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Using classic designs, Rotary are not a watch brand which closely follows the trend of oversized, loud and garish watches. Instead they focus on what they are good at – which is mostly the manufacture of mens dress watches and elegant ladies watches with small dials.
Whilst the Rotary brand is not for everyone, it does have a solid history and reputation for making good quality watches. Rotary watches are generally priced very fairly and offer good value for money.
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The History Of Rotary Watches
Rotary is yet another Swiss-made brand that was conceived in the area of La Chaux-De-Fonds. This area bought us world-famous brands such as Corum, Rolex, Movado, Ball & Omega, as well as Rotary. The brand gained success in Switzerland before exporting watches into the United Kingdom during the 1920s. Due to the wealth of Britain at the time, this brought the brand great prosperity and success.
The iconic winged logo of Rotary was designed in 1925 and has been the same ever since. In 1940, Rotary became the official supplier of watches to the British Army. Due to the 2nd world war going on at this time, Rotary instantly became a recognizable brand almost overnight. Households that did not know about the brand previously now had a brother, father, or uncle in the army who owned a Rotary watch.
The brand had some struggles during the 1970s due to the quartz crisis which shook most Swiss watch companies, with only luxury brands and a handful of others fully recovering. Since this time, Rotary has moved towards making affordable quartz wristwatches as the market for budget mechanical watches is simply not as big as it was 50 years ago.
Currently, the Rotary brand is owned by Citychamp Watch & Jewelry Group Ltd which is a Chinese holding company. This acquisition took place in 2014. Although the brand has a long and established history, it is mostly only popular within the western world and is sold in over 65 countries.
Are Rotary Watches Good Quality?
Rotary watches vary in quality depending on where the watch is made. At the bottom end of the Rotary brand, there are various models which are entry-level quartz watches. These watches are assembled in China and use Japanese movements and are priced as such. Similar quality watches can be found from brands such as Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, and Coach.
At the higher end of the Rotary brand are Swiss-made watches. It should go without saying that these watches are good quality. Swiss movements are both accurate and reliable so will not let you down. Rotary usually relies on companies such as Ronda and ETA, who are both well know Swiss movement manufacturers.
At one point, Rotary did have big problems with poor quality control within its automatic watches which were being made in China with in-house movements. However, since the failure of these movements, Rotary has switched this specific production to Miyota automatic movements and has fully recovered in terms of quality.
Where Are Rotary Watches Made?
Different Rotary watch models are made in different countries. The two main places that Rotary watches are manufactured are Switzerland and China.
These watches can easily be differentiated since anything which was made in Switzerland will say “Swiss made” at the bottom of the dial, or at the very least will say “Swiss movement” on the watch. If the watch does not specify which country it was made in, it will have been assembled in China. However, even though some Rotary watches are assembled in China, they will still use Japanese movements and not Chinese.
Are Rotary Watches Good Value For Money?
Rotary watches are pretty good value for money. Whilst they aren’t the absolute cheapest, they do offer a good variety of choices and price levels for various budgets. Typically Rotary watches cost between $100-500 depending on the complications of the model and where it was made.
Overall, it is not too difficult to find fashion brands that offer a similar quality of watch for a cheaper price. In particular, both Skagen and Hugo Boss are usually less expensive than Rotary for entry-level quartz watches.
The same can be said for their entry-level automatic watches. Brands such as Citizen and Orient provide much better value for money in terms of specifications, although it could be argued Rotary is far more fashionable and design-friendly.
Given that other watches are usually cheaper than Rotary, this means you’re paying more money for the brand name. Whether this is worth it or not is a personal decision. Since the company is doing well for itself and maintaining a foothold in a competitive market, it is fairly reasonably priced.
Are Rotary Watches Faked?
Rotary watches can be faked, although the brand is not overwhelmed by counterfeit models when compared to other brands. This is mostly because Rotary is a pretty steady brand that neither peaks nor troughs in popularity.
Many other fashion brands go through boom and bust cycles. When a brand is having a successful decade, this is when it becomes a target for counterfeiters. Due to Rotary being a very stable brand that is not reliant on trends or garish fashion, it is not a huge target for fakes.
Do Rotary Watches Have Serial Numbers?
This is really dependant on the model, but for the most part Rotary watches do not use serial numbers. Only the best and most expensive Rotary watches will have serial numbers. There is little point in engraving a serial number onto the back of a mass-produced quartz watch.
All Rotary watches will have a model number on the back which will show you the corresponding watch online. This can act as a layer of defense when checking if your watch is fake or not.
What Is Rotary Dolphin Standard?
Dolphin standard is the specification of a highly waterproof Rotary watch. Whilst this does not mean that the watch is suitable for scuba diving (this is something that requires high-pressure resistance rather than water resistance). It does mean that the watch is fully appropriate for swimming and showering.
It should be noted that since 2017, Rotary has removed the dolphin standard on newer watches. This has not affected the specifications to which the watches have been built, nor the quality. The brand has simply switched over to a traditional water resistance rating.
Are Rotary Watches Automatic?
Not all Rotary watches are automatic, but the brand does make a variety of mechanical models. These range from fairly cheap Chinese movements, to the standard Miyota automatic movements you will find in many other fashion brands that make mechanical watches. It should be noted that Rotary also does make a small selection of automatic watches with Swiss movements, which are albeit more expensive.
Of course, the vast majority of Rotary watches are a variety of Japanese and Swiss quartz models.
How Long Do Rotary Watch Batteries Last?
A Rotary watch battery will last around 2 years. This is the same as pretty much any other watch brand as they all use either Sony, Renata, or Maxell batteries. These are higher quality than cheaper Chinese batteries which are much more likely to die faster and corrode inside the watch movement.
The Best Rotary Watches
Revelation
One of the most unique and original quartz watches available is the revelation. Containing both a black and a white dial, you can switch between either color if you are bored, or simply use the second dial for another timezone entirely.
The watch wears a little smaller than it is since both crowns are hidden inside the case. Being able to spin the dial around is the main feature of this watch. In addition to this, you can tell Rotary has put a great deal of time and effort into the design, as well as the finishing. This watch contains 2 Swiss movements (one for each dial) and is reasonably priced.
Aquaspeed
The Rotary Aquaspeed chronograph has an extremely busy-looking dial and is a much cheaper version of a Breitling Navitimer. So anyone looking for a watch of a similar aesthetic will be pleased to know that this watch is considerably cheaper.
In terms of functionality, this watch has an outer dial that can be used by turning the false crown in the 10 o’clock position. In all honesty, this won’t provide much use to you and is purely for fashion. The chronograph of the watch is fully functional and is accurate, however, you will once again be likely better off using a digital timer on your phone.
GMT
A great alternative to a Rolex Submariner or specifically a GMT master. Rotary has put their own take on a classic split bezel dive watch. It should be noted that this watch is not suitable for diving since it is only water-resistant up to 100 meters. Although it’s very doubtful that anyone is using high-end automatic or even quartz homage watches for scuba diving.
Overall, the watch is a little expensive as there are similar models made by Invicta which can be acquired for under half the price of this watch.
Les Originales Automatic
The Les Originales collection is the higher end of all Rotary watches. Typically these watches are all Swiss-made and contain higher quality movements than their counterparts.
This watch is no different as it has an ETA automatic movement. Whilst this is not absolute, top of the line, it is still better than pretty much everything else that Rotary makes. Even though the brand has kept a fairly classic design and put this into the Les Originales collection, they have still modified the dial by using a modern skeleton layout rather than hiding the movement behind an opaque dial.
Monaco
Quite a strange name for a Swiss brand with British design is the Monaco. It’s likely the watch is called this as it is meant to be a classic racing chronograph. This watch, like many others made by Rotary, is relatively expensive for what you’re getting. It has a Japanese (Miyota) quartz movement and is considerably more expensive compared to rival brands.
Overall though, you will likely struggle to find a classic design like this from a reputable brand such as Rotary. So if you like the design, you may have to bite the bullet and pay a little over the odds.
