Have you ever wondered why a Rolex is so expensive? It is one of the world’s most popular brands and perfect watches, the envy of some and the must-have timepiece for others. But have you thought why exactly it demands such a high price tag? At the end of the day, aren’t they just a regular timepiece with a classical label markup? As it turns out you are not just paying for the name but also for the timeless design and a watch with worldwide recognition manufactured with the top grade technology crafted over many years of existence.
Rolex was not only Kennedy’s precision jewel but also a central part of cinema history. Let’s take a closer look at Rolex history in general. In this article, we will point out the rare intricacies and by extension, how they justify the price, but of course, you will be the judge on that.
904L Stainless Steel
Rolex is the only company that uses 904l Stainless steel. To make the watches stand out from the crowd, Rolex gives its luxury watches a classic unrivaled design which includes the use of quality Stainless steel 904L. This type of steel is much stronger and shinier than the normal 316l steel, which is commonly used by other watchmakers.
904l Stainless Steel is not only expensive but also hard to make. Rolex started using this steel, usually referred to as corrosion-resistant superalloy extensively in 2003.
Considering all Rolex watches are usually made in-house, most machines were replaced to produce 904l Stainless steel. It takes special skill and extra work to manufacture this steel type, hence most watchmakers continue to rely on the 316l steel, as a result, Rolex is probably the only company to use the 904l steel.
We think this is a very important reason Rolex is the top watch brand in the world, and also use 904l Steel in our manufacturing process.
Own science lab
Rolex has it’s own research and development department where it equips each facility with a professional science laboratory. The main purpose of these labs is to find more ways in advancing manufacturing techniques to produce efficient and perfect watches. They do this by researching new watchmakes and things that accompany them to stay relevant to the rising technology.
It is safe to say that Rolex boasts extreme aptitude and stays organized to manufacture state-of-the-art timepieces. The Rolex labs come in various sections and the most interesting is the chemistry lab. There you find liquids, gases, beakers, and tubes that the highly trained scientists use to conduct their researches. They update the labs by the second to ensure up to the minute performance.
Since we have the possibility to reverse-engineer their latest masterpieces, we are able to cut those huge costs and provide you an affordable price tag.
All hand-assembled and tested
One of the biggest misconceptions about Rolex is that machines build their watches. The truth is that Rolex watches are given all the hand-on possible human attention to ensure they produce a fine swiss watch.
Rolex uses machines in the process for sure, in fact, Rolex easily has the most sophisticated watchmaking machinery in the world. The robots and other automated tasks are really used for tasks that humans aren’t as good at it, like sorting, filing, cataloging, and very delicate procedures that involve the type of care you want a machine to handle.
Most of these machines are still human-operated though, and everything from Rolex movements, to bracelets, are assembled by hand. A machine however helps with doing things such as applying the right pressure when attaching pins, aligning parts, and pressing down hands. Having said that, all Rolex watch hands are still set by hand via a trained technician. It would be an understatement to suggest that Rolex is obsessive about quality control.
We do our best to keep up to their level, replicating all the equipment used as close as possible to bring you the perfect watches.
An in-house foundry makes all their gold
Rolex makes its own gold- isn’t that mesmerizing? While they have a small handful of suppliers that send them steel, Rolex still works to steel in-house to make all the parts and all the gold platinum.
24k gold comes to Rolex and is turned into 18k yellow, white or Rolex’s eve rose gold, which is their non-fading version of 18k rose gold. To our knowledge, Rolex is the only watch manufacturer that makes their own gold or even has their own foundry in-house.