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For more than a century, the industry-standard on luxury watches has been set by one brand: Rolex. No watch has been able to match the name and the brand that Rolex represents, but what makes Rolex so unique? Are they all that they’re made out to be, or is their popularity without material merit?
Rolex watches are made of the highest quality of stainless steel available. Rolex submits its watches to more intense scrutiny and testing than any other watch company can match. Rolex watches are hand-made and tested in their own laboratories, and it takes over a year to produce each one.
While Rolex watches are undoubtedly one of the finest jewelry products available on the open market, are they worth what people pay for them? This article will look at what makes a Rolex so unique and whether or not they are worth the thousands of dollars that people spend on them.
What Makes a Rolex So Special?
It’s no secret that the Rolex company goes above and beyond what other watchmakers do. Every single Rolex is handmade by people who are specially trained in the art of watchmaking.
Because they are handmade and tested rigorously, only 2,500 Rolex watches are made per day, which comes out to around 1,000,000 per year.
Mechanical Watches Are Expensive To Produce
Because Rolex watches are mechanical and not digital like most newer watches, they take longer and require more training to produce. Mechanical watches also have a higher risk of failure due to all the moving parts, which means they undergo more intense scrutiny than other watches.
Rolex Produces Special Dive Watches
Not only does Rolex produce the highest quality of watches available to consumers, but they also produce specialty diving watches. These watches are specially designed to withstand water pressure as deep as 300 meters (984.25 feet) beneath the water’s surface.
The ability to produce and test a watch that meets these specifications is difficult and expensive. The process requires special testing equipment such as an air pressure tank, which is not a cheap commodity to have.
Rolex Has Its Own Laboratory
Another thing that puts Rolex above the rest of the competition is that the company has its own research facilities and science laboratories. At these facilities, an army of scientists and gemologists test and inspect the final product and the individual elements that go into making the watch.
Rolex watches have precious gems and metals in them, and the gemologist’s job is to make sure that everything is genuine and authentic. They use devices such as electron microscopes and gas spectrometers to ensure the quality and authenticity of their products.
Rolex doesn’t hire just anybody to be a part of their research team, either. Only the most talented and highest trained scientists and researchers are employed by Rolex. Researchers are responsible for looking into new metals and gems that might be usable in the next series of watches.
What Are Rolexes Made Of?
Rolex watches are made of the highest quality metal available to man. Other watches use high-end metals as well, however, so what makes Rolex unique? They make all of these metals themselves in their own facilities and factories.
Rolex has its own kilns and foundries where it produces gold, platinum, and steel. The company does this to ensure that only the highest-quality metals are being implemented in its watches. Running and operating these facilities aren’t cheap, which adds another element to the cost factor.
The type of steel that Rolex uses in its watches is known as 904L stainless steel. This is an extremely difficult type of steel to produce and also quite expensive. Considering that Rolex makes 904L themselves, the company requires additional facilities to accommodate its production.
The attachments on Rolex watches include precious gems such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Rolex employs professionals to facilitate the purchasing and testing of these precious gems. Only the best gemologists are employed to fulfill this process.
The History Surrounding Rolex
Rolex watches are made with the best materials and tested by the best professionals, but there’s more to them than that. Rolex has a brand and a history that is second to none and adds to the value and cost of its watches.
Rolex watches have been sported by actors, athletes, and celebrities of all professions. They have even been worn by politicians and featured in various forms of cinema. James Bond and JFK popularized Rolex watches in the ’60s, and they have enjoyed various other forms of exposure.
Wearing a Rolex watch has become known as a symbol of wealth and luxury. The watches themselves are extremely high-quality and valuable, but the brand itself is just as crucial to the watches’ overall value.
Another watch company could use the same materials and gems, but it wouldn’t carry the weight of a Rolex watch. Branding is everything in business, and Rolex has perfected the art of marketing its watches.
Unique Features That Put Rolex Above the Rest
The list of things that place Rolex watches above the competition is relatively lengthy, and we’ve covered most of them, but I’ll sum it up for you.
- The precious metals used in their products such as gold, platinum, 904L stainless steel, diamonds, gems, and rubies.
- The facilities needed to produce these materials, such as kilns, foundries, and factories.
- Rolex employs their own gemologists, researchers, and scientists to procure, produce, and test everything that goes into their watches.
- Each watch is mechanical and handmade on-site by Rolex employees.
- Their specialty watches are capable of withstanding extreme water pressures and are waterproof.
- Rolex has the best brand in watches and is an international sign of wealth, luxury, and style.
Conclusion
Rolex watches are incredibly well-made with some of the most expensive and valuable metals known to man. They also have a crazy price tag attached to them. Whether or not this price tag is equal to the watch’s actual value is challenging to know, but a watch is worth whatever people will pay for it.
For decades, people have been willing to pay the high price of a Rolex watch because of what it represents. People seen wearing a Rolex are viewed as wealthy and high-class. The brand Rolex is highly valuable. People are willing to pay whatever it takes to have the best watches, and Rolex is undoubtedly the best.
