Quote Originally Posted by earlofsodbury View Post
I know we live in a post-truth World, and it's become normal for politicians to wilfuly misunderstand people to make some unrelated point that takes the heat off them and their party, but here... Not so much.

I'll admit I'm surprised that Casio and Seiko still make that many watches, but even if they do, it misses the point, which is that Rolex are mass-produced watches - the number bandied-about being in the two million ballpark.

I did not assert that San Martin make fashion watches, rather implying that watches are all no more than fashion items if we are being objective. San Martin happen to cater to those who like the look of upscale brands, but either can't afford or can't justify the exploitative prices. We may sneer all we want, but it's a successful business model for them and a good many other lookalikes - and SM at least take the trouble to make really good lookalikes, better than the originals in some ways...

What's significant about Rolex going down in value, is that most of The Faithful insist this doesn't happen, cannot happen. Yet even a company with profoundly vested interests in unceasing price inflation is having to acknowledge that it is... That's all. Undoubtedly a way will be found to reinflate the bubble at some point, that's as inevitable as human greed.

Very little that goes on in watch interest groups is horology, obviously, that is the topic not the activity - but for a Rolex enthusiast to suggest that any kind of cult exists around cheap copies is special pleading taken to an irony-deficient extreme. Never mind pointing out that these things lose value! I mean, who knew?! Almost all things that humans can make lose value, mostly due to wear and tear - even Rolexes can lose value on that basis: which is why all self respecting accolytes dare not actually wear them and instead must keep them in their safes with the plastic protectors still on them - until its time to cash-in their investments of course.

I notice that among the Faithful, there are always those who take personal offence that their belief system is being questioned - it's oddly as true of Rolex as it is of religions. This is Too Bad, because these things should always be questioned - dogma is dangerous, repressive, regressive stuff, and just as religion has sometimes hampered mankind's progress, so too has the tumour-like growth of the Rolex obsession in our little corner of existence toxified an entire hobby, warping it away from a geeky passion for an obsolete technology into an ugly numbers game where only one brand is seen as important, and only its stored monetary value really counting for anything even then. It's always the retort of last resort "At least my Rolex hasn't lost me any money!" - like that's all that really matters in life and in this hobby...

However much it makes arguing simple, neither me, nor anyone else who dares point-out that the emperor is in fact naked does so because we hate or envy Rolex or its owners, it's not personal - it's just the bullshit that goes with the brand, the zealotry of the more vocal owners, and the toxic effects that ripple out across everything else. Those are loathesome...
Get over yourself.