What would happen if Rolex went to space?

Omega is known above all else for the Speedmaster and the fact that it went to the moon. The brand has made a big deal of this fact, a huge deal and arguably without this the company would be significantly smaller.

The Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 is another example of a watch that travels to space and it is this watch that intrigues me. While not being a fan of the watch itself, or indeed the allure of a watch just because it did something that none of us will ever do in the past, it does look and feel modern while still retaining a classic styling that gives it mass appeal.

So, imagine the following happening in the near future and consider what it would do for Rolex and the wider watch industry.

Rolex signs a deal with NASA and/or the private companies that are aiming to go into space on a regular basis. Rolex makes a completely new watch that is space approved and which takes on a more modern take while remaining as classically Rolex.

This would completely change the way the company is viewed and it would most likely skew how people look at the Submariner and other models which cling on to their heritage at all costs. It could make these models look dated as well which is why this is unlikely to happen, but it’s fun to hypothesise.

It could also knock Omega badly because all of a sudden you have the most famous watch brand of all offering a modern take on what it can do and if the space industry goes through sudden growth it could be game over, all bases covered and every type of customer wanting a Rolex.

Of course this is highly unlikely to happen and many things would have to come together for it to be so, but it is interesting to consider.