Most are, but not by much. Despite what the average Joe thinks about Rolex watches, they are at the low end of the "luxury" watch market. Now, you can pay $40-50k for certain models, but a lot of their stuff is less than $15k, and you can get a new Rolex for $6k. You can easily spend $200K for a watch if you want. For the most part, Rolex doesn't play in that league.
On the other hand, if you're travelling, pretty much no matter where you are in the world, if the rotating oscillator is being splattered with excrement, you can pretty much guarantee that a Rolex watch will be accepted for a plane ticket to civilization. It's recognised world wide as being a pretty liquid and valuable commodity. Such things have uses beyond mere timekeeping.
That’s exactly right. Rolex is the working man’s luxury watch. Rolex’s roots are in crafting excellent tool watches (which really peaked with the five digit references) and they really do a great job of it.
For me, the distinction is that a Rolex (particularly five digit references) makes watches that are also beautiful pieces of jewelry, while other higher end watches (Cartier, for example) are beautiful jewelry that are also watches.
Many of the modern six digit references are awesome, but they started drifting a bit more towards jewelry/watches and strayed a bit from watches/jewelry.
But indeed, they’re not high end luxury watches. For me, they hit the beautiful tool watch “sweet spot,” and I also like that it remains one of the most unambiguously masculine brands out there (in an era of increasing androgyny).
Frankly I prefer the Omega watches. When NASA back at the beginning was looking for watch for the astronauts they asked all the major watch makers to submit their best and toughest Sport watches.
They put those watches through a series of very grueling tests, the only one that passed was the Omega Speedmaster and they have been the official watch ever since.
My dream model is the Omega Seamaster Chronograph, one of these days I will get one. about $2000 on the used market and about $3 to 5000 brand new.
Pawn Stars episode!