Finding new old stock at your AD

[CoopJr]

Today I trekked down to an AD in central NJ wanting to try on an Explorer 1, a no date sub and a GMT IIc. Once there, I look at the Explorer 1, nice watch, I look at the hang tag, a D serial...hmm

I try on the GMT IIc...very nice watch, sits beautifully on the wrist and the clasp is a thing of beauty Without even asking, I am offered the watch at 10% off. He explains the plastic protection and starts removing them right there I'm like "NO! don't do that I'm just looking"..."Oh it's OK" he says

I look around...no dateless Subs (just as Sleedog had told me) but I spy a SD. I try it on and just as JJ says, that was the one that sang to me. I was surprised at how much more I liked it over the GMT IIc. That SD is one gorgeous, honking hunk of metal! I am also offered the SD @ 10% off so I look at the hang tag...also a "D", HMMM

Now this AD is family owned and the person I am speaking to was one of the principle owners. An extremely pleasant and knowledgeable man. I explain the watches age but he doesn't seem to appreciate my concern that I would be paying a price based on new MSRP and not the MSRP of 2 years ago. I know that this is a Rolex and that this is the way things are done and so on. But I am wondering if anyone here has ever found NOS and successfully negotiated based on the original MSRP? I mean doesn't this AD have only 60% or so of the original MSRP invested in the watch?

Plus it will need a servicing in 3 years and not 5, it doesn't sound fair

The trip down was so worth it and eye opening...I'm now in the market for a SD and not the GMT ceramic. But I had to laugh all the way home about the way the conversation there went.

We had discussed the older GMT that I once owned and he remarked how much I would like the new one.
ME:"But I like the SD"
AD: "Oh no sir you don't want that".
ME:"Yes I do!"
AD:"That Sea Dweller is over kill for you sir...you want the new GMT"
ME: "No I don't"
AD: "Here fill out the Wells Fargo application and we'll see how much we can get you"
ME: "I'll fax it in"
AD:"Oh no...that's not possible, it's OK...there is no obligation"

So I fill out the app and was told it would be 15 minutes for an answer. So I take his card, shake his hand and genuinely thank him for his time. I think I will call back and offer full original MSRP in cash for that SD. He will most likely say no but I feel I am being fair to both parties. Otherwise, I shift gears and look for another SD. Also noted was his comment that at that one small location, he had 150 Rolex's in the back safe. Double

Thanks for reading my prose here Happy New Years folks

[SPACE-DWELLER]

I'd take that SD with 10 % off!

Maybe you can even get more since it would need service sooner than a Z or M-series watch?

Anyway, offering discounts without you asking and having D-serials in the store, it seems like your AD isn't selling as many Rolex watches as he'd like to.

[Dan Pierce]

Originally Posted by SPACE-DWELLER

I'd take that SD with 10 % off!

Maybe you can even get more since it would need service sooner than a Z or M-series watch?

Anyway, offering discounts without you asking and having D-serials in the store, it seems like your AD isn't selling as many Rolex watches as he'd like to.

Agree with your observation Bo.
Great read Allan, thanks for sharing.
dP

[Wolfgang427]

Simply put, its a mom and pop store compared to the multi-store ADs. Call him back and offer him what ever offer you have in mind. If he wants to move it he will. If he doesn't it will just sit there.

[waeleldasher]

My AD often has a few pieces that are new old stock. My Explorer II that I just bought from them is a F series. They offered it to me at $4250. I don't know what the MSRP was at the time, but new it's $5000. They also had another NOS with holes in the lugs, but they wouldn't go lower than $4000 on it, and they lost the certificate.

I really wanted to get the one with holes in the lugs, there is something elegant about having the holes, it really conveys the concept of a tool watch. I will probably buy it if it's still there next month.

What was MSRP for the F series Expy II?

cheers

W

[equinox]

Whats a "Wells Fargo application"??

Equinox (based in the UK where he has not heard of Wells Fargo!!)

[CoopJr]

Originally Posted by equinox

Whats a "Wells Fargo application"??

Equinox (based in the UK where he has not heard of Wells Fargo!!)

Wells Fargo is a finance company here in the USA. They make loans for mortgages, cars and unsecured items like a Rolex. The application for the 0% 12 month payment plan was through them. The AD claimed it cost him 6% so the 10% did not apply if I used that route of payment. His discount would then be 4%.

[sleedawg]

Is the Sea-Dweller hard to come bye?

I know the AD that Allan is speaking of as I referred him over. They sell a lot of Rolexes and seem to always discount regardless of the model with the exception of the Daytona and the Milgauss. I got my Sub LV and GMT IIc for a nice discount there and they still had even more to sell. As much as they sell, they seem to always have a number of NOS also. They seem to always have a lot of "hard to find" watches in stock.

Does Rolex have tiers for their AD channel? I used to work for a well known software company. The company had different tiers for their resellers and sales channels. With each tier, you had to buy a certain amount of inventory of the slow seller, but also got first dibs at the allocation of hot new sellers also and a bigger discounts. Does anyone know if this is how Rolex does it also?

[Trurolexer]

In my local AD they still sell Explorer 1 in D series.

[BuffaloRolex]

I'll be curious to how the AD responds to your offer of the D series MSRP, Allan. Let us know!

[madrin]

...erm, see if your AD if he might head down to the local Benz dealership and ask if he might get a remaining 06 (or more likely '07 at this point) for 20% off right then and there. Warn him to be careful, because he owns a brand spankin' new Mercedes at that price point in about 2 seconds.

...all retail lives on cashflow, and sales is sales is sales, regardless of product....if it were that sought after, it'd be gone already...

JC

[chevycorvette]

Originally Posted by Trurolexer

In my local AD they still sell Explorer 1 in D series.

D series. sound old to me. but if the price is right. should be a taker.

[vukotab]

AD `s are sometimes very stupid.
In Belgrade there`s only one AD(family owned),and they think they have a monopoly over watch merchandise.They keeping watches for few years in their store and they DON`T sell them.And when you come in and ask for discount,they come with some stupid excuses that they cannot do that,because of price increases of Rolex watches all over the world!
Recently I tried to buy Tudor Hydronaut,previously(in August I think)offered to me for 1650 $ in cash.So I came back in late December and they offered me the SAME watch,but now for 2100$ without discount for payin` in cash.I mean,I don`t understand those guys,they`ll NEVER sell it in Serbia,not for that price or any other(people here don`t know what Tudor really is).
So I don`t know how those guys make for living?!

[equinox]

Originally Posted by madrin

...erm, see if your AD if he might head down to the local Benz dealership and ask if he might get a remaining 06 (or more likely '07 at this point) for 20% off right then and there. Warn him to be careful, because he owns a brand spankin' new Mercedes at that price point in about 2 seconds.

...all retail lives on cashflow, and sales is sales is sales, regardless of product....if it were that sought after, it'd be gone already...

JC

Quite right, there will always be a deal to be had, its just a case of finding the right deal for everyone

Equinox

[DSJ]

A good and fair (IMO) counteroffer CoopJr.

[CPCC]

Sounds like the AD is missing the picture. Probably wont understand, no matter how much you explain to him. It worth a shot though. Call and make him an offer, good luck!

[GoldenBear]

I would imagine that AD's, especially smaller mom and pop kinds run the business their own way. Regardless if it is a watch shop or a corner market. As with any other retailer, some run the business well and other's run the business like crap. My AD has been around since the late 1800's and have it figured out. Others that I have been to don't have a clue and won't likely be around for much longer. The ones who treat their customers well will stay around. Just my opinion.

[FastBurner]

Interesting story... I hope you get a great discount on it.

A similiar thing happened to me when I was buying my wife a Plat YM a couple months ago. Everything looked good until they brought out the certificate and it was a D series. I said the same exact things you did; the watch will need service much sooner, and I was going to pay 2007 MSRP for a watch they paid 2005 invoice for.

Well, basically he tells me the watch was made in 2007. "It's a D series because they stamped the case in 2005, and didn't put the movement in until this year." Right... I didn't even bother with the 2005 invoice argument after that. I told him I thought that he was mistaken on the what a D or Z series watch constituted, and that I was only interested in a Z series watch. He went to the back and lo and behold, they had a newer one in the safe and I bought that one.

If you aren't able to finagle a better price, just insist on a current series. They must have one among the 150 in the safe...