Ain't that the truth. It's funny how the timeline for steel models was drastically shortened after my wife got her Datejust...

 

I know people who put deposits down with Omega and didn't get something. It def feels more secure when they've taken my money for a deposit.

But let's be real, they just don't have Rolex scarcity/demand. AP, Patek, Rolex... they can do it. Ask for a $200,000 grand complication and get laughed out of the store...

Omega "treating customers better" because they don't have that type of supply/demand disparity. Good on them.

 

It depends how you look at it and I doubt that I am going to get one person who has put down a deposit for a watch that they have never seen to give me a honest answer.

I remember doing something similar when I ordered an expensive bike from America and I ended up waiting months for it to arrive. The company kept putting back the delivery date and after 6 months I told the UK importer that I wanted to cancel my order. Then a week later I got a phone call from the shop telling me that it had arrived.

Some of these policies suck and I'm glad that the OB's are not taking deposits in the UK.

If I put down a deposit on this watch, I want my OB to reserve and hold one for me, but that doesn't sound like what is happening here.

 

lol what? There's no grand conspiracy here and there's literally no incentive for anyone to give you a "dishonest" answer. Yes I put money down for a watch unseen, and Omega has my money for all of 3 weeks before I see the details and make a choice on whether to keep or cancel the deposit. I guess I could've earned like 0.1% interest on that deposit over 3 weeks and have enough to buy a soda or something instead but whatever it's not a big deal. You do whatever you want it's your money, others will do whatever they want, nobody's trying to deceive you...

 

Sorry maybe it is me being English.

But it would seem so weird handing over a large deposit for something that I have never seen and have no interest over.

That's what I thought deposits were for.

Kudos to the Omega UK for not requiring deposits, and I wonder if they will let us buy more than one.

 

If you have no interest in this piece, of course it makes no sense to put a deposit down. But for those that have an interest it makes complete sense.

 

Yes, that is the logic of you want something and are willing to wait for your number to be call there is no issue. That is my opinion money now or later you can see this as a sunk cost to get the asset you want. Can't wait, 2 more weeks and will decide if the piece is for me.

 

I do have interest, and I'm also on the waiting list without having to put down a deposit.

When you put down a deposit on something it should show that you have some form of interest and give you entitlement over what you secure it on. That's the point I am trying to make here.

i.e. They are effectively taking your money for something with no guarantee.

Again, maybe it's just me. But if they want to sell something then they need to do something for their money and not sit back on peoples deposits.

The last time I went to the OB in London they were treating the customers to an after party with free glasses of Champagne.

 

Consider yourself lucky for living in the UK then. If you were in the US, you would certainly have to put a deposit down. You would be required to put $5-7k for a watch no one has seen in order to secure your spot to receive an allocation.

Of course, you could choose not to but you would have to wait until all the depositors received their watches first.

Finally, I believe the people here who have put a deposit down are interested in the watch, myself included. I put down $7k back in June and am guaranteed a piece. I was in one of the first groups my OB contacted for deposits.

 

Omega corporate are likely using the deposits as indications of interest, to help with allocations and final pricing guidance within their range.

Given credit card settlement standards, I wouldn't view this as giving a free short-term loan. Even, if they end up taking deposits on 7k units and put that entirely into short term rates products, the interest on that would be in the low tens of thousands. Highly doubt they're even close to 7k deposits at this point.

 

Another UK person here, I called my regional OB yesterday and put my name on the list and the SA alluded to there being around 70+ people ahead of me on the list. A call to another OB seemed to say that their list was a bit smaller. No deposit needed but likewise no guarantee of getting a watch from either. I was surprised that there was such interest in a watch that people have yet to see! Having said that, not having to put down a big deposit probably just results in more tyre kickers and 'maybes' going on the lists and actual buyers in the end are much smaller in number.

 

That's my take on it too.

How many of those on the list are actually going to purchase the watch? But you never know and there is no guarantee on anything even if you were to hand over a hefty deposit.

Where you are on the list is practically meaningless and they could tell end up telling you anything.

It's going to be interesting how they work it out.

 

The deposit levels the playing field a bit with regards to preferred customers/purchase history. The question is how long you'll have to wait until delivery, and not if you'll get a watch.

On the other hand, the wait-list seems much more preferred custy friendly. Does being #1 with no purchase history really mean anything if #70 gets an allocation and you don't?

 

We'll have a good idea of the implied demand after official pricing is released.

I'm guessing they're working between $7k - $9k USD, will be interesting to see which end of the range it prices.

 

Kind of silly that folks are bashing those who put a deposit down. If some are ok and do it, then who cares. It isn’t going to change the price of the watch for those who didn’t.

 

Lets see what happens.

Like I said before. "I'm not going to purchase one on hype and it is going to have to merit the price".

 

I know, it’s their money and their choice.

 

It just feels so Rolexy to be on a list.

 

Agree. To some people, paying more than $50 for ANY watch is a waste of money. To some people, $5k is spare change they find in their sofa cushions. To make a judgment about what people do with their own money says more about the one making the judgment than the one spending the money.