Rolex Submariner = Porsche Boxter

I like watches.  There's something very cool about owning a quality mechanical timepiece.  I write this on the eve of making another investment, this time in a Planet Ocean, by Omega.  No doubt I'll be blogging about that when I have it in hand.

I've had my eye on the Planet Ocean for some time, and was recently spurred into action by the new 2011 models where several upgrades and changes have been announced, along with a substantial price hike that makes me favor the original PO.

In any case as I did my last minute research and reached a firm conclusion which of the options I was going to select, I found several articles comparing the Omega Planet Ocean to a Rolex Submariner, and suddenly the thought occurred to me why I dislike the Submariner so much.  I wasn't sure what it was at first, after all the pictured watch is beautiful, the picture barely does it justice.  But then it's around $30,000, so it should clean my fucking house for me and cook meals for that price.  Heck it really should transform into a Porsche or something.

The more normal version of this watch is the regular stainless steel Submariner, and that costs around $6,000.  Gone is the striking blue dial, in Rolex circles, you have to have a decent amount of gold or white gold to be allowed the privilege of a blue dial.  So you are left with a stainless and black divers watch, and therein lies the problem.

These days when I see a person wearing a Rolex Submariner, my first thought is wondering if it is real.  My next thought is then a general judgement that the wearer lacks personality, taste, and simply wants to climb on board the Rolex train and show off that he has an expensive watch.  After all product recognition of a Rolex is certainly high, and it is synonymous with expensive luxury.  But to buy the very cheapest watch they make, kinda screams Porsche Boxster.  Yes it IS a Porsche, and yes it is a fine car, but let's be real, if you had the choice you'd buy a 911.  The only real market for a Boxster is for people who cannot afford the Porsche of their dreams, but want to say they own a Porsche anyway.

I believe that the entry level Submariner is the same concept.  It IS a Rolex, but really, if you could go into a Rolex dealer and buy any Rolex for $6,000 (assuming in this scenario you can never sell it, so residual value is irrelevant) would you really gravitate to the black face, stainless steel Submariner?

It's this reason why I don't ever see myself buying a Rolex.  All the Rolex watches I like are over $10,000.  Rolex aggressively hike their prices every time a month has the letter Y in it.  And on top of all that I find their reluctance to change the designs and improve things rather irritating.  Just look how many years they had that cheap feeling, rattly bracelet with the hollow links.  Only recently addressing that.  How long they refused to buy into the trend of a slightly larger 40mm+ watch size.

So Rolex have my respect.  I've seen some lovely Rolex watches out there.  But my choice, at least for a while will be Omega.  Pioneers in their field, innovation, and not afraid to modernize their collections from time to time.  Oh and yeah, half the price.