Reply With QuoteI thought it was 8 or 9 percent, actually. Any day now over here...Originally Posted by davida
Does anyone know if the prices are on the rise here in the uk?
US prices up 7% as of 1st June.
8 or 9%? Even worse then.I thought it was 8 or 9 percent, actually. Any day now over here...
Nearly £6k for a GMT & Sub, whats the world coming to.
18 months ago, A NW AD would have sold me one for £3,820.....
So, I guess we will find out tomorrow if the prices are going up in June then. Maybe I should have held onto a few of my watches for a month longer :)
It's just a matter of time...
Wow, I am amazed that the mainstream watch brands sell enough now. The proportion of the population willing to spend £6K on a mass produced steel watch must be just a small fraction of those willing to spend £2.5K (which is the price I think a steel Sub should be).
Omega, Breitling, Rolex, IWC etc all seem to be in a reverse price war. Surely there will be some casualties. Even with a fatter profit margin per sale and lucrative asian markets there just cannot be enough people that are crazy enough to part with that much cash to keep all the premium brands profitable.
Also second hand values are not keeping pace. A few years ago if you sold a nearly new steel Rolex sports you took a loss of a few hundred or after a couple of years you might make a profit. Now you will take about a £2K loss for nearly new and an older watch may never break even. Resale is not necessarily the first though when buying a watch but it certainly helps justify spending so much if it retains some value.
How much higher can these type of watches go in cost (above inflation) before sales are so reduced that no watch company makes a profit? What will happen to second hand values when Rolex (and the others) do finally stop the massive yearly price inceases?
Don't see the logic in the rise especially in the uk, £ is stronger against the euro and fairly good against the $.
Not sure re second hand prices, when I got my ND Sub in 2004 it cost less than 2k.
I'm pretty sure I'd get my money back on it now if I had to sell it (not that I ever will, so I guess it's a moot point).
The watches do not come from Eurozone or US.
Emerging markets my friend....They are swimming in cash.
I can confirm that Europe will be seeing a price rise next week.
Will that include the UK??
£2.5k - I am sure lots of people wish they were that cheap - aspirational items must have some financial penalty/barrier to entry or they wouldn't have the same appeal.
Can't see any casualties any time soon - record profits for most of the players.
Used prices are keeping pace very well thank you, or haven't you noticed the increase in prices?
Loss of around £2k on a new Rolex? What models are you on about - only the ones that lost a similar percentage before - no steel sports model Rolex is going to lose £2k - I'm baffled by your post in general, which is making some bold statements that the facts just don't back up in my experience. A SubC is not £3400 for example.
Yes prices are not as firm as they were for a nearly new watch - but the increase in prices keeps the used ones up - remember a DSSD was only £4750 on launch, now £7070 - or if there is an increase today, even more! Perhaps this is the £2k loss watch you are talking about, as I can't see any others getting anywhere close and I doubt you'd drop £2k on new one even if you paid full RRP which would be rare.
There is not always a massive yearly price increase - I think we are forgetting that there is inflation and increased prices for most things we consume - having luxury goods go up a bit faster is not a crazy business model - if I recall we have seen 5%, 6% and 7% increases - hardly massive - I remember in the good ole days (When I was growing up and looking in the AD windows) when Rolex hadn't increased their prices for a few years.
Personally, I think they should be a lot more expensive - all these luxury items should be double the price and then we would see what happen :twisted:
Sorry edited to change the transposed figures - the DSSD was £4750 on launch and some were able to get a discount on that too!
It's just a matter of time...
This is just madness.....
The DSSD has had the same percentage increases as the rest of the Rolex range, and like Omegamanic states above it doesn't seem like Rolex, or anyone else, are having problems selling their watches if you look at it globally.This is just madness.....
I'm not agruing that they aren't seeling.
It's just that a 55% increase in price over the years is quite a hike.
Can't think of anything other than Petrol that risen that much lol.
People aren't just buying a 'massed produced steel watch' - this is part of the issue: http://www.bankslyon.co.uk/blog/role...nted-brand.php
Sorry, I had to edit my post the original price was £4750, so approx 50% increase over 4 years.
It's just a matter of time...
Ah yes - but this is forgetting the fact that virtually all brand prices are up by similar amounts, people are buying into perceived luxury and aspirational goods.
Any way, can any one confirm if the UK is having a price rise on Rolex watches?
It's just a matter of time...
Rolex prices are now officially mental IMHO. Frankly I don't give a damn about global markets - most AD's in the uk have windows full of models you had to order just a few years ago. doesn't look like they are selling to me. if you look at pay rises in the uk only a very few are getting richer at the moment. If those that are getting richer are all WIS then Rolex will be fine, but for me the Rolex collecting thing is over. It might be cheaper to get into collecting sports cars the way watch prices are rising :-)
No official word yet, but it is pretty much definite.
Spot on.... The AD I visited last week to buy my GMT c, readily gave me a 10% discount, just by asking....
He had 2 other GMT C's in the window, plus both black and white 42mm GMT's... A couple of Sub C's in different flavours, a Sub C LV... And more than 1 DSSD...... On top of that lot he had a few Explorers, a Daytona and lots of other stuff...
Basically the display window was pretty full of SS sport model Rolex's....
Goldsmiths around the corner though, hardly had any...
Getting quite obscene, the only people happy are those who have bought their Rolex for investment, I'm rapidly going off the brand as it just seems to be aimed at wannabees and investors
But are these the bulk of the watches they actually sell though? I would have thought, for example, that to the general public for every one Daytona they sell they will sell dozens of DateJusts, and those have never been in short supply. My guess would be the models that are most discussed here is not representative of their sales figures.
I don't really know, what the bulk of their sales are..... I was just pointing out that they had a window full of SS sports models.... Whereas 18 months to 2 years ago, seeing a Sub C or a Sub LV or a Daytona on display wasn't that common.. :)But are these the bulk of the watches they actually sell though? I would have thought, for example, that to the general public for every one Daytona they sell they will sell dozens of DateJusts, and those have never been in short supply. My guess would be the models that are most discussed here is not representative of their sales figures.
How do you know?No official word yet, but it is pretty much definite.
Can anyone actually confirm it with an agent or is it still rumours. I thought agents were informed on the day that the rpcie rise occurs rahter than been given news that it will happen next month.
I passed two Rolex agents on Tuesday and the window was full of every model inc all variations of the sub.
It´s a game man, it´s a game....................
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Well look on the bright side, if you want to buy a new SS model at least you can walk in and buy one now rather than having to join a waiting list and sit it out for a few years :wink: Some of the comments on this thread (and every time the Rolex price rise thread rears it's head on the forum) are quite interesting. The way I see it is Rolex,I don't really know, what the bulk of their sales are..... I was just pointing out that they had a window full of SS sports models.... Whereas 18 months to 2 years ago, seeing a Sub C or a Sub LV or a Daytona on display wasn't that common.. :)But are these the bulk of the watches they actually sell though? I would have thought, for example, that to the general public for every one Daytona they sell they will sell dozens of DateJusts, and those have never been in short supply. My guess would be the models that are most discussed here is not representative of their sales figures.
1) don't give a stuff about WIS (can't imagine that they constitute even 0.0001% of total sales figures) so don't go thinking statements like "I won't collect Rolex anymore" make a difference to them as they sell ever more numbers of watches.
2) I'll buy second hand instead, don't imagine that bothers Rolex either as it all helps brand awareness and helps to keep second hand prices up which in turn makes Rolex more appealing as they're seen not to lose money so new sales continue along nicely.
3) they can keep upping prises because there is no shortage of people prepared to pay it in both this country and elsewhere.
4) they're still cheap compared to other aspirational watch bands (look at how much a PP 3 hander costs :shock: ), and on par with similar brands such as Omega and IWC.
So ultimately if you can't afford them anymore then such is life, Rolex will continue to sell watches by the bucket load and you'll have to collect something else!
Personally it's not the price rises I object too, it's the awful maxi cases on the new SubC / LV :lol:
Subs have not been priced at or about £2.5K since 2001/2002. :roll:
Not crazy, just keen.
Yes they are. S/H price for my Sub is at or above what I bought it for in 2008.
How much higher - about 5 - 11% - every 18 months or so - can't see that changing.
Each time there's a price rise, people bemoan the craziness of it all. Give it two months, the market (and that's all it is) re-adjusts and acclimatises to the new reality and we all just get on with it.
There is that!
David
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
We all knew it is going to happen but it is always painful when it does. The problem is that there is no longer a perceived value to them. Buy them if you can afford it and enjoy. I don't think they will be good investments at this rate, with the number of watches they are producing. :(
It's probably just me but I really don't understand the 'watch as an investment' idea. I buy watches because they look good and they tell the time, if it goes up in value fine, if it doesn't I don't care. I'm wearing it to get enjoyment, not in the hope it's going to make any money.
If you want an investment get something else (top tip: not shares in Facebook).
What a crazy idea, would not do to be an average Rolex buyer these days who is more concerned with residual value, investment, and status than the watch itselfIt's probably just me but I really don't understand the 'watch as an investment' idea. I buy watches because they look good and they tell the time, if it goes up in value fine, if it doesn't I don't care. I'm wearing it to get enjoyment, not in the hope it's going to make any money.
If you want an investment get something else (top tip: not shares in Facebook).
Is it possible for me to put a deposit down with an AD in London for a SubC LV and get today's price until one arrives in stock?
any AD recommendation that is willing to do that?
Thanks.
no
No - but maybe you could sign up to 0% - or buy one if they have one in the group and are having it shipped to your store. AD's generally pay the increased prices for new stock as soon as it is released, this is one reason quite a few AD's carry a fair amount of stock.
It's just a matter of time...
thanks for the info.
Anyone know of any AD in the UK that have one in stock or in their system?
Did the usual London laps and no stores have any.
David M Robinson in Chester had one in their window on Monday gone :)
01244 320 046
Well according to one poster further up the thread all the ADs have steel sports models coming out of their ears so they should be easy to find as no one is purchasing them :lol:
Surely its all about the rate of increase of prices compared to other commonly bought items.
Compare Rolex pricing with that of the most expensive item many people will buy in their lives - a car (excluding houses obviously).
According to Parkers starting price for a new VW Polo (entry level for a reasonably prestigous brand) was roughly £8000 in 2000. Now its roughly £10000. Thats an increase of about 25%.
I'm not sure what price Rolexes were in 2000, but from reading this thread prices seem to have more than doubled.
I know that the car market is very, very different from the luxury watch market, but surely there will come a tipping point when the price of a watch will exceed that of a decent car (the new Deepsea will be £8000ish? - only a little bit less than the VW). But in order for Rolex to keep selling their 'mass produced' watches in sufficient quantity, ordinary people (ie the type of people who buy VW Polos) will have to keep buying them. However I doubt that, when the aforementioned tipping point comes, people will keep buying them - they will prefer to buy a car instead! Infact at the current rates of increase, its only a matter of time before watches become more expensive than proper luxury cars...!
The point is, they cannot continue to increase their prices at a rate that is so much higher than anything else forever. There will eventually come a point where people will stop buying them in the required quantities. We might not be there yet, but surely we must be getting close?
:lol: there will always be people who can afford them
I think you are wrong to use a VW Polo as a comparison against a Rolex mate. A VW Polo is far nearer the bottom of the luxury car market than the top if you can even call it a luxury car in the first place...
I remember a thread a while back (probably the last time Rolex increased their prices) where someone compared the price of a Ferrari in the past to what it is now and then did the same with Rolex... I'm sure they were pretty comparable.
The way I see it is Rolex are not stupid and would only keep increasing their prices if they were sure people would keep buying. Again, going from other threads on this forum and others, the emerging Markets will be the ones buying and they will not be baulking at the prices.
Lastly, the people who had money still have it. Rolex know this and they also know people the world over will buy their watches, regardless of the price....
P.S. A DSSD for over £7000! Sheesh! Anyone who makes that purchase is crazy IMO. I handled one for the first time the other week and although I liked it more than I thought I would its still no where near a 7K watch. Buy 2 2nd hand Rolex sports for that!
According to an article in Watchtime, the luxury watch market has never been better and it's got nothing to do with the UK or the US markets, hence why they don't care about another price rise. Of course, to the average WIS, it's absurd but they are not marketing at us, no disrespect intended :) I agree that it's ridiculous but as long as there is the so called emerging markets, they'll keep upping the prices along with all the other main Swiss brands and all for an anachronistic mechanical watch. You gotta laugh eh! :D
as crazy as buying a 5 year old SD that was worth 50% less not that long ago :P
I think you are wrong to use a VW Polo as a comparison against a Rolex mate. A VW Polo is far nearer the bottom of the luxury car market than the top if you can even call it a luxury car in the first place...
I remember a thread a while back (probably the last time Rolex increased their prices) where someone compared the price of a Ferrari in the past to what it is now and then did the same with Rolex... I'm sure they were pretty comparable.
The way I see it is Rolex are not stupid and would only keep increasing their prices if they were sure people would keep buying. Again, going from other threads on this forum and others, the emerging Markets will be the ones buying and they will not be baulking at the prices.
Lastly, the people who had money still have it. Rolex know this and they also know people the world over will buy their watches, regardless of the price....
P.S. A DSSD for over £7000! Sheesh! Anyone who makes that purchase is crazy IMO. I handled one for the first time the other week and although I liked it more than I thought I would its still no where near a 7K watch. Buy 2 2nd hand Rolex sports for that!
I take your point and I agree that the comparison with a Polo is a bit dodgy. However thats slightly missing the point I was trying to make about rate of increase, and the fact that a 'basic' Rolex is more expensive than any decent new car FULL STOP!
I think you are wrong to use a VW Polo as a comparison against a Rolex mate. A VW Polo is far nearer the bottom of the luxury car market than the top if you can even call it a luxury car in the first place...
I remember a thread a while back (probably the last time Rolex increased their prices) where someone compared the price of a Ferrari in the past to what it is now and then did the same with Rolex... I'm sure they were pretty comparable.
The way I see it is Rolex are not stupid and would only keep increasing their prices if they were sure people would keep buying. Again, going from other threads on this forum and others, the emerging Markets will be the ones buying and they will not be baulking at the prices.
Lastly, the people who had money still have it. Rolex know this and they also know people the world over will buy their watches, regardless of the price....
P.S. A DSSD for over £7000! Sheesh! Anyone who makes that purchase is crazy IMO. I handled one for the first time the other week and although I liked it more than I thought I would its still no where near a 7K watch. Buy 2 2nd hand Rolex sports for that!
I also think that the comparison with Ferrari is a bit dodgy. The point is that Rolexes are mass produced items. They surely need to be purchased in volume? And in order to be bought in volume they need to be bought by people other than the wealthy elite?
Ferraris are NOT mass produced in the same way, and I'd say much more akin to something like Patek Philippe.
Do you disagree with point that given the rate of increase in price, eventually Rolex will, at the very least, have to re-assess their target market?
Rolex have already re-assessed their target market, and it ain't the UK, hence why they don't give a shite! Asia, Asia, Asia!I take your point and I agree that the comparison with a Polo is a bit dodgy. However thats slightly missing the point I was trying to make about rate of increase, and the fact that a 'basic' Rolex is more expensive than any decent new car FULL STOP!
I think you are wrong to use a VW Polo as a comparison against a Rolex mate. A VW Polo is far nearer the bottom of the luxury car market than the top if you can even call it a luxury car in the first place...
I remember a thread a while back (probably the last time Rolex increased their prices) where someone compared the price of a Ferrari in the past to what it is now and then did the same with Rolex... I'm sure they were pretty comparable.
The way I see it is Rolex are not stupid and would only keep increasing their prices if they were sure people would keep buying. Again, going from other threads on this forum and others, the emerging Markets will be the ones buying and they will not be baulking at the prices.
Lastly, the people who had money still have it. Rolex know this and they also know people the world over will buy their watches, regardless of the price....
P.S. A DSSD for over £7000! Sheesh! Anyone who makes that purchase is crazy IMO. I handled one for the first time the other week and although I liked it more than I thought I would its still no where near a 7K watch. Buy 2 2nd hand Rolex sports for that!
I also think that the comparison with Ferrari is a bit dodgy. The point is that Rolexes are mass produced items. They surely need to be purchased in volume? And in order to be bought in volume they need to be bought by people other than the wealthy elite?
Ferraris are NOT mass produced in the same way, and I'd say much more akin to something like Patek Philippe.
Do you disagree with point that given the rate of increase in price, eventually Rolex will, at the very least, have to re-assess their target market?
Well, if it really is Asia, then good luck to them :)
Big shame tho'
And I think that my argument will hold in that market too, albeit might take a bit longer...
Erm, a Rolex is far nearer the bottom of the luxury watch market than the top. :wink:
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
Well it's still my opinion and also they were actually £2.8K in 2007.Subs have not been priced at or about £2.5K since 2001/2002. :roll:
You must be confused by what I said. If you bought it in 2008 and sold it now, then you bought at a good time, so of course you will make a profit. If you buy one at todays price and wait 2 years before selling, then you will need to sell a second hand steel watch for nearly £6K - I can't see there being a rush of buyers. What ever you say only a small number of people buy second hand watches costing that much. It's a market area previously occupied by just a very few special brands but is now flooded by mainstream ones that used to be midrange. I think that in the future it will increasingly become a buyers market as there are an awful lot of us who bought Rolex at far lower prices and can sell. There is nothing rare/unique or special about any steel Rolex - they are mass production.Yes they are. S/H price for my Sub is at or above what I bought it for in 2008.
It takes little understanding of economics to understand that eventually, constant rises above inflation, will result in a steel watch that costs as much as a new luxury car or house. Believe me they will stop selling long before that happens. Prices of everything rise, it's normal inflation but continuos rises above inflation cannot last forever.How much higher - about 5 - 11% - every 18 months or so - can't see that changing.
There was a lot to like about about Rolex when it was a high quality, everyday, midrange watch. As a highend watch that costs a huge amount I find them distinctly underwheelming - akin to a BMW 3 series being sold for Ferrari money. It does nothing for the customer experience when you feel you are being taken for a mug. Also wearing an expensive watch is not a problem but wearing a £6K watch is ostentatious and more than a little over the top. Normal people would have good reason to judge you for being flash - something for which Rolex has for some time be fairly or unfairly infamous.
I think this misses the point. While I fully accept that Rolex is not the best watch, it is one of the best quality watches money can buy, at any price. There is also a perception amongst none WIS that Rolex IS "The Best", so all the others including the big three are either unknown are VERY expensive to the general expensive watch buyer.
I have been saying for quite some time that imho Rolex were too cheap - if they aren't then explain to me why so many are being sold. Perhaps think about the marketing - you want to increase the price to keep your product aspirational, but god damn it those pesky buyers keep asking to buy them, even at your increased prices. Then you put the price up and it happens again - this must make the prestige watch brands very angry :lol:
At the end of the day most people who by expensive watches buy one expensive watch, or have one bought for them - if they want a Rolex they will have one - a lot are bought as graduation presents by rich parents, so as the population is getting bigger and Brasil, Russia, India and China are emerging rapidly, I'd say they have a long way to go before they get worried about the opinions of a small number of people on a watch forum - I hear the same thing every year, or everytime there is a price rise and it make closed to no difference whatsoevert.
It's just a matter of time...
You'd be daft to buy a DSSD at £8k if indeed the price raise takes it that high.
With that kind of money you can buy some really high-end pieces. On chrono24 you can get the following all BNIB at that price: BP FF, AP ROO, JLC MC Chrono, Parmigiani, FM Conquistador, Hublot BB.
Can't see why the discerning watch buyer would touch a DSSD at new prices.
Rolex is still a high quality midrange watch .... using your flawed analogy of Beemer 3 series for Ferrari money well I think you'll find Audi (#1) and Merc (#2) are approaching Ferrari prices too. And Ferrari (#3) are getting close to Mayback money :lol:
Even looking at the Ford / Vauxhall brands such as Sinn you'll find their prices are a good 50% up in the last couple of years :shock: And let's not get started on on Lexus / Grand Seiko prices :lol:
#1 Omega or insert any watch brand you like here
#2 IWC or insert any watch brand you like here
#3 PP / Lange etc etc
As to the comment about Rolex wearers being ostentatious / over the top / flash and normal people judging them .... words fail me :shock: :lol:
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