yep
I have always loved buying watches but all my life i have gone with less expensive brands (quartz) I would just like to know what I am buying when I buy a more expensive brand such as omega, rolex, etc. The specs are sometimes identical. why would someone spend so much money?
Answer
Captain Obvious is correct about a few things, but not all.
For the most part, there isn't much of a difference (functionally) between a $50 quartz watch and a $2,000 quartz watch. Quite obviously, there will be a better quality product -- both in terms of aesthetics and finish as well as in terms of reliability and quality of timekeeping. Otherwise, both tell time fairly well.
However, the differences start showing when you are looking at mechanical watches that do not use Quartz, such as Automatics. These watches are mechanical marvels that can do some pretty darn interesting and complicated things. The advantage of an Automatic over a Quartz, of course, is that the good ones are built to last and you can pass it on to your next generation.
In that regard, a lot of the watches may seem the same (i.e. they tell time - duh). However, remember that with luxury watches, you are paying for it as a piece of expensive jewelry and art. The fact that it tells time is secondary.
Therefore, the difference therefore comes in *how* a watch tells time -- i.e. what mechanism (or movement) does it use, how well does it work, what else can it do, how well was it made, who made it, where was it made, what materials were used etc. In that regard, there is a world of difference in the tiers.
You've beginner luxury brands -- Raymond Weil, Longines, Stowa etc. Great watches, very reliable and use standard "movements" with excellent quality construction -- but nothing special. Not particularly expensive (less than $2,000 usually).
Then you have the mid tier brands. Within the mid tier brands, you've the lower mid tier and the higher mid tier brands.
In the lower mid tier, you have Omega, Rolex, Breitling, IWC etc -- around $2,000 - $10,000. About the same as the beginner (mostly), but slightly better quality and finish, and better brand name. In the higher mid tier brands, you get brands like Girard Perregaux, Breguet, and even IWC. Much better quality -- and you start getting into "custom" movements and "complications" that do some really amazing and cool mechanical things, and they are usually between $10,000 - $50,000. Their finish and quality tends to be rather outstanding, and they are not as commonly found.
Both the beginner and mid-tier brands are pretty reliable, and adhere to COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) standards of timekeeping accuracy, even when they don't have to. More than likely, a cheap $50 watch -- or even some of the "branded" $1,000 watch (think Armani or Guess watches) -- will fail at these standards.
Finally, then you get into the truly higher end brands -- Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemar Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, etc. These guys make mechanical marvels, and they maintain the market by producing only a handful of truly outstanding pieces that pretty much take several top notch master watchmakers years to make their timepieces. These can go into the millions. And remember -- in this category, it's less about it being a watch and more about prestige, art, and the fact that you own one of a kind mechanical marvel.
At the end of the day, you must remember that once you leave the functional realm, watches become status symbols, and ergo Veblen goods (i.e. people buy them *because* they are expensive and elitist). You end up with "snob effect", where people want to use exclusive products, and price becomes associated with quality. Unfortunately, the side effect is the "bandwagon effect", where everyone wants to use exclusive products, and the demand for high-priced goods goes up. Consequently, the price of the already high-priced goods goes up.
If it helps, you should check out manufacturers like Parnis [1] or Sea Gull [2] -- Chinese watchmakers that make rather excellent watches comparable to lower end Swiss watch makers at a much lower price point.
Either way, watches are rather interesting, and you'd be amazed at just what's out there. Enjoy!
And here are some examples of "grand complications" --
Patek Philippe -
http://www.patek.com/patek-philippe.html?pageId=44674
Vacheron Constantin -
http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en2/our-watches/#screen=PRODUCT;productRef=47070-000J-9085
Audemar Piguet -
http://www.audemarspiguet.com/collections/men/jules-audemars-47/equation-of-time-72/jules-audemars-skeleton-equation-of-time-1383/
A. Lange & Söhne -
http://www.alange-soehne.com/cms/en/timepieces/unforgettable-masterpieces/grand-lange-1-luna-mundi/index.html
Captain Obvious is correct about a few things, but not all.
For the most part, there isn't much of a difference (functionally) between a $50 quartz watch and a $2,000 quartz watch. Quite obviously, there will be a better quality product -- both in terms of aesthetics and finish as well as in terms of reliability and quality of timekeeping. Otherwise, both tell time fairly well.
However, the differences start showing when you are looking at mechanical watches that do not use Quartz, such as Automatics. These watches are mechanical marvels that can do some pretty darn interesting and complicated things. The advantage of an Automatic over a Quartz, of course, is that the good ones are built to last and you can pass it on to your next generation.
In that regard, a lot of the watches may seem the same (i.e. they tell time - duh). However, remember that with luxury watches, you are paying for it as a piece of expensive jewelry and art. The fact that it tells time is secondary.
Therefore, the difference therefore comes in *how* a watch tells time -- i.e. what mechanism (or movement) does it use, how well does it work, what else can it do, how well was it made, who made it, where was it made, what materials were used etc. In that regard, there is a world of difference in the tiers.
You've beginner luxury brands -- Raymond Weil, Longines, Stowa etc. Great watches, very reliable and use standard "movements" with excellent quality construction -- but nothing special. Not particularly expensive (less than $2,000 usually).
Then you have the mid tier brands. Within the mid tier brands, you've the lower mid tier and the higher mid tier brands.
In the lower mid tier, you have Omega, Rolex, Breitling, IWC etc -- around $2,000 - $10,000. About the same as the beginner (mostly), but slightly better quality and finish, and better brand name. In the higher mid tier brands, you get brands like Girard Perregaux, Breguet, and even IWC. Much better quality -- and you start getting into "custom" movements and "complications" that do some really amazing and cool mechanical things, and they are usually between $10,000 - $50,000. Their finish and quality tends to be rather outstanding, and they are not as commonly found.
Both the beginner and mid-tier brands are pretty reliable, and adhere to COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) standards of timekeeping accuracy, even when they don't have to. More than likely, a cheap $50 watch -- or even some of the "branded" $1,000 watch (think Armani or Guess watches) -- will fail at these standards.
Finally, then you get into the truly higher end brands -- Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Audemar Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, etc. These guys make mechanical marvels, and they maintain the market by producing only a handful of truly outstanding pieces that pretty much take several top notch master watchmakers years to make their timepieces. These can go into the millions. And remember -- in this category, it's less about it being a watch and more about prestige, art, and the fact that you own one of a kind mechanical marvel.
At the end of the day, you must remember that once you leave the functional realm, watches become status symbols, and ergo Veblen goods (i.e. people buy them *because* they are expensive and elitist). You end up with "snob effect", where people want to use exclusive products, and price becomes associated with quality. Unfortunately, the side effect is the "bandwagon effect", where everyone wants to use exclusive products, and the demand for high-priced goods goes up. Consequently, the price of the already high-priced goods goes up.
If it helps, you should check out manufacturers like Parnis [1] or Sea Gull [2] -- Chinese watchmakers that make rather excellent watches comparable to lower end Swiss watch makers at a much lower price point.
Either way, watches are rather interesting, and you'd be amazed at just what's out there. Enjoy!
And here are some examples of "grand complications" --
Patek Philippe -
http://www.patek.com/patek-philippe.html?pageId=44674
Vacheron Constantin -
http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en2/our-watches/#screen=PRODUCT;productRef=47070-000J-9085
Audemar Piguet -
http://www.audemarspiguet.com/collections/men/jules-audemars-47/equation-of-time-72/jules-audemars-skeleton-equation-of-time-1383/
A. Lange & Söhne -
http://www.alange-soehne.com/cms/en/timepieces/unforgettable-masterpieces/grand-lange-1-luna-mundi/index.html
Rolex or Hublot watch?
Yonkers
Which watch do you think is more class/stylish/expensive and just well better? Which do you prefer and why?
Answer
Some answers here are too subjective and give no reasons for their choices. Let's look at these two brands as objectively as possible by comparing some data about them that I find in my many watch magazines and almanacs. You can then have some basis for forming your own opinion.
HISTORY
Hans Wilsdorf began making watches in 1905. In 1908, he began using the name Rolex on his watches. The derivation of that name is uncertain.
Carlo Crocco founded Hublot in 1980. "Hublot" is French for "porthole" that the bezel resembles with its screws. Jean-Claude Biver who revived Blancpain in 1982 moved to Hublot in 2004 to become CEO.
EMPLOYEES & PRODUCTION
Rolex has over 2000 workers who produce almost 1,000,000 watches each year lately.
Hublot has about 150 workers who make 24,000 watches annually.
COLLECTIONS
Rolex offers mainly "Oyster Perpetual" automatic water-resistant sports watches and some "Cellini" dress watches.
Hublot offers "Classic", "Big Bang" and "King" lines.
MONEY SPENT ON ADS IN THE USA IN 2007
Rolex spent much more than any other company, i.e. $47,100,000. Breitling was a not so close second with $27,070,000. Hublot was 18th with $5,280,000 spent.
BASIC SPORTS WATCHES
$6300Sb, $9950S&Rb Rolex "O.P. Datejust" 4fa
$6900S, $10,900S&R Hublot "Classic Fusion" 4fa
DEEP DIVING WATCHES
$10,650Sb Rolex "O.P. Sea Dweller Deep Sea" 4fa 3900 meter diver
$19,000T Hublot "King Power Diver" 4fa 4000 meter diver
GOLD CHRONOGRAPHS
$27,650R Rolex "O.P. Cosmograph Daytona" 3fa-C (also $34,700Rb)
$27,900R Hublot "Classic Fusion Chrono" 4fa-C
MOST COMPLICATED MODELS
$27,650R Rolex "O.P. Cosmograph Daytona" 3fa-C (listed under Chronographs)
$375,000R&CF Hublot "King Power" 3fm-MR-T-C
SECOND MOST COMPLICATED MODELS
$25,150S&Rb Rolex "O.P. Yacht-Master II" 3fa with yacht regatta countdown
$195,000Z Hublot "King Power" 3fm-T-C
Well, what do you think? I say that Rolex is "hyped". Everyone hears about about it, since it spends far more money on ads than any other brand. It's not the costliest nor the best brand. My Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin dress watches cost over 3.5 times as much as a comparable Rolex, and they're worth it. The production figures show Rolex is mass-produced with each employee making 500 watches per year. Each Hublot employee produces 160 watches per year and thus works 3.125 times as long on each watch. Patek and Vacheron spend even more time on each watch. Rolex is hardly a major brand when it makes no watch more complicated than a chronograph. The most complicated wriswatch of all is Franck Muller's "Aeternitas Mega 4" -GS-MR-T-PC-CR with 1483 parts that costs $2,666,700P in 2012. I have written five editions of a book about "THE COSTLIEST WATCH BRANDS". Rolex places 46th costliest in 2012. It seems that Rolex is vastly over-rated. The top watch aficianados aren't impressed by it. I bought two Rolexes soon after I graduated from college, but now, I wear Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Cartier, IWC, Patek and Vacheron more often.
EDIT: Hasan is wrong to say Rolex is the best watch. It's good but not great. I own two Rolexes, but some of my other watches I've listed are better by far. A Jeager-LeCoultre "Master" sports watch is severely tested for 1000 hours while 1.4 Rolexes are made each day. Rolex is what I consider a bottom line Luxury Brand, since it's so much cheaper than the costliest brands. Lee Cameron a San Francisco watch repairman I know well likes Omega better than Rolex. Repairman Rolf Klotz from Germany also likes Omega very well.
Some answers here are too subjective and give no reasons for their choices. Let's look at these two brands as objectively as possible by comparing some data about them that I find in my many watch magazines and almanacs. You can then have some basis for forming your own opinion.
HISTORY
Hans Wilsdorf began making watches in 1905. In 1908, he began using the name Rolex on his watches. The derivation of that name is uncertain.
Carlo Crocco founded Hublot in 1980. "Hublot" is French for "porthole" that the bezel resembles with its screws. Jean-Claude Biver who revived Blancpain in 1982 moved to Hublot in 2004 to become CEO.
EMPLOYEES & PRODUCTION
Rolex has over 2000 workers who produce almost 1,000,000 watches each year lately.
Hublot has about 150 workers who make 24,000 watches annually.
COLLECTIONS
Rolex offers mainly "Oyster Perpetual" automatic water-resistant sports watches and some "Cellini" dress watches.
Hublot offers "Classic", "Big Bang" and "King" lines.
MONEY SPENT ON ADS IN THE USA IN 2007
Rolex spent much more than any other company, i.e. $47,100,000. Breitling was a not so close second with $27,070,000. Hublot was 18th with $5,280,000 spent.
BASIC SPORTS WATCHES
$6300Sb, $9950S&Rb Rolex "O.P. Datejust" 4fa
$6900S, $10,900S&R Hublot "Classic Fusion" 4fa
DEEP DIVING WATCHES
$10,650Sb Rolex "O.P. Sea Dweller Deep Sea" 4fa 3900 meter diver
$19,000T Hublot "King Power Diver" 4fa 4000 meter diver
GOLD CHRONOGRAPHS
$27,650R Rolex "O.P. Cosmograph Daytona" 3fa-C (also $34,700Rb)
$27,900R Hublot "Classic Fusion Chrono" 4fa-C
MOST COMPLICATED MODELS
$27,650R Rolex "O.P. Cosmograph Daytona" 3fa-C (listed under Chronographs)
$375,000R&CF Hublot "King Power" 3fm-MR-T-C
SECOND MOST COMPLICATED MODELS
$25,150S&Rb Rolex "O.P. Yacht-Master II" 3fa with yacht regatta countdown
$195,000Z Hublot "King Power" 3fm-T-C
Well, what do you think? I say that Rolex is "hyped". Everyone hears about about it, since it spends far more money on ads than any other brand. It's not the costliest nor the best brand. My Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin dress watches cost over 3.5 times as much as a comparable Rolex, and they're worth it. The production figures show Rolex is mass-produced with each employee making 500 watches per year. Each Hublot employee produces 160 watches per year and thus works 3.125 times as long on each watch. Patek and Vacheron spend even more time on each watch. Rolex is hardly a major brand when it makes no watch more complicated than a chronograph. The most complicated wriswatch of all is Franck Muller's "Aeternitas Mega 4" -GS-MR-T-PC-CR with 1483 parts that costs $2,666,700P in 2012. I have written five editions of a book about "THE COSTLIEST WATCH BRANDS". Rolex places 46th costliest in 2012. It seems that Rolex is vastly over-rated. The top watch aficianados aren't impressed by it. I bought two Rolexes soon after I graduated from college, but now, I wear Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Cartier, IWC, Patek and Vacheron more often.
EDIT: Hasan is wrong to say Rolex is the best watch. It's good but not great. I own two Rolexes, but some of my other watches I've listed are better by far. A Jeager-LeCoultre "Master" sports watch is severely tested for 1000 hours while 1.4 Rolexes are made each day. Rolex is what I consider a bottom line Luxury Brand, since it's so much cheaper than the costliest brands. Lee Cameron a San Francisco watch repairman I know well likes Omega better than Rolex. Repairman Rolf Klotz from Germany also likes Omega very well.
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Title Post: whats the difference between a cheap watch and an expensive brand ie rolex, omega etc.?
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Author: Unknown
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