Rolex Needs a New Business Model
 

Rolex needs to sell direct to consumer. That would completely eliminate the unfair lists the jewelers manipulate. Once the watch is purchased from Rolex its sent to an authorized jeweler that has all the fakes in the case to try on and they set the watch up once it arrives at the AD of your choice. This would eliminate all the AD grey market and waiting list shenanigans. I wouldn't hesitate to go on a Rolex corporate wait list because you know its going to be handled fairly and you wont get smoke blown up your A$$ as the ADs are doing now.

Yeah new going to happen


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Sound like a logistical nightmare for corporate. Not going to happen. Nothing wrong with what they are doing. We are in a free market.

Why would Rolex want to eliminate the grey market and AD waitlists? They work in their favor.

Sounds like someone is bitter they can’t get what they want from an AD. Buck up and play the AD game, pay grey, or get out. Simple.

lol and instead of competing with buyers in the local market, people would then be competing with buyers globally.

Lol go ask sneakerheads how well this model works.

If Rolex sold direct, I would put my name as well as everyone I know on the list, and flip them non stop. Myself, wife, kid, parents, siblings, deceased great grand parents, friends, you name it, one of every available hot model. I'm sure many others would do the same and you would just make the secondary market worse than it is now.

Bad idea, sorry. The situation is already out of hand and the only solutions really are to increase supply or decrease demand.

Consumers would benefit but we are pawns in the game. There's no reason for Rolex to change the business model - the current model works exactly the way they want it to.

Exactly, Every watch in the global market would be at your fingertips when available.

Are you serious? What makes you think Rolex "the master" of brand recognition and guarding the brand doesn't have everything they want totally under control now???? Rolex is sitting on top of the industry because they dont listen to what other less successful companies are trying.


Rolex doesn't care if you are inconvenience or cant buy their watches. Once you wrap your head around this simple truth you will understand how Rolex works like no other company.

You think that’s how it works? lol

i'm sure rolex who are selling more watches than ever want to listen to the internet for advice lol

HOWEVER to eliminate this you only get 2 watches per year per consumer from Rolex. No hording.

It then becomes a wait list of 95% flippers with multiple email addresses, pseudonyms and overseas addresses. Situation gets far far worse.

Another thread bashing Greys. Look it is simple: you have excess demand and Greys only fill that need by providing trustworthy service. Without them, transactions would be direct. Are you going to blame the buyers who pay 3X retail next ?

Please continue making up more silly rules for Rolex that they will never consider or even hear lol

How would Rolex benefit from this extra work?

Not now it doesn't but it sure could.

Happy customers and ADs without empty cases. And all the watches Rolex could sell.

HOWEVER, here people can't even get one and you think a limit of two will solve it.

I can have a good 100 people add their names to the waiting list for two each before dinner time today. You don't think everyone else who's keen on Rolex values wouldn't do the same and on a greater scale? Get real.

Right now, many new watches just end up at grey dealers, but your model would result in 100% of them sitting in grey dealer windows.

Tesla does it, Works for them doesn't it?

You can bet your butt that Rolex know exactly what they are doing.

Why not Rolex would love that i'm sure. As long as you foot the non refundable 1K deposits per watch.

The customers buying are happy

They are selling all they can make

Doubt they're bothered shout the empty cases
.
They never had it so good

Rolex doesnt care if you are inconvenienced or cant buy their watches. Rolex doesnt want to be accessible.

Couple of issues with your plan:
1) In the history of retail there has never been a greater sales tool than the insane valuations of mass-produced trinkets we see now. Rolex would have to be crazy to mess with that. They should LOVE the grey market in its current form, and I bet they secretly do.
2) Assume Rolex announced today that tomorrow, 12PM GVA time, first come, first served waitlists for all their models open. At 12:00:01 those waitlists would be filled by flippers/greys using automated machinery to secure their place in line. Zero reason for Rolex to get into an arms race with bot developers. Any hurdle they put in place will be much easier to clear for full-time flippers than the random guy from the street trying to buy a Sub for his 40th...

Maybe ADs should vet people before they go on waitlists? Well, welcome back to exactly where we are now.

What difference does it make who buys the watch as long as its fairly distributed? Who is to stop flippers now? This way Rolex could control distribution and ban known flippers from buying a watch. Computers can track anything today.

You assume Rolex doesn’t like flippers.

Life ain’t fair, pal. Especially when it comes to luxury goods. This isn’t some life necessity.

Seems to me that Rolex doesn't need anything; they seem to be happy with the way things are going currently.

- Great products
- Demand exceeds supply
- Increasing wealthy customers
- Popular with celebrities and web personalities
- Strong profits
- Great reputation through advertising, sports

Looks like they need a new business plan.