One can always rely on alternative methods to get a luxury watch.
In a rough translation: A gang of criminals get specialized in robbing luxury watches.
This guy found his stolen watch being sold in a jewlery shop.
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This whole thing is really hard for me to understand, but…
Why hasn’t Rolex increased prices if this situation is going on at the retail level?
I think mechanical watches are cool but there are dozens of other European and Japanese brands out there that are quite beautiful, available, and affordable, but I guess they don’t have the name recognition of Rolex. I’m a fan of Grand Seiko, as an example of a very beautiful, high quality, non-Rolex.
Edit: I called Grand Seiko “affordable” but they do start at a couple thousand dollars I think and can go up to the stratosphere. That’s affordable relative to a Rolex, but it’s still a lot of money. In the even more affordable range, there are the non-grand Seikos which are also pretty cool and about $100. There are some very cool smaller European brands too that are in the $1000ish range. And some great things on Ebay, although if those are working or not, is taking a chance.
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I know folks love Rolex but if you’re looking for a nice looking watch, Seiko has the Cocktail Time and if you’re in the Rolex market then go look at Cartier for the Tank line (iirc they’re around 1.5k to 5k depending on the model). The Seiko Cocktail Time specifically is a great low cost time piece at around like 350 USD iirc.
And if you’re looking for a surprisingly good time piece at around 250 USD, there’s the Orient Bambino (if you can stand their garish logo).
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Went looking for tiny olives on the hands. Left disappointed
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Because it was a Gibson, and they had tiny onions, instead? 
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I must assume those three counts were made on the hour, minute, and second hands of my fancy watch, which are all shaped like celery stalks! I will fight this to the death.
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Celery is nature’s swizzle stick
ETA: The Seiko cocktail is a very nice looking watch. I like that it looks good with leather bands which look way better on my skinny skinny wrists than bulky metal
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Swatch Group also owns Omega, as well as a bunch of other high-end brands. I found it surprising and then amusing that the affordable brand was chosen as the corporate umbrella for the luxury watches.
Also, if you’re spending more than $5-6k on a watch try to find an interesting piece that will catch people’s attention for reasons other than the pricetag. When it comes to Veblen goods, knowing that separates the experts from the amateurs.
Yes. There was a short period in the early 2000s after I started using a PDA when I dropped the wristwatches, but I went back to them pretty quickly. It’s just more convenient. Now I alternate between a nice unostentatious steel mechanical everyday carry, a Casio Geoshock or a Timex analogue quartz when I’m travelling, and my grandfather’s vintage watch for dress events.
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Oh, come on. Don’t you want a watch you can set by pressing the tops of tiny paper umbrellas?
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Oh god no! You misunderstand. That’s all I want
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Um, do you not consider Japan a free country? My modest collection also has a number of fine vintage watches made in the USA.
In fact, I think Shinola is actually producing watches in Michigan today. Well, at least assembled there so maybe the movements come from somewhere else - it’s hard to tell from a distance.
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I have a few Orients, and love them. Their prices are reasonable, their movements are beautiful, and their quality is high. A perfect example of realistic value.
I also have a soft spot for vintage consumer-level Seiko automatics - my favorite is a Seiko Diver with a turtle case that was my Dad’s, as well as a Seiko Sea Lion DX 550 that is as old as I am (given to me as a cast-off to play with as a child), which I dearly love.
Watches made to be used are so much more interesting than watches made to be “valuable.”
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I don’t understand this comment?
There are a lot of really interesting Canadian watch brands and micro brands at all different price points. Here’s seven examples:
https://baystbull.com/7-must-have-homegrown-canadian-watch-brands/
Want more? For classic stuff, try these:
For more innovative stuff, try these:
I’m just scratching the surface here. If a tiny country like Canada has this many watches being made here, safe to say all the other free countries do too.
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Man…I had a bunch of those back in the 80’s. Even had the rubber face guards too!
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I forgot about our hometown watch company.
Not cheap but it is based in Detroit.
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That’s the funny part about Rolex since they started as a working person’s watch. Some folks are still around that own their first diving watch they got from the store like one US army veteran did which he paid only three months worth of pay to get his. I believe Antiques Roadshow has a clip of him showing it off with the receipt and all. Apparently, the thing clocks in at the thousands for any potential buyer these days.
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Now I’m starting to wonder how some of those vintage Timex pieces are holding up these days. 
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There’s a Rolex store on Alberni St. in downtown Vancouver; a few months ago they opened a Tudor store across the street. I guess the Tudor store is for those that discover they can’t afford the arbitrage on the Rolex. Both are conveniently close to the crosswalk.
I sold my late father’s old non-working Tudor for $500 (it needed a lot of work) a few years ago. I’m spending most of that to have a 140 year old Elgin pocket watch given to my great grandmother by my great grandfather cleaned and a new mainspring made. It’s in immaculate condition with a solid gold multi-layered case and will never be dragged around to show it off. Some stuff is worth the price to keep running.
I quit wearing a watch about a decade ago. They always required new batteries, the crystals got scratched and were just a weight on my wrist. My phone is handy for those times I need to know the exact time plus has a calendar and alarm clock. Most of the time I don’t give a crap what time it is anymore.
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Single watch?
My entourage will all be trained referees and wear two watches.
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