Baco Noir
WWF Advisor 
WWF Admin
Posts: 31,773 
Name: Roger
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Post by Baco Noir on May 21, 2016 11:20:11 GMT -6
During the quartz crisis, you will remember that Rolex came out with the Oyster Quartz while also maintaining their mechanicals.
I do not see the smart watch killing the mechanical watch industry, as to be completely honest, there is no real need for a mechanical watch already because of all the places we have the time in front of as as is - TV, computer, phone, wall clocks, etc., yet the industry is still going strong.
So I ask my fellow WISs here, do you think it's a matter of "if" or "when" Rolex will release either a smart watch, or in my mind more likely a smart module to go on the strap like Montblanc has done already? Tag has already done it too.
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Post by shawndl5 on May 21, 2016 11:30:54 GMT -6
In my opinion, no. I don't think they will follow that trend anytime in the near future. The reason I think they won't do it is because they haven't even followed the exhibition case back trend. They seem to have an idea of what they want to do and everything else be damned
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Post by dsimon9 on May 21, 2016 11:42:24 GMT -6
In maybe 50 or 60 years when we are all worm food.  I agree with Shawn. If Rolex did not do much changing (weren't their quartz watche line rather short lived?) in the late 60s and 70s when quartz was driving a lot of the mechanical watches out of business, I can't see them changing now, when the business is growing. They are a very conservative company which seems to rely mostly in evolutionary change rather than revolutionary change. |
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Post by marinoc81 on May 21, 2016 19:09:12 GMT -6
I personally do not think Rolex would do this and I also HOPE that they would not do this either. I do not want them to fall into "the latest" trend
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Post by rw16610 on May 21, 2016 22:04:22 GMT -6
Great idea for a discussion topic, Roger. It seems interesting because high end brands such as Hermes make costly straps for the Apple watch. Speaking of the Apple watch, I've heard some are available in solid 18K Gold for a large sum of money. As we've seen with some other smart watches, they just don't work the same with Apple devices in comparison to Apple's own watch. Brands like Hublot and even Audemars Piguet for certain editions included "modern technology" into the packaging as seen below:  From - perpetuelle.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com  Source on image  From - chrono24.com  From - swisssportswatch.com As far as I know, Rolex has never even included such items with an actual watch as part of the box set. At Basel in the past they did have CD's in the press kits for watches like the actual 50th Anniversary Submariner in 2003. That being said I would be SO shocked to ever see or hear of Rolex releasing such a device. Only time will tell but anyhow they do it would be one heck of a smart watch! That I do know! |
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CHIP
WWF Founder
Ad Astra Per Aspera
Posts: 37,812
Name: Chip
Location: Dallas
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Post by CHIP on May 21, 2016 23:27:13 GMT -6
Timeless has the Frederique Constant smart watch and you can't tell it apart from a mechanical one, and that's because it is a mechanical watch. With a smart watch side built into it.
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CHIP
WWF Founder
Ad Astra Per Aspera
Posts: 37,812
Name: Chip
Location: Dallas
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Post by CHIP on May 21, 2016 23:28:01 GMT -6
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Post by iceman on May 22, 2016 3:51:10 GMT -6
In the future I can see most major watch brands making smart watches, but can see them letting apple etc develop the tech till they think it's what they require
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Post by Robb on May 22, 2016 7:22:13 GMT -6
No. I don't see it happening. They are such a powerful company, they sort of do what they want, when they want. What they do works and I think they will be too stubborn to change.
My hometown AD operated for over 30 years out of a strip mall. One day Rolex comes in and decides they want them to be in a stand alone store or they will strip their products. So, they go millions into debt on a beautiful new store. Within 2 years, Rolex came back redesigned the interior layout of the store to make their product more eye-catching and it was all at the stores expense. A couple of months ago, he told me the Rolex guys have came back and are threatening to make them build either a separate dwelling or a closed off addition to isolate their product from others.
That was a long winded response but my point is.... They do what they want and don't really follow trends
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Post by Jamie on May 24, 2016 17:15:52 GMT -6
Good point Robb. They do indeed follow their own plans.
But- think of the incredible R&D Apple, Garmin, Suunto and others put into smart watches and their endless stream of revisions. It's constant. And ridiculously fast-paced. I don't see Rolex or the others doing that for features like GPS, heart rate monitors and activity trackers that it seems no one will really ever be satisfied with. Just IMHO but the electronic gadgetry that we think is very useful and indeed cool also tells time. This is opposed to wearing a traditional mechanical watch.
Maybe I prefer to keep the two types of devices separate, maybe I am old fashioned. But I hope Rolex stays out of it. If I decide in favor of an activity tracker or heart rate monitor I will simply add one of those to my equipment list...
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Post by Jamie on May 24, 2016 17:18:07 GMT -6
Best case, Rolex just buys Apple bahahahaha
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Post by dsimon9 on May 24, 2016 21:10:13 GMT -6
Best case, Rolex just buys Apple bahahahaha Don't you mean Apple buys Rolex, Swatch, Seiko, Richemont, Casio? |
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CHIP
WWF Founder
Ad Astra Per Aspera
Posts: 37,812
Name: Chip
Location: Dallas
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Post by CHIP on May 24, 2016 23:21:09 GMT -6
Best case, Rolex just buys Apple bahahahaha Don't you mean Apple buys Rolex, Swatch, Seiko, Richemont, Casio? And would still have enough cash on hand to buy a few others. |
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Baco Noir
WWF Advisor
WWF Admin
Posts: 31,773
Name: Roger
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Post by Baco Noir on Jun 10, 2016 8:39:01 GMT -6
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Post by dsimon9 on Jun 10, 2016 10:25:49 GMT -6
 Hublot needs to post pictures.
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I agree with Shawn. If Rolex did not do much changing (weren't their quartz watche line rather short lived?) in the late 60s and 70s when quartz was driving a lot of the mechanical watches out of business, I can't see them changing now, when the business is growing. They are a very conservative company which seems to rely mostly in evolutionary change rather than revolutionary change. 
