Rolex VS Hublot

There are those that swear by each brand but which one is the best for you?

Rolex VS Hublot: Which is Better?

We hear "What is a better watch Hublot or Rolex?" more often than you think and it can be answered in several ways depending on the context of the question." So let's answer all of them, shall we?

We are here to address some key questions that you're probably asking yourself when comparing them. These two luxury brands are both very popular and are often considered when looking for a luxury watch from a well-known Swiss watchmaker. You may be considering a purchase and want to find out which is a better watch. Both brands produce some great wristwatches. That said, let's find out which is the best for you.

For your convenience, we created two buttons that link to each brand should you wish to let you visually compare their products while reading this comparison. Clicking on either one of the buttons will open a new tab so you can see them side by side.

Which Brand is Better, Rolex or Hublot?

16 watch brands rank in the top 50 Swiss brands. You will get an idea of just how essential watchmaking is in Switzerland as well as how big these brands are. Is Hublot better than Rolex? Regarding recognition, this is how they compare.

Rolex Versus Hublot Comparison

Rolex is to date, the #3 most recognized Swiss brand worldwide^* with only Nescafe and Nestle before them making Rolex the #1 most recognizable Swiss watch brand with almost 100% brand recognition internationally.

Hublot, whose name means "porthole" in French, and their nomenclature is inspired by the look of their bezel and case backs, is in position #40 of the same top 50^* Swiss brands making Hublot the 14^th most recognizable Swiss watch brand in the world. Are they a major brand? Yes! Very major but people recall the Rolex brand more.

So regarding how many comments you'll get if you wore each watch, chances are, you will hear "Hey, Nice Rolex!" more often since a higher percentage of people (many of which are not "watch people" per se) will remember Rolex compared to Hublot. However, anyone who knows anything at all about the watchmaking business would know Hublot is also a superb watch brand albeit a much younger one.

*Source: Most Valuable Swiss Brands by Interbrand, an agency that measures brand value.

Hublot VS Rolex Prices

Rolex Prices start at about $500 more than the cheapest Hublot. At the moment, the most affordable new Rolex would be the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39mm men's watch followed by the Rolex Datejust 33mm ladies watches which cost about $500 more. They use automatic calibers that are purely mechanical movements.

Hublot Prices start at a lower price than a Rolex. With more affordable watches such as the 33mm and 36mm Classic Fusion Lady or the Men's 42mm Hublot Classic Fusion Automatic for about $150 more than the women's 33mm quartz version. These watches use cost-effective battery-powered quartz movements.

You should, however, compare apples with apples. Rolex doesn't make quartz watches, period. They pride themselves on only manufacturing mechanical timepieces which are considered more prestigious by watch lovers and collectors the world over.  Yes, there used to be quartz Rolexes in the past. The Rolex Oysterquartz was last featured in their catalog in 2001, but ever since that last run, they have scrapped the idea and instead have been focused on producing only high-end and high-precision mechanical calibers for their watches.

So considering the above, what determines the value of the cheapest Rolex caliber VS the most affordable Hublot quartz movement?

This leads us to the next question.

Hublot or Rolex: Which Holds Value Best?

 Is Hublot a good watch? Yes. An excellent one. There is a direct correlation though between the value of a brand, the recognition of a brand, and the resale value. While some watches have high resale value for other reasons such as the rarity or iconic status of a watch; as a general rule, the better the brand, the more you'll get back when trying to sell it. This rule works with most products, not just watches. 

Regarding the street value of Rolex watches, you really can't paint an answer with a broad brush. However, regarding the average percentage of what you originally paid for a Rolex or Hublot versus what you can sell it for on the preowned market, you will usually get more when reselling your Rolex watches compared to reselling your Hublot watch. It's almost a given every time. What's better than a Rolex? Regarding the case of average resale value? Nobody.

Pros & Cons of Buying Hublot watches

PROS

• They have a reputation for being very trendy watches, most that command a presence on the wrist such as the tonneau-shaped Hublot Spirit of The Big Bang 
• Hublot has a few unique watches that are horological masterpieces such as the MP collection
• Their entry-level watches are slightly more affordable than Rolexes
• Hublot has a tremendous amount of bling, iced-out models. 
• They're unique in the sense that there are many different materials and types of watch straps. 
• They have a long history of creating sports watches, a large number of limited edition watches, and unique special edition watches.
• Hublot has many rubber strap watches. Rolex, on the other hand, has only a few models with their rubber alloy Oysterflex bracelets but since introduced on the Yachtmaster 40mm, it made its way into the Daytona collection as well.
• Hublot has quartz models that offer more precision and require less maintenance than mechanical wristwatches.

CONS

• They are a major watch brand but not as much of a well-known watch brand as Rolex.
• They usually don't hold the same resale value as Rolex watches which is the king when it comes to average resale value on the pre-owned marketplace.
• They don't produce as many super high-priced bling models as Rolex (if that's what you're looking for) but have a great selection of iced-out dial models fit for a royal.
• While watch connoisseurs would recognize Hublot as a respected brand that offers both mechanical and quartz watches. Some watch connoisseurs marvel at the micromechanics and these purists have a tendency only to sing the praises of brands that exclusively offer purely mechanical watches. This isn't necessarily a con in any way since there are also many people who prefer quartz watches but it should nonetheless be mentioned.

Is Hublot a luxury brand? As you can see from the above pros and cons that through their unique product line and design, Hublot has positioned their brand in the luxury watch market as a manufacturer that produces watches for trendsetters who appreciate designs and watches that are unique and not traditional in any sense of the word. Hublot is a forward-looking brand that many watch people consider to be a "marketing watch brand" which is essentially a younger, less historically significant, and sometimes less established brand that had a killer marketing strategy that is working well for them.

Are Hublot watches worth the money? Hublot prides itself on using the art of fusion to generate watches using materials that are not traditionally found on watches and also offers a large number of different types of color options and different types of bands. They are also competitively priced and in the last few years started producing in-house movements instead of using ETA ébauche movements in an effort to bring the brand's prestige a bit more up-market. To many,  these reasons would justify their high price. On the other hand, to some, it's not enough. To date, there is no unanimously agreed-upon answer. You have to see if these factors are worth it to you.

Pros & Cons of buying Rolex watches

PROS

• They are the most recognized brand of luxury watches in the world
• They have, in general, a better resale value than most luxury watch brands
• They have many bling models with diamond bezels, pavé dials (faces paved with diamonds), precious metals of all sorts (if you're into that).
• Many innovations have been patented by the Rolex company such as their Parachrom blue, Osterflex bracelets, Oysterlock, Everose gold (rose gold) alloy, Cerachrom bezel inserts, Twinlock and Triplock locking winding crowns, and more
• Rolex makes quite a few iconic watches such as the Rolex Submariner and the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, Rolex Explorer, Sea-Dweller, and more
• Their mechanical watches are all Superlative Chronometers which are highly accurate and precise mechanical movements with a minimum precision of -2/+2 seconds per day

CONS

• They are usually slightly less affordable than Hublots
• You don't have as many different straps as with Hublot
• They don't have as many special edition watches, and limited edition watches as Hublot
• Hublot has many different rubber strap options more than Rolex

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