Passed on a Sea-Dweller TT today...

[squall1]

I'm in the fairly early stages of trying to build a relationship with an AD here in Taipei. There are a handful, so I've been stoping by and chatting when the opportunity arises.

After lunch my wife and I were nearby a couple of ADs so we decided to pop in and have a look. I'm actually looking to pick up a 41mm DD as a foot in the door piece and they do tend to have them from time to time here. We stop in the first shop and there's nothing of note.

The second shop however had the Sea-Dweller in the window. I figured this was just there waiting for it's owner to come pick it up as this seems to be common practice here, but they will often let you try them on anyway so I asked. I also asked if it was for sale and didn't get a straight answer, just a kind of non-answer. They do get it out and let me try it. It's not a watch I was considering, but I actually liked it and asked again if it was for sale. After a long chat in chinese between the sales associate and my wife, I came to understand that I could buy the SD if I bought another Rolex, any one.

So I look around at the other I don't know, 7 watches in the nearly empty cases and there is one Roman numeral white dial 41MM DJ. So I tried it and just couldn't really decide if I liked it, but I was trying to. Everything up until this point felt extremely clinical, even for here. So I was already getting a bad taste in my mouth.

The TWD has been getting stronger while the USD has been in it's slump, so this has actually had quite an effect on the pricing here (my brain thinks in USD for big purchases like this). Not that it's the end all be all, but the out the door price for both pieces would have been a shade over 31k at today's rates (19.5 for the SD and 11.5 for the DJ). Even considering tax, that's a bit rough when thinking about the US pricing.

I contemplated for a bit and left. I was really surprised how much I actually liked the SD on the wrist and wanted that watch, but the notion of having to buy another watch that I wasn't particularly fond of and the cold nature of the sales staff had me walking.

Anyway, just wanted to share. The experience has me rethinking if I really want to play the game here or not. I guess I'll find out if the opportunity arises to get one of the pieces closer to the top of my list.

[Bryan81]

I would have passed too. The idea of buying a watch I don’t like just to get the one I do has no appeal to me.


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[Mick Z]

You probably could flip the DJ for what you paid for it and perhaps more. (Not sure about the Taiwan market, but in the U.S. that would be the case.) Go back and get them both!

[Cigars&Watches]

Thanks for sharing your experience. No doubt you will find something before long. Good luck

[rolexperfect]

Good decision. I got one two weeks ago, but returned it after two days, and my AD was fine. Ended up getting other watches from the AD, I'm enjoying more for the same $$$.

[clickingdru]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Doood]

The TTSD43 is a surprisingly cool watch for sure. Almost every AD I visited this year, in several states, either had one in the case or in the back, for sale, without bundling or previous purchase history. Sound like the market is a little tighter there. I think you made the right decision.

[squall1]

Thanks for all the kind replies. I could probably flip the DJ at a bit of a loss here in Taiwan, maybe. I've actually seen different configs of that variant 3 times now in the last 3 weeks here. Perhaps it's not very popular here? But it sounds like work and I don't think I'm interested in that kind of work tbh.

I had heard that an AD here very recently posted the policy of the second watch purchase for anything popular. I haven't seen that posting, but friends have. Bit strange to me for sure.

So the second part of the story is we went to a 3rd AD later that day. This is the last one that I hadn't actually been to in Taipei. They had the new flat green OP in the window. This watch was spoken for but I was allowed to try it. Again, surprised how much I liked this color. Wife loved it.

Anyway the vibe this sales associate gave off was a complete 180. He let me vent a little bit about my earlier experience. He was a pretty honest when it came to discussing how they managed allocations there. He basically said they do whatever they feel like in that moment. Depends on the stock, what's been sitting there, for how long, who the customer is, etc. So they don't have a specific policy but he had heard other ADs in town almost always attached the second watch as a contingency to purchasing something popular. He said sometimes they do that in their shop and sometimes they don't, just depends. Good guy, appreciated the honesty.

So he offers to take me around the store and they have some cool stuff so I took him up on it. We spent about an hour trying on watches and chatting. They have JLC, Blancpain, Vacheron, A. Lange & Sohne, amongst others...some really interesting pieces. I've had Rolex on the brain for so long I kind of lost sight of the rest of the watch world. I tried a silver dial Overseas Dual Time that has turned my head/thinking. Such a beautiful watch in person. See how I feel about it after a bit of research and contemplation. A bit cheaper than the two Rolex incidentally, apples and oranges I guess.

[Doood]

You have good taste in watches

I really like the dual time, and the chrono, in silver and blue, but I aesthetically like the second generation, of both, better. The second gen. just seemed to wear flatter.