Why do Rolex do such things ?

[CharlesN]

I have just got a book called..

Formula 1 Grand Prix , Season Review 2019.

It is published by Rolex.

It has photos of every race track with Rolex advertising everywhere.

It has an amazing amount of information about every race in the entire season and about Drivers, Teams, Cars and just about everything anybody could want to know.

Pictures of the cover and just one page showing some of the content available are below.

There is just one advert in the book and that is for a Daytona.

Why do Rolex do this ? The book is not widely available.

There is just one advert in the book.
The Daytona is not the biggest selling watch in the Rolex professional range.

So…. Why doesn’t Rolex do similar books for other sports that have a bigger following of watch model owners ….. Think Submariner and Sea-Dweller ?

Im sorry the pictures are poor quality ... I had to use my iPhone to take the pictures ... Not the best way I know.

[bigrustypig]

Because race cars are cheaper to feature than submarines


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by bigrustypig

Because race cars are cheaper to feature than submarines

Submarines are designed to keep you dry and your watch is never put to the "Test".

A Submariner or Sea-Dweller are more at home in the water.

Underwater cameras are not expensive at all.

Rolex see to ignore the bigger part of their watch ownership.

[Old Expat Beast]

Likely a corporate gift done by a contract publisher on behalf of Rolex, and suitably imprinted, for handing out at F1 functions, various sponsorship events, races and media tours, etc.

[Boaters]

Never say never they certainly are big on sports golf,tennis Indy to mention a few.

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by Boaters

Never say never they certainly are big on sports golf,tennis Indy to mention a few.

Yes, I agree they are very big in sponshorship of Motor racing, Golf and Tennis to name a few.

But .... They ignore the big market they already have access to because some of their models attract so much attention and are sought after.

The "Water Sports" watches are just not sponsored, advertised or anything.

Why would Rolex seemingly deliberately ignore that market ?

Incediantially its a fast growing market. There are more and more students in the dive centres every year.

Just aboutt every dive centre has one or more of the staff wearing a Submariner or Sea-Dweller.

Damn it I always wear a Submariner as my backup watch on every dive I make and I have made quite a few thousand dives now.

[Jackie Daytona]

They have the 2020 or possibly 2021 version of that book at my AD. Looked at it a few times while BSing. I think it may be largely one of those dealer decor type things. I love F1, I wish my AD would pass it down to me once the season has passed.

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by Dontknow

They have the 2020 or possibly 2021 version of that book at my AD. Looked at it a few times while BSing. I think it may be largely one of those dealer decor type things. I love F1, I wish my AD would pass it down to me once the season has passed.

Which edition did your AD have ? 2019 or another year ?

[Jackie Daytona]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

Which edition did your AD have ? 2019 or another year ?

It’s another year. I’ll have to stop by again to verify, but I believe it’s 2020 possibly 2021. The cover is different from this one.

It has a few cars battling for position on the cover.

[Hub6152]

Desk diving isn’t a sport.

[JonaG]

Likely possible answer: money. Another, popularity: who’s going to read equestrian data with an advert for a Datejust?

[sj24k]

Huh? It’s really simple. Rolex (like every other brand) targets customers in their demographic. And looks to maximize their spend.

F1, golf, tennis, and other similar sports have a larger percentage of fans with the thing Rolex cares about, the MONEY to buy luxury watches.

This is marketing 101. Find ways to target large concentrations of your customers. and target them in as cost effective manner as possible.

You don’t see a lot of scuba diving and water sport content on your television on major networks, during prime hours for a reason. Sure, they are popular with certain niches, but lack the mass appeal and pure numbers of fans compared other sports. Hence less sponsorship from “mega brands.” When’s the last time you saw hundred of thousands of people lined up to watch a water sport live while millions more watch at home (Olympics excluded).

Anyway, the marketers at Rolex are quite adept at knowing where to put their money to make it work it’s hardest.


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[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by sj24k

Huh? It’s really simple. Rolex (like every other brand) targets customers in their demographic. And looks to maximize their spend.

F1, golf, tennis, and other similar sports have a larger percentage of fans with the thing Rolex cares about, the MONEY to buy luxury watches.

This is marketing 101. Find ways to target large concentrations of your customers. and target them in as cost effective manner as possible.

You don’t see a lot of scuba diving and water sport content on your television on major networks, during prime hours for a reason. Sure, they are popular with certain niches, but lack the mass appeal and pure numbers of fans compared other sports. Hence less sponsorship from “mega brands.” When’s the last time you saw hundred of thousands of people lined up to watch a water sport live while millions more watch at home (Olympics excluded).

Anyway, the marketers at Rolex are quite adept at knowing where to put their money to make it work it’s hardest.

If Rolex sponsored diving then it would be televised.
Rolex seems to be a big deaw for people.

[Wahlberg]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

If Rolex sponsored diving then it would be televised.

No, they come when the sport is popular and attracts a certain crowd.

[330ci]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

I have just got a book called..

Formula 1 Grand Prix , Season Review 2019.

It is published by Rolex.

It has photos of every race track with Rolex advertising everywhere.

It has an amazing amount of information about every race in the entire season and about Drivers, Teams, Cars and just about everything anybody could want to know.

Pictures of the cover and just one page showing some of the content available are below.

There is just one advert in the book and that is for a Daytona.

Why do Rolex do this ? The book is not widely available.

There is just one advert in the book.
The Daytona is not the biggest selling watch in the Rolex professional range.

So…. Why doesn’t Rolex do similar books for other sports that have a bigger following of watch model owners ….. Think Submariner and Sea-Dweller ?

Im sorry the pictures are poor quality ... I had to use my iPhone to take the pictures ... Not the best way I know.

https://www.rolex.org/environment/deepsea-challenge

I mean they've sent watches to the bottom of the deepest trench in the Ocean on the outside of a submarine twice and designed the watches specifically for the task. I'm sure there's some physical Rolex literature on it out there. Not to mention they publish a magazine, and have had numerous different texts published throughout the years. The Vade Mecum collection probably being the most desired

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by 330ci

https://www.rolex.org/environment/deepsea-challenge

I mean they've sent watches to the bottom of the deepest trench in the Ocean on the outside of a submarine twice and designed the watches specifically for the task. I'm sure there's some physical Rolex literature on it out there. Not to mention they publish a magazine, and have had numerous different texts published throughout the years. The Vade Mecum collection probably being the most desired

Yes, they have proved that their watches can go deep ... deeper than a human can go without a submarine or similar and come back alive.

But, even the Vade Mecum, which i am lucky to have seen does not answer why Rolex makes a watch for a particular sport and thne once its done Rolex dont promote, support or even advertise that theirs are the best for the job.

I see a lot of other brands being strapped on to wrists before a dive amd mostly they are Seiko.

Rolex has a VERY strong following for some of the range ... and they are forgotten about and not encouraged to buy in more into the range.

[330ci]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

Yes, they have proved that their watches can go deep ... deeper than a human can go without a submarine or similar and come back alive.

But, even the Vade Mecum, which i am lucky to have seen does not answer why Rolex makes a watch for a particular sport and thne once its done Rolex dont promote, support or even advertise that theirs are the best for the job.

I see a lot of other brands being strapped on to wrists before a dive amd mostly they are Seiko.

Rolex has a VERY strong following for some of the range ... and they are forgotten about and not encouraged to buy in more into the range.

??? How much more encouraging could they be then sponsoring an event and putting a watch outside their submarine and taking it to the deepest trench of the ocean. If you look into the brand a bit more they also have a lot of scholarships to support exploration.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=468314

And with just a bit of research I found a book on the event as well.

There aren't competitive scuba events to keep up with, but there certainly is no shortage of literature on their watches capabilities. They used to put out a ton of literature using pictures from Comex, their watches are jmore symbolic for the company today than used however. The Explorer has been advertised having been used on plenty of expeditions throughout the years, the Milgauss has had its fair share of anti magnetic scientific articles written around its existence, GMTs and Thunderbirds were endorsed by Air Force pilots, theres really no shortage of compelling literature throughout the years linking their watches to real world capabilities

[sub2011]

I think you have a very out of the box way of thinking.

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by sub2011

I think you have a very out of the box way of thinking.

I will take that as a compliment .... thank you.

It certainly has served me well during my life.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

OP, Rolex dies not need to advertise watches that are already flying off the shelves. It’s a false economy to drive demand towards watches for which there is already more demand than supply. And whether we agree with them or not Rolex marketing has proven to be quite adept at what they do

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

There is just one advert in the book and that is for a Daytona.

Why do Rolex do this ? The book is not widely available.

There is just one advert in the book.
The Daytona is not the biggest selling watch in the Rolex professional range.

So…. Why doesn’t Rolex do similar books for other sports that have a bigger following of watch model owners ….. Think Submariner and Sea-Dweller ?

1. Don't confuse "not the most widely available" with "not the biggest selling" regarding the watches. The Daytona may not be produced in substantial numbers, but demand is greater than any other.

Also, this is the difference between sponsorship and advertising. Rolex, as a brand, wants to be synonymous with F1, as a brand. The reason to feature the Daytona is that its legacy is most closely associated with the sport. This is different than simply advertising in a magazine about a particular sport.

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by dannyp

1. Don't confuse "not the most widely available" with "not the biggest selling" regarding the watches. The Daytona may not be produced in substantial numbers, but demand is greater than any other.

Also, this is the difference between sponsorship and advertising. Rolex, as a brand, wants to be synonymous with F1, as a brand. The reason to feature the Daytona is that its legacy is most closely associated with the sport. This is different than simply advertising in a magazine about a particular sport.

This can be loked at in 2 ways ... Which came first .. Chicken or egg ? Rolex is very involved in F1, it has been for a ling time and I presume it will be for a ling time to come.

Yes, the daytona is intertwined with F1 etc.

but the dive watch range are intertwined with diving.

Whats the difference.

There are a heck of a lot more scuba divers than there are race drivers.

there are a heck of a lot more Dive instructors and professional divers than there are race drivers.

Rolex is also very involved in Diving, But, there is NO explanation to why Rolex isn't even a little involved with that sport.

There is a difference also between the massive F1 sport advertising that must cost an untold amount and the amount of money spent on the Diving industry (Nil).

[330ci]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

This can be loked at in 2 ways ... Which came first .. Chicken or egg ? Rolex is very involved in F1, it has been for a ling time and I presume it will be for a ling time to come.

Yes, the daytona is intertwined with F1 etc.

but the dive watch range are intertwined with diving.

Whats the difference.

There are a heck of a lot more scuba divers than there are race drivers.

there are a heck of a lot more Dive instructors and professional divers than there are race drivers.

Rolex is also very involved in Diving, But, there is NO explanation to why Rolex isn't even a little involved with that sport.

There is a difference also between the massive F1 sport advertising that must cost an untold amount and the amount of money spent on the Diving industry (Nil).

Diving isn't a sport. Its a recreational activity. And a Rolex isn't even a good tool for the job anymore. A cheap dive computer is far more useful than a Rolex ever could be in the hands of a modern diver.

How many people on the forum have their Diving license? I'd bet its a small minority of us. Most people on here seem to be afraid to take theirs in the shower, let alone on a trip to the bottom of the sea.

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by 330ci

Diving isn't a sport. Its a recreational activity. And a Rolex isn't even a good tool for the job anymore. A cheap dive computer is far more useful than a Rolex ever could be in the hands of a modern diver.

How many people on the forum have their Diving license? I'd bet its a small minority of us.

I for one have my diving Licence ... I have passed more diving exams than i want to recall.

I obviously wear a dive computer on every dive I do ... but, I dive properly equipped ... I also have a dive watch that I use in case of Dive computer failure.
elapsed time is essential for me to know. My dive watch isnt a cheap watch ... Its a Rolex !

My guess is more people than you think have a dive qualification here than we realise ... there is even one well known person who i wont mention (Padi56) who might just be a diver going by his name here.

Maybe a poll is needed ... I'll get onto that straight away.

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

Maybe a poll is needed ... I'll get onto that straight away.

The poll is created and is here ......

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=818477

[330ci]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

I for one have my diving Licence ... I have passed more diving exams than i want to recall.

I obviously wear a dive computer on every dive I do ... but, I dive properly equipped ... I also have a dive watch that I use in case of Dive computer failure.
elapsed time is essential for me to know. My dive watch isnt a cheap watch ... Its a Rolex !

My guess is more people than you think have a dive qualification here than we realise ... there is even one well known person who i wont mention (Padi56) who might just be a diver going by his name here.

Maybe a poll is needed ... I'll get onto that straight away.

Should my dive computer fail, I still have an oxygen gauge. you could've saved a ton of money and had more technology on your wrist buying a Suunto for your wrist and had 2 Dive computers with you at any given time should one fail. And even if I wanted a mechanical watch to back up my dive computer, Seiko is partnered with PADI on a line of dive watches that will do the same job for a fraction of the price. I don't think the Professional Association of Dive Instructors are going to endorse a product that they feel would jeopardize the safety of the diving community.

I've worn mechanical watches on my dives before, and I can honestly say I was the only one.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by CharlesN

This can be loked at in 2 ways ... Which came first .. Chicken or egg ? Rolex is very involved in F1, it has been for a ling time and I presume it will be for a ling time to come.

Yes, the daytona is intertwined with F1 etc.

but the dive watch range are intertwined with diving.

Whats the difference.

There are a heck of a lot more scuba divers than there are race drivers.

there are a heck of a lot more Dive instructors and professional divers than there are race drivers.

Rolex is also very involved in Diving, But, there is NO explanation to why Rolex isn't even a little involved with that sport.

There is a difference also between the massive F1 sport advertising that must cost an untold amount and the amount of money spent on the Diving industry (Nil).

Originally Posted by 330ci

Diving isn't a sport. Its a recreational activity.

One could debate whether diving is a sport or not. But what is clear is that it's not a spectator sport. And that's where the marketing dollars go.

There are far more divers in the world than racing drivers, it's true. But there are probably orders of magnitude more F1 spectators than dive-watchers. And its the fan base, not the participants, that Rolex is aiming to capture with its marketing dollars.

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by dannyp

its the fan base, not the participants, that Rolex is aiming to capture with its marketing dollars.

So In that case, am I to presume that the Submariner range and Sea-Dwellers are just in demand because they dont have a fan base ??

[sub2011]

Lol!! I find amazing how people insist on improve the way Rolex do business.
Do you really think they need help?

[CharlesN]

Originally Posted by sub2011

Lol!! I find amazing how people insist on improve the way Rolex do business.
Do you really think they need help?

NOBODY is suggesting Rolex need any help.

But asking a somple question about why Rolex have decided NOT to be involved with a sport that they are clearly and obviously involved with is strange to say the least.

Your assumption that anybody here is suggesting Rolex has got their marketing strategy wrong is daft ... Nobody have even, close to, inferred that.