This has NOT been my experience at all with my local dealer. I explained I was only looking for a Submariner, as I was a diver and that was the only model I was interested in. Also I wanted to pass it on to my son someday, as he was a US Navy rescue swimmer. They offered me a two tone sub that was in the case, but I told them it was more than I felt comfortable spending. Out from the safe came a stainless Submariner still sealed in its little plastic shipping box. The experience was wonderful! They made me feel like family even though I told them up front I only wanted that one model. I asked them why they kept them back, and was told it was to discourage the quick flippers, and to try to ensure the piece will go to a permanent home! The watch is worth every penny of retail. I would not , however, feed the flippers!
A reputable dealer would have brought the cheaper model out of the safe when you told them that was what you wanted from the get-go. Rolex is greedy and unethical in their business practices.
With Rolex, the AD buys from the manufacturer, the preferred client, AKA the flipper, buys from the AD and sells it to a Grey Dealer. The Grey Dealer sells it to a mug. The mug hence pays the Manufacturer, the AD, the flipper and the Grey Dealer hence the sky high pricing. Also buying second hand in this way gets you zero credit at the AD for any future chance of getting a Rolex at list and just feeds the cycle. Your 5 year Rolex warranty will also be reduced depending on when the watch was originally bought. If you’re buying high (30%+ typically) then you’re not going to make the profit you think you might should you sell back to another grey dealer as you’ll get fleeced yet again unless you sell privately which has its own risks. And… thieves are on the look out for Rolex watches in every major city right now. And… you’ll need to insure your watch in case of burglary and get annual insurance appraisals. So, in the long run, there are so many negatives attached to Rolex watches when there are so many other brands out there that fly way lower on the radar. People seem blinded by Rolex these days, there’s plenty to consider unless you just have spare money to hose away.
These days, more than ever before, money talks at the AD. All the small talk and friendly chatting or stories you may have count for very little. Go into an AD and drop some serious money on other watches and you’ll get their attention. Keep this up and you’ll be tripping over the popular models in no time. The ‘expression of interest’ is purely polite lip service.
Everyone is getting their cut along the way. The average punter is at the mercy of AD or gray dealer, when buying. And when the average punter is trying to sell, he is at the mercy of gray dealer or some random psychos online trying to trick him out of watch. Rolex sounds good in theory, but reality can be quite different!
@@jaysikes4256 best to steer clear of the toxic Rolex cult fuelled by the online zombies. It’s better to get a discount on an IWC or Omega backed by the full warranty. And, get this, there’s no 100% proof method of telling whether a used Rolex is not stolen. None. So if at a future date it goes back to Rolex for a service and they won’t return a stolen watch then good luck getting the cash back from the grey dealer. They might not even be in business in five years time.
There are many far better quality watches for much less money out there! Steer clear of Rolex as much as possible. If you don't get screwed over by the guy you bought it from.....you are now a target for every small-time thief and thug out there! It is simply ....Not worth the money or hassle or potential trip to a police station or hospital!
i wore my grandfathers old datejust into our local AD and they were so nice to me, they offered to take it as a trade in towards a new Submariner but i couldn't let it go, it means to much to me so they offered to polish it for me and i was like how much? she said for free and i was blown away! my datejust looked brand new! if i buy a Rolex it will be from them for sure
I went to mt AD and showed me a few steel sports models that were not for sale, but only for display. They didn't have movements inside. He told me Rolex is doing this because they are having trouble keeping up with demand. Apparently Rolex will ship the movements when they're become available.
Very good outline of what seems to be a limited supply & availability of Rolex watches, thru the 'normal', AD network ... there a lot of RU-vid channels, with varying theories, which are all over the map, of why there's these supply issues - your summary appears to be a very rational explanation.
Now there is a problem which is never brought up. AD don't really sell watches to consumers. AD also do not verify the authenticity of watches. Consumers must go to the grey market. With the availability of Clones, Super Clones and Super Frankenstein Clones, that fool even Rolex themselves, who in their right mind would trust a grey dealer? Normal people will just assume that Rolex in Chrono24 and Chronext as well as those available on the street are not legitimate. Rolex is is a very precarious situation.
Yes, good point. If you ask a Rolex AD if your watch is authentic, they will refuse to verify. Rolex says, if you want to make sure your watch is authentic, then only buy from AD. Easier to say than to do, because AD won't sell to you so quickly, LOL.
I live in Singapore....I spend a lot of time in a few of the ADs here and have 4 watches, Exp 1, Exp 2, YM, and SkyDweller. I really do believe they are pretty dry these days. Even the lady datejusts are hard to get. Most of the smaller Hour Glass ADs have barely 2-3 watches on display. The nice AD in ION Orchard told me on several occasions they are even having a hard time getting precious metals watches. When I was put on the list, it's was from his phone and you give your info and an email is generated with the wishlist. I do think everything you said about the ADs selling to the flippers is still correct. The ADs are the "customer" of Rolex. Rolex doesn't care what the individual buyer thinks or the gripes we may have about the ADs hoarding or selling to flippers. They don't care as long as the AD makes their monthly/quarterly numbers. Anything else is irrelevant.
Singapore is a beautiful country! Those are excellent pieces you have, and can walk around town safely. When people can't buy professional models, they look at DJ and OP's. Then those are gone, and now people trying to buy ladies watches just to get in good graces with AD.
i just disagree with one thing , what boxes? the looters can't grab any boxes. from where? watches are locked yes, why would boxes be out? when the reps bring out a watch they have special key fob to unlock the case much like Apple store does. smart of course. also shortages actually exist at AD's. its not like the stores have 20 Subs and are just dueling out to preferred clients with history.
My local Rolex AD carries several brands. Will buying non-rolex like an unpopular Tudor help getting a Rolex or does it have to be helping with their Rolex sales goal exclusively?
It depends upon the AD, but generally it helps. Some AD's sell other brands or jewelry, which is less popular. Buying those will get you higher up on the list. However, you must specifically ask. Tell them which Rolex you want, and ask if buying the Tudor will get you closer to that watch
Here is my story called a AD in a rich part of town. I called on Thur and left my # with the sales agent. My wife and I walked into the AD (Saturday) and ask for the sales agent just to put the face with the name, She shook our hands and said wait 1 minute and she came out with my watch a Rolex DSSD black face. Made the sale everyone was happy (Keep in mind I looked like a bum that day LOL). Then I called her 1 week later told her my brother is looking for a Rolex SD two tone she said give me a couple of days. She calls me on her day off saying it came into the store and we set up appt for 2 days later walked in and bought that one also. Both at retail price DSSD $12,600 and SD two tone $16,600 we got the watches we wanted and she got 2 sales. So it is a hit or miss now I know I did not go in asking for a Daytona but we got our watches a lot lower price then any Grey Market/ Chrono24 / Ebay etc... Also with a 5 year warranty !!!!
I got a Daytona Panda as my first Rolex with no purchase history, after that 3 months later I got the call for the Rootbeer and 1 month later another call for the Daytona 166508 green dial. Using the Daytona panda everyday, the rest is in the bank chillin
@@fvangroe No I do believe it is true, big cities have this problem USA/Dubai/London/Paris/Italy etc, short on inventory and high demand. But I live in Scandinavia, the hype is probably not the same here as in other countries. I just got lucky, I know 2 friends that also got their hands on a 2 sports model Pepsi and a Kermit without any purschase history, but they waited like 6 months
@@fvangroe It really depends where you live. For example I walked into an AD whilst on holiday and bought a Batman just like that. Most places you can't do that. Some is luck, some is new AD, some is location. Most punters cannot do this; I would never call anybody a liar, but the story of buying whatever you want is not typical. Try this my friend, walk into an AD and say you want to buy a Daytona, then a Rootbeer, then after that another Daytona. . Let me know what the AD says.
This is absolutely true if you think about it from a business perspective. Do you take care of a return customer or the one time buyer? What would you do? I did not know about this Rolex back log 2 months ago when I walked into a Rolex Boutique. I said I want to buy 3 possibly 4 watches. All with 2 tone gold possibly diamonds for my wife. Guess what it took me 2 months to get my first Rolex. I am in line for 2 more watches which I was told should come soon. I am a multiple return buyer for them. And i am getting the premium watches I want. Sad but true way of doing business.
@@jingjoh5297 If you only want one Rolex watch, then you can either try to get Air King or Milgauss at AD. Those are the easiest pro models. You can try Datejust or Oyster Perpetual. You will have to wait a little while for those, but it's possible.
@@jaysikes4256 okay thanks Jay. Yep all i want is an OP41. I appreciate the AD would prefer i buy more stock, but 1 only want that one and perhaps a diver. I can be patient. its for me.I will persist with my AD who seem nice - although i read horror stories. cheers.
Not sure why people need to diss such an insightful video. We all know what is going on. This video like many others just puts it into words. The real scoop however would be to know how much the Grey/Secondary market dealers actually pay for their models. Here in HK, I'm convinced it's not MSRP.
Great point. It's different by country and also by AD. With AD's who have multiple Rolex shops, they have different rules. The ones who really screw you are the AD's that also carry jewelry, because they can make you buy other crap. You're 100% correct, some AD's sell to flippers for over MSRP. They keep the difference and everyone wins, except for the average punter.
Its a known fact that Rolex don't care about their customers. Its also a known fact that they only cares about achieving their sales goals. As long as they are making money, and people are chasing after the brand, they are happy. It happened to me personally to that an AD asked me to put down my name and contact on a randon page of a notebook with nothing on it. At that moment, I knew they are just plain acting and will nothing call me back.
Sorry to hear about that, but it sounds about right. I know for a fact some AD's have a fake waitlist they use for regular punters. There is a real wait list in the back, that only has certain customers with high spending history. I went to one AD in the Middle East, and at least they were honest when they laughed at me for wanting to buy Rolex, LOL.
Mostly on point abit to differ here and there here in Singapore but msrp is not a gauge by any means the Daytona has notoriously been sold over msrp at dealers all over from since forever especially back in the days where they were compared to nows a days prices abit more attainable especially for the black dialed . And it’s almost the same everywhere else 😂 it’s just simple basic demand and supply end day .
It’s all just a total disgrace , but Rolex is like having a pretty girlfriend who treats you like 💩 , I’ve been on the waiting list for a Daytona for over a year don’t even know if I’ll ever get it
Daytona is probably the most difficult watch to get right now. Hopefully you get the call soon. The other tricky part about wait lists, is some people try to buy a watch with the intention of wearing it, but then whey they get the call a year later, they realise how much the value has gone up, and then they sell it to gray dealer. I'm not saying that's you mate, but some people does that.
Supply & demand. … just start buying other better brands but tough time to look away on those sports ROLEX models. I’m guilty myself 🥵🤣😆😂🤪 Thanks for the share. #staysafe
I saw a couple of DJ at my AD last week, I think the demand is cooling down a bit for some non-professional models. When flippers can't turn a profit, they buy less.
Rolex should discontinue models that don't sell and increase production on the popular models. Rolex needs to stop catering to the grey market pirates, but that will not happen because Rolex is greed driven from the highest to the lowest in the organization.
Some countries are worse than others. Many countries, the sports models go straight to gray dealers out the back door with a nice premium for the sales manager.
I only have 1 AD in my wealthy area and they won't waste their time with me even though I'm worth millions. I'm nice to them because I still use them to service my Rolexes but they won't sell one to me.
I feel you. Some AD's are pleasant when they tell you to F off, some less pleasant. Just 2 days ago, I went to an AD, who I know for a fact was lying. Not that it offended me, it's just his way of telling me I won't be getting a watch anytime soon.
Let me make this simple for all the whiners out there. If a high end retailer has something that is difficult to come by and is immediately worth more than what the retail pricing allows, they will reserve those items for good customers that spend money consistently at their establishment. Been done like this for quite a long time.
@@jaysikes4256 Is it fair for the retailer to make far less money on the sale than you the consumer just looking to make a quick buck because the watch market has exploded?
@@antonsugar2535 It's not fair for anyone in the strictest sense. Rolex has certain rules for AD's, but not everyone follows the rules. Some AD's get caught trying to make more money.
@@jaysikes4256 That has nothing to do with my point. Everyone is crying because they don't have an established relationship with a jeweler and are unable to get watches that they could if they had been a loyal customer. Would you sell a Daytona to someone off the street and make 3 grand on it while the customer makes 15k and you never see them again? It's luxury goods, this is not rocket science. When the economy dips this area of commerce struggles. In 2008 the real watch collectors kept the doors open. No one buys 15k tennis bracelets in a down turned economy. Now those loyal watch collectors are reaping the benefits. Seems fair to anyone with real knowledge of this market and common sense.
Your perspective and not my personal experience at my AD. Find a new dealer my friend. If you are watching this video I respectfully suggest you form your own opinion.
Incorrect -- there is a Rolex AD in El Paso, Texas. That's right -- El Paso, the Texas city that borders the murder capital of the world, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The El Paso/Ciudad Juarez metropolitan area is *hardly* affluent. Quite the opposite, in fact.
This is nothing new, not just Rolex but other manufacturers in other industries outside watches are doing the same. Ex. Tamiya manufacturer of plastic model kits deal with AD. The ADs are Tamiya customer and you have a quota to meet sale target. And the AD will distribute to grey market all over the region. There are other manufacturers who uses this same business strategy. At the end of the day it is all about profit taking.
Spot on, it comes down to profits. Money talks. The company is not a friend to the regular punter. The sales person is not a "friend" either. Nothing wrong with that, but people are expecting fair play, but the world is far from fair.
Yes, too many AD's too many watches to keep track of. More importantly too much $$$ to be made. I"ll try to make a vid talking about flippers and gray dealers.
Yep. I went to several ADs, and some of them would offer two-tone 36mm watches. I am a big guy, a 36mm would look like a toy around my wrist. And a two-tone or solid gold watch is what my dad would wear. No luck after numerous attempts. Oh well, whatever. I can just continue wearing my beater watch daily.
Give it some serious thought and it will become clear that business model of ADs is logical and understandable. Probably not fair, probably selective and exclusive but effecitive in achieving the main goal: sale target ! Only, don't think that those are the rules of Rolex ADs, only. No. Those are the rules of all ADs selling watches of any and every luxury brand name ! Go out and try to buy Royal Oak from an official Audemar Piguet AD !
That's a good point. You can easily buy a RO, if you're willing to pay premium at gray dealer. Gray market dealer don't care if you have buying history, as long as you have the money they will sell, LOL.
Grey market dealers are just the middle men who give the AD backhanders to supply them with the watches , they buy the less desirable watches and sell them at a loss and buy their premium watches and sell them at a massive profit which far outweighs any loss they make on the other models (fact)
Thanks for the insights. After buying 4 Rolex and I asked about the Pepsi, the AD ask if I get the Pepsi will I buy other watches afterwards? That’s a hint that I need to buy more in the future. I said yeah.
I don't understand something about your story. The AD cannot get rid of certain models but will then sell them to a "flipper" who can sell them for a higher amount ... where is the logic. A normal person can't buy because he can't help the AD with his sales figure ... a sale is a sale and that richer man can still buy when he comes by? Again, I don't understand the logic...every piece that can be sold helps in the sales figures, whether that piece is sold to a richer customer or a passer-by.
Hello my friend. The AD cannot sell ladies models as easy as mens professional. Thus the flipper buys a bunch of ladies models. That allows him to also buy professional models. He sells the professional models for a very high mark up. He sells the ladies models for a discount (or list). The discount he loses for selling the ladies models is much less, than the mark up he makes for selling the professional models. The professional models are the bait to make the flipper buy the ladies models. If the AD just lets any punter buy whatever he wants, then all the professional models get sold, and no one is buying the ladies models.
@@jaysikes4256 not all watches "feel" the same. I own all those other brands. Rolex just feels different. Gotta learn the game if you want to play. If not enjoy your Omegas and keep the hate/saltiness to yourself. Appreciate your response and love this video!
@@jardo1234 I tend to agree. I know Rolex is hyped up, but the quality is top notch. When you hold Omega, Tudor, and Rolex in your hand you can def tell the difference.
