What is the Rolex of Flashlights?

[Monocrom]

I recently discovered that due to a pinched nerve from a watch that sat perfectly well on my wrist for nearly a full year with zero issues until that one, odd day.... I have to have a very thin, extremely lightweight watch. And yes, would prefer an automatic. Already found three good options. None of them remotely close to the price of a house. All three are titanium. I wouldn't mind a good-quality plastic watch. But ironically they're all either too thick in terms of case size, or the very thin ones look like I'd have stolen a child's watch and started wearing it.

Name on the dial? I don't give a crap. I don't have a job where I work on commission. Don't have to impress clients by wearing a Luxury brand watch on my wrist, or driving around in a leased upper-tier Mercedes or BMW or Audi vehicle. Don't care about impressing strangers on the street. I just need something on my wrist that doesn't weigh a ton, won't cause a pinched nerve due its weight. (Haven't worn that watch since that day. Took over two weeks to recover from that pinched nerve in my wrist. Never again!)

 

[ampdude]

I have three Ironmans. A Japan Seiko self winder with a blue dial that's over 20 years old, and a repro vintage Casio that I never wear. I recommend going down those roads for value priced non-crap. Not sure about the Casio repro though. Not even sure why I bought that one. It was like $15. Been sitting in my dresser drawer for the past 5 years or so since I bought it.

 

[GadgetGeek]

I'm gonna post this on my watch forum. Can hardly wait to see what i stir up lol!

I didn't make it. Found it in a quick Google search.

 

[importculture]

Have they ever actually sold one of these? I just looked it up. $10k is insane.

Used to be a lot cheaper but inflation happens.

 

[importculture]

Wrist time? Without a doubt absolutely not! The insurance company probably won't allow it. I'm sorry but if you can afford a 600,000 watch and you buy a 600,000 watch your an idiot.

I've found if they can afford an expensive watch and are truely wealthy they would mostly likely wear it. Both because they can afford to replace it as well as for the prestige among their friends and neighbors. The second being a priority since they can afford most things they want. Then again the "fake it till you make it" rich would probably wear it for the clout as well. My parents absolutely refuse to carry a surefire flashlight with them after finding out how much it costs. They come from humble means. Whereas I have no hesitation in carrying one.

 

[importculture]

For your consideration: 😀
Okluma
FrazLabs
Oveready
Prometheus
Cool Fall
YellowDay Energy
McGizmo
Hanko
Dawson Machine Craft (formerly Laulima)
Reaver Arms
Sinner

Great list

 

[kaichu dento]

People with too much money and they don't know what to do with it…

Except that, you never know about other people, their reasons, or what drives them, unless they actively project it, or more to the point, the reasons that I still plan on having a Rolex.

…who the hell would spend $110,000 on a Rolex…

Whoever can?, and why shouldn't all of us be allowed to spend as we wish? There's not a single person in this country, not even the destitute, who doesn't look insanely wealthy to other parts of the world.
Anyway, a typical Rolex is a tenth of that price range and people really obsessed with impressing others, or in this case, spending lavishly, have far more expensive watches to buy available.

 

[ampdude]

Whoever can?, and why shouldn't all of us be allowed to spend as we wish?

I suspect you may be looking for a discussion or argument here that does not exist.

 

[kaichu dento]

I suspect you may be looking for a discussion or argument here…

Clarifying discussion completely germane to this particular thread, yes. Useless argument, no. Just rectifying mistaken perceptions, and no, you're not being attacked either.
Many know Rolex only as an illusory name brand and have the same ideas as you, that they're all priced as expensively as houses, which would be more true of many other brands that don't attract as much attention because their names aren't as iconic amongst the masses.

 

[kaichu dento]

Back on track with the main focus of the thread, here's a couple other possibilities.
The 007 really is an expensive but very practical tool light, built to take abuse and to a very high standard, making it an excellent "Rolex of Flashlights".
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/t...ux-rc-minion-r1-hanko-twisted-trident.480453/

 

[ampdude]

I don't know if they are still making them. I would like to see some new 007's. That would be really cool. But out of most people's price range.

I would love to have one, but I don't think it's worth me selling ten or more of my Surefires to obtain one. That's why I immediately thought of it when I read the thread title originally. I think to most people Rolex is just another word for "overpriced".

 

[kaichu dento]

I don't know if they are still making them. I would like to see some new 007's. That would be really cool. But out of most people's price range.
I would love to have one, but I don't think it's worth me selling ten or more of my Surefires to obtain one. That's why I immediately thought of it when I read the thread title originally.

I think to most people Rolex is just another word for "overpriced".

Absolutely, unobtanium to a lot of people, but ironically I've seen people spend enough on beer and smokables to easily afford one on an annual basis. I don't spend money on those things, which is largely how I was able to buy a Tri-V when Data first released them in a "one-off" run, and also why I may (or may not) eventually get another plain steel Rolex without the faceted bezel. Sometimes available on the used market for even less than a new Tri-V!

 

[ampdude]

I hear ya. I'd probably just spend that money on smelly pirate hookers instead. But that's just me.

 

[Monocrom]

Used to be a lot cheaper but inflation happens.

No, it's not inflation. If we take just the rate of inflation into account, a Submariner should cost no more than $6,000. Obviously that's not the current price of a brand new one. It's also naked greed on Rolex's part.

 

[ninety9]

I wear G-Shocks and Seiko. I'll never own a Rolex, too expensive and impractical for me. I'd like to have one though if it was within my means, although I'd probably opt for the Omega Seamaster 300M. To some, those aren't dress watches. Now, A. Lange Sohne, those are just pieces of true artistry. If I was stupid- rich, that's what I'd wear.

To most of the general public, they'd say that paying $100 + for a flashlight is just as silly as owning a Rolex and that paying $200 is completely insane.

Everyone has their vice and their justification for it.

 

[Monocrom]

Literally purchased my last light of 2023 a few minutes ago.... $97.94 w/ Free Shipping. Looks like I don't get to put on my silly hat. 😁

 

[AstroTurf]

Literally purchased my last light of 2023 a few minutes ago.... $97.94 w/ Free Shipping. Looks like I don't get to put on my silly hat. 😁

wadya get?

 

[Monocrom]

Thrunite BSS V5.
Older light, but impressive blast on Turbo for a few seconds; with just an 18650 battery. Had to go the eBay route. But it is brand new. Also bought a couple of extra rechargeable batts. for it from a separate site. But it was separate, and the light does come with a battery. So still counts as under $100. Basically I needed a new "backscratcher." Yeah, that's it. 😉

 

[ItnStln]

Very true! Many years ago on a certain Watch forum, a relatively new member talked about his blue-collar dad being gifted a Rolex. The man practically never took it off! Loved that watch. Did everything with it! Abused the heck out of it without realizing he was doing it. (Rolex's legendary marketing at the time about how wonderfully made their watches are, sometimes backfired.) Fast forward about 16 years, the watch was in terrible shape and finally stopped running.

His father simply put the watch back into its box, put it away into the back of a drawer, and bought himself a cheap beater watch. The son made the topic to point out that he had found his dad's watch. Got it serviced. Polished up (no intention of selling it), and now it runs perfectly!

Well, every other member congratulated him. I was the only one who asked the obvious question. Why didn't his dad just get it serviced? Que a massive number of members ticked off, angry as hell! Couldn't believe I had asked such a question. For perspective, his dad had been gifted the Rolex back when the company was happy with their status as a Tool Watch brand, and servicing costs were actually reasonable.

Thankfully the son was far more understanding when he returned to the topic, and saw my question. He pointed out that his dad had no clue that higher-end watches such as a Rolex needed to be serviced. Having only owned cheaper watches that he threw away and bought new ones whenever those stopped working. So, when his Rolex stopped working, the dad thought that his watch was completely dead with no way of restoring it to working order.

Yes, as good as they are, they need to be serviced once every handful of years. An automatic watch can keep working reliably while being utterly decimated on the inside. That's something most folks don't realize. It's like watching a dog jump off the roof of a 10-story building. Then watching it slowly walk away after it hits the ground. That dog is NOT okay! It's dead! Its body just honestly hasn't realized it, yet. In a few minutes.... it will.

Was that certain watch forum WUS?

 

[letschat7]

I stopped going to WUS before I went broke.