Why Are Rolex Watches So Expensive?
Hey folks, do you ever wonder how time flies?
One moment you are in a relationship and the next, you are being royally dumped!
Oops, that’s not a fine way to introduce time but what’s life without mean jokes?
Anyway, back to time where we left it, pun totally intended!
So when we talk about time, the thought would wander off to timepieces, naturally!
Watches- small gadgets that are a symbol of the flying nature of time have found their
way to our wrists where they stay clamped as a reminder of our short life.
But watches aren’t just about hours and minutes, they have evolved as a mark of elegance,
grace and style!
Wow, this sounds so classy, so now the big question- which is the finest brand of wristwatches?
Ah, Rolex doesn’t need this introduction- it knows it’s the best!
We heard an “ouch” from there and we totally understand it- you obviously just checked
the price tag of a Rolex!
But when you are talking about luxury and the finest brand, what else do you expect?
It is the brand that adorned the wrist of everyone from Winston Churchill to James Bond,
so being pricey is its right!
Being admired and respected across the globe, Rolex seems like a universe in its own and
at the end of the day, you’ll be amazed that they only make watches!
You think we are in love with this brand?
Ah, as if you aren’t!
The only wall between us and the gleaming Rolex is the price which we won’t be able
to pay unless we part with a kidney in the black market!
After all, the most expensive Rolex ever sold in an auction cost a meagre $17.8 million,
yikes!
But why the hell do Rolex watches cost a fortune?
That’s exactly what we are delving into, so sit tight and listen up.
Let’s start from the very beginning, the year is 1905, when Hans Wilsdorf founded a
company in London specializing in the distribution of timepieces.
This was the era when timepieces weren’t very precise but Wilsdorf’s dream of making
an elegant and precise watch motivated him to create history!
He equipped his watches with small, very precise movements manufactured by a Swiss watchmaking
company in Bienne.
And then the unbelievable happened, a Rolex watch became the first wristwatch in the world
to receive the Swiss Certificate of Chronometric Precision, granted by the Official Watch Rating
Centre in Bienne.
That was back in 1910, impressive.
The desired watch movements were expensive to make, plus the parts were small and had
a high failure rate, making the final product a tad bit expensive!
So you think you know the secret of their high prices, uhmm not really.
There’s a lot more you need to know!
For starters, instead of the widely used 316L steel, Rolex uses 904L steel to make the parts
which as you may have already guessed, is a more expensive version of the good old steel!
But it doesn’t end here, this steel is also incredibly difficult to machine so Rolex had
to change their machinery in 2003 when they made the switch to 904L!
But why go all through the trouble?
The newer version was more corrosion resistant and somewhat harder than other steels, but
guess what, this isn’t the reason Rolex fell in love with it!
The catch is that 904L steel, when worked properly, is able to take and hold polishes
incredibly well, so a better shine in the watch!
Oh BTW, do you know where the name Rolex came from?
You won’t believe this one because this didn’t come from Wilsdorf’s family name
or a word that he holds dear, none of that!
Hans Wilsdorf wanted his watches to bear a name that was short, easy to say and remember
in any language, and which looked good on watch movements and dials.
So after going through hundred names that he created from the alphabet, he decided on
Rolex which was whispered by a genie in his ear while he was riding a horse carriage!
Okay now back to the topic, the OVERLY priced Rolex watches!
We were wondering if you know that Rolex watches are hand assembled.
We saw you do a double take here because of course, you have always heard that these babies
are entirely machine built!
No doubt Rolex has the most sophisticated watch making machinery in the world to accomplish
tasks that humans are not so good at.
But when it comes to movements, certain things are assembled by hand.
Large teams of watchmakers and assembly people work on every single movement that Rolex produces.
This is before and after their movements are sent to COSC for chronometer certification.
And on top of that, Rolex re-tests their movements for accuracy after they are cased for several
days while simulating wear before they are sent out to retailers.
Do you think such dedication from humans comes without paying them generously?
Time to move on to the next reason which is what you were waiting for!
This is about the emeralds, rubies and diamonds set in Rolex watches.
But interestingly we aren’t focusing on the price of these precious stones, because
hello, this is so obvious!
Rolex has preposterous standards for the materials it buys from its suppliers.
We mean that everything has to be tested and re-tested to make sure that only the best
makes it on the watches!
Rolex has a huge gemological department which makes sure that the diamonds are real and
for this only the best technology is used!
Even though only 2 out of 2 million diamonds have ever been found to be fake, the brand
still performs the test nevertheless!
But this is not all, each diamond or precious stone is hand selected and hand-set.
Yes, Rolex employs traditional jewelers to create custom settings for stones in their
most exclusive watches, done using the same processes employed in creating the world’s
finest jewelry.
Where else would you see this level of artisanship and delicate care inside what many people
believe to be a mass producer?
We already see you swayed in favor of Rolex but wait, we haven’t yet talked about water
resistance!
Of course this isn’t about the qualities of the brand but you have to understand that
qualities and costs go hand in hand!
So here we take a plunge into the amazing testing of Rolex Oyster- the watch which must
be water resistant.
One way that this quality is ensured is with an air-pressure tank.
Confused?
The watch is tossed in a chamber filled with air and if the air pressure wavers, it proves
that air leaked into the case!
But this is just the first test, dive watches have to endure a lot more!
Each of the Rolex Submariner and Deep Sea watch is tested in actual water.
Submariners have to be resistant to 300 meters while the Deep-Sea watch has to stand against
12,000 meters, which by the way, is a lot!
Once the watches exit water, they are heated up and a cold drop of water is placed on them
to check for condensation.
Woah, that’s too much testing.
You don’t get so many quality checks in regular watches and that’s exactly why Rolex
is anything but regular!
Maybe we should change the question now- Why are Rolex watches so cheap?
Okay, for the average Joe a modestly priced Rolex would equal his life savings but on
the positive side, the precision and quality of the watch ensures that you get a good resale
value.
That’s not something you get for investing in any other brand!
What is your opinion about the price tag of a Rolex?
Tell us in the comment section below.
Subscribe to our channel if you liked this video.
And while you're here, check out our other videos and tell us what you think of them.
You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Thanks for watching.