Would You Rather? Buy Panda Daytona from Grey or Wait for AD?

[stainlesssteelsteve]

Starting to think it's impossible to get a white dial Daytona from an AD.

Do I....

A) Spend $36K on an unworn watch from a grey dealer, and get the watch this year?

B) Keep buying watches from my AD in hopes that I'll get the watch in 2-3 years?
- I have a $70K spend and they are requesting a $100K spend before being eligible for the white dial Daytona

[dnd2984]

Grey…

Is mayors your AD?

[Mystro]

$100k won’t get it done. Don’t play games and just buy the Daytona you want from one of our trusted sellers. Many has said $100k in sales won’t get you a SS Daytona so why even take the chance buying jewelry you don’t want or need? That’s more risky and offensive than paying street value and getting the watch you want.

[stainlesssteelsteve]

Originally Posted by Mystro

$100k won’t get it done. Don’t play games and buy the Daytona you want from one of our trusted sellers. Many has said $100k in sales won’t get you a SS Daytona so why even take the chance buying jewelry you don’t want or need?

This is my concern...

[stainlesssteelsteve]

Originally Posted by dnd2984

Grey…

Is mayors your AD?

They are one of my ADs

[Mystro]

You might want to wait out a few years for another model like a GMT from a AD but a SS Daytona is a different level and the top of the mountain for exclusive big spenders.

I would bet in 10 years that $36k won’t seem so expensive for a white SS Daytona.

[dnd2984]

What Mystro said, why are you going to send that kind of money for zero guarantee. DavidSW and Takuya are solid grey dealers. I think Takuya had a new one and 116500 on site. Also my opinion In white the 116500 looks better and black in 126500.

[ltmgeller]

AD is my vote

[dauster]

2016 for 27k not bad or brand new 9k more - just got for it -

https://www.takuyawatches.com/produc...teel-full-set/

https://www.takuyawatches.com/produc...24-full-set-2/

[stainlesssteelsteve]

Originally Posted by dnd2984

What Mystro said, why are you going to send that kind of money for zero guarantee. DavidSW and Takuya are solid grey dealers. I think Takuya had a new one and 116500 on site. Also my opinion In white the 116500 looks better and black in 126500.

I was thinking that I'd buy a precious metal Daytona, which I want anyways and see what happens. But, the issue is just waiting without any guarantee of getting the white dial.

I actually like the white dial in the 126500 better, because it has Zenith Daytona vibes. Plus, I have a black dial 116500.

[stainlesssteelsteve]

Originally Posted by dauster

2016 for 27k not bad or brand new 9k more - just got for it -

https://www.takuyawatches.com/produc...teel-full-set/

https://www.takuyawatches.com/produc...24-full-set-2/

The second one (new and unworn) is fire.

[Mystro]

Originally Posted by dauster

2016 for 27k not bad or brand new 9k more - just got for it -

https://www.takuyawatches.com/produc...teel-full-set/

https://www.takuyawatches.com/produc...24-full-set-2/

^^^FYI: condition is everything with a SS Daytona and most have lived a very pampered life so the actual year doesn’t mean much. I would be inclined to buy an older mint condition and save a few $$ when we are talking a SS Daytona. These were highly prized and expensive right from 2016 so no one beats up their Daytona let alone abuses one like they might a Sub.

[stainlesssteelsteve]

Originally Posted by Mystro

^^^FYI: condition is everything with a SS Daytona and most have lived a very pampered life so the actual year doesn’t mean much. I would be inclined to buy an older mint condition and save a few $$ when we are talking a SS Daytona. These were highly prized and expensive right from 2016 so no one beats up their Daytona let alone abuses one like they might a Sub.

You're not wrong, but I'm leaning towards the 126500. And, might as well spend an extra couple of thousand for an unworn version.

[dnd2984]

Originally Posted by stainlesssteelsteve

I was thinking that I'd buy a precious metal Daytona, which I want anyways and see what happens. But, the issue is just waiting without any guarantee of getting the white dial.

I actually like the white dial in the 126500 better, because it has Zenith Daytona vibes. Plus, I have a black dial 116500.

That makes sense since you have black in 11. I love PM Daytonas. I have two on OF and two SS. My white 116500 gets the most wear. I did get all my Daytonas from the AD. Knowing how the AD works and if I was to start over today, I would be grey Market.

[joli160]

70K on purchases makes you a very good customer imho. Now they want you to go to 100K
At least they are honest about it but upon hearing that I would walk out and never set foot in that establishment again.

[jitdc]

I've been lucky enough to get two PM Daytonas from my AD, as well as a blue-dial SkyDweller amongst others, and declined some other great watches too... However, the white dial Daytona is the one that still evades me. At one point the manager said he could make it happen, that was a year ago. I requested a tt sub black dial... now three months in my regular SA at the shop they say "Maybe tt is possible" but didn't give me a reason to hold out hope for a steel Daytona.

7 Rolex watch purchases and jewelry from the same AD over 4.5 years. I say all that just to encourage you to go out and buy the Daytona you want now from a trusted seller. The AD games are so ridiculous, don't waste your time or money. I will be doing the same this year as well.

[codecow]

Personally I would just walk into my AD and ask for one.

[Dave O]

If your AD is saying you need to spend $100k to even be considered, I'd go grey. I'm glad my AD doesn't play games like that with me.

[ArtNouveau]

Not in the market for another Daytona but if I was it would be AD or bust.

[John Doyle]

Obviously wait for AD

[HHIslander]

I’m not a fan of paying huge markups to grey dealers, but the SS Daytona is an exception. If you factor in the stress/money of continuing to play the AD game and add in the immediate gratification of having one on your wrist now instead of having to wait for years, going grey makes sense if it’s your dream watch. I say you should buy one today and enjoy it.

[padi56]

Not a fan of the modern day Daytona and would not pay over inflated prices from the grey market for any watch, no matter how much watch was hyped as must have.

[rmlovett1]

Not in a lifetime would I keep spending money to have the “privilege” to spend more money.
Yes…..please keep stringing me along to spend money for an unknown amount of time…for something that may come in 2 months or 5 yrs. That’s IF the AD is straight up with you on allocation.
Me personally….time vs money. Enjoyment now Vs ????

[1William]

This is really about money and what you are willing to spend. No guarantees that at 100k you get the watch. I do not like the uncertainty of waiting without them telling me when the watch I want will be available to me. I would go with a Trusted Seller and get the watch I want now without any further games.

[JSol1]

Aside from the grey vs AD debate, I own both White and Black and I love them, but no way would I pay over Retail for them. I’d rather go without but of course it’s a personal choice…

[Rolexforthewin]

I'll never buy grey!

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by rmlovett1

Not in a lifetime would I keep spending money to have the “privilege” to spend more money.
Yes…..please keep stringing me along to spend money for an unknown amount of time…for something that may come in 2 months or 5 yrs. That’s IF the AD is straight up with you on allocation.
Me personally….time vs money. Enjoyment now Vs ????

Couldn’t have said it any better ^^^

[Mystro]

The question is this: If you recommended the OP buying a SS Daytona from a AD, do you own a SS Daytona yourself??

What I am getting at is the success rate of actually getting a SS Daytona through a AD is somewhere close to securing your retirement income with scratcher lottery tickets. You could spend $100,000 on lottery tickets and up your chances but there’s no guarantees with that strategy.

[stevestil]

I got a white dial 116500 from my AD in 2022. I no longer have a relationship with that AD unfortunately. sure, I was lucky enough to get it, here is how I got it:

I sent my previous AD A LOT of referrals (over 100k) and I also had a spend of roughly the same amount with them (over 100K). Even then, it took a while to get the Daytona and I had to go through multiple channels within the AD to "get approved"...looking back on the experience now, it was actually awful lol.

if I had to do it all over again, I would definitely buy it on the Grey Market. just saying.

there are people who say "I will never pay above retail", but when you really factor in the cost of most of these watches on the secondary compared to what you need to spend to get one at retail, in many cases, buying the watch once on the secondary is actually cheaper, and believe it or not, you will get better service from a reputable grey dealer than you will at 95% of AD's (and 95% may be generous.....more like 99%). I am getting a bit tired of the AD's making it seem like it is a tremendous privilege that they are "allowing" you to spend tens and thousand of dollars of YOUR hard earned money. As far as authenticity goes, if you buy from a reputable dealer with a lot of skin in the game and someone who has been doing this for a long time, authenticity is not a concern. No Grey market dealer that has a reputation is going to risk selling a fake and all of the reputable dealers are EXTREMELY experienced in being able to tell a fake from a real one, even with all of these great replicas coming out of China.

the icing on the cake for me was when I had a conversation with an AD (Bucherer on 57th and Madison). My sales associate there sold me a date just 36 as a walk in for my wife this past summer. After months and months of waiting for any other watch that I asked him for, and believe me, no watch I asked for was something he couldn't get for me, he basically told me I will never be able to get a watch from them because I spent money at a different Bucherer on Long Island (in Roosevelt Field Mall). Not only do they make you feel like they are doing you a favor by allowing you to spend your money, but now they also tell you WHERE you can spend your money. no thanks.

if you're at 70k with your AD and need to spend another 30 to be eligible and "maybe" get a Daytona.....Id rather spend 36k and be sure im getting it, without buying a bunch of stuff I don't really want in between. A lot of times, when we think of the "end goal", we convince ourselves we want things in between when In reality we don't.

there are plenty of watches that you can wait for, and they will eventually come, assuming you have a good relationship and a consistent spend with your AD. a SS Daytona is not one of those "keep waiting, the call will come!" watches.

[OTX]

I personally would never buy a Rolex watch from a gray dealer. I like to purchase my Rolexes from an AD as I enjoy the experience and I never have to doubt the authenticity or condition. It’s gives me peace of mind.

In this case though, the Daytona is almost impossible to get even with a good spend history!. I recently added my name to the list with my AD for a steel Daytona and it would be real cool if I get it one day. If I don’t, then fine. I can live without it.

Now if I really wanted that watch real bad, I think it might be the only time I would go gray in my life. With tax, you’re looking at about 16k from an AD. On the gray market, you would pay double the price but it’s still better than buying jewelry and things you don’t want that are already stupidly marked up. If you really do the math, you’re paying the mark up anyway. Not to mention it doesn’t even guarantee you one. I would go gray as you never get time back. Enjoy it now!. If you do end up getting the call, buy it and sell the one you bought from the gray market and you’ll break even. Good luck.