Lists are closed until July

[Mendota]

Here's an example. Audi is exclusive. It's expensive and has a rich tradition. Can I walk in and buy one? Yes I can. I'm in the process of buying an S5 cabriolet right now. Does the fact that I can actually buy an expensive car make it any less exclusive? No, of course not. That's absurd. What makes it exclusive is the fact that not everyone can afford to buy it. It's irrelevant if there is stock or not.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[teck21]

You don’t have to sell the exclusive to me!

You are absolutely right in that Rolex always was exclusive based on MSRP alone.

The point at which I disagree with is that MSRP is no longer useful as the gatekeeper to exclusivity for Rolex.

Simply because the world is so awash in money now, MSRP pricing is no longer exclusive at all.

This is exactly why grey prices for coveted models are well in excess of MSRP, whereas grey prices were always almost always a discount to MSRP during the ‘good old days’.

The level of exclusivity associated with Rolex has ramped up a few notches since the 80s, 90s and even early 2000s.

It’s just the strategy Rolex has chosen to adopt to survive technological innovation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tricolore66]

Anybody with a credit card can buy a Rolex. They're mass-produced Swiss watches with a great history and powerful brand marketing. They virtually own the Swiss watch segment under $10,000. I've owned them for nearly 40 years, own a bunch, and like them. I have no illusions that they're significantly better watches than their primary competitors, including their own Tudor brand, and dollar for dollar they can't touch a Grand Seiko in terms of finishing. To point out that "retail associates" wear them is kind of demeaning to those who work retail and appears to point out an exaggerated sense of status by the OP simply because he wears a Rolex.

I find it hard to believe that an associate at a factory-owned boutique would would be privy to, much less share with some random walk-in, the global Rolex strategy, particularly since the overwhelming majority of AD's are independent dealers who run their own businesses as they see fit.

[Bozack90]

Originally Posted by Mendota

Here's an example. Audi is exclusive. It's expensive and has a rich tradition. Can I walk in and buy one? Yes I can. I'm in the process of buying an S5 cabriolet right now. Does the fact that I can actually buy an expensive car make it any less exclusive? No, of course not. That's absurd. What makes it exclusive is the fact that not everyone can afford to buy it. It's irrelevant if there is stock or not.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

it's all about perspective, S5 is a nice car as are a lot of Audi's and other lux brands, but with leasing and credit tons can get them....bit different for really high end/exclusive makes like bentley, rolls, etc

Same thing with Rolex, steel and two tone a ton can get on credit, maybe not "afford" but they can get in.....

I still think Rolex was always exclusive as not everyone is dropping that kind of cash on a watch, but it wasn't as exclusive as steel Patek or AP which I wonder if that's where they are trying to be which is a big shift for them.

[Mendota]

Good points and I totally agree. Patek, A. Lange Sohne, Jaeger, Breguet are definitely in a class above Rolex. Some of the small boutique brands are incredible. I can't think of names off the top of my head but there was a thread here last year where some people were showing pics of their pieces and discussing some of these really small brands. Some were gorgeous and had very limited runs. That's definitely exclusive!

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[superspectral]

Originally Posted by Master_Grogu

Hi everyone. While I am not the one to partake such topics, I had today a very interesting info from the AD.

For some reason, they have decided to block all wish lists until July. This fact alone is usual. We have heard about ADs doing so, or just to try to dismiss clients they don’t want (the first time comer coming with a supreme t-shirt and yeezy baskets, asking for either GMT2, Daytona or SKYD blue.).

This is coming from the boutique in Geneva, owned by the mothership itself.
They also slipped that in June, a big delivery will take place, among which one of the model I want, so I might be able to grab it just by coming early June and asking about it.

Closed list and big arrivals taken together make me think the following: Rolex wants clients to come in the shop and leave with a watch. No more limitless wish lists, they block these so the experience is no longer one of a hypothetical AD call, but more of a “I went in and got a cool watch”.

When you think about it, this is the perfect strategy to increase foot trafic. Would you rather have a person come once, gets on a hypothetical list and never see him again until you call him, or have instead prospects pop once a month in the hopes of getting lucky?

I truly hope this is the new vibe going on, as anybody can get on a list. Having clients living close and having walk in purchases is much more pleasant and what you would expect from a luxury experience (if one can call Rolex luxurious in a time where any sales associate in retail is wearing one).

If Rolex ADs were forced to never contact customers about the availability of certain watches - "I can neither confirm nor deny we have a Submariner available, it is company policy that you have to come in and check." - that would certainly make it harder for ADs to sell only to preferred customers. There would be ways around it - but it would raise the risk level for unscrupulous ADs.

[Francist]

It's going to be so stupid if true.
Imagine snobs waiting to get in the store day in day out for SS sports. Flex it on socmed & then flip it.
Not gonna happen.

[Gand]

It will never happen.

[rambo99]

it's like suicide if rolex actually intented to do as you said.

[UK_]

Originally Posted by Mendota

Here's an example. Audi is exclusive. It's expensive and has a rich tradition. Can I walk in and buy one? Yes I can. I'm in the process of buying an S5 cabriolet right now. Does the fact that I can actually buy an expensive car make it any less exclusive? No, of course not. That's absurd. What makes it exclusive is the fact that not everyone can afford to buy it. It's irrelevant if there is stock or not.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

You have a very different understanding of exclusive than me.

Rolex models that you can walk in and buy in an AD are not exclusive. Expensive yes, exclusive no.

Omega are expensive, but not exclusive.

Rolex models that are very difficult to buy new are exclusive.

Audi are not an exclusive car (I have one). Never will be.

High end cars that are very hard to get unless you build a relationship and buy less exclusive models first (think Ferrari), that is exclusive.

Or some hand bags.

Not an Audi that I can walk in right now of the street and order.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[UK_]

Originally Posted by Francist

It's going to be so stupid if true.
Imagine snobs waiting to get in the store day in day out for SS sports. Flex it on socmed & then flip it.
Not gonna happen.

Or an AD selling a Daytona to a walk in he has never met before while telling his £1m per year customer he can’t have one unless she happens to turn up at the right time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[UK_]

Originally Posted by 904VT

~2016 and earlier those discounts were upwards of 30%+ too for employees at many ADs. It makes sense if you own an AD that you want your employees to not only be knowledgeable about the watches they sell and service, but also makes sense for customers to see them on the wrist of the salesperson. Smart if you ask me, I know I'd be more likely to take the opinion of a salesperson that is also an owner and enthusiast.

Exactly - I think the discounts are still of that order, cost basically.

It’s good business.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Andad]

Are we going down any specific track on this thread?

[Tensai]

Bimyō.

[DoricSpiker]

I would like to see a world where you can't just walk in and pick up a Steel Daytona or a Blue Sky-D, but equally you don't walk into a store and there are no watches to buy! Somewhere in the middle suits me just fine.

[Daveh777]

Exclusivity in the truest sense is borderline “money can’t buy” to my mind. Virtually NIL Rolexes fit that definition, or at best 5th or 6th decimal place stuff in terms of total qty of Rolexes ever made.
As far as Sales people or in fact any other demographic in society wearing Rolexes goes, no problem to me. Not sure why that is even a thing worthy of mention....

[turkeysub93]

Yeah...no!

[dtwer]

OP you may have forgotten a sentence at the end of your post: "then I woke up."

[JRique]

Rolex could provide AD with hundreds of white daytonas, so they could colapse grey market dealers and then the markets come back to reality.

[Mendota]

Originally Posted by UK_

You have a very different understanding of exclusive than me.

Rolex models that you can walk in and buy in an AD are not exclusive. Expensive yes, exclusive no.

Omega are expensive, but not exclusive.

Rolex models that are very difficult to buy new are exclusive.

Audi are not an exclusive car (I have one). Never will be.

High end cars that are very hard to get unless you build a relationship and buy less exclusive models first (think Ferrari), that is exclusive.

Or some hand bags.

Not an Audi that I can walk in right now of the street and order.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You make some good points. I think I was conflating expensive with exclusive a bit.

[superspectral]

Originally Posted by Mendota

You make some good points. I think I was conflating expensive with exclusive a bit.

I think exclusive is expensive and rare at retail. Ferraris and Roll Royce are exclusive at retail. Rolexes are being made “exclusive” by the post retail market. The only thing Rolex is getting is a guarantee to sell every watch because they are underpricing.

[Mendota]

I agree with everything you wrote up until the speculation about pricing.

I don't think a pricing discrepancy is what is causing the supply/demand imbalance at all. This is exactly what is playing out with the lumber market right now due to COVID and forest fire/hurricane factors impacting the commodity prices. These watches are absolutely not worth those grey prices at all. Just like a standard length 2x4 is not worth $8.50 instead of $2.45 before COVID. What is creating these price surges is lack of supply and a distribution network that is taking advantage of it.

A Rolex sub isn't worth $14K just like a 2x4 isn't worth $8.50. Grey dealers are price gouging just like the lumber yards are, to take advantage of this supply/demand imbalance as long as they can until either demand subsides or supply increases. JMHO

[904VT]

Originally Posted by Mendota

I agree with everything you wrote up until the speculation about pricing.

I don't think a pricing discrepancy is what is causing the supply/demand imbalance at all. This is exactly what is playing out with the lumber market right now due to COVID and forest fire/hurricane factors impacting the commodity prices. These watches are absolutely not worth those grey prices at all. Just like a standard length 2x4 is not worth $8.50 instead of $2.45 before COVID. What is creating these price surges is lack of supply and a distribution network that is taking advantage of it.

A Rolex sub isn't worth $14K just like a 2x4 isn't worth $8.50. Grey dealers are price gouging just like the lumber yards are, to take advantage of this supply/demand imbalance as long as they can until either demand subsides or supply increases. JMHO

That's an interesting take. I think watch craziness has more to do with two events: Unpegging of Swiss franc/CHF from EUR and the somewhat related Brexit. Ever since the currency shifts, it made sense for Rolex to drive demand upmarket to the TT and PM watches with greater margins since they in many cases were receiving less in currency translation than years prior. Patek has done similar. COVID really only added a kink to 2020 production and slightly reduced model float. I think the latter is cyclical while the former is structural.

[Sandpit]

All the lists here in Dubai are closed anyways, and have been for quite some time, so makes no odds to us here.

[VacherObsessive]

Makes me laugh anyone thinks there has been a list of any kind since 2018

[teck21]

Originally Posted by VacherObsessive

Makes me laugh anyone thinks there has been a list of any kind since 2018

My AD has an Expression of Interest list for people who are ... persistent.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jb335]

Lolololol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MrGoat]

Originally Posted by Mendota

I agree with everything you wrote up until the speculation about pricing.

I don't think a pricing discrepancy is what is causing the supply/demand imbalance at all. This is exactly what is playing out with the lumber market right now due to COVID and forest fire/hurricane factors impacting the commodity prices. These watches are absolutely not worth those grey prices at all. Just like a standard length 2x4 is not worth $8.50 instead of $2.45 before COVID. What is creating these price surges is lack of supply and a distribution network that is taking advantage of it.

A Rolex sub isn't worth $14K just like a 2x4 isn't worth $8.50. Grey dealers are price gouging just like the lumber yards are, to take advantage of this supply/demand imbalance as long as they can until either demand subsides or supply increases. JMHO

Yep. I have a developer that used to be able to build 15 “bungalow” apartments for 800k in wood. Now his nut for those same 15 apartments is 2.5mil for wood in today’s market.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bozack90]

Originally Posted by superspectral

I think exclusive is expensive and rare at retail. Ferraris and Roll Royce are exclusive at retail. Rolexes are being made “exclusive” by the post retail market. The only thing Rolex is getting is a guarantee to sell every watch because they are underpricing.

expensive can lead to exclusivity.....as can limited availability.

Rolls Royce, McLaren, and any other $200K+ car I'd say is "exclusive" just given how expensive they are....whereas GT3, GT2, Enzo, GT40, or other allocation cars are exclusive because of price and conditions for sale.....whereas in the world of Booze things like Pappy aren't crazy money if you can get one at list but are ridiculously exclusive as they are super hard to find.

Steel sports model Rolex are in the middle for me, not cheap by any means, but not unobtainable expensive (yet) but ridiculously hard to get right now, but still not as crazy unattainable as a steel patek Aquanaut ... will be interesting to see if that is their aim or if they are ok not being that exclusive.

[SirOfVold]

Mine here in SoCal told me there is no more lists. Only preferred buyers who get access to the stainless models buy buying two tone and PM


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk