I will never understand the Rolex craze. Omega, IWC & others offer watches that are every bit as good if not better. Omega's latest offerings with their METAS approved Co-Axial movements, ceramic dials & bezels are mountains better than what Rolex offers, not to mention they are readily available at ADs and at a significant discount (excluding LEs). The SS Rolex sport models are $4k watches at best. But because of supply the MSRP is more than double. Whatever.
It's called marketing and creating an artificial demand through scarcity, which in the short terms makes your brand more desirable, but usually costs a company in the long term.
It also doesn't help that some Rolex ADs pick and choose who gets a watch, rather than selling it to the next person on the list. This is called exclusion marketing, ie: "you're not worthy". That's a great way to piss off a lot of people.
Also people tend to develop a "mania" for things. It's little different than the craze for fidget spinners a few years ago, or the "must have christmas toy this year". Only maybe because it's a higher-ticket item, it lasts longer. It's somewhat similar to the Tulip Mania in the 1600s (I know a lot of Rolex aficionados fight tooth and nail against that comparison, but all bubbles, like economies, eventually implode and reset).
This too shall pass.
As HK is seeing watch sales decline over the past months, due originally to the social/political unrest, and now the Coronavirus, there may indeed be more Rolex available on the market in the West. However, to be honest, the people I see locally going into the Rolex ADs are tourists, not locals. I personally only know 1 person who wears a Rolex, and he bought it in 1967. Those that I have seen wearing a Rolex are foreigners.
Personally, I'm more partial to Omega.
