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classicalthunde

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Most waitlists are bullshit. If you buy a platinum DD or a platinum women's watch, your new sub will magically "just arrived from our latest shipment". If no other expensive purchase, it could be several months (if the AD thinks you have potential to be a long-term customer) to never. I don't even bother going in to talk to Rolex anymore.

interesting...do you mean the stores or the authorized dealers as well? I'm not opposed to buying used per se, but if all else (i.e. price) being equal I'd rather have new w/ box, papers, and warranty than a 20 year old used one

There are some IWCs that I do enjoy (Mark VIII and Big Pilot), but I'd rather have the two be as comparable as possible to avoid any complications down the line...
 

Texasmade

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interesting...do you mean the stores or the authorized dealers as well? I'm not opposed to buying used per se, but if all else (i.e. price) being equal I'd rather have new w/ box, papers, and warranty than a 20 year old used one

There are some IWCs that I do enjoy (Mark VIII and Big Pilot), but I'd rather have the two be as comparable as possible to avoid any complications down the line...
AD's. Most of them have some BNIB stock in the back reserved for bundling with other large purchases. Buy a brand new high dollar (>$50,000) item and your new Sub will appear pretty quickly.
 

Phileas Fogg

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Outside of a couple of iconic models, I’m not sure most of what Rolex offers appeals to me that much. I have what I want from them. Great watches but I just don’t like them that much to pay >75-100% over regular retail.

I’ve already shared my bizarre experience with my Daytona purchase. I don’t want to go through that mishegoss again.
 

classicalthunde

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Outside of a couple of iconic models, I’m not sure most of what Rolex offers appeals to me that much. I have what I want from them. Great watches but I just don’t like them that much to pay >75-100% over regular retail.

I’ve already shared my bizarre experience with my Daytona purchase. I don’t want to go through that mishegoss again.

Agreed, I enjoy the GMT and want a Sub cause I feel like they are timeless, versatile, and I don't have to baby them like a dress watch

Can you link to your Daytona story? I subscribe to this thread but rarely check it...
 

Phileas Fogg

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Agreed, I enjoy the GMT and want a Sub cause I feel like they are timeless, versatile, and I don't have to baby them like a dress watch

Can you link to your Daytona story? I subscribe to this thread but rarely check it...


In 2014 I purchased my white dial SS Daytona. I don't think the ceramic had come out yet. I just walked into the AD, CD Peacock in this case, and said I was interested in buying one. At the time I was not aware of the wait lists or all of the hullabaloo around this particular timepiece. I just had always liked it and was ready to buy one.

I think I may have posted about this before, but what ensued was one of the most bizarre purchasing experiences I've ever been subjected to. The SA said they didn't have one. Then she had me wait, went back and forth with to the back and into the managers office. Came back and said she might have one, but wasn't sure. She had to check the vault. A few more trips back and forth into the managers office. Finally came out with it. I bought it and wrote them off. I'll not do business with them again. Not even a ******* follow up.

Moving forward, I'll use Wempe. They may not be local to me but I don't buy watches all the time. They were gracious, helpful, friendly and very professional. Excellent post sale follow up.

And that’s the abbreviated version. The entire process, not counting the actual purchase and sizing of the bracelet took about 30-45 minutes.
 

Omega Male

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With apologies, obviously. Having a bit of a watchistential crisis -- thoughts of selling the whole mechanical stash and buying a Porsche with the proceeds. Could just be lockdown fatigue. Let's not make any rash decisions.

IMG_0216.jpg
 

Ambulance Chaser

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You're largely correct about this, and this has been (briefly) discussed a few times in this thread over the years.

I think that there are two main reasons why we see the same watches again and again.

The first is marketing, emotion and "groupthink" (which includes social signalling). Pretty much none of us are immune to this, as it's really powerful. Take Rolex as an example - it has successfully built a brand reputation that really resonates with people for a variety of reasons, as it variously denotes adventure, taste, wealth, history and more. Just look at the positive feedback that pretty much any post with a Rolex in it generates in this thread. It can be really hard to escape that pull and, if you have the money, there's really no reason to resist it as Rolex does make good, reliable watches.

The second reason is that most "luxury" watches are not cheap and, although most of the people here appear to be affluent and to have significant disposable income, they're not oligarch-rich. As a result, when they buy watches, they want something that is not horrendously expensive, that will hopefully be reliable, and that will also hopefully maintain reasonable resale value if they want or need to sell it in the future.

Associated with the second reason is something that @gdl203 mentioned a few years back - although people might be attracted to designs by smaller, independent brands, they are cautious about servicing and parts for those brands, and also cautious about resale value in the future. It's safer to stick with larger, established, well-known brands as you know that you will be able to have them serviced and get parts for them years in to the future.
I agree with all of this. Rolex makes solid, classically handsome watches that are easy to service, hold their value, and will never go out of style. The brand just doesn't do anything for me, aside from the orange-hand Explorer 2, which is a grail that I will never be able to afford short of winning the lottery. But one man's boring is another man's classic.

Re. servicing, I own a microbrand watch (Oak & Oscar) that started having problems in March 2019. I had to return the watch twice for service, and I received a fully operational watch nearly 11 months later. It wasn't a huge issue for me because I have a lot of other watches to wear and the owner is a great guy who bent over backwards to make things right, but I could see how that possibility might turn off someone looking for their first watch. I own two watches from brands in the Swatch Group (Blancpain, Glashutte Original) and service was very prompt. So buying a watch that is within the umbrella of a large conglomerate is one way to get off the Rolex/PP/AP path if you are looking to do so.
 

bdavro23

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I should add that, for every internet expert that claims to know everything, there is always some guy like John Goldberger or George Cramer that posts a picture of a watch no one has posted before. There are a bunch of people out there really doing their diligence unlike everyone on this thread. Most people on most internet sources know jack ****. So yes, something like Low Beat is a huge benefit even if you don’t understand the language. But then again, this thread is basically a circle jerk these days. On a quarterly basis we see like 10 different watches on average. And most of them are of the banal type. Lately it’s a race to suck off GeorgeRed. His collection is quite nice but rather pedestrian and nothing unusual if you have money. It’s all new and obtainable. Previously it was NoFrills or whoever the guy with the 3970 was. Suck suck suck. As much hate as Riva got, at least he was raising awareness of brands like anOrdain before all the blogs. I wish he was back to stir things up in a real way instead of TheFoo with his fake request for suggestions to just signal he is buying a Patek for turning 40.

As per your request @chocomallo , a watch no one will race to suck me off over :)

PXL_20210118_185644052.jpg

PXL_20210118_185728049.jpg

PXL_20210118_185918394.jpg
 

dauster

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A Rolex or any Rolex can be purchased for less than MSRP. Its who you know. Having said that no AD is allowed to disclose that publicly. Yes recently the brand is scaling back production for the demand and supply equation to work in their favour. Sport line ie. Sub, and Daytona is a bit hard to get than DJ.
tell me you secrets enlighten me? any rolex can be purchased below MSRP?
 

SirGrotius

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That's interesting. In Philadelphia, there is always a wait for any of the more desired Rolex models and you're certainly not getting one sub MSRP. Maybe I could see someone with a great relationship with his/her SA procuring a model that's been sitting in the case ad infinitum, however, a) I feel like Rolex always moves, and b) it'd be more about fostering a relationship for future sales than securing a reduction on a particular watch.
 

Texasmade

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tell me you secrets enlighten me? any rolex can be purchased below MSRP?
Even the new OP 41's in the popular colors and green dial DD 40's are now waitlisted pieces. It's pretty absurd now.
 

Texasmade

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I know was just kidding of course with my response !!!
I know but the absurdity of the previous post of any Rolex can be purchased below MSRP is ignoring the current reality of Rolex. The poster hasn't been paying too much attention on what's going on with Rolex supply and demand. It's so ridiculous that even PM Rolexes and the standard OP are now waitlisted pieces.
 

dauster

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I know but the absurdity of the previous post of any Rolex can be purchased below MSRP is ignoring the current reality of Rolex. The poster hasn't been paying too much attention on what's going on with Rolex supply and demand. It's so ridiculous that even PM Rolexes and the standard OP are now waitlisted pieces.
true but was actually offered one of the few rolexes in PM I like - the everose gold GMT - that's a nice one. But price too close to AP 15500OR to really consider it for me. Cool piece though.
 

Ambulance Chaser

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You can get any sports Rolex watch you want when you're this guy.

 

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