New official Rolex History of Submariner book.

[Too Old]

Ordered it from Wallpaper on Friday, received it today Monday!
Bloody good delivery time.
By DHL

[MangoTree1]

Sounds like José Pereztroika isn`t the biggest fan of it! Here is his review:

https://perezcope.com/2024/09/30/rev...erproof-watch/


Thoughts

This first-ever authorized Submariner book is a missed opportunity, but since it is one of many publications to come, things can get better. I hope this article will contribute to that. Sadly, this will probably be the only critical account of the book. Rolex is undoubtedly on the right track with opening their archives and sharing the origin stories of their watches. Collectors love this kind of information. However, this critique shows that archives can only take you so far. If the published information is false or full of errors, the whole effort comes across as half-baked.

Rolex watches are mass-produced products. It is the nature of marketing to exaggerate in order to generate that must-have feeling in consumers, but here we are also talking history and that is something that demands to be curated in a responsible fashion. As collecting watches is becoming as serious as collecting art, with anachronistic mechanical timepieces turning into a form of art themselves, the whole of the watch industry needs to face this new reality and start growing up. In 2024, with all the knowledge amassed by collectors, scholars and the watch community as a whole, disguising the marketing tales of the past as history is an absolute no-go. Nicholas Foulkes, who is the very definition of a whore-ological historian, has got some splaining to do.

I believe Rolex is looking to create real substance with this series of books, but neither the brand nor Foulkes seem to understand just how intricate and esoteric the world of Rolex collecting is. For a book talking about unlocking the deep, it remained quite shallow. Without the participation from astute insiders, it will be impossible to get it right. Nicholas Foulkes, who, horologically speaking, is a jack of all trades but master of none, is in way over his head. Get the man some help please. As the saying goes, if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right. If you thought the Submariner is a complicated topic, wait until we get to the Daytona with a myriad of dial variations. Also, let’s talk Explorer. Is Rolex still going to use Jedi mind tricks to suggest having reached the summit of Everest in 1953? I bet with a historian as unprincipled as Foulkes, they probably would.

Thank you for your interest.

José Pereztroika

[Manamana]

Originally Posted by rockysw

may be Rolex is trying to decrease the hype by letting everyone know that these are not rare watches and they are producing quite a lot of these? They may have understood that sustaining hype of this level over the long run is not realistic. Smart strategy I would say.

But obviously pure guess.

Rolex doesn't want to lose business to grey dealers who want to offload their old reference Submariners under the it's rare title.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by MangoTree1

Sounds like José Pereztroika isn`t the biggest fan of it! Here is his review:

https://perezcope.com/2024/09/30/rev...erproof-watch/


Thoughts

This first-ever authorized Submariner book is a missed opportunity, but since it is one of many publications to come, things can get better. I hope this article will contribute to that. Sadly, this will probably be the only critical account of the book. Rolex is undoubtedly on the right track with opening their archives and sharing the origin stories of their watches. Collectors love this kind of information. However, this critique shows that archives can only take you so far. If the published information is false or full of errors, the whole effort comes across as half-baked.

Rolex watches are mass-produced products. It is the nature of marketing to exaggerate in order to generate that must-have feeling in consumers, but here we are also talking history and that is something that demands to be curated in a responsible fashion. As collecting watches is becoming as serious as collecting art, with anachronistic mechanical timepieces turning into a form of art themselves, the whole of the watch industry needs to face this new reality and start growing up. In 2024, with all the knowledge amassed by collectors, scholars and the watch community as a whole, disguising the marketing tales of the past as history is an absolute no-go. Nicholas Foulkes, who is the very definition of a whore-ological historian, has got some splaining to do.

I believe Rolex is looking to create real substance with this series of books, but neither the brand nor Foulkes seem to understand just how intricate and esoteric the world of Rolex collecting is. For a book talking about unlocking the deep, it remained quite shallow. Without the participation from astute insiders, it will be impossible to get it right. Nicholas Foulkes, who, horologically speaking, is a jack of all trades but master of none, is in way over his head. Get the man some help please. As the saying goes, if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right. If you thought the Submariner is a complicated topic, wait until we get to the Daytona with a myriad of dial variations. Also, let’s talk Explorer. Is Rolex still going to use Jedi mind tricks to suggest having reached the summit of Everest in 1953? I bet with a historian as unprincipled as Foulkes, they probably would.

Thank you for your interest.

José Pereztroika

I thought these two responses in another thread sum it up best for me:

@Blansky:

Not sure on this but the whole "we're first" thing that had to do with first flights in airplanes, and first to hit whatever speeds and now the first waterproof watch, is often down to who sets the date on these things and who was present at the time.

For a watch, is the "first" designation, when it was released to the public or was it a prototype or is it the biggest player in the game can overpower the others.

Don't know...

@Krash:

I don’t get too hung up on all that.

Google wasn’t the first search engine, but it was the one that mattered most.

Apple didn’t have the first computer with a mouse and a graphical user interface, but the Macintosh blazed the trail.

You can argue that Guglielmo Marconi didn’t invent radio, but he gets all the credit for it, and probably for good reason. He's the one who demonstrated the usefulness and enormous implications of radio.


https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=961555

[Eddiea]

Originally Posted by MangoTree1

Sounds like José Pereztroika isn`t the biggest fan of it! Here is his review:

https://perezcope.com/2024/09/30/rev...erproof-watch/


Thoughts

This first-ever authorized Submariner book is a missed opportunity, but since it is one of many publications to come, things can get better. I hope this article will contribute to that. Sadly, this will probably be the only critical account of the book. Rolex is undoubtedly on the right track with opening their archives and sharing the origin stories of their watches. Collectors love this kind of information. However, this critique shows that archives can only take you so far. If the published information is false or full of errors, the whole effort comes across as half-baked.

Rolex watches are mass-produced products. It is the nature of marketing to exaggerate in order to generate that must-have feeling in consumers, but here we are also talking history and that is something that demands to be curated in a responsible fashion. As collecting watches is becoming as serious as collecting art, with anachronistic mechanical timepieces turning into a form of art themselves, the whole of the watch industry needs to face this new reality and start growing up. In 2024, with all the knowledge amassed by collectors, scholars and the watch community as a whole, disguising the marketing tales of the past as history is an absolute no-go. Nicholas Foulkes, who is the very definition of a whore-ological historian, has got some splaining to do.

I believe Rolex is looking to create real substance with this series of books, but neither the brand nor Foulkes seem to understand just how intricate and esoteric the world of Rolex collecting is. For a book talking about unlocking the deep, it remained quite shallow. Without the participation from astute insiders, it will be impossible to get it right. Nicholas Foulkes, who, horologically speaking, is a jack of all trades but master of none, is in way over his head. Get the man some help please. As the saying goes, if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right. If you thought the Submariner is a complicated topic, wait until we get to the Daytona with a myriad of dial variations. Also, let’s talk Explorer. Is Rolex still going to use Jedi mind tricks to suggest having reached the summit of Everest in 1953? I bet with a historian as unprincipled as Foulkes, they probably would.

Thank you for your interest.

José Pereztroika

Yup a missed opportunity, too many inconsistencies hardly a good references read, indeed a shame,
Not for me ......

[harvey]

…as with a lot of subjects you have to read around and not rely on a single source, as you will certainly find errors and omissions. i haven’t had the time to read this so will reserve judgement until i do. I have a collection of Rolex books so this will be a good addition, given there will be more in this series. see https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=771996 for other books.

[JMP57]

How long from order to delivery to USA if book is ordered from Wallpaper?
Thank you.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

Originally Posted by MangoTree1

Sounds like José Pereztroika isn`t the biggest fan of it! Here is his review:

https://perezcope.com/2024/09/30/rev...erproof-watch/


Thoughts

This first-ever authorized Submariner book is a missed opportunity, but since it is one of many publications to come, things can get better. I hope this article will contribute to that. Sadly, this will probably be the only critical account of the book. Rolex is undoubtedly on the right track with opening their archives and sharing the origin stories of their watches. Collectors love this kind of information. However, this critique shows that archives can only take you so far. If the published information is false or full of errors, the whole effort comes across as half-baked.

Rolex watches are mass-produced products. It is the nature of marketing to exaggerate in order to generate that must-have feeling in consumers, but here we are also talking history and that is something that demands to be curated in a responsible fashion. As collecting watches is becoming as serious as collecting art, with anachronistic mechanical timepieces turning into a form of art themselves, the whole of the watch industry needs to face this new reality and start growing up. In 2024, with all the knowledge amassed by collectors, scholars and the watch community as a whole, disguising the marketing tales of the past as history is an absolute no-go. Nicholas Foulkes, who is the very definition of a whore-ological historian, has got some splaining to do.

I believe Rolex is looking to create real substance with this series of books, but neither the brand nor Foulkes seem to understand just how intricate and esoteric the world of Rolex collecting is. For a book talking about unlocking the deep, it remained quite shallow. Without the participation from astute insiders, it will be impossible to get it right. Nicholas Foulkes, who, horologically speaking, is a jack of all trades but master of none, is in way over his head. Get the man some help please. As the saying goes, if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right. If you thought the Submariner is a complicated topic, wait until we get to the Daytona with a myriad of dial variations. Also, let’s talk Explorer. Is Rolex still going to use Jedi mind tricks to suggest having reached the summit of Everest in 1953? I bet with a historian as unprincipled as Foulkes, they probably would.

Thank you for your interest.

José Pereztroika

This guy’s entire brand is complaining and knee-jerk pot-stirring. This new book doesn’t meet his personal high standards, so what when his “edgy” response was entirely predictable. He is the personification of making the perfect the enemy of the good. The new book will be interesting and even fun and I’m looking forward to my copy of it. I didn’t order the “Gospel of Submariner” from Amazon, it’s just a new book about watches which is always exciting. Context is important and sadly lacking, that’s my review of his “review.”

[Funkle]

Originally Posted by Funkle

Thanks for the heads up! As a definitive guide for the Submariner reference I would enjoy reading about the watch and it's history without any erroneous typos and misinformation. While it appears I probably have seen a lot of this on the internet already, it is sometimes hard to determine what is factual.

I guess it may be something like people referring to the non existent 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang. It is but it isn't, it's all a matter of perspective. If I have to read between the lines, I'm not sure it's worth reading because I'm looking to absorb the facts, not question them. History, after all, is written by the victor.

[1William]

Originally Posted by MangoTree1

Sounds like José Pereztroika isn`t the biggest fan of it! Here is his review:

https://perezcope.com/2024/09/30/rev...erproof-watch/


Thoughts

This first-ever authorized Submariner book is a missed opportunity, but since it is one of many publications to come, things can get better. I hope this article will contribute to that. Sadly, this will probably be the only critical account of the book. Rolex is undoubtedly on the right track with opening their archives and sharing the origin stories of their watches. Collectors love this kind of information. However, this critique shows that archives can only take you so far. If the published information is false or full of errors, the whole effort comes across as half-baked.

Rolex watches are mass-produced products. It is the nature of marketing to exaggerate in order to generate that must-have feeling in consumers, but here we are also talking history and that is something that demands to be curated in a responsible fashion. As collecting watches is becoming as serious as collecting art, with anachronistic mechanical timepieces turning into a form of art themselves, the whole of the watch industry needs to face this new reality and start growing up. In 2024, with all the knowledge amassed by collectors, scholars and the watch community as a whole, disguising the marketing tales of the past as history is an absolute no-go. Nicholas Foulkes, who is the very definition of a whore-ological historian, has got some splaining to do.

I believe Rolex is looking to create real substance with this series of books, but neither the brand nor Foulkes seem to understand just how intricate and esoteric the world of Rolex collecting is. For a book talking about unlocking the deep, it remained quite shallow. Without the participation from astute insiders, it will be impossible to get it right. Nicholas Foulkes, who, horologically speaking, is a jack of all trades but master of none, is in way over his head. Get the man some help please. As the saying goes, if a job is worth doing, it is worth doing right. If you thought the Submariner is a complicated topic, wait until we get to the Daytona with a myriad of dial variations. Also, let’s talk Explorer. Is Rolex still going to use Jedi mind tricks to suggest having reached the summit of Everest in 1953? I bet with a historian as unprincipled as Foulkes, they probably would.

Thank you for your interest.

José Pereztroika

I think it is interesting to hear another perspective, it is always welcome to me. I will still buy the book as I am a huge Submariner fan but always read things with a grain of salt. I respect Jose and his work.

[omar-rye]

The production numbers for each reference is huge. Hopefully we’ll get something similar for the GMT and Daytona line

[Autococker07]

Originally Posted by JMP57

How long from order to delivery to USA if book is ordered from Wallpaper?
Thank you.

mine took about a week.

[FlyinHawaiian]

I ordered mine yesterday and just got a notice that it arrives this Thursday!