Has the Rolex bubble finally burst? Perhaps it has

Has the Rolex bubble finally burst? Perhaps it has

Author
Discussion

jgrewal

759 posts

47 months

Tuesday 16th April
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I was told it was a 'Consultation' by Goldsmiths lol

ashleyman

6,987 posts

99 months

Tuesday 16th April
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I went into the Rolex bit at selfridges tonight and just wanted to ask if a DayDate with an Arabic dial would be the same price as a normal DayDate when buying from a Rolex dealer. The woman had a right attitude on her and didn't seem to understand the question. Every watch in the window was ‘exhibition only’, really don’t see the point in having a store these days?!

Alex Z

1,130 posts

76 months

Wednesday 17th April
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u-boat said:
Wheelspinning said:
And why is that OKGO?

Some keyboard warrior types going to keep posting about 'cupping' or some other stuff everyone else skips over?

Thanks for the advice but I think I might just be able to cope with bores that offer nothing.

Maybe if they could inject a different slant and make it into a funny post, that would be entertaining; but as with these types, just like in the real world, it's way beyond their capabilities.
What’s this cupping thing?
Someone was talking about building a relationship with “their AD” by calling in for a cup of tea and a chat regularly.

Unfortunately they referred to this as a “cuppy” and a “blether” and insisted that these were perfectly normal phrases that everyone uses. That resulted in them taking their place alongside hammering frozen sausages into the dealer and dominating the showroom.

bad company

18,601 posts

266 months

Wednesday 17th April
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I bought my gold Day/Date in Harrods 20 odd years ago. It was in Harrods but an independent jeweller. I managed to get a decent discount from the list price.

How times change.

paulguitar

23,454 posts

113 months

Wednesday 17th April
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bad company said:
I bought my gold Day/Date in Harrods 20 odd years ago. It was in Harrods but an independent jeweller. I managed to get a decent discount from the list price.

How times change.
It’s always been possible to get a significant discount on gold Rolexes.

Wheelspinning

1,214 posts

30 months

Wednesday 17th April
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paulguitar said:
bad company said:
I bought my gold Day/Date in Harrods 20 odd years ago. It was in Harrods but an independent jeweller. I managed to get a decent discount from the list price.

How times change.
It’s always been possible to get a significant discount on gold Rolexes.
I agree apart from the last few years anomaly.

To the best of my knowledge, discount on brand new is currently still not possible at any AD, but it is possible for unworn watches at grey dealers to be available under rrp that may have been purchased by individuals who thought every allocation was a willy wonka ticket, only to find out that's not always the case.



MrJuice

3,366 posts

156 months

Wednesday 17th April
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And those engaging in VAT fraud

Now that the dealer name has been taken off the back of guarantee cards, it's probably impossible for most people to know the country of sale of a watch

Which helps the fraudsters cover the tracks much better

GeneralBanter

753 posts

15 months

Wednesday 17th April
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Just had a look at this thread again and the discussion on how to persuade a sales executive to accept grovelling and 10,000-odd spondulics to get something he should be putting effort into selling if it wasn’t for the manufacturer telling everyone the supply is low…. then saw this on my news feed. So it may become easier:

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/new...

FreeLitres

6,049 posts

177 months

Sunday 21st April
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I popped into the Rolex boutique in the Leicester Goldsmiths yesterday and the assistant said there were several models available to purchase! The most mainstream model available to buy was the two tone Datejust 41mm on an oyster bracelet. There were several two tone variations on the lady Datejust, a white gold Oysterflex Yachtmaster and a full yellow gold Sky-dweller.

No steel sports models, but could this sudden availability be a sign that orders are drying up and supplies are easing?

paulguitar

23,454 posts

113 months

Sunday 21st April
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FreeLitres said:
I popped into the Rolex boutique in the Leicester Goldsmiths yesterday and the assistant said there were several models available to purchase! The most mainstream model available to buy was the two tone Datejust 41mm on an oyster bracelet. There were several two tone variations on the lady Datejust, a white gold Oysterflex Yachtmaster and a full yellow gold Sky-dweller.

No steel sports models, but could this sudden availability be a sign that orders are drying up and supplies are easing?
Not sure two-tone availability means much. Will be interesting to see if some steel watches become available.

GeneralBanter

753 posts

15 months

Sunday 21st April
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FreeLitres said:
I popped into the Rolex boutique in the Leicester Goldsmiths yesterday and the assistant said there were several models available to purchase! The most mainstream model available to buy was the two tone Datejust 41mm on an oyster bracelet. There were several two tone variations on the lady Datejust, a white gold Oysterflex Yachtmaster and a full yellow gold Sky-dweller.

No steel sports models, but could this sudden availability be a sign that orders are drying up and supplies are easing?
See the link in my post before yours.

Bob_Defly

3,684 posts

231 months

Monday 22nd April
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FreeLitres said:
The most mainstream model available to buy was the two tone Datejust 41mm on an oyster bracelet.
Serious question. Does anyone under 60 actually like the bi-metal Datejust? It seems like the most 'old man' watch that Rolex makes.

Saweep

6,599 posts

186 months

Monday 22nd April
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paulguitar said:
FreeLitres said:
I popped into the Rolex boutique in the Leicester Goldsmiths yesterday and the assistant said there were several models available to purchase! The most mainstream model available to buy was the two tone Datejust 41mm on an oyster bracelet. There were several two tone variations on the lady Datejust, a white gold Oysterflex Yachtmaster and a full yellow gold Sky-dweller.

No steel sports models, but could this sudden availability be a sign that orders are drying up and supplies are easing?
Not sure two-tone availability means much. Will be interesting to see if some steel watches become available.
18 months ago you couldn't even get them I believe.

I keep getting offered precious metals by my dealer but I'm so angry with their behaviour during the bubble, I don't want to buy off them even though they have some things I'd like. It's petty I know, but they're just not nice people.

Longy00000

1,350 posts

40 months

Monday 22nd April
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Couldn't agree more. Dealers have burnt a lot of bridges which is fine if they can find replacement customers but I'm.not sure they can.

jules_s

4,287 posts

233 months

Monday 22nd April
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Longy00000 said:
Couldn't agree more. Dealers have burnt a lot of bridges which is fine if they can find replacement customers but I'm.not sure they can.
You'd be amazed how quickly customers are pushed to one side in my AD when certain Chinese students walk in.

That's being factual not xenophobic.

CharlesdeGaulle

26,276 posts

180 months

Monday 22nd April
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jules_s said:
You'd be amazed how quickly customers are pushed to one side in my AD when certain Chinese students walk in.

That's being factual not xenophobic.
I hadn't realised that Wheelspinning was Chinese. hehe

GeneralBanter

753 posts

15 months

Monday 22nd April
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Saweep said:
18 months ago you couldn't even get them I believe.

I keep getting offered precious metals by my dealer but I'm so angry with their behaviour during the bubble, I don't want to buy off them even though they have some things I'd like. It's petty I know, but they're just not nice people.
Do you wander in regularly to buy?

The AD Sales Executive must see you lot coming, like lambs to the slaughter. And sucking up to him as well just in case there’s a new model he can empty your wallet for.

As an outsider it’s pretty awful to comprehend what it must be like having such an addiction to being fleeced!


jdw100

4,123 posts

164 months

Tuesday 23rd April
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Stupot123 said:
Wheelspinning said:
They already have been and names cannot be added yet.

The demand for any of the new watches will still be very high; even the OP celebration last year which was unloved was still trading at 500% x list when they started arriving.

The bubble is reducing, but far from burst unfortunately.
Genuinely curious which ones?

The steel GMT is ok but average at best, and just screams not good enough to get allocated a BLNR or a BLRO.

The rest are all very niche precious metal variants, which would have fairly limited appeal even in the good times, but now gold depreciation is back with a vengeance I would have thought would be window watches.

Or am I missing something obvious?
If i was in the market for a new Rolex GMT then it would be the steel black/grey bezel version.

I have the black bezel currently. Walked in to a Dealer and bought it back in 2014.

I find the other versions too showy, the black/blue looks a bit toy like for me.

Black version is subtle and can be worn with a suit or beach (on rubber strap). No one notices it.

GMT is not a great watch: very flat on the wrist, unfinished between the lugs, hard to read when multiple hands are near the cyclops and I find the crown quite fiddly.

I have a 2001 (?) Seamaster GMT that is a much ‘better’ watch.

If I was in the market though - would have to be the new black/grey.

RSTurboPaul

10,391 posts

258 months

Tuesday 23rd April
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Stupot123 said:
Wheelspinning said:
They already have been and names cannot be added yet.

The demand for any of the new watches will still be very high; even the OP celebration last year which was unloved was still trading at 500% x list when they started arriving.

The bubble is reducing, but far from burst unfortunately.
Genuinely curious which ones?

The steel GMT is ok but average at best, and just screams not good enough to get allocated a BLNR or a BLRO.

The rest are all very niche precious metal variants, which would have fairly limited appeal even in the good times, but now gold depreciation is back with a vengeance I would have thought would be window watches.

Or am I missing something obvious?
Sorry, I missed this earlier - please can you expand on the bold part?

Harry Flashman

19,366 posts

242 months

Tuesday 23rd April
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Gold is actually on the way up as equities flounder! But in any case precious metal index prices seem to have little to do with the cost of Rolexes. They viciously charge for anything that has gold in it, compared to the weight if the metal actually in the watches.