What do non-WIS's think a Rolex costs?

[ron17402]

Here is a thread that I have not seen before.

The vast majority of people have no idea what Rolex's cost. Sure, we all know what SS, TTs, or gold Rolex's generally sell for; give or take a couple of grand.

But the average person does not really know, and in most cases is afraid to ask, what your Rolex is worth.

Some people think that all Rolex's are worth $50,000. Other's feel that $1,000 is what they sell for.

For example, at my wedding several weeks ago, my Rolex (GMTIIC) was a topic of conversation since my beautiful wife gave it to me as an engagement/wedding gift. The husband of a close friend of my wife's made the comment: "WOW, it must have cost a thousand dollars." He about crapped his pants when he found out how much it actually cost. Keep in mind that this guy was upper-middle class, and yet he had no idea of what it costs. Keep in mind, he could himself easily afford a Rolex.

I also think some people think that all Rolex's cost $50,000, since some infamous people have diamond-encrusted solid gold Rolex's and they make the news when they get arrested or go broke. They always show a picture of their Rolex and make a comment about how much it costs.

I can attest to that as I just got my first Rolex at age 42. Before two years ago, I myself had no clue about how much one costs.

Just food for thought.

[oneillba]

You are a lucky man to have a wife that bought you such a nice wedding present. Some non-WIS may think a "Rolex" may cost only $20 - $50 from the looky looky man down in the bad section of town. Honestly, I don't know what most people think. I only care that I like mine and wear it proudly.

[SabaDen]

Some ignorant people seems to think that Rolex is THE most expensive watch in the world ... w/o a care for the movement and such.

[JostheBoss]

It really depends. I love getting people to guess so I can get an idea of this.

I have found that people ignorant to the price and who hazard a guess consistently think its less than half the actual cost. So when I get asked by someone I don't want to reveal the price to I usually say "double it and add a bit!"

On the other hand, someone has guessed (who had no idea about the price) the actual price, which surprised me. Lucky guess..

[harvey]

firstly congratz on your recent wedding!

secondly i think most people think of a rolex costing at least 5 figures; as when people do hear about them... its when someone has had theirs robbed... for example the following news stories...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/surrey/7006685.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/3855579.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3536931.stm

[Magik]

I'm with Brian. I don't care what others think as long as I love mine. If I had to take a guess however, I would say two thousand dollars on the low end and ten thousand dollars on the high end..

[Rob_b]

I showed a workmate my SD, and he thought AU$700 was on the money . Of course he thought the real price (from an AD) was outrageous, but the push bike crew here spend $AU5000+ on GIANT & CANNONDALE bikes without batting an eye lid, each to there own I guess.

Rob.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

A friend of mine once asked my what I had paid for my Rolex (an SS Sub Date at the time). When he heard what it costs, he went "I've never understood why one would pay SO much money for at watch!! It's just a WATCH!"

Obviously, he had no idea of what Rolex watches cost and also not why one wants to pay a lot of money for the marvelous pieces of precision engineering that Rolex watches are.

[Tareg]

most people i come across guess low, about half to three quarters the price

[ROLEX MAN]

most people would not know, exept that they are "BLOODY EXPENSIVE"!

[mfer]

Originally Posted by ROLEX MAN

most people would not know, exept that they are "BLOODY EXPENSIVE"!

Same here. My best friend thought SS Rolex's were like 10-20k dollars!!!!

[Baptistman]

I remember someone gulping when I told them a Seiko I had on cost £250.

I think most people think Rolex =£££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££



They would be correct

[diversified]

The day I bought my Sub Date I went to a barbecue. One of my neighbors saw the the watch and admiringly said "I like the look of that watch but I can't see paying $500 for a watch".

[Jimbits76]

Just tell them it's a fake...

Problem solved!

J

[Rolex_07]

When my friend saw my YG DD, he said "How much was that? $75,000.00?"

[DSJ]

Most people I know of think they are worth several HUNDRED dollars! They are of course, but they're off by a factor of 8 to 10.

[Bobareno]

Most people have NO clue, Most think the SS ones are about $1,200, Gold ones are about 2 to $3,000.

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by Bobareno

Most people have NO clue, Most think the SS ones are about $1,200, Gold ones are about 2 to $3,000.

What contributes to these low-ball estimates are the prices of gold plated watches. If you don't follow the watch business, you're unlikely to comprehend the fact that many of these watches are solid 18kt gold or plat. 950.

[perryj]

Originally Posted by diversified

The day I bought my Sub Date I went to a barbecue. One of my neighbors saw the the watch and admiringly said "I like the look of that watch but I can't see paying $500 for a watch".

You should have told him that's the 5 year service cost

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by perryj

You should have told him that's the 5 year service cost

Ah, yes. For most of my friends and colleagues, a Seiko from the plus $400 range is the summit of their watch purchases. And I must say I can't blame them. It is a wise choice. When I wore my 16610 for the first time one of those colleagues was convinced it was a fake. He just could not imagine that a lowly earthworm like myself would plunk down that much money on a watch. Even if that watch was a Rolex.

Because the other thing is that Rolex is all they know for an expensive watch. Vacheron Constantin? Never heard of it. Patek? Some kind of cheese cracker perhaps

[Spark]

Patek? Some kind of cheese cracker perhaps [/QUOTE]

Made by Jacob & Co

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Spark

Patek? Some kind of cheese cracker perhaps

Made by Jacob & Co [/quote]

They don't know Jacob & Co. either

[Coastal1]

When asked....my response is " more than a loaf of bread, less than a Mercedes!"

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by Rob_b

I showed a workmate my SD, and he thought AU$700 was on the money . Of course he thought the real price (from an AD) was outrageous, but the push bike crew here spend $AU5000+ on GIANT & CANNONDALE bikes without batting an eye lid, each to there own I guess.

Rob.

You are right on the mark!

[zhiunit]

i think patek makes better cheese crackers than jacob and co, jacob's excessive diamonds for no reason to bump up the price with lower resale value make it really hard to digest =P

*puts on flame shield*

[Cato]

Most people in my family think they go for $5000. That is an enormous sum to pay for a watch in their minds.

[TARDIS]

Originally Posted by Jimbits76

Just tell them it's a fake...

Problem solved!

J

Many people think that anyway

[cyglee]

What matters is we are willing to prioritize our discretionary funds to do just that... choose to wear a Rolex at our discretion. I do not wear what someone else thinks I should; I wear Rolex, Omega, Zenith, etc., because I choose to. Now, Patek or Vacheron....that is beyond me!!! But, more power to you, if you so choose.

[cyglee]

Oh, Ron (the OP),
Congrats on your marriage. Best wishes for the future.

[Starwalker]

A non-wis would probably think that anyone to purchase a rolex must be missing a chromosome.