Appreciation
I understand. Why have an expensive watch when Timex will work?
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I wear my Rolex Explorer II almost everyday for 12 years. Its a totally practical daily watch. 24 hour hand plus you can change the small 12 hour hand without stopping the watch or changing the 24 hour had. Great for travel.
In 12 years I've owned it, its appreciated $1,500. New, they go for $4150.00. Rolex has tight price control, but you can buy them used(I mean pre-owned) from authorized Rolex dealers for about $500-$700 under new.
How many things do you own that appreciates. A Rolex is something you can hand down to your kids, a Timex not so much.
Yes its a self winding mechanical; If you don't wear it or wind it will stop after a few days. For $100 you can buy a watch winder, a storage case that moves so it stays wound when not wearing it. Adjusted properly and kept wound they keep amazing time considering it is a bunch of gears and springs.
Accuracy: A good cheap quartz digital is 3-30 seconds a month. A Modern mechanical watch chronometer certified is good for about 30-90 seconds a month. Mine is less than a minute a month. (Note: how you lay a mechanical watch down when not wearing it affects it gaining or losing time I am told, so on average a mechanical gaining and loosing time can be very accurate over a year, compared to a quartz that just keeps gaining time for example.)
Pulling the stem out fully stops the second hand, so you can "sync" it. I have access to a HF radio that sends UTC time every minite as a refrence. Bottom line time keeping is very good, despite the rumors. If it is not keeping time there is something wrong.
Overhaul: Rolex recommends overhaul every 5 years. A Rolex watch maker told me don't mess with it until it needs something. He's opened up 50 year old Rolex'es that are fine. In 12 years of heavy use my sapphire crystal has NO scratches and the solid SS case/band have a few scuffs. When overhauled they bring it back to new. The "Oyster" case made from solid stainless is built like a tank.
Yea its just a watch, but it is a piece of art. It is not throw a way. It has a soul; its the ultimate miniature analog mechanical machine. It predates transistors. Collecting watches is a hobby for some, others wear them as fashion jewelry or a fashion statement. To me its a practical tool that works perfect at work (flying in 10 time zones). The fact that it appreciates or a status symbol is not important to me. If you are not into mechanical watches, a Timex is good enough, than you will just not get the enjoyment of owning a fine watch.
If you want a watch that will last longer than you, is tuned to chronometer accuracy (and most importantly, stays that way), can be restored to new condition anywhere in the world by factory service centers, then Rolex is your watch.
George
