Rolex accused of getting many parts from china

Yes, and yes.

 

Any sources beyond YouTube and TikTok?

 

Maybe the dials will be signed SWISS * MADE

 

I wonder about the sources too Robb. If verified, I think this looks terrible for Rolex and the ridiculous prices their products command.

 

I have read a couple articles about swiss watch makers procuring parts from China. In my opinion, I think numerous swiss watch manufactures procure some parts from Asia. I found this article interesting:
https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/swiss-made-watch-1236164753/

I will say that I don't like this and definitely is not good for the Rolex brand if true.

 

I guess I'm not clutching my pearls over this one yet....for me it depends what is being made there

 

Swiss rule states that 40% (or maybe 60% now?) value of the watch needs to be made in Switzerland in order to be legally labeled "Swiss Made" and I believe labor is included in the calculation. So lots of wiggle room to play, dial/case especially precious metals make up the bulk of the value, so lots of parts can be sourced outside Switzerland for final assembly. Most dial makers are in Mauritius, bracelets makers in China etc. Rolex is a pretty vertically integrated company, they bought out their dial, case and bracelet makers awhile ago so I imagine only components for movements are from China along with box, hang tags and other accessories. That said, it's long been rumored that Rolex gets a piece of the replica market from China.

 

I think this has been pretty much debunked, at least for Rolex. But fundamentally it does not bother me at all. Having lived in Switzerland a long while ago, the cost of everything there is crazy... so it would make sense that Rolex - and other Swiss brand source raw parts from China. why pollute CH with all the manufacturing waste? ... If the watches were assembled there, I guess that would bother me a bit, but in the end, I highly doubt the entire thing is Chinese made... I have seen the buildings that Rolex has in Switzerland... so to me if its all made in China, that is a awful lot of overhead for nothing. I'm also sure that there are a lot of component in Ferrari's that started life in China... switches, screws etc...

The whole Replica watch thing is also fascinating. I've personally taken apart a "clone" watch... and while the bridges and screws are the same size ... the finishing is clearly not anywhere as good, meaning that the watch may be designed and built the same way but the longevity and performance I would doubt. Take a center wheel, in a Rolex its highly polished and under magnification you can see the bevels are well done. On the clone - they are stamped out, they seem to work the same way but over time the rough edges will wear differently. This is what you are paying for. ( Clone was a Submariner ) ... in a Patek for instance, when you look at the movement under high magnification, the beveled edges, and chamfers are so well done and polished... I dont know if its done by a human or a machine but its clearly there ... engravings are deep and smooth, and not laser etched. Having got into watchmaking , seeing what the Chinese can do is pretty amazing... reverse engineering a watch is not easy... In China there is a long tradition of copying... its an honor vs. theft to them.... the better the copy the higher the prestige. This goes for Art, watches etc...

 

My fake Rolex is a 9.5/10, has a real Swiss movement and was made in China.
I acquired it in 2010 for $130, and am told it's worth over $1,000 today.

When I got it it was known by several sources the movements that were made in
and coming from the Swiss were no longer being made and hard to find, as the
Korean knock-offs were taking over.

If you know what to look for you can barely see the one visual flaw mine has, and
it's in the alignment of the rehaut in ONE spot.

I NEVER pass it off as an original, I always tell folks it's a fake.

 

I'm happy to buy out anyone who bought a Rolex daytona at market and now just think its a knockoff...

 

To clarify what I said above, it used a real Swiss movement that was made in Switzerland,
the watch was put together in China.

 

Well, now you know the 'superclones' are mostly real... :^)

 

Oh, I don't mind paying a grand or two for a used Rolex, that's what they used to be worth (I don't even mind a moderate inflation bump). They aren't bad watches, but as I said elsewhere, the whole thing always looked like a bubble to me.

What's weird is the prices of the old project pocket watches I like are going through the roof! Which is annoying - it was supposed moderately priced hobby. I'm curious if the whole vintage thing is taking off because of the perception that the old stuff is what claims to be?

 

Plenty of Swiss makers started with the same ébauche and the difference was in the finishing. The problem is if both real Rolex and 'superclones' use the Chinese ébauche and the Swiss aren't above board about it, you are paying a LOT more for a few hours of (mostly machine) finishing. The problem is that the level of difference is not matched by the cost difference.

The first crisis was the American lawmakers undermining American movement makers, which tried to save themselves with electronics. This became known as the quartz crisis.

I suspect we are entering the second crisis. Which is the Swiss manufacturers being unable to meet the huge spike in demand and temporarily turning to the Chinese to solve their problem. They did so, but this thread is showing the result.

 

I have seen a number of Marriage Patek watches on Ebay go for pretty big numbers... kind of surprising.

 

I would find it hard to believe that Rolex or any of the top tier makers are building the majority of a movement in China and finishing in CH... its always possible. from what I have seen with Rolex and Patek movements, the finishing is pretty detailed... and as a watch maker my self ( I use Chinese / Japanese movements mostly ) finishing those parts is really HARD, and very time consuming. putting a Chamfered edge on a bridge... is like 4 - 5 hours ... and mine don't look even close.... pelage, and Codes de Geneve... super hard to do well....

 

Yea, that's just people that don't have a clue (IMO). I'm seeing nicer, time only American production gold filled stuff climbing well into the four figures - that's surprising considering how long they have been down.

 

I think the Swiss first got into a situation, which the Chinese helped solve; then they got greedy. Remember, most of the work is now by machine and once they discovered they could train the Chinese the tricks of hand finishing at 1/10th the labor of Switzerland, I think they took the bait. If so they made a killing and will now pay a tremendous price.

 

Or they are doing what the Italians do and import Chinese labor to do the work cheap.

 

Nah. The Swiss 'unions' or 'guilds' or whatever they have wouldn't stand for it.

 

When did this "temporary" solution begin?

 

Rolex is nothing more than a pseudo-luxury brand, and has been for a long time. Its value lies not in the quality of craftsmanship or actual rarity of its devices. They sell 1.25 million of them, and for sure most of it is mass produced and for sure not in Switzerland. The value is the brand and perceived luxury that you can flaunt to others. That's it.

I do have to admire their marketing team's ability to sell $10 worth of mediocrity for tens of thousands.