I, like everybody else, want to buy a new plain jane submariner from an AD. I have tried unsuccessfully to do this in the states for the past year.

I am now in Switzerland for the next 6 weeks (30 min outside of Zurich). Do I have a chance to get one here? Where?

 

My guess is that you have a snowballs chance in hell, or to be more precise, a snowballs chance in Switzerland!

 

From my understanding of the situation, just buy a fancy diamond-encrusted 18k gold Rolex for your partner and a Submariner will magically appear from behind a curtain for you.

Seriously though, good luck with your endeavour .

 

You'll have to go grey and pay the market adjusted price.

 

You will get lots of used or grey examples but you will pay for the privilege, In my experience CH is not a good place for bargain prices (on anything). They do however have some lovely shops

 

I am only interested in buying a new watch from an AD. Not used or gray. The price is fixed this way.

I was told you had a better chance to do this in Switzerland but apparently not.

Sad. I suppose I'll never buy one of these, and I kind of don't want to now. I don't even find them that attractive, but I want a "Rolex" I can keep for the rest of my life and hand on when I die. This is what I have done with my speedmaster.

 

you will get a Rolex- you just wont get a Steel sub (or GMT or SeaDweller) - you might get a steel yachtmaster, and you will certainly get a datejust/airking maybe a milgauss

demand is very high for Rolex steel sports watches and supply is limited. A topic that has been discussed here and many many other places infinitum.

you should have little issue picking up a lovely Omega - and maybe an LE variety.

 

The only Rolex I find even moderately visually appealing is the submariner or a sea dweller unfortunately (or the daytona but it's not like those are available either). Sad. I would have thought this problem would have been fixed over the past year, but it appears to have gotten significantly worse. Gray prices were around $9800 for a 116610LN a year ago, now they're pushing 12k. That's the cost of a speedmaster over retail.

 

Rolex doesn't look at this situation as one that has to be 'fixed'. A few years ago the Daytona's official price was about $6,000 but none were available because the market valued them much higher, same here. If you want a steel Rolex sports watch you will have to pay market price. Forget the official Rolex price, the market says it is higher. The market always wins.

 

... so you're typing this from the ether ?

 

Yes, I'm actually dead and they are not available in hell either. Can someone check in heaven for me?

I just heard back from the store I inquired in Zurich and they said no stock now or in the forseeable future. It sounds like waitlists don't even exist.

Schade.

 

eBay.

 

Checked ebay.ch. Prices/availability are no better than gray market sites in the US.

 

This makes absolutely no sense. You don't want one, don't like the look of them, but desperately want to spend the rest of your life with one then hand it down?

 

The same reason everyone else does. The name "Rolex."
The submariner is an attractive enough watch, but lets be honest. I would not pay anywhere near that other than for the name. I'd be shocked if anyone else would honestly say otherwise.

 

Even ebay has a shortage of SS Subs? Your honesty is appreciated with regard to your motivation for wanting a Rolex. Most of us would rather not be quite so transparent. I posted a MKII Nassau recently that is a Sub clone and, in my opinion, just as high quality as a Sub. It goes for about 1200 right now. I do own a pair of Submariners I've had for a decade or more, and I like them very much. The look is classic but not too showy (ostentatious, for lexicological WOW). They can be worn with a suit but better with jeans and with a bracelet or on a NATO, which I prefer. The Submariner is the iconic dive watch and one of the most iconic of any watches. You'll find one. Happy hunting.

 

This is a more eloquent explanation of why I want one and mirrors my thoughts exactly. Sigh, I guess I won't give up yet then. I just don't want it to be bittersweet when I finally do buy one as I want it to commemorate the end of my medical training. I bought my speedmaster when I graduated medical school and would like to buy this now that I have finished residency.

 

Visit your local AD every single day until they either get a Submariner for you to buy or file for a restraining order

 

It’s a watch.

By all means celebrate but you should savour your success in its own!