Rolex Tool Watches In Business Suits

[Lol-x]

An elementary essay (for ezines)

Since the mid 1950’s Rolex has been making “tool watches”. These watches were designed for specific professional or adventurous tasks and/or pursuits. The classic style of such watches has lent themselves to be universally respected for their no-nonsense quality and timeless sophistication in even the most formal of occasions.

Rolex produced a number of classic tool watch models that have uncompromisingly stood the test of time. For example, a Rolex Submariner made in say 1974 that retailed back then for around $500, would as a collectable today and an every day wearable watch, sell for around $5,000.

The main Rolex tool watches are:
(a) The Rolex “Submariner”;
(b) The Rolex “Daytona”;
(c) The Rolex “Sea Dweller”;
(d) The Rolex “GMT-Master” and “GMT-Master II”;
(e) The Rolex “Explorer” and “Explorer-II”;
(f) The Rolex “Turn-O-Graph”;
(g) The Rolex “Milgauss”; and
(h) The Rolex “Yacht-Master”.

Each of these models was exceptionally well marketed by Rolex, but ultimately all the marketing in the world will not make a product intrinsically worthy if it is not so. It is a testament to the quality of these watches that they have each become icons in their own right.

These Rolex watches are constructed from high quality stainless steel. The watches are capable of resisting all the extremes that mother nature can dish out. Adventurers and professional such as divers, explorers, pilots, and servicemen relied day after day on a watch that could provide them accuracy, reliability and rugged good looks.

Today, businessmen admire the same qualities of accuracy, dependability and no-nonsense results. A stainless steel Rolex tool watch today sits as comfortable on the wrist of a Wall Street stockbroker getting ready for the start of a days trading, as the same watch might be standard equipment for a fighter pilot at 30,000 feet or a deep sea diver 1,000 meters below the surface.

Rolex make many watches, but their movements are rated to be 99.999% accurate per day and to perform at such accuracy for 24/7 for years (5) between service intervals. A Rolex movement is a micro machine, no batteries, no manual winding required, it is manufactured and assembled to comply with microscopic tolerances. Imagine being able to say your car could run 24/7 for 5 years without a service and still run as smoothly as day 1.

Apart from a Rolex tool watch, I know of no mechanical device that was be used continuously 24/7 for 30 years and yield, in monetary terms, 10 times the initial purchase price.

Although the name “Rolex” might unfairly have a connotation of the ‘Nuevo rich’, that is a throw away line proffered by those who have not experienced or who lack a complete understanding of the Rolex tool watch. Many watch collectors, after experiencing some of the exotic watch brands, that are far more expensive than Rolex, find themselves returning to Rolex tool watches in appreciation of the fundamental no-nonsense qualities of style and performance.

Finally, the Rolex tool watch is no longer a male bastion. Business women are finding tool watches can be worn in a feminine but very professional way. This is especially true of vintage tool watches which provide a complimentary elegance and professional touch to the female persona.

[Dan Pierce]

Great read Steve!
dP

[Tools]

Excellent..

[Robb]

Nice. Thanks!!!!

[stewie]

nice write up

[Jerry B]

Great read, thanks

[Thani]

great post steve !

[Troy]

Interesting thanks

[kcmo]

Nice, thanks for posting

[Rawhyde]

Great write up!

[LMP]

Right on! Good post, Steve

[shauno]

One of the things that I like about these watches is in this age of high technology with computers and electronic gadgets every where you look. You can still go out there and purchase one of these fine mechanical watches. Many of us work every day with state of the art technologies but none hold as much regard as the good old Rolex.

[mike]

Outstanding post Steve.

[JJ Irani]

Good stuff, Steve....thanks!!

[Orchi]

Err thanks Steve...very well written indeed.

[frostie]

Nice one steve thanks for sharing

[SSD]

Great insights, a very informative and enjoyable read!

[Rackness]

great read thanks for the article!

A rollie looks good no matter how you wear it buisness suit or birthday suit it will still looks good

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Rackness

great read thanks for the article!

A rollie looks good no matter how you wear it buisness suit or birthday suit it will still looks good

Haven't tried one on yet in my birthday suit!!!

[anglykos]

Very nice and very true. Thanks Steve!

[Leighton]

Excellent essay, Steve! Thanks.

[steel4me]

so I got a freakin dive tool on my wrist (SD)??? And I can't even swim!!

[marshallr47]

Steve, good reading stuff. I do enjoy your threads. Thanks.

[JBat]

[Travis]

Nice write up. As a sugestion, I would drop the whole "tool" tag. Not everything that is designed for a specific purpose should be called a "tool". Here is a short list of things designed for a very specific purpose that I would not describe as a "tool" (although all of these items may fit an interpretation of the technical definition)...

Sports car/motorcycle
Bus
Washing machine
Firearm

Blah, blah, blah. There are virtually countless items we all own that were designed for a specific purpose.

The primary specific purpose of the Rolex Submariner, for example, is to tell time. While it has been designed to properly operate while submerged, that doesn't change it's primary purpose of telling time.

[BigHat]

Thanks Steve,
Not really a question in your post though so I'll comment on one of your assertions in your essay.
Personally, I just don't grab any of my SS watches (aside from the VC now and then) for my "office work." Sadly, we have a strict dress code that means a suit and tie EVERY day. I just feel a dress watch is more suited to that environment then a "tool" watch. The watches you listed are pretty much the entire Rolex line less the Celine and you make don't seem to consider the materials used to be an issue. I would say that some of the models you listed in gold or two-tone might be best for those trying to get max. flexibility from their watch. Of course, with some shirt cuffs a sport watch in any finish is just too binding.
I would also say that a gold (YG or WG) variant of many of those watches you listed IS NOT a "tool" watch.

As for other brands. Rolex makes a great watch, but they are far from the only game in town and there are plenty of other makers that make superb products. As many make 50K vs. one million per year, they are far less common and more coveted by watch lovers. I'd sell my Rolexes long before my Lange or VC. Fortunately, that won't happen.

My two cents. Plenty of folks wear SS Subs with everything from shorts to a tux. at all times and feel great about it.

Take care.

[Alcan]

Good read, Steve. Thanks for posting it.

[Lol-x]

Originally Posted by Travis

Nice write up. As a sugestion, I would drop the whole "tool" tag.

Travis, thanks for that well made point. I guess you are right. If you ask a guy in the street about a 'tool watch' he would probably shrug his shoulders. I guess a better lay description might be 'sports watch'.
However, these watches were made for more than sporting purposes, so I wanted to keep the expression 'tool' true to their intended (or at least marketed) purpose. Besides if I didn't call them 'tools' Larry would kill me

Originally Posted by BigHat

Thanks Steve,
Not really a question in your post though so I'll comment on one of your assertions in your essay.
Personally, I just don't grab any of my SS watches (aside from the VC now and then) for my "office work." Sadly, we have a strict dress code that means a suit and tie EVERY day. I just feel a dress watch is more suited to that environment then a "tool" watch. The watches you listed are pretty much the entire Rolex line less the Celine and you make don't seem to consider the materials used to be an issue. I would say that some of the models you listed in gold or two-tone might be best for those trying to get max. flexibility from their watch. Of course, with some shirt cuffs a sport watch in any finish is just too binding.
Finally, I would also say that a gold (YG or WG) variant of many of those watches you listed IS NOT a "tool" watch.

My two cents. Plenty of folks wear SS at all times and feel great about it.

Take care.

Big Hat, you are right my essay was fairly narrow in its scope, but I did that for a reason (I can't cover all the good stuff in one mini-essay). True it is, I have ignored the Cellini range (a worthy range) and also the Prince models which are great watches (and more dressy too).
Gold, Platinum and TT are also all worthy watches, but again I didn't want to get into that kind of detail. As you know there are many options and models.

I'm very surprised and interested to hear that none of the so called 'tool watches' would be acceptable to wear in your profession. That is a phenomenon I have now personally experienced even in some conservative circles, but I believe to the extent that such conservatism exists it might be vary rare.

Again I couldn't cover now wish to cover other very valid models and types of watches in this mini-essay, so if I have been a bit too brief or it might appear I have been a little too generalised in some statements I apologise. I just hope you might give me a "D" instead of an "E"

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

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Big Hat, you are right my essay was fairly narrow in its scope, but I did that for a reason (I can't cover all the good stuff in one mini-essay). True it is, I have ignored the Cellini range (a worthy range) and also the Prince models which are great watches (and more dressy too).
Gold, Platinum and TT are also all worthy watches, but again I didn't want to get into that kind of detail. As you know there are many options and models.

I'm very surprised and interested to hear that none of the so called 'tool watches' would be acceptable to wear in your profession. That is a phenomenon I have now personally experienced even in some conservative circles, but I believe to the extent that such conservatism exists it might be vary rare.

No I give you higher grades than that. Very interesting food for thought. Let me clarify a bit.

1. No one would send me home for wearing an SS Daytona. Most people don"t even know enough about watches to comment.

2. I don't wear them for two reasons I'll reiterate.
a. I don't find them dressy enough and I have more dressy options. Out of a suit, the Rolexes get lots of wrist time.
b. With most shirts, especially french cuffs, there just isn't enough room for a big Rolex. This may not be a problem for many.

3. Understand that you couldn't cover the entire spectrum, but a YG sub and a SS Sub are two entirely different watches to me and wouldn't be worn under the same circumstances, so when you just list the Submariner, I can't help but think which one are you talking about.

4. I also understand this site focuses on Rolex watches and thus has lots of Rolex lovers. I think you'll find, however, that most of the heavy participants appreciate the qualities of many brands and don't dilute their respect for Rolex by admiring the attributes of other brands. Nor, do they often discard those brands and return exclusively to Rolex.

[Transient]

Cool post. Very interesting reading...