Having made a point of visiting every Rolex dealer I pass (at least 7, London,Brighton,Guildford,tunbridge Wells etc..) I have not found one that has any sports stainless models in stock.......and although you meet some with the smug, “the waiting list is years” line, are they actually selling many watches? In most other businesses no stock/no sales would mean financial ruin.......?

 

They are selling to their friend the gray market and pocketing the profits of people snapping stuff up for 2k or higher just cause they are in demand.
And all the resellers are buying to do the same.

 

The nonsense Rolex is pulling with their stainless steel models is absolutely absurd. I had aspirations of picking up a 114060 at some point this or next year but the smug attitude I get every time I walk into a boutique has just killed the brand for me.

 

Wait - so you can't just walk into a boutique and walk out with a steel Submariner? I thought this waitlist thing only applied to the Daytonas...

 

Apparently not in the UK. I can think of 3 reasons for this actually.

Only one involves Rolex constraining supply.

The other 2 make a wonkey sense involving arbitrage of wholesale into the UK due to the pound being devalued.

 

I like the watches but have a growing dislike for the smarmy dealers, Omega has a much better approach to customer service and I enjoy my visits to the omega boutique to spend my hard earned. At some point the high street branches must become unprofitable? Or do people just ignore the rrp and wait times and accept the gray market price as the true rrp? Either way not the sort of customer experience I would expect when buying a luxury item.

 

That’s right, all stainless sports models!!!! Although Bond Street kindly informed me if I bought the diamond encrusted playtona in the window I could have the “pick” of the stainless sports models in the safe!!!!! (I declined !!!)

 

Same in SEasia and New Zealand lately. Not a Sub or Any sports watch in sight.
Was in the Philippines July last year nothing but dress unknown when any sports watches
Was in New Zealand in first two weeks of December and they said lucky to get 1 or 2 subs in February.

Bet there is plenty after this years price rise

Well they do take a year to make.

 

Same in LA. Nothing to be had here. I was told it was due to a cap on last years' production being hit early. Could also be a major movement change coming.

 

Stopped by a few Rolex dealers in New Jersey in the last two weeks, and they are fairly cleaned out of the sports models too. One told me she suspects a price increase very soon from Rolex, as demand is clearly sky high, so the market could bear it.

 

Try Nymans in Stockholm

 

oof...

 

I’ll check again next time I go but last time I was there there was stock at sommerset in Detroit.

 

I will have a look in Italy again but last year you could walk out easily with a sport model in SS.

 

i wonder how the story would change if a buyer had $8k-10k cash in hand, when they went in to inquire.

 

I just don't get the stories though. I have never had an issue at a Rolex Store, with the one on 5th avenue NYC taking a lead on incredible customer support and care, even without charging me for small repairs (like a bezel change or bracelet adjustment or a watch verification). It was so good that actually opted to get a couple of watches at the store rather than seek discounted pricing elsewhere because I simply wanted my wife to have the full experience. And they gave us the watches with bottles of Champagne and other goodies. And no, These where not diamond studded 30.G watches. Just datejusts.

The Omega Store in NYC also high marks on excellent support and service. But even in other cities like Chicago, Toronto, or in Michigan I always have had excellent service. And those members that know me can attest I do not dress or look like an executive with an Amex black. I am very plain and my wife is African American. (Which, if you read the forum feedback should be another reason for bad service)

So, On my end, I Don't get all this bohaha . Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

It wouldn't make one iota of difference. Don't you think hundreds of people will have tried that before you?

I got on my AD's list 2 days after it was first shown at Baselworld and was 14th in line. I was told they were getting 3-4 per year and they couldn't specify which colour. In nearly 2 years they have had 3 black and 1 white. My inital expected wait time was about 3ish years, going on current delivery performance it'll be 7 plus years, but I'm not holding my breath that I'll ever see one.

 

Not Bohaha just very very limited stock at the moment, nothing to do with cash in hand or dress, quite simply, no stock in the windows and the very limited stock in safes is used to help the sale of harder to shift pieces.....

 

I was referring more to the general commentary often repeated on other forums of Rolex staff being rude and snooty compared to Omega etc etc.

It seems the stock issue is real based on all the responses, obviously beyond the scope of a store attendant.

All I can say is my experience does not reflect that.

I actually offered buying a pair of watches to get a Daytona and the answer was “ the Daytona is distributed on a wait list basis. And I was gobig to get a Sea Dweller and a Yatchclub in addition to the Daytona.

They had the Daytona on hand, but would not break the list.

Have I just found the “honest” exception? I don’t know. It is what it is.

 

Stock for sports models in the US were whipped out by Asian buyers prior to Christmas. In response, Rolex stopped shipment to reevaluate global distribution of their "hot" models (GMT, Daytona, Hulk, Explorer, Sky Dweller.)

This inherent pause in supply has caused prices to spike in the short-term. Two local ADs where I live, had zero inventory of the aforementioned models from November up to last week. I did finally see a Black GMT last week in one AD, the sales rep. mentioned that this was their first GMT allotment in 5 months.

Lastly, I was told that Rolex started shipping again last week, so we shall see how fast the supply starts trickling in.