Does growing your portfolio outside of boutique purchases help with allocations?

[Gandor]

I was considering buying a couple pieces grey, but was wondering how that effects allocations. I imagine boutique purchases have more weight, but I'm not sure if grey purchases help at all or if it will count against your profile?

[GW44]

Originally Posted by Gandor

I was considering buying a couple pieces grey, but was wondering how that effects allocations. I imagine boutique purchases have more weight, but I'm not sure if grey purchases help at all or if it will count against your profile?

A bit of both really. Make sure you add the purchase/s to your AP profile on line and casually mention to your SA that you are that much of an AP fan that you’ve enlarged your collection accordingly…..and it’s a good lead into gaining further allocations from AP themselves.

I did that when I bought my AP Diver a couple of years ago as I couldn’t wait for the Khaki Diver I wanted at the time……but was careful to be diplomatic about it if that makes sense?!

[PT_91]

Can only say which impression it leaves on me.

I think it lessens the risk of you being a flipper as paying the premium makes you lose the margin of a potential sale. That being said, I don't think you can build up a portfolio of 5 grey-bought watches and request a 15407 at the boutique. It has to be something in between.

[salnuaimi]

Here in Dubai . they told me they wont count / will not be taken in consideration

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Gandor

I was considering buying a couple pieces grey, but was wondering how that effects allocations. I imagine boutique purchases have more weight, but I'm not sure if grey purchases help at all or if it will count against your profile?

Depends, I'd say. Don't think it would help much going grey for Codes/ROOs that trade at a discount and asking the boutique for things that have a grey market premium (although that would obviously be the most economical way to go about it). Buying a RO/ROC etc grey b/c you can't take the wait anymore might be seen as a positive sign of your enthusiasm.

[srvrf]

It is very hard to say what they are thinking, but in the end I think that it may be neutral. On one hand it shows that you are serious about the brand and if done recently, it would prove that you love AP so much that you paid over MSRP on the secondary market just to get one (assuming Royal Oak or popular model). However, buying a Code or even some Offshores under MSRP on the gray market does you no good. On the other hand, I don't think that an outside purchase gives you any advantage over another person who is interested in the same watch.

So in the end I think it depends on what you may purchase on the gray market and what you are trying to purchase from a boutique.

[chaucer]

Hasn’t helped in my experience. I have two gray market pieces and my SA never remembers that I have them; they must not be in my profile in their system, despite them being in my AP website profile.

[Bearxj86]

Technically by registering a grey watch and showing AP it does 2 things:

1) The original owner gets blacklisted. By process of assassination you have improved your chances :)

2) It shows you are interested in the brand. As long as those pieces aren't too similar to what you want from the brand, it should help...not alot but to show you are serious (better than a guy off the street).

[Rolexavidfan]

I think there is no effect unless you buy directly and continuously from your chosen boutique. It’s really a personal thing to the SA when you want to be given an allocation.

On the other hand, for first time purchaser, I would surmise that since there is no relationship, the possible way is to keep visiting them to show you are serious about your watch passion; or look for someone who may know someone in the boutique. It can help to build a personal relationship.


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[tenementhall]

Originally Posted by Bearxj86

Technically by registering a grey watch and showing AP it does 2 things:

1) The original owner gets blacklisted. By process of assassination you have improved your chances :)

2) It shows you are interested in the brand. As long as those pieces aren't too similar to what you want from the brand, it should help...not alot but to show you are serious (better than a guy off the street).

Lol at (1)

[dchang81]

My SA who I still haven't pulled the trigger (on a code) asked me for the serial on my 15202 to add to my profile, so that I'm technically not starting from ground zero. haven't heard anything since that conversation tho. it was interesting that theyre the ones that asked me so they could enter it on their system.

[llngoc]

I feel that a personal connection and if you are able to show your enthusiasm with the hobby, it will help.

[kb866]

I make sure to always wear something I bought grey in whenever scheduled to go into a boutique (London or Tokyo). We always spend a few minutes chatting about it. They usually shake their head in disbelief when I tell them how much I paid over MSRP for it and make sincere comments about how they really want to try to get me more allocations of the models I want.

This is what I know (from both London and Tokyo):
1. Register every watch you buy grey. AP and the SA does look at it. I've had them mention to me about the pieces I have registered that were not bought from them.
2. They do take what you register into consideration
3. It helps them sell you to AP that you are committed to the brand
4. Once registered, don't flip too soon, even if the watch was bought grey.

I should mention, however, that I have had allocations taken away from me as a result of purchasing the watch on the grey market first. I got a 26331ST on the grey market, my SA from London texted me to tell me my 26331ST allocation was ready. Before I could respond, I got another message that said they see that I already acquired the same color model, so the 26331ST they had for me will be allocated to someone else. To avoid this, I play a little guessing game with my SA's now. For example, I really want a 26586IP and I talk about looking in the grey market openly for this. The London SA hints to me that he's working on it which is code for don't buy grey, they might have one for me soon. I'm also looking at a 77353BC for the wife, and they'll hint to me that going grey for that is not a bad idea which means we're not likely to get one from AP directly.

Hope this helps.

[Mini2]

Maybe grey is the way forward for me

[8bc8]

Reckon if you buy discontinued/vintage on grey, it will improve your chances at retail. ESP if you buy heavy hitters i.e. vintage QP. All while maintaining interest in current models too. Hope this helps and good luck


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[APWorldTour]

Originally Posted by 8bc8

Reckon if you buy discontinued/vintage on grey, it will improve your chances at retail. ESP if you buy heavy hitters i.e. vintage QP. All while maintaining interest in current models too. Hope this helps and good luck


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Good advice

[messikens]

I was able to glance at the CRM.
It distinguishes boutique spend / "real" AP spend but they also have a way of looking at history / comments / registered watches.

So in short it does help a bit to show you care about the brand and you have other pieces. However the spend is calculated based on spend with AP, so you'd be lower on the ladder than someone who only spends money at a boutique and nothing else.

That's where the art of being a good SA comes in to weave together an overall picture of the client...

[Zazzles]

My SA seemed irritated that I bought a RO grey said something like "you're feeding the grey market" "you didn't want to wait?"

[messikens]

Originally Posted by Zazzles

My SA seemed irritated that I bought a RO grey said something like "you're feeding the grey market" "you didn't want to wait?"

Interesting...
Mine didn't really say anything when I told him to take one off my wish list outside of "thanks for letting me know".

Guess he doesn't have to try hard to place it with the next person...

[impactplayer]

Weird, when my SA found out I went grey, he said it showed a real commitment to the brand and reflected positively.

[thekman]

I was told it would mind you at the time everything was selling over retail so it definitely meant you were committed to the brand. Now that all codes and offshores are selling way below I bet they won't like it if I buy a Code perp at 40% off in the grey market.

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by thekman

Now that all codes and offshores are selling way below I bet they won't like it if I buy a Code perp at 40% off in the grey market.

Do you have a link to one of the "way below" retail light blue ("Gulf") 42mm Offshores? Definitely interested.

[Marshall kowope]

doesn;t count in dubai

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Marshall kowope

doesn;t count in dubai

Given that Dubai is doing more than anyone to feed the grey market that's cute.

[thekman]

Originally Posted by VogelPhoenix

Do you have a link to one of the "way below" retail light blue ("Gulf") 42mm Offshores? Definitely interested.

I apologize profusely for misspeaking and saying that ALL codes and ROOs are below retail when it's just most of them.

[Token74]

Originally Posted by tenementhall

Lol at (1)

+1


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[Chelsea1986]

Originally Posted by thekman

I was told it would mind you at the time everything was selling over retail so it definitely meant you were committed to the brand. Now that all codes and offshores are selling way below I bet they won't like it if I buy a Code perp at 40% off in the grey market.

I bought my code 11:59 chrono for about 40% discount from Watchfinder

[CactusTreeFiddy]

Logically you'd think it'd be a good signal

But my SA said no it doesn't count

[eiesh]

Just out of curiosity, has buying Grey helped anyone with an allocation (RO blue dial & better).
I ask because all I see here is commitment to the brand, so they can sell you to AP, but has any of that materialized ?
Just asking by the way, not trying to offend anyone.

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[7sins]

I've spoke about this multiple times with my SA, she said it does help when AP assess your collection for your wish list. She said especially if you buy a watch that is discontinued or one that isn't attainable and to always make sure the watch is registered with AP. I always bring in any AP I procure to have them size and register it at the boutique. However noting that if it isn't a difficult watch to wait for, you are better off going through the boutique.

It was a year or two ago, my boutique had a white QP available and they were deciding who would be the buyer. I have an incredibly strong relationship with my boutique and it came down to myself and another buyer, they selected the other buyer who had a much more rounded collection even though several of his watches weren't bought from the boutique (I had a more extensive purchase history). This also happened with a RD2 about 18 months ago that I lost out on, found it interesting that not all watches are pre-allocated. IMO I would have had a higher chance of getting the nod if my collection included more non-boutique watches at the time.