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Deaf Stan · 5 April 2021, 09:29 PM

Rolex's greatest achievement? To my mind it's the Deep Sea Special that was strapped to the outside of the bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960. Why? Because it's an awesome amount of pressure.

PS. NOT Mercedes Gleitze's cross-Channel swim in 1927 (because the we know that the Oyster wasn't in fact the first waterproof wristwatch case; see, for example, the "Submarine Watch" from the First World War, which was made by Tavannes and retailed by Brook & Son in Edinburgh) and NOT the first watch to the summit of Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953 (which, according to Rolex themselves, was an English-made Smiths De Luxe.) So, the Deep Sea Special for me. An incredible piece of engineering and design

khalifam · 5 April 2021, 09:37 PM

To turn the Oyster Perpetual into a hot watch

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Deaf Stan · 5 April 2021, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khalifam

To turn the Oyster Perpetual into a hot watch

Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

Well, yes, there is that too I suppose!

coffeebreak · 5 April 2021, 09:39 PM

Rolex’s greatest achievement has to be its Guinness World Record for the world’s longest waitlist
...some say this record may never be broken

Old Expat Beast · 5 April 2021, 09:42 PM

Marketing.

saxo3 · 5 April 2021, 09:53 PM

Market domination and blind trust.

77T · 5 April 2021, 10:10 PM

This...

Multiplied many, many times during WWII.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Brew · 5 April 2021, 10:16 PM

Gotta go with marketing.

saxo3 · 5 April 2021, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 77T

This...

Multiplied many, many times during WWII.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

A historical document!
Many thanks for sharing.
Was this letter written to you personally?
Cheers

dazooom · 5 April 2021, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brew

Gotta go with marketing.

This!

EEpro · 5 April 2021, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 77T

This...

Multiplied many, many times during WWII.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Supplying free watches to Luftwaffe prison guards?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

THC · 5 April 2021, 10:22 PM

Great letter (of the Rolex law)

Ichiran · 5 April 2021, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Marketing.

+1

77T · 5 April 2021, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saxo3

A historical document!
Many thanks for sharing.
Was this letter written to you personally?
Cheers

No, I read about this many years ago in the Rolex Wikipedia webpage.

Corporal Clive James Nutting, one of the organizers of the Great Escape, ordered a stainless steel Rolex Oyster 3525 Chronograph by mail directly from Hans Wilsdorf in Geneva.

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bp1000 · 5 April 2021, 10:30 PM

Marketing

Brew · 5 April 2021, 10:33 PM

Buying patents, assembling them, and then marketing?

77T · 5 April 2021, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EEpro

Supplying free watches to Luftwaffe prison guards?

From the same Wiki I mentioned earlier...

The watch was delivered to Stalag Luft III on 10 July that year along with a note from Wilsdorf explaining that Corporal Nutting "should not even think" about paying for the watch before the end of the war. The watch and associated correspondence between Wilsdorf and Nutting were sold at auction for £66,000 in May 2007.

Thousands of Rolexes were provided to POWs and active service personnel in this manner...

That is why I say it is Rolex’s “greatest achievement”.

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Deaf Stan · 5 April 2021, 10:40 PM

YES! The WW2 PoW watches. Good call.

It's a wonder Rolex don't make more of that; they go out of their way to imply Everest and they flatly claim that the Oyster is the first waterproof wristwatch case but this is actually true and yet you have to go digging to find it.

MARTIN1264 · 5 April 2021, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 77T

From the same Wiki I mentioned earlier...

The watch was delivered to Stalag Luft III on 10 July that year along with a note from Wilsdorf explaining that Corporal Nutting "should not even think" about paying for the watch before the end of the war. The watch and associated correspondence between Wilsdorf and Nutting were sold at auction for £66,000 in May 2007.

Thousands of Rolexes were provided to POWs and active service personnel in this manner...

That is why I say it is Rolex’s “greatest achievement”.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

JRell · 5 April 2021, 10:42 PM

Making it fashionable to wear a submariner with a tuxedo. Even though I am not sure I would do it.

padi56 · 5 April 2021, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deaf Stan

Rolex's greatest achievement? To my mind it's the Deep Sea Special that was strapped to the outside of the bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960. Why? Because it's an awesome amount of pressure.

PS. NOT Mercedes Gleitze's cross-Channel swim in 1927 (because the we know that the Oyster wasn't in fact the first waterproof wristwatch case; see, for example, the "Submarine Watch" from the First World War, which was made by Tavannes and retailed by Brook & Son in Edinburgh) and NOT the first watch to the summit of Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953 (which, according to Rolex themselves, was an English-made Smiths De Luxe.) So, the Deep Sea Special for me. An incredible piece of engineering and design

Rolex's greatest achievement well in today's world making Rolex watches into to be thought of as little more than $$$$££££$$$€€€€££$$ object things, instead of watches bought to be worn and enjoyed.

Oystersteel · 5 April 2021, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRell

Making it fashionable to wear a submariner with a tuxedo. Even though I am not sure I would do it.

I'd rather wear my JC with a tuxedo

saxo3 · 5 April 2021, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 77T

No, I read about this many years ago in the Rolex Wikipedia webpage.

Corporal Clive James Nutting, one of the organizers of the Great Escape, ordered a stainless steel Rolex Oyster 3525 Chronograph by mail directly from Hans Wilsdorf in Geneva.

Thanks!
The watch price was "gratis".
https://www.rolexmagazine.com/2017/1...watch.html?m=1

SaddleSC · 5 April 2021, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oystersteel

I'd rather wear my JC with a tuxedo

Oystersteel · 5 April 2021, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaddleSC

cwilson13 · 5 April 2021, 11:04 PM

Worlds greatest pick pockets.
They are able to consistently money from my wallet time and time again.

kahoot · 5 April 2021, 11:12 PM

Rolex greatest achievement is "the waiting list"

robinmgb · 5 April 2021, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Marketing.

Couldn’t agree more.
To make mass produced watches of Omega standard sell for high horology prices is such an achievement!

ilovewatches999 · 5 April 2021, 11:21 PM

It’s wild to think at one time a person would debate paying the same price for a Rolex or Omega, but then again Reebok had 86% of the shoe market at one time.

Aside from marketing, the oyster case has to be their “crowning” achievement.

Deaf Stan · 5 April 2021, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinmgb

Couldn’t agree more.
To make mass produced watches of Omega standard sell for high horology prices is such an achievement!

At least Omega have innovated (co-axial). What have Rolex done? Used a different grade of stainless steel. Big deal.

But they have manipulated the market: advertising + restricting supply and creating an artificial shortage. Add to that things like randomised serial numbers and I do wonder whether they've gone too far. Maybe not a Tulip bubble but certainly some Emperor's New Clothes.

I love vintage Rolexes; modern ones are just bling bracelets by the world's biggest Veblen brand.

I wish they'd put the 1016 and 5513 back into production. At $5k ha ha.

5 April 2021, 09:29 PM	#1
Deaf Stan "TRF" Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: England Posts: 79	Rolex's greatest achievement? Rolex's greatest achievement? To my mind it's the Deep Sea Special that was strapped to the outside of the bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960. Why? Because it's an awesome amount of pressure. PS. NOT Mercedes Gleitze's cross-Channel swim in 1927 (because the we know that the Oyster wasn't in fact the first waterproof wristwatch case; see, for example, the "Submarine Watch" from the First World War, which was made by Tavannes and retailed by Brook & Son in Edinburgh) and NOT the first watch to the summit of Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953 (which, according to Rolex themselves, was an English-made Smiths De Luxe.) So, the Deep Sea Special for me. An incredible piece of engineering and design

5 April 2021, 09:42 PM	#5
Old Expat Beast TRF Moderator & 2024 SubLV41 Patron Join Date: Jul 2013 Real Name: Adam Location: Far East Watch: Golden Tuna Posts: 28,826	Marketing. __________________ _______________________

5 April 2021, 09:53 PM	#6
saxo3 "TRF" Member Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: . Posts: 2,918	Rolex's greatest achievement? Market domination and blind trust.

5 April 2021, 10:10 PM	#7
77T 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Real Name: PaulG Location: Georgia Posts: 42,016	This... Multiplied many, many times during WWII. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro __________________ Does anyone really know what time it is?

5 April 2021, 10:42 PM	#20
JRell "TRF" Member Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Pittsburgh Watch: 126710BLNR Jubilee Posts: 7,084	Making it fashionable to wear a submariner with a tuxedo. Even though I am not sure I would do it. __________________ 126710 BLNR Jubilee

5 April 2021, 09:37 PM	#2
khalifam "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: UK Posts: 1,071	To turn the Oyster Perpetual into a hot watch Sent from my SM-N986B using Tapatalk

5 April 2021, 09:39 PM	#4
coffeebreak "TRF" Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Philippines Posts: 457	Rolex’s greatest achievement has to be its Guinness World Record for the world’s longest waitlist ...some say this record may never be broken

5 April 2021, 10:16 PM	#8
Brew "TRF" Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Real Name: Larry Location: Finger Lakes Posts: 6,007	Gotta go with marketing.

5 April 2021, 10:22 PM	#12
THC 2024 SubLV41 Pledge Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Real Name: Tom Location: Mandeville La Watch: 126333 Posts: 10,666	Great letter (of the Rolex law)

5 April 2021, 10:30 PM	#15
bp1000 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 4,973	Marketing

5 April 2021, 10:33 PM	#16
Brew "TRF" Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Real Name: Larry Location: Finger Lakes Posts: 6,007	Buying patents, assembling them, and then marketing?

5 April 2021, 10:40 PM	#18
Deaf Stan "TRF" Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: England Posts: 79	YES! The WW2 PoW watches. Good call. It's a wonder Rolex don't make more of that; they go out of their way to imply Everest and they flatly claim that the Oyster is the first waterproof wristwatch case but this is actually true and yet you have to go digging to find it.

5 April 2021, 11:04 PM	#26
cwilson13 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 1,500	Worlds greatest pick pockets. They are able to consistently money from my wallet time and time again.

5 April 2021, 11:12 PM	#27
kahoot "TRF" Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: uk Posts: 425	Rolex greatest achievement is "the waiting list" __________________ SDC 4000 Explorer 2

5 April 2021, 11:21 PM	#29
ilovewatches999 "TRF" Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Over the Rainbow Posts: 39	It’s wild to think at one time a person would debate paying the same price for a Rolex or Omega, but then again Reebok had 86% of the shoe market at one time. Aside from marketing, the oyster case has to be their “crowning” achievement.

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