Rolex missed opportunity with tudor pelagos poll

[Chewbacca]

been thinking about this since the weekend while tinkering with my dssd...

the fact is, the pelagos is by far a historic shift/move for a company like rolex. we all know its the first all titanium (% composition of titanium unknown but for the most part, its titanium (einstein-wis' will know what i mean)) model from the manufacturer BUT, did they miss an opportunity to launch it as a Rolex Submariner Ti?? lets face it, the b-bay alone was more than enough to build chatter about the Tudor brand and most here seem to prefer the b-bay anyway.

think about this before the assuming i'm slapping tudor... the pelagos while popular now, may go the way of the dodo since the Tudor brand is not supported with the same gusto rolex is. there's also no US market support or spillover marketing potential. there's even the issue with the ETA calibre association with swatch group (nothing wrong with eta but its not rolex and i believe rolex wouldn't lose sleep if swatch went bankrupt tomorrow). why wouldn't rolex go all out and put in a #3035 with the latest innovations, rolex badge and excite heavily invested rolex ad's with a new product for their rolex displays and loyal collectors?

i for one, think they missed an opportunity here. its a great tudor but imho, it would have been legendary if it were a rolex.

here's the poll Q,

did rolex miss an opportunity to launch an all Ti Sub or a NEW rolex model line altogether OR did they do the right thing launching it as a Tudor?


looking forward to the POLL numbers and comments! and this is by NO means a knock against tudor!


cheers!

[TheDude]

I actually think this watch (or something nearly identical to what you describe) should have been the 16600 replacement.

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[joe100]

They day Rolex makes a Rolex branded titanium watch will be a dark day indeed. It's gimmicky in an Omega limited edition sort of way. And this is coming from an Omega fan.

[Singslinger]

I think they did the right thing. I'm not a fan of titanium so I'm happy that Rolex restricted its use to Tudor.

[mks4]

Personally, I think that titanium watches, while comfortable and practical, seem niche-like.

I really like what Rolex is doing with Tudor. Perhaps Tudor is the test bed and Rolex will take a "wait and see" approach before deciding whether to apply Ti to a Sub of some sort. I look forward to Basel more because of Tudor than Rolex now!

Interestingly, I tried on a BB and a Pelagos while in Luxembourg thinking that the BB would be my favorite. I can't explain, but if I go for any, it will be the Pelagos!

[toph]

Quite frankly Tudor decided to do it and Rolex didn't .the snowflake was a Tudor design and when Tudor became independent of Rolex I guess they got the trademarks and designs too

[joe100]

Tudor isn't independent of Rolex. Tudor is still owned by Rolex 100%


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[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by joe100

Tudor isn't independent of Rolex. Tudor is still owned by Rolex 100%


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Agreed.... I don't get the "missed opportunity" bit.

[Chewbacca]

i'm clearly in the minority here but appreciate comments!

[Singslinger]

I have to revise my opinion of the Pelagos, having just discovered that the pearl on the bezel's 12 o'clock position is not a physical insert but instead just painted on!

[Dr. Robert]

I have not seen the watch in the flesh, er titanium......but I do like the look of it....& doesn't Rolex do some work on the ETA movts.?????

[gr33n]

The pelagos is a fantastic watch. BUT too thick.

[Cru Jones]

it's great as it is. don't know how adding the rolex crown would change that much.

[masterserg]

I see the point you are making. It could have been an interesting option. That said, I'd own a Tudor Pelagos in a heartbeat. It is one of the most interesting pieces to come out lately.

On the flipside, IMHO, the dial/bezel combo is one of its nicest attributes. Had it been a Rolex, it would have been completely different and I am not sure it would have the same magic.

[GradyPhilpott]

A Tudor is not a Rolex, but Tudor is Rolex.

The DSSD has a titanium case back.

http://www.rolex.com/en#/rolex-watch...anium-caseback

There is nothing gimmicky about titanium, even when used to make watches--misunderstood, perhaps, but not gimmicky.

[Dan Pierce]

Each brand is doing what they do best. Rolex is staying true to it's glacially slow, yet tried and true design approach and release of new references. Tudor continues to stretch the boundaries in design, willing to try something new while staying true to it's historic past.
Both should keep on keepin' on.
dP

[bigwatchman]

hirsch Dan Pierce;3630464]Each brand is doing what they do best. Rolex is staying true to it's glacially slow, yet tried and true design approach and release of new references. Tudor continues to stretch the boundaries in design, willing to try something new while staying true to it's historic past.
Both should keep on keepin' on.
dP[/QUOTE]

Perfectly said...

[Canadianjam2]

Koodos to Tudor for taking a walk on the wild side, something that the Rolex brand would not dare to do :)

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Still, Rolex does give small historical nods to some of their models... for instance the big orange GMT hand on the Explorer II 216570 or the lighting bolt seconds hand on the Milgauss.

[harry in montreal]

this was a better move wtih the snowflake than many of their other products - alarm, thunderbird, the enormous Yachmaster thing etc.

the fact that we would even consider it makes me believe theywere right. plus, you cannot argue with the lower pricepoint. i cant afford car-money for a watch when i have 2 young kids in private school and a leaky foundation!

[Baco Noir]

With the snowflake hands, it be longs in the Tudor line up. That said, I'd love to see Rolex make a 42mm Ti sub with sword hands and a matte dial, which IMHO would be a nod to the mil spec past combined with the use of modern materials. I own two Ti watches and think they wear and age beautifully.

[cajunron]

I think the main reason the Tudor model uses the ETA is simply to keep costs down. They are aiming at a niche market that Rolex does not care to cater to. I think Rolex probably reasons that if you wanted a model with the 3035 movement in it, you would spend the extra money and buy Rolex instead of Tudor. I do wish they would market the Tudor here in the US though.

[The GMT Master]

If the Pelagos had a Rolex dial on it, I'm certain more people would be excited about it. I think the design is wonderfully clever, a modern nod to a classic look, technically very capable, and the clasp is pure genius. I like the fact that the bezel is fully luminous, making it more useful than just a glowing bezel pip, and the uprated WR and helium escape valve states its intentions as a serious diving watch. It's less shiny than current Rolex divers, it's more legible than current Rolex divers, and a better size for modern wrists.

In my opinion, Rolex's conservative nature has killed the Submariner as a serious diving watch - whilst classic models were divers that could be worn as jewellery, the latest Subs are pieces of jewellery that can be taken diving. If the Pelagos had been released as a Rolex, it would have been hailed as one of the most innovative watches to have emerged from Rolex in decades. Instead, brand snobbery will always leave the Pelagos in the shade, and that's a crying shame

Chris

[Memphis]

Originally Posted by The GMT Master

whilst classic models were divers that could be worn as jewellery, the latest Subs are pieces of jewellery that can be taken diving.

completely disagree with the above...

as far as the pelagos or bb, i think that rolex is losing out not because it's sold as Tudor and uses ETA movements, but because they don't sell the brand in the States.

[The GMT Master]

Originally Posted by Memphis

completely disagree with the above...

as far as the pelagos or bb, i think that rolex is losing out not because it's sold as Tudor and uses ETA movements, but because they don't sell the brand in the States.

How so?

[capote]

I think the Pelagos is a great looking watch. IMO the DSSD is far more gimmicky in itself than Tudor's use of titanium ever will be.

[eric23]

I tried one on yesterday, Great value for the price. but just not for me.

[Memphis]

There's no question that they're still capable divers that can be used as jewelry.

[jolimont]

I respectfully disagree

The submariner/SD lines are now considered classic diving watches- they didn't need to bring in another diver under the Rolex brand- it would have just cannibalised their sales



If anything, the Pelagos and BB will bring more prestige (?for want of a better word) to their line and more sales, because, lets face it, both watches are winners

[The GMT Master]

Originally Posted by Memphis

There's no question that they're still capable divers that can be used as jewelry.

But are they a serious dive watch still? The modern one doesn't seem particularly well thought out, a gloss dial, gloss bezel and a lack of AR coating on a sapphire crystal doesn't aid legibility. The Pelagos has addressed all these issues admirably, IMO. The version of Glidelock used on the Sub isn't as user-friendly on the fly as the one used on the Deepsea, and also lacks the helium escape valve that would endear the watch to compression divers. Again, the Pelagos has answers to both of this, especially the clasp, which is a really clever piece of engineering. I would say the Pelagos is a much more diver-friendly watch

With the direction Rolex has been moving in, the design has been altered to make it more appealing to your average customer - it's a bit more flash, it's a bit more "look at me," which is the antithesis of what a diving watch needs to be. Sure, it'll keep waterproof throughout anything a diver could throw at it, but if you can't read it readily, can it be seen as a tool? Rolex will sell lots of the new generation of Submariner, but I think it is the final nail in the coffin as it as a tool watch. The irony is, they'd still sell the Pelagos by the bucketload if they called it a Submariner, and they'd have one of the most thoughtfully designed divers on the market. A definite missed opportunity, IMO

Chris