What is the Rolex of Flashlights?

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That Entry Luxury list is ridiculous!
You've got Marathon on the very same list as Raymond Weil?
Upper end Tool watch brand known for its toughness, right alongside R.W.? A brand pretending to be just as good as Rolex (with certain models being blatant copies of Rolex watches) sold at a tiny fraction of the price. You buy an R.W. and it loses about 50% of it's value as soon as you strap it onto your wrist! Seriously, best bargain out there is a second-hand R.W. You save a massive amount of money buying one of those.

I will admit though that their chronograph model is a good-looking watch.

But if you're looking for legitimate Military-issue watches, Marathon. It's the real thing. (Also. Hamilton is too good to be on that list.)

Also, how is Blancpain considered to be above Rolex? That's just silly. The brands are clearly on-par with each other.
 
experimentjon said:
I suspect the supply / demand issue will right itself eventually. Secondary market prices have already come down and will continue down. Maybe not for the Daytona, but Subs are already more available at retail again with minor waits...which ironically makes them less desirable to some! I won't ever trivialize saving $10k (a lot of money!) but in the watch world, that's about the equivalent of a Surefire purchase. $250 for a light is a lot when a nice $25 light also lights up a room!
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Secondary watch market is a different animal. I was referring to brand new prices. Also, in the Luxury Watch World, $10k is almost nothing. Thankfully few lunatics by comparison of the rest of the Watch World are in that group.

Also $25, gets you crap in the Flashlight world outside of very tiny keychain-sized lights. You want a quality light you can carry clipped in your pocket with serious lumens and candela? You're starting out at $80. and $100 is more common. Against a $250 SureFire, that gap is MUCH narrower. (Heck, a candle can light up a small room.)
 
I'd rather own a Ford than a Rolls Royce, unless I was rich, then it is a status symbol. But for ordinary middle class folks, the Ford is a better choice. 1) The insurance is affordable, 2) The maintenance and repairs are affordable and easier, 3) It doesn't scream "Steal me!". 🙂
 
KITROBASKIN said:
Spot-on Monocrom.

It works, but supposedly the old oil in it has thickened or something and further use might endanger it?

experimention has an interesting perspective.
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If that's the only issue, an experienced older independent watch-maker should be able to cure that. Just need to find one with experience working on Rolex watches.
 
Monocrom said:
If that's the only issue, an experienced older independent watch-maker should be able to cure that. Just need to find one with experience working on Rolex watches.
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I did find one who had been out of the game a while but he was just not confident in his skills anymore; offered no guarantees. Like you said if a part gets broken no replacement is likely.

Ironically, he owned a vintage Ferrari. Said anytime he was going to take it for a spin he called his favorite towing service to confirm they could get it if a problem arose! Definitely didn’t want to leave one of those on the side of the road.
 
Honestly, keep looking for one. Those older Tudors deserve to be saved. The internal parts are literally the very same ones Rolex used back then.
 
KITROBASKIN said:
It works, but supposedly the old oil in it has thickened or something and further use might endanger it?
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If it’s been more than five years since it’s been cleaned then it shouldn’t be run at all until it goes in for an overhaul. My friend is constantly having to do more expensive repairs to watches simply because of the old and hardened oil you mentioned, and in many cases he can’t repair the watch at all without finding another movement to take otherwise unavailable parts out of.
 
Buff said:
The Rolls Royce of illumination?
The Gold Standard?
Everything made usually has a brand that is the top of the heap. The pinnacle. The king.
I just wondered Which brand would be considered the most respected and no doubt most expensive flashlight brand out there.
To me a well built light under $100 is what i look for. All the features i want and decent lume in the at least 1000 lumen range. As i’ve searched other companies i have seen prices exceeding $1000. Got me to wondering where the top is?
Buff
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To each their own.
 
Buff said:
The Rolls Royce of illumination?
The Gold Standard?
Everything made usually has a brand that is the top of the heap. The pinnacle. The king.
I just wondered Which brand would be considered the most respected and no doubt most expensive flashlight brand out there.
To me a well built light under $100 is what i look for. All the features i want and decent lume in the at least 1000 lumen range. As i’ve searched other companies i have seen prices exceeding $1000. Got me to wondering where the top is?
Buff
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Why is Rolex the pinnacle? I prefer Omega. Did Rolex go to the moon? It was an Omega Speedmaster that timed the manual engine burn that saved Apollo 11. Omega's Speedmaster Professional watch was the only watch that passed NASA's rigorous testing and was declared "flight-qualified for all manned space missions" in 1965. If you do this I would say that you are the Pinnacle.
 
Monocrom said:
But if you're looking for legitimate Military-issue watches, Marathon. It's the real thing. (Also. Hamilton is too good to be on that list.)
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Tell it like it is, Monocrom! My Hammy Khaki Field Automatic runs within COSC standards straight out of the box. (I only wish they'd be more generous with the lume and the AR coatings.) I regulated 3 Marathon GSARs to run at +1 or +2 seconds per day on a time-grapher, and they are my go to timekeepers when I'm not in the mood for a G-Square or 9400 Rangeman.
 
pumps said:
Why is Rolex the pinnacle? I prefer Omega.
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It’s not, and neither is Omega, but it could be if the OP had chosen it instead. His thread, his choice and even though I also listed the Tri-V, I also listed a few others which would be very good options, because Rolex makes very well built watches which also carry a bit of exclusivity, making the unbelievably overlooked 007, and also all of Henry’s lights excellent candidates as well.


img_8488-jpeg.jpg
 
pumps said:
Why is Rolex the pinnacle? I prefer Omega. Did Rolex go to the moon? It was an Omega Speedmaster that timed the manual engine burn that saved Apollo 11. Omega's Speedmaster Professional watch was the only watch that passed NASA's rigorous testing and was declared "flight-qualified for all manned space missions" in 1965. If you do this I would say that you are the Pinnacle.
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And a Bulova saved the day on the Apollo 15 mission when the crystal popped off the Speedmaster! I'm just throwing that ditty in to give you a hard time, pumps!:poke: I'd take the Speedy any day of the week if I could afford it. I do wish they had more than 5BAR water resistance personally, but I am currently exiled in Portlandia where it rains for 9 months of the year. (And that's just the good news!) 🙄
 
Buff said:
Not sure what you are saying here?
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Brand new Rolex watches being aspirational for the average person, but not outside the realm of possibility to one day own one.

I was saying how right around 5 years ago, at the very most; that was still true. But only if the person lusting after a Rolex bought a brand new 39mm Explorer model. Other models? Forget it!

It's like quite a few years back, easily over a decade, Mercedes came out with a very compact 3-door hatchback design that they sold for just a few dollars under $30K. The price and the fact that it was a genuine Mercedes were its only selling points. You had plenty of folks snatching them up because here was a way they could buy a real Mercedes. (Thing is, dealers jacked-up the prices.)

New Rolex a few years ago that was somewhat affordable? You bought an Explorer. Used one? You bought an Air-King and hoped you didn't run into a watch snob who'd make fun of you for wearing one.
 
I may be bias when i chose Rolex? 😊
IMG_5161.jpeg

It’s a 1991 two years older than the one i sold in 1991. Runs great and no indication that it’s ever been serviced. Rolex service would make this watch brand new. Something you should never do to a vintage watch. ( or near vintage)
There are a few watch makers out there that are reasonable in overhaul service. Helps to have the connection.
 
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