a car here in SF. I hate driving too.
Yea cameras and guitars are another hobby lol. Im just down to an X-T1 now which I really like. Im so thankful I'm not into cars. I don't even own or need a car here in SF. I hate driving too.
Hilarious, I'm a musician who went to GIT, so guitars are a sickness for me, although I've whittled that down over the years. Too much choice starts to overwhelm me. Also an X100T shooter, lol.
I'll give my Apple Watch a good rinse after the salt water, just like I would with my Rolex. It's relatively inexpensive, and I have Apple care, so I'll just go for it.
Was at the beach in August, and wore my watch while dipping in the ocean. Rinsed my watch in tap water when I got home. No bad effects whatsoever.
You obviously do not have a Rolex. It is a timepiece that has been around since 1928 and has maintained a following of watch enthusiasts for years. Yes, it tells time just like a Timex would, but the QUALITY is superior in every way possible. They are classic, comfortable, elegant, and rugged. People buy them for special reasons or hand them down as an heirloom piece. You won't do that with an Apple Watch or a Timex.
Just like a Rolls Royce or an Hermes Birkin bag - they have competitors that do the same thing, but the quality is unmatched.
And for the record, I have both an AW and a Rolex. The apple watch is a fun watch that is used for convenience, and my Rolex is used for anytime I want a quality time piece that looks elegant.
Yeah no kidding. Comparing Rolex to Beats.... If he'd said Seven Friday to beats , then I would agree.
To be fair, Rolex is more of the Mercedes of the watch world, rather than Rolls Royce, and that's coming from an owner of a couple of them. They're still mass-produced, machine made Veblen goods made popular by marketing.
Rolex watches, outside of Cellini, aren't really dress watches, either, although it's become acceptable to wear them in more and more formal settings. I personally can't think of an occasion where my Rolex would be acceptable but my link bracelet Apple Watch wouldn't be.
That's why I think Rolex may be in a bit of an odd middle ground when this all plays out. They've been in a price bubble for a decade or two, and they're not of the real high end, handmade stock like watches from the Big 3: Patek Phillipe, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet.
All true, although price of the "real high end" watches have also experienced what is likely a bubble.