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  • There is a rumor that in order for a Rolex to actually leave the factory or be a Rolex design it has be to recognizable from 20 feet away.

  • Hi, I'm Cara Barrett, editor at Hodinkee, the leading online watch publication.

  • Rolex is one of the few brands, if not the only brand that has a very specific aesthetic.

  • They are sporty, they are active, they are tool watches that's kind of their main DNA.

  • In the 50's they came out with the Submariner, the Explorer, the Milgauss, the GMT and they were all watches that were designed and made to be used as tools.

  • And so that's their bread and butter and it still is today.

  • It kind of evolved into a luxury brand later in life which now is what they're known for.

  • So that's kind of the interesting thing about them is they initially were tool watches which have now become luxury.

  • Rolex is kind of one of those brands that sits on the lower end of the spectrum as far as luxury watches are concerned.

  • The Submariner's $8,000.

  • The entry-level watch at Rolex is $5,000 with the Oyster Perpetual.

  • Their three qualities are self-winding, waterproof and precision.

  • And they really focus on quality.

  • It takes one year to make a Rolex.

  • They go through extensive testing.

  • The accuracy, the chronometer, the timing, it's all about telling the right time, keeping the right time.

  • They also have extensive service work after, so if you ever have a problem with your Rolex, you can take it to them and they'll fix it.

  • The clasp is opened and closed a thousand times before it leaves so you know that when you get it, it's not gonna break.

  • The whole point of a Rolex is you buy one now, it will last you for 20 years if you take care of it.

  • It will last you for 100 if you really take care of it.

  • That's ultimately why they're so expensive because you're buying something that will last you a lifetime presumably.

  • And something that you can pass down to other generations as well.

  • In the collectors' world, there's the vintage Rolex market.

  • And there's a whole underground of different nuances.

  • And you know there's a GMT with a matte dial, a GMT with a gilt dial and there are all these tiny little details that change and they make a watch more or less valuable.

  • There's the Paul Newman Daytona which sold for $17.8 million last fall and that's the most expensive Rolex that's ever sold at auction.

  • The Paul Newman Daytona is a really good example where they came out with a Daytona back in the 70s and they put these exotic dials on them and they couldn't sell them.

  • And now they're the most collectible watches on the vintage market.

  • No one knows how many Rolexes are produced per year, no one knows how many Rolexes are produced per model.

  • But there are specific ones, like the Rainbow Daytona that came out this year, rumored to have X amount made, but very small quantities.

  • You don't ever know exactly what the number is, but you do know that there aren't that many.

  • And they're hard to get.

  • One of the best things about Rolex is anyone can wear any of them.

  • They're very unisex and I think that that's refreshing 'cause a lot of times brands put a lot of diamonds on watches and kind of brand it as a woman's watch.

  • Whereas Rolex does the same thing, but it's kind of unisex.

  • I wear a lot of men's Rolex.

  • But the ladies Datejust is actually, in two-tone, is actually the most sold Rolex model of all time.

  • Which is a really fun fact.

There is a rumor that in order for a Rolex to actually leave the factory or be a Rolex design it has be to recognizable from 20 feet away.

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