Are Rolex watches rugged in general?

[Anthon]

Originally Posted by rmfnla

They are rugged but they are not perfect:

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=71661

So, according to that thread the watch is not rugged enough to play golf or subject the watch to sudden shocks. This is according to a certified watchmaker.

Look guys, I understand that Rolexes are pretty though, I understand some of you exasperate when a newby asks yet another question. But 'rugged' is not the word I would use if I believe what this certified watchmaker writes. Apparently the axle on which the winding rotor is attached is the weakest part.

[locutus49]

I guess I'm lucky I'm not a golfer. Explains why my rolexes have lasted so long

Originally Posted by Anthon

So, according to that thread the watch is not rugged enough to play golf or subject the watch to sudden shocks. This is according to a certified watchmaker.

Look guys, I understand that Rolexes are pretty though, I understand some of you exasperate when a newby asks yet another question. But 'rugged' is not the word I would use if I believe what this certified watchmaker writes. Apparently the axle on which the winding rotor is attached is the weakest part.

[crowncollection]

Very tough watches

[Brushpup]

I'm not arguing with what is said in the post above by the Watchmaker, but Ive done a number of "shocking" activities in my Rolex with no apparent harm. Dirt biking, shooting, splitting and chain sawing wood to name a few. I can't imagine golf being any rougher on a watch than these things, but maybe I've been lucky.

[PcarSBA]

My 2 cents: If your arm can take it your watch can, too. So questions like can I play golf or throw a baseball are not really making a lot of sense. They won't harm the movement.

However, if the watch hits a hard object while moving (falling onto a tile floor off the table, striking a hard object when your arm swings carelessly) it will damage the watch. See various threads with smashed crystals to prove this point. And that kind of acceleration will do mechanic damage to moving parts, too.

[Base-Z]

Some very interesting post in this thread. I don't anything about the modern
movements in a Rolex and how well they stand up to shock, but my 45 year old
5513 Sub has done a good job over the years.

Some highlights include spending two years at the South pole doing exploration and research. Mountaineering, climbing some of the highest peaks in Nepal and Tibet,
including Mt. Everest. Dozens of other high peaks around the world, then the weekend
rock climbs. Apart from a service now and again, the only major outlay has been a new
bracelet after the original rivet one finally gave up the ghost.

[RollieVerde]

Originally Posted by Tools

1. Yes, they use the same movement. Yes, you can use lighter oil in the movement for sub-freezing weather.. neither is "more rugged". The Explorer however is a 36mm watch (now 39mm) while the Air King is a 34 mm model

2. All Tudor watches are made by Rolex and always have been; not sure where you are going with this ? They are located at the same address in Switzerland.

3. Mechanical watches are very rugged but they have their limits. Rolex is known for making some of the more rugged mechanical watches out there..

His question about Tudor/Rolex is a valid one. Nobody outside of the company (to my knowledge) has ever disclosed whether the modern Tudor is built in the same factory as the Rolex watches or in some other Rolex facility. In the latest articles written by writers that visited all the Rolex production areas, none of them even mentioned seeing any Tudor production whatsoever. So even if it's done in the same building, it sounds like its kept completely separate.

[elkaholic]

I won't speak to the Tudor, as I know basically nothing about that line.

Regardless of what the watchmaker in the link states, I don't believe golfing will have any negative effect on an already properly functioning Rolex, and can attest personally that many other more strenuous and more shock-producing activities also don't phase them. Many of those activities have been mentioned here.

Although I don't play golf.....

As many have mentioned and some unfortunately have experienced-the watch is vulnerable to careless/accidental actions like dropping one on a tile floor or swinging your arm into a metal door jamb. The crystal is tough and almost scratch proof but not invencible.

[doyodoyodo]

Thanks all for the very helpful insights in to the world of Rolex / mechanical watches.

It sounds like as long as I don't play rugby or box whilst wearing it, the watch should be rugged enough.

I really liked the Tudor Heritage Ranger but it looked too big on my wrist (had it been 38mm I would have bought it on the spot!), hence I am looking at the smaller Explorer I and even the Air King...

Actually, I have one more question. When manufacturers quote the watch diameter, is it the diameter of the "face" including the bezel, or is it the diameter of the dial? (I know they quite often quote the size including the crown, which is quite obvious what it is.)

Ben

[KZZN]

Hi,

As others have said, any Rolex can handle any routine activity. I've had all three basic kinds of Rolex - the automatic movement Oyster Perpetual, the quartz movement Oysterquartz, and the manual wind Cellini - and all of them have coped with the rigours of daily life without any incident.

As a caveat, I have to mention I spend most of my time in a wheelchair and so have neither climbed to the highest heights nor plunged to the deepest depths with a Rolex on my wrist, but many a doorjam has been hit by my wrist, with no real harm to my watches to show for it.

On the topic of golf: if memory serves, Phil Mickelson wore a Rolex Cellini (the manual-wind, thin, gold-cased dress watches of the Rolex line) whilst playing golf, and it survived the experience, as did he. And if Rolex's thinnest, lightest, most fragile watch can take that, it's a pretty safe bet any Oyster can soak up more or less anything you care to throw at it.

[Afghanvet]

I wouldn't call the explorer or sub "bomb proof," but darn near....

[bridgs]

Originally Posted by KZZN

Hi,

As others have said, any Rolex can handle any routine activity. I've had all three basic kinds of Rolex - the automatic movement Oyster Perpetual, the quartz movement Oysterquartz, and the manual wind Cellini - and all of them have coped with the rigours of daily life without any incident.

As a caveat, I have to mention I spend most of my time in a wheelchair and so have neither climbed to the highest heights nor plunged to the deepest depths with a Rolex on my wrist, but many a doorjam has been hit by my wrist, with no real harm to my watches to show for it.

On the topic of golf: if memory serves, Phil Mickelson wore a Rolex Cellini (the manual-wind, thin, gold-cased dress watches of the Rolex line) whilst playing golf, and it survived the experience, as did he. And if Rolex's thinnest, lightest, most fragile watch can take that, it's a pretty safe bet any Oyster can soak up more or less anything you care to throw at it.

Have to agree with your comment that if a Cellini can take it then an oyster can for sure.