Horological Meandering

Jack Forster
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Now hold on just a second. Why is it necessary to denigrate Rolex in order to praise

Omega?

First of all I'm a huge fan of both brands, as I'm sure you guys know I love Omega.  But Bernard, to say that 'Rolex doesn't practice watchmaking' is not only demonstrably false but downright misleading.  They happen to make what's probably the most flat out well constructed, reliable, durable, watchmaker friendly, longevity oriented chronograph movement in existence and while their improvements to their movements are incremental, they certainly represent a committment to genuine watchmaking values; I'm a little surprised to hear you suggest otherwise.

And you surely can't be suggesting that Rolex is alone in the employment of snobbery as a marketing strategy.  I'm not in the mood to name names but I have been treated, as an anonymous walk-in individual just expressing an interest in their timepieces, with absolutely contemptible hauteur by salesmen for an awful lot of modern Swiss brands with a hell of a lot less to offer than Rolex.  (On the other hand, the folks at the Piaget boutique were very nice to me last summer when I walked in in full hiking kit, in August, wearing a G-Shock, and was very politely invited to evalutate the Emperador Tourbillon.  That was a refreshing change of pace.)

Omega has a very, very rich history that speaks for itself and they need bow to no one; they have a relationship to chronometric excellence, to aerospace use, marine navigation, etc. etc. which most other brands would give their eyeteeth for and for heaven's sake, do we need to diminish their achievement by suggesting that we need to tilt at the absolute worst kind of internet horological straw man, Rolex bashing, for heaven's sake, to praise Omega? 

And I'm completely confused by your remarks about Omega and 'glamour,' a good bit of their marketing strategy is based on it!  It takes away nothing from the quality of the watches, but I don't think they signed Nicole Kidman because of her propensity for staying up late going over observatory time trial temperature compensation tables.

Let's by all means give Omega the praise they so richly deserve, especially at this most interesting juncture in their history.  But let's not do violence to reality and common sense to do it.

Jack