Starting to lose my resolve

Starting to lose my resolve

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Discussion

Ed T

Original Poster:

462 posts

138 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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I just want to walk into a bl***y shop this weekend, handover £7k and walk out with a bog standard no date sub 124060…..

It will be on my wrist to the end of time….I’ve saved up the £7k, I’m ready!! Endless polite email threads for over a year (to very nice people on the other side) and phone calls for a very long time and nothing!!! No glimmer of hope…really starting to annoy me (no other watch I don’t currently own takes my interest so can’t even walk away and do business elsewhere)

Deep

2,061 posts

242 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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Ed T said:
I just want to walk into a bl***y shop this weekend, handover £7k and walk out with a bog standard no date sub 124060…..

It will be on my wrist to the end of time….I’ve saved up the £7k, I’m ready!! Endless polite email threads for over a year (to very nice people on the other side) and phone calls for a very long time and nothing!!! No glimmer of hope…really starting to annoy me (no other watch I don’t currently own takes my interest so can’t even walk away and do business elsewhere)
Just out of curiosity...what does the AD say when you speak to them? Do they give you any sort of time scale at all?
I'm very well aware of the whole Rolex game but just wondered what they say to a genuine single item customer who has been waiting a year.

Cheers

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

460 posts

77 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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Problem is, there are 1000's of people just like you who only want a Rolex. I'm affraid you'll just have to wait or look beyond the crown. 7k buys you alot of very nice watch elsewhere!

Mattt

16,661 posts

217 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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Have a word with someone like Dom Hackett.

Jamescrs

4,445 posts

64 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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I dare say that to have any hope of getting it you are going to have to go to someone like Watchfinder & Co or Chrono 24 and pay the grey market prices.

I do find the current Rolex buying process and market quite sad in that people who want to buy one piece as their "forever watch" simply can't do it anymore and I do get why the AD's are working the way they are from a business point of view but it does put me off the brand personally.

May be if you look for a smaller independant dealer you may have half a chance....maybe, but the big ones such as Watches of Switzerland won't entertain you sadly.

abzmike

8,241 posts

105 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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All seems a bit of a palaver for a watch from a company that makes getting on for a million of them a year.

Jamescrs

4,445 posts

64 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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abzmike said:
All seems a bit of a palaver for a watch from a company that makes getting on for a million of them a year.
I completely agree but demand far outstrips supply and add in the fact that people now buy them as an investment rather than something to wear and enjoy and you have the Rolex market.

Easternlight

3,424 posts

143 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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Pistonheader first world problems smile

Black AMG45s

728 posts

158 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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I was told upto 18 months for the new Explorer II ( Polar) ,I just put my name down last month and wait I am not willing to pay over the odds

simong800

2,273 posts

106 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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My solution to this was just bin Rolex off....There are plenty of other nice watches out there.

I do love my GMT, but having owned several Rolex, an Aquanaut, a couple of Royal Oaks, an Omega and recently a Hublot the conclusion I came too is there’s far more to the watch game than just Rolex.

The games and ADs totally put me off the brand to be honest. It has to be the only “luxury good” in the world where the most important thing to most buyers is how much they can flip it for/is it a good Investment.

I’m supposedly on the VIP list for a Rolex AD who to be fair got me a Nautilus I turned down and got me an Aquanaut, and when even they said don’t even bother when I asked about a Hulk and Daytona I knew that was that really.

People forget that part of buying a luxury item is the buying experience and how you feel as a customer. The idea of traipsing around different dealers begging them to sell me a watch doesn’t sit right.

Get down to Watches of Switzerland and try some Cartier, Girard Perregaux, Hublot, JLC etc and you will be pleasantly surprised. It’s amazing being able to turn up, try on and buy without having to beg anyone to allow you to spend your money with them

Prisoner 24601

532 posts

47 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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All very good points. It’s bloody ridiculous isn’t it. It makes you want no part of it.

Trophy Husband

3,924 posts

106 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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Rolex? It really is a joke.
They could pump them out if they wanted to.
It really is a con I'll never buy into however much cash I have.
There are far better watches out there in terms of quality of product.
Buying a Rolex is the equivalent of being mugged. IMHO.

Deep

2,061 posts

242 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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Trophy Husband said:
Rolex? It really is a joke.
They could pump them out if they wanted to.
It really is a con I'll never buy into however much cash I have.
There are far better watches out there in terms of quality of product.
Buying a Rolex is the equivalent of being mugged. IMHO.
The last line is only true if the mugger gives you more money than he takes from you.
After all, that's what's happens when you buy a professional model at rrp

Wills2

22,660 posts

174 months

Saturday 29th May 2021
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I don't get the angst around Rolex, if you can't get one from an AD then simply buy one from a grey, yes you will initially lose their premium but if the market was operating normally you'd lose money as you walk out of the AD as well.

Back in 2004 I bought a GMT unworn/brand new from a private sale for £1850 the retail was £2350 a watch dealer would have offered £1500 that's a normal market....

If the OP wants his new no date Sub then buy one grey for around 10-11k, it'll be worth 9k to a private sale and a dealer will offer at least 7.5-8k which is pretty much the same as when the market was "normal"














Tony1963

4,699 posts

161 months

Sunday 30th May 2021
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
If the issue was only in the U.K., that tactic might work. But, it’s a global issue and even if nobody here played the game, the UK’s allocation would be swallowed in a week by the rest of the world.

Edited by Tony1963 on Monday 31st May 08:52

LC23

1,285 posts

224 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2021
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I was in a similar position to you Feb last year. I just wanted a new Sub ND. I'm afraid a similar story. Chose a smaller independent and went and had chat. Kept in touch and popped back to see how things were progressing. Even agreed to purchase a Tudor and "lesser" Rolex that I also wanted as well as the Sub. That was December and I've heard nothing since. They clearly just don't want to sell to me which is fair enough. Up to them. I'd rather they just said that however. I've now gone to my local (since moving) Rolex independent to ask for an OP 36mm. Not one of the fashionable colours either. So let's see if I'll even manage to get hold of that.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2021
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anonymous said:
[redacted]
Exactly.

The problem only exists because people are willing to go along with all the nonsense in the first place.

It’s a watch.

Do people really want to be jumping through dealership hoops and paying over the retail price etc just to be able to buy one?




devnull

3,745 posts

156 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2021
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It’s annoying.

One goldsmiths store, appeared happy
To assist and took my details and filled them into their “database” there and then. Not a word off them in 4 years.

Another goldsmiths got me a retail price sub date in 3 days after a polite conversation.

Ed T

Original Poster:

462 posts

138 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2021
quotequote all
devnull said:
It’s annoying.

One goldsmiths store, appeared happy
To assist and took my details and filled them into their “database” there and then. Not a word off them in 4 years.

Another goldsmiths got me a retail price sub date in 3 days after a polite conversation.
That is incredibly annoying - great that you got one but the effort to run around being super polite and grateful. I’m having one more attempt and this time I genuinely want to buy my wife jewellery for her birthday so let’s see if that makes a difference. I then may give up.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 2nd June 2021
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Ed T said:
That is incredibly annoying - great that you got one but the effort to run around being super polite and grateful. I’m having one more attempt and this time I genuinely want to buy my wife jewellery for her birthday so let’s see if that makes a difference. I then may give up.
This shop has done nothing to help you out in a year and you’re now going to buy jewellery from them in the hope that they’ll think you’re worthy enough to sell you a watch?