The Watch Appreciation Thread - Part two (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Jaeger LeCoultre,

[Phileas Fogg]

I'm not sure that counts as a qualified purchase anymore. It's more like buy a couple breitlings, some yurman and some other bullshit and we'll add you to the list. Its finally reached a point for me where I'm not willing to play the game anymore. I'm not mad about it, the free market is the free market but the manipulation thing is just getting old.

when you think about it, it makes sense to just buy it on the gray market if you have the means and really want it. By the time you buy all of that other **** that you’ll never wear, you’ll probably end up spending 2–3x as much.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

I'm not sure that counts as a qualified purchase anymore. It's more like buy a couple breitlings, some yurman and some other bullshit and we'll add you to the list. Its finally reached a point for me where I'm not willing to play the game anymore. I'm not mad about it, the free market is the free market but the manipulation thing is just getting old.

Agree with this. I get that cell phones and smartwatches probably pose a serious threat -- maybe even an existential threat -- to luxury swiss watchmakers, Rolex et al managed to survived the advent of the Quartz watch, but it wasn't easy. A lot of the smaller mechanical brands went out of business or had to "consolidate." Will the watchmakers survive the advent of the smartphone and the smartwatch? Who knows. Maybe yes, maybe no. But these things are most likely a major threat.

So I can understand fake scarcity as a response to a change in competitive conditions. It's not a bad strategy. But... it's so FAKE. Personally, I like things that are true and shun things that are false. And this is false. I get it, times are tough -- but come ON.

 

[Dino944]

I went to my local Rolex AD this morning and got the answer I expected: "Everybody's chasing the same watches. We get two or three. Those watches go to existing clients. I recommend starting a relationship with an authorized dealer, either us or somebody else. If you don't, you might get the watch in ten years."

Actually, forgot to share one of the other ridiculous things I heard that could move me up the waiting list for new Rolexes. One AD knows I have an 2005 Green Sub/Kermit, and a Patrizzi dial 16520 Daytona. He said if I were willing to sell them to him or trade them toward the new watches I want , I could probably get the new watches I want sooner. Hmmm...sell/trade the watches I already own, that are worth more than the ones I want, to him so he can give me probably a wholesale value for them and make a profit on those too....hmmmm let me think about that for a second...FOH !!! Simply ridiculous....besides I like the watches I already own. I just want to add not trade/sell.

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Oh I know that’s what’s inferred by the phrase, but at its face “start a relationship” means buying something from a dealer, which is what I’m attempting to do! Instead they want to sell me something I don’t want to give me access to buying something I do.
I would be curious to know how successful this strategy is proving. We all know due to the demand that the sought-after Rolexes are going to sell anyway, I wonder if dealers are seeing much success with this ‘collateral buying’ business plan?

such relationships sound as though they’ll be more Ike and Tina than anything else.

 

[dauster]

Haha it seems that people like you and me are actively attempting to follow that exact advice and “start a relationship with an authorized dealer” but for some reason beyond our control we are being confounded in our efforts!

in case you have not noticed "starting a relationship" = buy stuff they have out in the open - basically stuff that nobody wants.

Instead, go to a grey dealer with a good reputation like David SW in Orlando and leave all that nonsense behind you.

 

[Thin White Duke]

in case you have not noticed "starting a relationship" = buy stuff they have out in the open - basically stuff that nobody wants.

Instead, go to a grey dealer with a good reputation like David SW in Orlando and leave all that nonsense behind you.

Yup - when the price is righ that’s what I’ll do.
Got my white face steel bezel Daytona from a grey just as prices started to skyrocket and couldn’t be happier with the watch.

 

[double00]

sounds like folks here more or less know what they want when they walk into a jewelry shop, does nobody poke around the cases? or simply a matter of 'daytona or bust'

 

[Neville Southall]

No waitlist for this puppy.

 

[Dino944]

sounds like folks here more or less know what they want when they walk into a jewelry shop, does nobody poke around the cases? or simply a matter of 'daytona or bust'

Well if you are looking for Rolex watches, there isn't much to see in a showcase these days besides Datejusts, Day-Dates, and maybe an occasional all gold GMT/Sub or two-tone Yachmaster. I've never had much interest in anything other than their sports models (Sub, GMT, Explorer II, Daytona). So I'm more apt to poke around the showcases when looking at watches from other brands.

 

[Texasmade]

Well if you are looking for Rolex watches, there isn't much to see in a showcase these days besides Datejusts, Day-Dates, and maybe an occasional all gold GMT/Sub or two-tone Yachmaster. I've never had much interest in anything other than their sports models (Sub, GMT, Explorer II, Daytona). So I'm more apt to poke around the showcases when looking at watches from other brands.

I've always like the Milgauss and Exp 1 but even those are hard to find now days. I remember when the sports model shortage started, those 2 were readily available. Now, there's nothing in the stores except for women's DJ models.

 

[Dino944]

I've always like the Milgauss and Exp 1 but even those are hard to find now days. I remember when the sports model shortage started, those 2 were readily available. Now, there's nothing in the stores except for women's DJ models.

The Milguass never interested me. I owned an Explorer 1 for about a decade. I love how the Explorer 1 looks in photos and on other people. However, it just never did much for me on my own wrist. I think I wore it about a dozen times in a decade. As much as I liked it on others, it was just never my go to watch. There was always something else in my small collection that I preferred to wear...so I sold it a few years ago.

 

[Thin White Duke]

No waitlist for this puppy.
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Class as ever - I’d like to see one of these in the flesh as your pics make the blue look so much more tasty and vibrant than the kinda flat dull appearance on the website.

Similar (opposite) with the VC Overseas. Finally saw a blue one and was very underwhelmed as in this case the dial was a lot more dull in person than what I’d imagined from online pics.

 

[Neville Southall]

Class as ever - I’d like to see one of these in the flesh as your pics make the blue look so much more tasty and vibrant than the kinda flat dull appearance on the website.

Similar (opposite) with the VC Overseas. Finally saw a blue one and was very underwhelmed as in this case the dial was a lot more dull in person than what I’d imagined from online pics.

Thanks, man. Honestly, the watch is incredibly sharp and looks much better in the flesh.

 

[dauster]

Similar (opposite) with the VC Overseas. Finally saw a blue one and was very underwhelmed as in this case the dial was a lot more dull in person than what I’d imagined from online pics.

same here, really thought the VC Overseas was a good alternative to AP and PP but when I tried it on in person it was meh - not bad but not convincing.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Similar (opposite) with the VC Overseas. Finally saw a blue one and was very underwhelmed as in this case the dial was a lot more dull in person than what I’d imagined from online pics.

same here, really thought the VC Overseas was a good alternative to AP and PP but when I tried it on in person it was meh - not bad but not convincing.

The best alternative is the Czapek Antarctique. Looks like a modernized version of the VC 222.