Iron Heart is similar to….. Rolex?
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Rolex is a luxury brand, whereas I don’t necessarily think of IH as such. Is IH expensive? Yes. Made to a high standard? Yes. Limited quantities? Yes. I think this speaks more to the brand’s quality and loyal customers than it being about flash and pizazz imo. I consider IH a working man’s brand that makes pretty cool stuff. Some might disagree with me though
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Where I think the common ground between them would be most obvious is that Rolex creates tools: diving watches, watches for jet setting and keeping time zones straight, heck even watches for spelunking. They make these tool watches at high tolerances and quality. Iron Heart makes work wear that is also made precisely and at high quality. Both are practical and durable and not ostentatious or needlessly ornate (aside from the rare conceit like chainstitch runoff and the Rolex President).
A key difference though is that Rolex seeks to push the limits of technology, where IH is more of a heritage brand. IH pushes limits in other ways (hefty fabrics, for example), but if it were seeking the same performance-over-all-else objectives that Rolex is, they would be using lock stitching instead of chain stitching, for example. Though, as compared to other japanese heritage brands, use of sanforization, polycotton, etc is pretty modern.
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I see few parallels. IH gear (sometimes) sells out because they have limited volume. Rolex plays games with production and distribution. IH has greater transparency about almost every aspect of their business than the majority of the industry. Rolex is notoriously secretive in an industry noted for being close mouthed.
I guess they both make high quality goods, though.
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^ yes
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Wow. Thanks all for your replies!
It is a double edged sword for Rolex. Tool, rugged, dependable, quality, iconic on one hand, flashy, ignorant amd embarrassing on the other. (I say this a Rolex owner!) The result of many years plugging away at their craft. IH could be the same- if demin culture became mainstream. For instance, as Dave28 said, people could laugh at someone wearing a rolex, but what if you told told them you haven't washed your jeans for 6 months?
And come on guys. Almost 300 quid for a shirt? I know its not over 6k for a watch but average joe would definitely put that in prestige?
Obviously I am not knocking either or. I love IH quality and how it fits and looks just so damn right. Much like a GMT master!
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And come on guys. Almost 300 quid for a shirt? I know its not over 6k for a watch but average joe would definitely put that in prestige?
The sticker shock does take getting used to, but when you compare the quality of IH over other brands there’s no contest. But, like anything this is all subjective. You should see the Filson IG page. Seems like every other comment is about how the average working man can’t afford Filson’s stuff, but Filson isn’t transparent about where all their stuff is sourced and their prices are high for non-US made goods
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What's the IH equivalent of this rugged instrument for professionals?
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Probably some of the jewelry or silver wallet chains [emoji23]
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What's the IH equivalent of this rugged instrument for professionals?
Probably some of the jewelry or silver wallet chains [emoji23]
That illustrates nicely one of the major differences between the two brands. If your comparing core products (jeans/shirts and watches) then there really isn’t an equivalent. You’d have to go to N&F for that.
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I think most notional similarities between the brands are facile. While IH may be considered a prestige brand in certain circles (I certainly don’t think of it that way), Rolex is a truly global prestige brand with instant brand recognition for enormous amounts of people.
It was only ten years ago that IH and other Japanese denim labels were considered «secret brands» and they still are to an extent. Walk out onto any high street in any town or city in the developed world and show 100 people a Rolex watch, then a pair of IH and and ask them to name the brand. What are the numbers going to be? In some cases you might get 100-0 in favour of Rolex.
When it comes to cost, IH aren’t eye wateringly expensive when compared to other premium denim brands. They are marginally more expensive than many and the reasons for that are relatively transparent. There are only a few brands in the watch making world that can charge what Rolex charge however. And those brands have price points a couple of orders of magnitude over other brands with comparable products.
The limited batch drop is a market mechanism that either occurs due to methods of production and economic circumstance (Roy), or as a deliberate marketing ploy (Supreme). The point being it’s become a common feature of consumerism in late stage capitalism. I’m not going to compare Yeezy’s to a UHF based on that.
There’s no doubt that the two brands look good together though [emoji1]
As I said, nice post @Farmered . Certainly got me thinking.
Maybe there are other watch brands that are comparable to IH? New-ish, niche, over-engineered, rugged. @Graeme ?
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I don't own a Rolex but have come very close to buying one. What stops me is that the people I know who do own them all say things to the tune of - you don't buy a Rolex for it's toughness or accuracy…this bothers me given the price. I don't think you could ever say the same about Iron Heart.
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Hmm. I'd suggest Bremont watches to your question @neph93 But don't feel its a perfect match. I'd suggest a model- the Rolex explorer. (I am aware of other watch brands haha). Have a quick google of knox- Johnson's Explorer when he circumnavigated the world. It's aged wonderfully.
And such a good point regarding the respective supply. Rolex supply is utter bullshit for mass produced watches.
It is interesting that the vintage watch crowd aren't into denim. Both tribes are into patina.
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@EJS:
I don't own a Rolex but have come very close to buying one. What stops me is that the people I know who do own them all say things to the tune of - you don't buy a Rolex for it's toughness or accuracy…this bothers me given the price. I don't think you could ever say the same about Iron Heart.
The way I see it is people pay for the prestige, in-house mechanical movement, quality of the parts and steel and uber machines and workshop that make them.
If you want accuracy then there are atomic watches and toughness there are other watches. -
Hmm. Maybe closer to Grand Seiko than Rolex… At least geographically [emoji1]
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**I think most notional similarities between the brands are facile. While IH may be considered a prestige brand in certain circles (I certainly don’t think of it that way), Rolex is a truly global prestige brand with instant brand recognition for enormous amounts of people.
It was only ten years ago that IH and other Japanese denim labels were considered «secret brands» and they still are to an extent. Walk out onto any high street in any town or city in the developed world and show 100 people a Rolex watch, then a pair of IH and and ask them to name the brand. What are the numbers going to be? In some cases you might get 100-0 in favour of Rolex.**
That ^^^^. That's what sets IH and Rolex worlds apart IMO.
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That ^^^^. That's what sets IH and Rolex worlds apart IMO.
And makes it impossible to compare. Rolex was founded 113 years ago and developed into a global brand over many generations, while IH -considering the timeframe- is only at the beginning of a hopefully sustainable future within a difficult market.
From what I've learnt so far is, that Haraki san was with Edwin for 20 years before he founded IH 15 years ago.
Time will tell… -
Rolex, Audi, Gucci, etc etc all represent aspirational 'all the gear and no idea' buy it because GQ magazine says it will make a 'statement about who you are and what you have 'achieved'. Many a brand could have replaced any of those 3 examples. I live in Essex, the home of money can't buy style, but people will die trying.
For me, Rolex and it's like represent the material aspiration that modern society in industrially developed nations use as markers for success.
Iron Heart for me is artisan. It's values appear to be based in ethical and sustainable production and responsible consumerism. If I am wrong, then H and G are even better marketers than I already thought.
The risk for producers of quality artisan products is that they become a victim of their own success. With upscaling always almost without fail comes compromise..loss of quality, outsourcing production, cheaper materials…
I can't see (and desperately hope) that IH never has to make that decision.
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As an owner of both IH and Rolex I offer my own reflection. The two, to me, are not alike but how they leave me feeling when I wear them is. I avoid intellectualising the issue as when I do I often loose touch with how I feel and for me it's all about the feeling I have when wearing IH & Rolex.
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Rolex strike me as being similar to Iron Heart in that they're well engineered, well made, and pretty tough. Furthermore, both companies aren't at the cutting edge of design, in that a modern Rolex will generally look pretty similar to what they produced in the fifties or sixties, and a lot of Iron Heart gear could have been produced anytime in since then.
The differences are that Rolex are the biggest Swiss watch manufacturer in the world, and they spend a massive amount on marketing their brand identity, along with playing supply chain games to maintain an image of exclusivity. (Go into a boutique and ask about delivery times for a Daytona, Sky-Dweller, or GMT in steel, and you've got a good chance of being told you can't order one.)
Iron Heart is a relatively small company. I think marketing is mostly word of mouth, and production is limited by the mills and factories they use.
I think that a closer comparison might be someone like Habring2, an Austrian microbrand set up by Richard Habring, who developed IWC's Doppelchronograph, an affordable split seconds chronograph.
