If Rolex was a car company, it would be...

[bay-dweller]

Criteria:
1. Brand is know by almost every person, but most people assume they will never be able to afford one.
2. The reliability is above average and maintenance is not wildly expensive.
3. The brand has been in production a very long time, has a big vintage following, and large enthusiast crowd.
4. Design is timeless and the brand is slow to follow industry trends.
5. Some vintage models appreciate, some depreciate. Some modern models are waitlisted, some are easily attainable.

I think given these general criteria, it is a toss up between Mercedes or Porsche.

What do you think?

[dafuture]

I've always thought it was Porsche personally

[Rolex-istanbul]

Mercedes

[kumar75203]

Originally Posted by dafuture

I've always thought it was Porsche personally

.

I've used the Porsche analogy many times.

[csaltphoto]

Originally Posted by dafuture

I've always thought it was Porsche personally

Yeah, more Porsche. High performance yet attainable and holds up to daily driving.

[Max 66]

If I have to chose a brand I would say Aston Martin but with 911 Carrera added to their price list

[kwcsports]

Mercedes

[ROLEXster]

Rolex and Porsche
Both Timeless classics
.
.
.

[Rori]

Porsche


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Oxfordian]

Rolex, highly desirable but not available, expensive to buy second-hand.

So what car fits that description, Ferrari perhaps.

[Ristretto]

I think it is a Mercedes-Benz.

[Xerxes77]

Mercedes for sure...
Also I think Rolex already choose what car represents when put Mercedes Hands on Rolex models....

[boogiebot]

Originally Posted by dafuture

I've always thought it was Porsche personally

Yeah I agree with this. Their cars don’t go through a ton of aesthetic changes much like ROLEX and their consumer base is super loyal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Rolexatlast]

Definitely Porsche.

Reliable, can be used daily, high quality, ADs do not discount, designs are classic so subtly updated rather than chasing fashion

Lower end Porsches reasonably available, but in demand sports models available to VIPs only (who can flip for profit)

[drb477]

Porsche comes closest. 911 essentially fits the description exactly. The sedans and SUVs don't fit the criteria as well as the 911 does, but as far as SUVs go the Porsche versions come about as close to doing so as one could reasonably expect from that sort of vehicle.

Mercedes reliability and maintenance isn't all that great, there are some models (honestly I'd say most models at this point) which are certainly not timeless, and the lower end models start at price points not drastically different than Hondas or Toyotas and really aren't viewed as unobtainable any more.

[2nastie]

As a manufacturer of goods, it started off as Mercedes: strong, reliable workhorse, and relatively obtainable by its general population but transitioned into Porsche: luxury, heritage, and obtainable by those who has a bit more than just pocket change.

Actual marketing and branding wise, the 3-pointed star and the crown is pretty synonymous in their categories.

I think Rolex has the best of both worlds. The worldwide branding of the crown like MB but also the product that oozes excitement to WIS or car enthusiast of Porsche.

[juve]

Mercedes-Benz

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by ROLEXster

Rolex and Porsche
Both Timeless classics
.
.
.

[BigBallerBrand]

Toyota Camry’s reliability with the prestige of a Benz

[Drifter288]

Porsche

[daOnlyBG]

Definitely NOT Mercedes-Benz.

Rolexes don't lose 90% of their value in 5 years.

It's tempting to say something between Porsche and Ferrari. Porsche for its ruggedness and robustness, but Ferrari because of the tight control the parent company has on servicing its product.

In all honesty, mapping cars to watches is pretty difficult to do.

[bay-dweller]

Originally Posted by Xerxes77

Mercedes for sure...
Also I think Rolex already choose what car represents when put Mercedes Hands on Rolex models....

Good point!

[crazymcmichael]

Opel

[kumar75203]

Originally Posted by Oxfordian

Rolex, highly desirable but not available, expensive to buy second-hand.

So what car fits that description, Ferrari perhaps.

Porsche has been following that same model with their more desirable GT cars. Sell the car to a VIP customer for MSRP. Customer sells it back to dealership. Dealership then relists it with a jacked up price.

If I had to pick, I'd say Rolex is Porsche, AP is Lamborgini, and Patek is Ferrari. Richard Mille maybe Bugatti.

[bay-dweller]

Porsche also has VW like Rolex has Tudor.

BMW and Mercedes don't have a cheaper brand, at least not one that stuck around for decades.

[daOnlyBG]

Originally Posted by kumar75203

Porsche has been following that same model with their more desirable GT cars. Sell the car to a VIP customer for MSRP. Customer sells it back to dealership. Dealership then relists it with a jacked up price.

The allocation sales model isn't new to Rolex or Porsche. I think Range Rover did the same thing in the 90s/2000s.

Ferrari's been doing it for a while, too.

[kumar75203]

Originally Posted by daOnlyBG

The allocation sales model isn't new to Rolex or Porsche. I think Range Rover did the same thing in the 90s/2000s.

Ferrari's been doing it for a while, too.

AFAIK Ferrari won't even sell you one of their prestige cars unless you buy one of the less desirable models first.

I guess that is similar to some ADs not selling you a Daytona or Sea-Dweller unless you spend your money on a less desirable model.

My main problem with the Ferrari comparison is that Rolexes are way too common compared to a Ferrari. I see several submariners every day.

[CashGap]

Bankrupt

[nachopc]

Porsche


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[mmaggi]

Some of the replies are quite entertaining.

NOT a Mercedes or any other German car. Please. There's a reason why the best advice is to lease a German car or sell it right before the warranty expires.

It's a Lexus. It's made by Toyota. It's extremely reliable, it's well made and it's attractive.