Rolex Waiting List

rjdemarco

Same here, tired of ADs and their BS, so I purchased a used Explorer through SwissWatchExpo and had a great experience. I’m an Omega fan at heart and feel they have some amazing watches. But many will never see them as being as good as Rolex, even if the movement is better! Rolex is one amazing marketing machine. The company could be a Harvard Business Case in marketing and supply and demand. Aside from marketing, I do think Rolex gets watch proportions better than Omega. As for Omega’s I love my PO 8500 Ti and my SMP 300 (2500D).

Martin_J_N

Never had to wait more than 3 weeks for any of the Rolex watches I have bought from my AD, the longest wait was for the new Submariner which came in after 12 days but I couldn't collect it for a further week as I was away on holiday.

As for Rolex being a better fit that I am not sure of, my Speedmaster moonwatch is extremely comfortable on my wrist, and has been on my wrist for a few holidays without any issues at all. I think that fit is very much a personal thing and comes down to shape and size of a person's wrist and how a person wears their watches.

Movements, well that is a very debatable point, my Rolex watches keep better time than my Omega's and having a display caseback on a watch where 90% of the movement is hidden seems a pointless exercise, now a Speedmaster with a nicely polished movement is a joy to view. Overall a display back isn't important when making a watch choice.

But I do like Omega, I like the variety of watches in the range and the fact that Omega watches can go under the radar whereas a Rolex is seen as a statement. Both brands can live happily together and the watches can sit side by side in any watchbox.

UCZ_15

You're one of the few, not the many... you know that, right? Your situation and circumstances have intertwined with fate and given you a relationship with an AD for whatever reason it came about. Can't apply your AD relationship and Rolex wait time turnaround to everyone else. By all means though - congratulations for having secured that. Lots of people chase that for a long time - and some (like myself) never get it.

Martin_J_N

You do know that you can get a Planet Ocean in 39mm don't you? It comes in blue or black and either on a strap or a bracelet, competitively priced as well although at over £5k it is still very much a luxury purchase.

texasmade

The 2500 series 42mm PO was the best in terms of size and thickness. The 8500 and 8800/8900 are all too thick for me.

Martin_J_N

Don't you just love threads on OF, the way that the topic is ignored and we go off piste and discuss all kinds of watch related (and sometimes non watch related) subjects, this time it is the case diameter of the Seamaster and the thickness of a Planet Ocean, just how bizarre is that when the OP created the thread to comment on Rolex waiting lists.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

😁

texasmade

No point in talking about the waitlist since most people can't even get on one now for any popular references.

texasmade

Well too late for me now since I've gone down the Snoopy path. The day I put down my deposit for the Snoopy I was originally planning on going to the Rolex boutique (they're located in the same mall) but there was a private event going on. Instead I went to Omega and decided for the Snoopy.

Stripey

I don't doubt it for a minute. Unfortunately for them, central London is dead, those tourists are now gone, and, at what I suspect is the same watch store, half the staff at their London branches are on furlough at any given time, and so presumably about to be sacked in October. Then it will be them walking into a certain watch store and asking "what do I have to do to get a job". And although it's tempting, given the attitude quite a few display, I can't quite bring myself to feel anything other than sad about that.

J JLCer

Hello everyone. I’m new to the world of fine watches, and this is my first post anywhere, so go easy on me.
My conclusion is that it will be better for my emotional and financial state to hold my nose, go on eBay or the grey market, and pay the 20% or more, over retail, and buy the new Rolex that I am in love with. Today. Hear me out.

I found out the state of affairs the usual way. I call an AD. Do you have the watch that I want? No? Any idea when you might get one? No? Can I get my name on the wait list? There is no wait list? This simply can’t be.....but yet it is.
First, the financial aspect. I am generally a tightwad, and it infuriates me to see the retail price on the Rolex website, and then look on auction sites, forums, or the grey market, and see prices substantially higher to actually get my hands on one. But my choices are limited. If I want to buy one at an AD, and not pay over retail, the only real option is to establish a relationship with them. But this is a false economy, and let’s call it what it is. “Establishing a relationship” generally means that you will buy a number of luxury watches that you don’t want as much as the Rolex, at full retail price, over the course of years, for the possibility that they may eventually get the watch that you want most. This will likely cost tens of thousands of dollars. Yes, we all have plenty of watches that we want to buy anyway, but you will generally not get the best price all the time at one AD.
Of course the ADs are on board with this arrangement. They can reap years of business while promising nothing in return.
So in plain dollars and cents, I don’t think the “relationship” with the AD is a money saving proposition.

In terms of emotional cost, what is it worth to spend years scouring the internet and going to dealers (authorized and not) in hope of coming across that one watch at RP. I’m all for delayed gratification, and maybe eventually things will turn around and supply will meet or exceed demand. But how long do I really want to torture myself.

Anyway that’s how I see it. The hard truth is that market value for many Rolexes is above RP. This doesn’t happen much in any marketplace, which is why it rubs us the wrong way. But if you want to have that one watch now, it may be best to just buy it at the price that the market demands, and I doubt you will regret it.

Thanks for reading, and like I say, I’m new, so if you veterans can enlighten me on anything, I’d appreciate it.

J JLCer

I found out the state of affairs the usual way. I call an AD. Do you have the watch that I want? No? Any idea when you might get one? No? Can I get my name on the wait list? There is no wait list? This simply can’t be.....but yet it is.