How would you prefer to get your watch.....

[tictoc1]

Several popular watch brands (rolex excluded) now offer direct purchase through their website, which also includes 24 hour delivery and even a prepaid return label

Lets assume These same watch brands have dealerships or boutiques in your area and the price is the same as it would be on the website, meaning no discounts

Based on the above model, what would you prefer as your route to purchase?

would you like to go in to a store, try on the watch, speak to a sales associate and walk out with the watch on your wrist...or ... do you prefer ordering and having your first experience at home

Manny

[brandrea]

I prefer going to the store

Welcome to the forum

[Turbo Racer]

I would go to the store for the experience and to talk and have a relationship with the ad. I would need my watch sized anyways so, no, I wouldn’t prefer getting my watch delivered at home.

[JParm]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I prefer going to the store

Welcome to the forum

My man.

[IndependentCandy14]

In Store.

-IndependentCandy14

[tictoc1]

I will say this, I have never returned a watch that I Purchased through the store .. despite having buyers remorse on a few purchases.

The main advantage of online is the anonymity it offers

I agree with others and would prefer the in person retail experience

[mountainjogger]

Originally Posted by tictoc1

I will say this, I have never returned a watch that I Purchased through the store .. despite having buyers remorse on a few purchases.

The main advantage of online is the anonymity it offers

I agree with others and would prefer the in person retail experience

In store.

[OrangeSport]

Store

Always

For everything

[Robf52]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I prefer going to the store

This.

[beshannon]

I prefer a boutique

[alphadweller]

Go to the store to try it on. Have a nice chit chat with the sales assistant. Go out for a walk!

[Harry-57]

Depends on what I am getting and for how much. It's about buying the seller as well as the watch. Having done that, it's a question of who is selling at the lowest price. For Rolex that's currently the AD.

My AD is fair on discounts. I've bought Omega and Tag watches from my AD after they discounted to match grey prices. Sometimes they can do it, sometimes they can't. Established grey dealers get the business the AD doesn't price match or nearly match. And a Breitling from an AD on my travels, who offered a discount greater than the UK grey saving.

I've bought some watches online direct from makers/distributors sometimes with discount, sometimes not. These include Ciga, Ball, Bamford and Seiko.

Case by case basis.

[Tim Plains]

Amazon style. Add to cart, Prime delivery tomorrow, print a return label if I don't like it.

Just kidding. In person store purchase. Why transfer funds if I don't like how it wears.

[chro.nic]

In store, in person for me as well!!

.nic

[DJ2020]

I always like to inspect, feel/ handle a watch before I purchase. Also like to know personally the seller or store first. Face to face. Especially a preowned piece.

[Bryan81]

I hadn’t realized that the “AD experience” was so important to such a high percentage of people around here. I buy the watches because I like the watches. I could care less about the small talk with a sales associate. Also, I’d rather not spend the time driving down to the store and back when I could just have it delivered straight to my door.

Maybe it’s because my experiences with ADs have never been anything memorable, but if I was able to order a new watch straight from Rolex rather than going to one of their ADs, I’d go that route.


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[KathleenL]

We purchased the first of my two Tags in the AD's store. The second Tag was purchased online from a Tag boutique in another State and they shipped it to me. Both are 27mm Ladies watches, and since the first one fit without needing to add or remove any links, I knew the second would fit without alteration, so I was fine with purchasing it that way.

My 28mm Lady Datejust Rolex was purchased in the AD's store. Again, no alterations.

If I were to get another Rolex or Tag (but I won't), I would be fine with purchasing it online from an AD and having it shipped overnight to me.

Editing to say that the online purchase of my second Tag wasn't exactly a regular online purchase that you can do when purchasing directly from Tag. It was all via e-mail messages.

[csaltphoto]

Watches are interesting. I find them to have a really large gap between how they look in pictures and how they look in person and feel on the wrist. I will say that Rolex does an excellent job of delivering the in person experience (Not the AD experience but that a Rolex will look like the pics and be comfortable to wear).

[jbro352]

From an AD, by far


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[nyyankees]

Originally Posted by Harry-57

Depends on what I am getting and for how much. It's about buying the seller as well as the watch. Having done that, it's a question of who is selling at the lowest price. For Rolex that's currently the AD.

My AD is fair on discounts. I've bought Omega and Tag watches from my AD after they discounted to match grey prices. Sometimes they can do it, sometimes they can't. Established grey dealers get the business the AD doesn't price match or nearly match. And a Breitling from an AD on my travels, who offered a discount greater than the UK grey saving.

I've bought some watches online direct from makers/distributors sometimes with discount, sometimes not. These include Ciga, Ball, Bamford and Seiko.

Case by case basis.

Agree with this. My AD gets the business when they have the best price and selection, otherwise I have no issue going grey to get the watch I want a significant savings. I think I’d follow this same MO in the situation you present.


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[Mr. K]

AD definitely

[tpool]

In store. I want to see it, touch it, try it on along with other possible models.


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[Cauhauna]

I would love an online option from Rolex

Eliminate all the horse shit around the hottest of models; give me a definitive place in line for the piece I want from the Rolex E-Boutique.

Oh, a Blue Sky Dweller is a seven year waitlist? Cool, thank you. Now I can decide if i want to wait, try my luck with an AD, or go grey and get it tomorrow.
The AD waitlist experience for the hottest models is not a good experience; even worse if your AD loses their AD status some number of years into your waitlist.

At the end of the day, Rolex is a mass produced watch, and should be treated as such.

Looking forward to getting the call one day, direct from Vacheron, for my Overseas.

[HL65]

Store…AD has worked just fine for me since I started collecting almost 35 years ago.

[jimcameron]

On street corner in shady neighborhood.

[S.Explorer]

Definitely in store.

[travisb]

AD by far.

[Onequik135i]

AD in person.

[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by Cauhauna

I would love an online option from Rolex

There was a time when this might have worked but it wouldn't work today. The queues would go past the moon. There would be thousands of grey market dealers and bots in front of you and what you now wait 5 years for will be essentially non existent to you.

The AD model is discretionary and it works. If it doesn't work for you you need another AD or another brand. Maybe come back when things have cooled down - if they ever do.

[airchitect]

In store is the way. Far more exciting.


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