My favorite of my collection!
Find a guy living in a hut in west Africa and they know what a Rolex is.
I finally bought a Rolex..an Explorer 1…but 24 years and several serious watches into my collecting. That and my Tudor (owned by Rolex) are by far the most accurate watches I own…they lose or gain a half second a day..if that. They are extremely well made.
My advice for a 30 something is to take that Rolex money and put it in an index fund…assuming they are maxing out their 401K and have no dept other than maybe a car loan and a mortgage. Never ever take a loan for a luxury item.
Most of the world has heard of Mickey Mouse. I don’t wear a Mickey Mouse watch.
But hey, Africa you say? I was born in Africa.
My father lived there for seven years, working with farmers. My mother taught elementary school.
No one in Malawi knew what a Rolex was, last I was there. If a Malawian had heard of it, they wouldn’t be able to tell you what one looked like. Just a name they’ve heard. Maybe seen one in a movie at most.
My father had a stock windfall in the late 1970s and bought a Rolex on impulse while we were on a family vacation in Bermuda. Not at all typical of him, he was the kind of guy who worn the same pants until they were threadbare. Anyway, the Rolex was constantly broken, and eventually he gave up on repairs, putting it in a dresser drawer never to be worn again.... My mother probably ditched it after he died. I should ask, I guess.
On that at least we agree.






Arguing that Rolex isnt one of the most well known brands on the planet
AND that they are unreliable is amazing even for you. But you would argue that water isnt wet.
If your Dad was cheap and unexpectedly bought a Rolex in the 1970s there is a high chance it was fake.
That or he screwed it up somehow by leaving the crown open under water etc.
You were born if Africa so you are somehow an expert in the effect of marketing on the continent. The comment was half tongue and cheek but I guarantee Coca Cola and Rolex are very well recognized brands in AfricaMy father’s was unreliable.
Joe Rogan says his Rolex loses 15 minutes a month
Are most Rolexes reliable? Probably. But the marketing hype has holes.
Nope. But he did do tons of outdoor work, and his Rolex wasn’t durable enough.
Probably they are solid for people who don’t do any labor more strenuous than folding their ascots and pocket squares.
Wish you led with the Braun watch and history/appreciation vs calling the hobby pretentious!
Do appreciate the watches though, was not aware of some of their pioneering of certain minimalistic design elements.
You were born if Africa so you are somehow an expert in the effect of marketing on the continent. The comment was half tongue and cheek but I guarantee Coca Cola and Rolex are very well recognized brands in Africa
Joe Rogan never said 15 mins a month. Why would you make up crap like that?. He said 5 mins over several months.
You also need to get mechanical watches serviced every 3 to 10 years, depending on the watch
There is no way a genuine Rolex was broken all the time because it want durable enough. What model was it? What brand do you think would have been more durable? Was he operating a jackhammer with it on?
Not tough enough for your dads yard work but tough enough for SEALS, test pilots and moon landings![]()
15 mins a month and 5 minutes over 5 months are completely different things.Either way, it’s pretty inaccurate.
A Casio G-Shock is doesn't lose 15 or 5 or even 1 minute per month. The worst smartwatch can still update the exact time digitally from Greenwich or dozens of other servers a billion times per day.
So if accuracy is truly your goal, the last thing you should buy is a $5-$15K mechanical watch.
My dad spent most of his warm-weather weekends doing stuff like running and servicing his own (large) tractor, chainsawing trees and splitting firewood, rebuilding stone walls, building a new dock for our rowboat or building us boys a treehouse, etc.
His Rolex was just not up to those tasks.
I’m sure most of Rolexes are durable. But it is just silly to suggest that a company manufacturing 800,000 to 1,200,000 watches annually does not have a certain percentage of lemons.
Your average Casio, Citizen or Timex is likely just as durable. And in any case, if one of those fails, you can replace it 50-100 times before reaching the price of a Rolex.
Ummm this site is full of people that shit on what they can’t have. Constantly. And they don’t wipe between shits.The people that want to show off usually buy one watch…a watch they know will be recognize.
15 mins a month and 5 minutes over 5 months are completely different things.
Calling +2spd not accurate for a mechanical watch, among your other comments, clearly illustrates you have absolutely positively no clue what you are talking about.
You have a history of diving head first into topics you know nothing about….but coming with very strong opinions. It’s crazy to see. The tone is always to imply you know better as well…which make you look even goofier You have no clue how foolish you sound. It’s the equivalent of claiming you are a poker enthusiast but not knowing a flush beats a straight.
Coming on a watch thread to bash watch collectors is bad enough. Proving to anyone who actually knows about watches that you have zero clue what you are talking about is hilarious. You have zero self awareness. This a is behavior you have demonstrated across this forum on various topics and you do it all the time. There seems to be odd psychological issue motivating you to do this
As for Rolex Yeah I’m sure they have a lemon or two. Those are repaired or replaced under warranty. But you didn’t bring that story up to claim they make a few lemons. You implied Rolex as a brand was unreliable. Which is an incredibly ignorant and uninformed comment
Your comments about Casio etc are irrelevant. In 2026 people aren’t buying high end mechanical watches solely for durability…even though they are. You are all over the place and clearly starting to just make up shit.
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Braun doesn’t make the movements in any of those watches. They are fashion watches with cheap quartz movements likely from china. They may design them aesthetically but they are nice looking but they are of zero mechanical interest….which is a major attraction of watches to collectors.
The fact you bring them up on a watch enthusiast thread ….especially after insulting watch collectors…is hilarious….and again shows your complete lack of self awareness and knowledge on the topic
There is definitely that. But there is even more with this guy. It’s the habitual reflexive contrarian thing and opining on topics he knows absolutely nothing about.Ummm this site is full of people that shit on what they can’t have. Constantly. And they don’t wipe between shits.
It won’t be long before the “victims of society” that don’t want to afford a Rolex or Hublot come along and start whining if this thread keeps getting bumped.
Then the “defender of justice” will come along and tell us how we should be wearing our watches and how we should sell our watches and build schools in Africa, all the while bragging about all the watches he’s had and how he gave them away to “friends”.
Funny how you lecture people about spouting off about what they don’t know.
Braun watches vary enormously as far as where and how they are made, depending on their age and provenance.
There are Brauns made in or from parts sourced from Germany, China, Switzerland, Japan, England, etc. depending on the model and age. There are mass-market Brauns and speciap limited editions and some models which haven’t been produced in decades.
You sound like a chipping newbie who thinks that all Paulsons are the same.
Meanwhile, if you were actually knowledgeable about watch manufacture, you would know that claims like “German Made” are about as meaningful as labeling a food product “All Natural.”
Very few watches today have single-country parts origins, from what I have read. They may be assembled in the country named, but often draw parts from all over.
And that is a good thing if the company is selecting the best available parts, not just pretending that one country makes the best of everything.
Anyway, you should consider one of these $400 watches. I bet they are as reliable as the company they are parodying.
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It’s not what I don’t know ….its that among watch enthusiasts…No one cares about Braun watches. They are a fashion watch with a cheap quartz movement powered by a battery.
Even If they had one with a third party ETA or Miyota movement they would be a little more interesting. It’s just bauhaus design that many others do . If I wanted that, I’d look at Nomos , which is far more interesting and they make their own movements..
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Don’t understand the point of the made is Germany statement ….more random gibberish.
Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough yet?
That is correct. However what makes the watch from 100 years ago interesting is the skill, knowledge, and ingenuity required to design and build it.And a cheap quartz movement from the 21st century is superior to 99% of watches from 100 years ago. The accuracy and reliability of today’s cheap watches would astound your great-grandfathers.
I have the Moonwatch, as well. The speedmaster makes for a great all-purpose watch (business or casual).My favorite (and only) manual winding watch
So after posting this my neighbor and I decided to play cards at this small casino nearby. I decided to wear the Speedmaster. About 5 minutes after I sit down the guy to my left says “thats a great watch. Is that the Hesalite version? “. I was like “yes it is and I’m very impressed you could tell it was the Hesalite crystal!”I have the Moonwatch, as well. The speedmaster makes for a great all-purpose watch (business or casual).
Braun doesn’t make the movements in any of those watches. They are fashion watches with cheap quartz movements likely from china. They may design them aesthetically but they are nice looking but they are of zero mechanical interest….which is a major attraction of watches to collectors.
The fact you bring them up on a watch enthusiast thread ….especially after insulting watch collectors…is hilarious….and again shows your complete lack of self awareness and knowledge on the topic
Everyone knows this guy. You just found him searching YouTube.Here is the highly popular and extremely knowledgeable watch blogger, vlogger and retailer Teddy Baldessa running down his favorite Minimalist watches…
First on his list? One of the cheapest Braun models:
This is a guy whose attention all the most expensive watchmakers crave, inviting him to their factories and workshops and launches.
But a guy who thinks going to outer space is the acid test of watch value knows better. n0bOdY tALkS aBoUt BrAuN
Quartz watches are not interesting. It’s like building a car that looks like a Ferrari but isn’t…,and has a electric electric motor in it
I’m sure they have felt pressure to do this and I’m sure it will be more than a lawn mower engine. I also doubt it will be very popular among exotic car enthusiasts….but Ferrari is like Rolex and creates waiting lists…so some people will buy it simply because they can. It will likely be incredibly fast as all electric cars are…but won’t sound like a FerrariTechnically Ferrari is about to unveil exactly this with a 647k base price.
I'm sure there are people who think that, but that's like saying only compression clays are considered "real" poker chips, and to suggest that thinking otherwise disqualifies one as part of an enthusiast community is gatekeeping and dumb. The "quartz crisis" from '70s to '80s forced a shift for mechanical watch makers to focus their marketing towards the luxury segment and if someone drank that Kool-Aid as a teen or a young man, today many of those people would likely consider mechanical watches to be superior without a second thought. I think that kind of attitude has started to change though, as quartz and mechanical are now both well represented on an enthusiast forum like watchuseek.Anyone who is part of the watch enthusiast community knows quartz watches are not considered “real” watches.