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Went to a Local Rolex Dealer today….

S
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Larry S Larry S
To drop off my GMT Master II purchased in 2013 for service….While I was waiting for the paperwork to process i perused the mostly empty display cases and the few “display only” pieces…Sub, Explorer, Sky Dweller, President and a few others. I felt somewhat sorry for the Rolex salesman….At the service counter the staff and I were joking about the days when one could actually go into a dealer and walk out with a watch… Rolex is a flagship brand for this dealer and to see such a large showroom empty of watches, just Bizarre. (As were the armed guards in body armor who let my very casually dressed self in) Lost my dammed warranty card in the process, I don't know what possessed me to take it out of the box. Still have my sales receipt and Its a keeper anyway but still Grrrrrrrrr no more full set.

Rolex produces and sells c. 1M watches a year, so I don't feel that sorry for the sales people... They still sell them, but they now do it even before the watch arrives at the store
 
Evose
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Larry S Larry S
Its just bizarre. Flies against the idea of actually having inventory of a product so that actual customers can buy…Generally when one has no inventory, one cuts advertising.
See a parallel with dealerships. All inventory is pre sold and everything else is allocations. They still need leads for when the well inevitably dries up, and it will. I don’t think the Rolex model is sustainable. But then again, people like chasing carrots so it might remain the elusive brand with slightly better inventory levels in the future.
 
mydeafcat
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As discussed here regarding similar ADs and boutiques, there’s an rumored expectation at our local Rolex and Tudor boutiques that one needs to kiss (purchase) a bunch of frogs (blingy dreck) before gaining entrance to the ‘club’, and be added to the ‘guest list’ for whatever unobtainable watch one really wants. Just visit the local FB marketplace and CL - there are plenty of pieces needing to be offloaded.

Sounds kinda like prostitution. And folks are keen to submit.
 
Evose
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mydeafcat mydeafcat
As discussed here regarding similar ADs and boutiques, there’s an rumored expectation at our local Rolex and Tudor boutiques that one needs to kiss (purchase) a bunch of frogs (blingy dreck) before gaining entrance to the ‘club’, and be added to the ‘guest list’ for whatever unobtainable watch one really wants. Just visit the local FB marketplace and CL - there are plenty of pieces needing to be offloaded.

Sounds kinda like prostitution. And folks are keen to submit.

I’m surprised Tudor is mentioned. Their only desirable models seem to be new releases - BB58, Pelagos 39. Imagine buying 2-3k in diamonds to purchase a 4k timepiece, lol.
 
mydeafcat
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Evose Evose
I’m surprised Tudor is mentioned. Their only desirable models seem to be new releases - BB58, Pelagos 39. Imagine buying 2-3k in diamonds to purchase a 4k timepiece, lol.
Here, they are across the street from each other and share ownership.
Edited:
 
SPO
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Larry S Larry S
Its just bizarre. Flies against the idea of actually having inventory of a product so that actual customers can buy…Generally when one has no inventory, one cuts advertising.

They have inventory, it's just that it sells immediately upon arrival to the store.
 
gbesq
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SPO SPO
They have inventory, it's just that it sells immediately upon arrival to the store.
The issue isn’t whether they have inventory. Of course they do. The issues are (a) whether the inventory is going out the back door to grey market dealers before it ever reaches consumers and (b) whether Rolex is intentionally manufacturing fewer watches than necessary to meet demand.
 
Larry S
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gbesq gbesq
The issue isn’t whether they have inventory. Of course they do. The issues are (a) whether the inventory is going out the back door to grey market dealers before it ever reaches consumers and (b) whether Rolex is intentionally manufacturing fewer watches than necessary to meet demand.
From that article about that awful Miami watch broker and his grey market brethren, A and B. Rolex and other’s should institute a policy. Buy now, dealer holds the warranty card on your behalf for two years. Then and only then can you have it.
 
Evose
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Larry S Larry S
From that article about that awful Miami watch broker and his grey market brethren, A and B. Rolex and other’s should institute a policy. Buy now, dealer holds the warranty card on your behalf for two years. Then and only then can you have it.
When I purchased my sub the AD held on to the warranty card for 6 months - seemingly a company policy, or maybe reserved for new clients. Either way, they removed the stickers and sized the bracelet.
 
spacemission
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Rolex has wanted to make its watches uncommon. Also there are a lot of fools that are eager for money. If you systematically buy and sell, your AD or ADs will put you on a blacklist. As a result, you only will be able to go to the second or grey market.

Is there misconduct at ADs? In general, no.
 
Larry S
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spacemission spacemission
Rolex has wanted to make its watches uncommon. Also there are a lot of fools that are eager for money. If you systematically buy and sell, your AD or ADs will put you on a blacklist. As a result, you only will be able to go to the second or grey market.

Is there misconduct at ADs? In general, no.
The a…holes in that article told the interviewer that they buy their watches from frequent AD buyers….so how is there NOT at least lack of oversight-and at worst complicity at AD’s? Has to be.
 
JwRosenthal
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My wife is a gamer, has been since she was a kid. She has wanted the new PS5 since it came out and it’s the same thing as the Rolex “shortage”. None are to be had at the retail level but if you go online you will find a ton of flippers with deep stock at outrageous prices.
This is our new world economy, a new form of commodity/investment system of buying up all the retail stock of desirable consumer goods and flipping for huge profit. We are seeing the same in the housing market with large corporations buying existing housing stock in large quantities and driving up the market.
It’s a matter of time before this unchecked greed starts affecting necessities of life goods like food and medication…oops, too late.
 
gbesq
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JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
My wife is a gamer, has been since she was a kid. She has wanted the new PS5 since it came out and it’s the same thing as the Rolex “shortage”. None are to be had at the retail level but if you go online you will find a ton of flippers with deep stock at outrageous prices.
This is our new world economy, a new form of commodity/investment system of buying up all the retail stock of desirable consumer goods and flipping for huge profit. We are seeing the same in the housing market with large corporations buying existing housing stock in large quantities and driving up the market.
It’s a matter of time before this unchecked greed starts affecting necessities of life goods like food and medication…oops, too late.
It has been happening in the entertainment industry for years. Have you tried to buy a good seat at a Yankees game, a Broadway show or a concert for a popular performer at the face value of the ticket? Good luck with that.
 
gbesq
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spacemission spacemission
Rolex has wanted to make its watches uncommon.
Rolex watches are never going to be uncommon. They manufacture approximately one million of them every year. Through clever advertising and artificial scarcity, Rolex has done an admirable job of creating an unprecedented demand for factory made, mass produced, mid-tier luxury watches - which, by the way, is exactly what Omega makes too. So, Rolex in demand? Yes. Uncommon? No.
 
Larry S
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gbesq gbesq
It has been happening in the entertainment industry for years. Have you tried to buy a good seat at a Yankees game, a Broadway show or a concert for a popular performer at the face value of the ticket? Good luck with that.
Whiskey too. Just read an expose in the Washington Post on bourbon. It’s been a problem with scotch and Year dated Japanese whiskey longer. In the case of whiskey however, scarcity is real. We are running out of old whiskey.
 
spacemission
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Larry S Larry S
The a…holes in that article told the interviewer that they buy their watches from frequent AD buyers….so how is there NOT at least lack of oversight-and at worst complicity at AD’s? Has to be.

The grey market has become a murky thing. The second hand is just bizarre.
 
spacemission
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gbesq gbesq
Rolex watches are never going to be uncommon. They manufacture approximately one million of them every year. Through clever advertising and artificial scarcity, Rolex has done an admirable job of creating an unprecedented demand for factory made, mass produced, mid-tier luxury watches - which, by the way, is exactly what Omega makes too. So, Rolex in demand? Yes. Uncommon? No.

I think that you misunderstood me.
 
STANDY
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gbesq gbesq
The issue isn’t whether they have inventory. Of course they do. The issues are (a) whether the inventory is going out the back door to grey market dealers before it ever reaches consumers and (b) whether Rolex is intentionally manufacturing fewer watches than necessary to meet demand.

Yep making fewer watches….always been a plan to slow the Subs while they grow Tudor in the US….

Funny how Tudors have not been that hard to get up until the last year or so.
 
MTROIS
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STANDY STANDY
Yep making fewer watches….always been a plan to slow the Subs while they grow Tudor in the US….

Funny how Tudors have not been that hard to get up until the last year or so.
Call me naive, but I just don’t buy the notion that Rolex, and now Tudor, are purposely limiting or restricting their production.
That they are not increasing production, yes. Agree with this one. But in general, people just seem to underestimate the number of new wristwatch consumers that have entered in the arena thanks to online publications such as Hodinkee, Revolution, etc., to social media, and the booming economies in some parts of the world (China comes to mind).
Also, how many people who used to be satisfied with one watch, have now started to collect (hoard!?) several watches?
Demand is just outpacing production levels from manufacturers right now, and this is compounded by second hand dealers who are also hoarding pieces in order to artificially bump up prices.

Patience is a virtue in general, and it certainly will pay off with watches in due time.

Edited PS: and I would be remiss if I would not mention all the OF enablers who compel us to purchase yet another watch based on their stories and other wrist shots on WRUW! 😁
 
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