Ares Watch Company

[BigD]

Full disclosure, I'm not a watch guy and I don't collect them. I only have one and I've worn it for 15 years. I worked in construction so I beat the crap out of it. Seiko Titanium Chronograph. Case has a serial # on it and stamped "MOVEMENT JAPAN 7T62-0BZ0". Other than that I have no idea what's inside. I assume it's 100% Japanese. You can buy one used for about $100. It isn't a Rolex.

Seiko has factories in Malaysia (and maybe other places.) where they make their low-end watches. QC is reportedly lower on Malaysian watches.

If you aren’t a watch guy, you wouldn’t know or care about the whole “made in XYZ” thing. But Graham is a watch guy. He knows, and knows people care.

[Borderland]

The Ares site currently says "American made".

If anyone knows a little about watches, the movement should be a significant portion of the cost of the watch.

Swiss manufactures can spend well north of 1 million dollars on the research and development of a new watch movement.

This is why many watch companies just buy movements from somewhere else and stick them in their own watches, and spend the rest of their money on advertising. 15 years ago Panerai were using $80 pocket watch movements. I think they have their own in-house movements now. Even Rolex was using a Zenith chronograph movement in their Daytona up to about 10 years ago.

A $700 watch using a $13 quartz movement with a case made in China, that sounds like ALOT of margin.

Good to know. What's the margin on a Rolex, 6-7 x cost?

[BigD]

Good to know. What's the margin on a Rolex, 6-7 x cost?

I’m sure people have tried to calculate it, but it would be hard to accurately say since you can’t go online and buy the movement and cases and hands like you can the Ares.

No doubt there is some (or a lot of) irrationality among Rolex buyers. But if you are trying to make a point by comparing Ares to Rolex, just don’t. Ares is not Rolex. Not even close.

[Borderland]

I’m sure people have tried to calculate it, but it would be hard to accurately say since you can’t go online and buy the movement and cases and hands like you can the Ares.

No doubt there is some (or a lot of) irrationality among Rolex buyers. But if you are trying to make a point by comparing Ares to Rolex, just don’t. Ares is not Rolex. Not even close.

I don't see any difference here between someone buying a Rolex and an Ares. It isn't a value thing (goods delivered for money spent), or even the functionality of the watch, it's personal preference.

When someone says to me, I can have a better ________ for less money I always say it isn't always about the money. The entire Rolex thing should be a shining example of that. After you spend 7K for one you still just have a watch. My cell phone will keep better time. It's using the atomic clocks on navigational satellites that are good for 1 second of drift about every 30,000 years. It can't do that at 300 meters below the surface but most people who own dive watches don't dive, including me.

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I don't see any difference here between someone buying a Rolex and an Ares. It isn't a value thing (goods delivered for money spent), or even the functionality of the watch, it's personal preference.

When someone says to me, I can have a better ________ for less money I always say it isn't always about the money. The entire Rolex thing should be a shining example of that. After you spend 7K for one you still just have a watch. My cell phone will keep better time. It's using the atomic clocks on navigational satellites that are good for 1 second of drift about every 30,000 years. It can't do that at 300 meters below the surface but most people who own dive watches don't dive, including me.

Thats like comparing a Supra to a Lamborghini.

[BehindBlueI's]

After you spend 7K for one you still just have a watch.

No, you don't. You also have the cultural cache associated with the ownership of the watch, pride of ownership, etc. I also suspect that resale value is likely to be higher with any brand with more cache and a broader potential market. Watches are jewelry and like most jewelry the intrinsic value of the piece isn't the totality of what you have. It's in the emotions the piece invokes in the owner and the onlooker. That's why Harleys are Harleys, Rolexes are Rolexes, etc. For that matter it's why The Scream sells for over $100 million, a Bob Ross won't fetch $10k, and anything I paint is unlikely to recoup the cost of materials used.

[UNK]

No, you don't. You also have the cultural cache associated with the ownership of the watch, pride of ownership, etc. I also suspect that resale value is likely to be higher with any brand with more cache and a broader potential market. Watches are jewelry and like most jewelry the intrinsic value of the piece isn't the totality of what you have. It's in the emotions the piece invokes in the owner and the onlooker. That's why Harleys are Harleys, Rolexes are Rolexes, etc. For that matter it's why The Scream sells for over $100 million, a Bob Ross won't fetch $10k, and anything I paint is unlikely to recoup the cost of materials used.

Not to mention that in their realm the price that Rolex commands is not out of line.

[Borderland]

No, you don't. You also have the cultural cache associated with the ownership of the watch, pride of ownership, etc. I also suspect that resale value is likely to be higher with any brand with more cache and a broader potential market. Watches are jewelry and like most jewelry the intrinsic value of the piece isn't the totality of what you have. It's in the emotions the piece invokes in the owner and the onlooker. That's why Harleys are Harleys, Rolexes are Rolexes, etc. For that matter it's why The Scream sells for over $100 million, a Bob Ross won't fetch $10k, and anything I paint is unlikely to recoup the cost of materials used.

So you have jewelry that tells you what time it is. I don't understand why someone would buy a watch for the resale value. Do they ever get sold for more than the original price? I know Harley's don't. I've known a few people who owned them.

[Wondering Beard]

So you have jewelry that tells you what time it is. I don't understand why someone would buy a watch for the resale value. Do they ever get sold for more than the original price? I know Harley's don't. I've known a few people who owned them.

New Rolex Daytona at dealer price is around $12000 but they are unobtanium. "Used" Rolex Daytona is around $25000.

Just about any Rolex found on the "used" market is 2 to 3k at minimum over new at MSRP.

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So you have jewelry that tells you what time it is. I don't understand why someone would buy a watch for the resale value. Do they ever get sold for more than the original price? I know Harley's don't. I've known a few people who owned them.

Try pricing an original Knuckle.