Reply With QuoteYou had us going there!! The roads around Kingston will be gridlocked!Originally Posted by ryanb741
Ah b#llocks it is exhibition only meaning EVERY Rolex is exhibition only in that store!!!!
You had us going there!! The roads around Kingston will be gridlocked!
That might be true on the internet but it isn’t necessarily true in reality.
Have to say - I wondered if you had missed the sign saying ‘display only’, or if I missed a possible ‘tongue-in-cheek’ moment
As soon as I read your post I knew there would be a follow up one confirming exhibition only.
Yes from my local AD, without being a big spender or longstanding customer. By 'trying hard' I mean just calling in now and again and showing some interest face to face and letting them know you're still waiting. Many people will ring an AD once, and leave it at that, then post on social media that it's impossible to buy a new Rolex.
Good luck to you! I’ve a modest and medium term relationship and often call in but to no avail!
By that definition I have been trying hard and despite having a decent purchase history with the group (different brands of watches and also some jewellery) over the last 4-5 years, haven’t been able to get certain watches I have wanted for a while. Your experience is enviable but not the norm I would say.
I changed AD within the same group as previous one wasn’t helpful. When I went to new dealer I took the serial numbers of watches Id bought from the group and asked that they check all were registered to my name - probably half were not. Updating the records, registering interest online and then staying in touch helped.
I have tried 2 ADs in the same group and they can both see all my purchases. They don’t say it but I feel it may not be good enough for them. I also wear my “difficult” watches bought from them when visiting to reassure them (without explicitly saying) that I’m not a flipper. However, more recently I have made statements like “I’m not going to buy stuff I won’t wear” and “I’m not going to blindly continue spending based on vague hopes and promises” so if that’s the problem then so be it.
That sounds like so much effort.
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Exactly my point: I have tried hard and it doesn’t guarantee anything. They aren’t life-saving drugs so no huge deal but I’m not going to pretend that I’m completely indifferent to the situation.
I'm not saying anything original, but how many are wanting a Rolex purely because they cannot have one? Brands want exclusivity but it's gone so far wouldn't be surprised if it bites them in the arse. I'm not interested in playing this game anymore.
CHNR in the window of Mappin & Webb St Anns Square Manchester yesterday sat proudly atop a for display purposes sign.
It was amusing to watch the foot traffic skidding to a halt on seeing the watch. The CHNR used to be the watch you chased if you couldn't land a Batman or Pepsi, it's now being treated like the Holy Grail!
We had a far more interesting time in WOS across the square looking at some nice GP and JLC pieces.
I was offered one just before Covid after only a 6 month wait. I turned it down. Maybe I shouldn’t have.
I had one for a while, found the shade of brown on the bezel started to bother me and the PCL's were an absolute nightmare to keep half decent.
Also not keen on the colour scheme.
They couldn’t give them away a couple of years ago.
Madness.
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Ditto, I was offered one Jan 2020…I hadn’t even registered my interest for it or put my name down.
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A few stainless Datejusts as well I noticed, about 2pm yesterday when I was looking. 2 weeks ago they had a sub date in the window too, plus a Yachtmaster (all “exhibition only” of course….
Selling a million watches a year is hardly exclusive. Just saying
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
There are 750m people in Europe alone...Selling a million watches a year is hardly exclusive. Just saying
Selling a million watches a year is hardly exclusive. Just saying
It is, in the context of a worldwide watch market…
In 2020 Rolex sold nearly 4 times as many watches than Tudor.
Does that make Tudor a more exclusive watch ?
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
Divide it by every continent, every country, every city, down to every ADSelling a million watches a year is hardly exclusive. Just saying
Then split that number by every date just variant (size, colour, metal, bezel and bracelet configuration), every OP variant before even getting to steel sports models.
It’s not that many
True, rarity and exclusivity are not the same thing. That said, even though (semantically speaking) rarity is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition of exclusivity, I think many would understand exclusivity to include an element of rarity. To that extent then, there's a mild irony in people buying Rolex for what they believe its exclusivity to (at least partially) entail when, in practice, it does so perhaps far less than they realise.
My local AD had pretty much the same selection in his window at the weekend. There certainly seem to be a lot of James Camerons out there but unfortunately none that are actually for sale !
I am not in the market for a Rolex at the moment but I was walking past... In this a thing now? What's the point? Whole situation is bizarre of course.
Sky-dwellers, explorers, milgauss, sub, JC DSSD
So you can try on before going on the list I guess.
Wouldn't mind trying on the white Exp 2
Maybe. I have to say I did like the look of the 36mm two-tone Explorer. Should be all wrong but I liked it!
Having to jump through hoops just to maybe get the chance to try one on is not appealing. Prices getting a bit silly but going grey market is still cheaper than spending a small fortune building up store capital on watches/jewellery that you don’t really want.
The irony of that the exhibition display models are not even that desirable.I am not in the market for a Rolex at the moment but I was walking past... In this a thing now? What's the point? Whole situation is bizarre of course.
Sky-dwellers, explorers, milgauss, sub, JC DSSD
The shortage of the real desirable stuff is so acute that they can’t even find any to exhibit, LOL.
Saw exactly the same in Chester today, for exhibition purposes in an AD. Im so used to just seeing diamond dot dial ladies watches at this branch that I actually stopped and looked in. Ironically within 300 m there are three greys ( including Time piece watch repairs) that had Ceramic subs for £11/12K and LV’s for £15K.The biggest suprise was two 2021 31 mm OP’s in Time Piece . Both new with five year warranty, the Coral red was £6.5 and the light blue “Tiffany” face was £8.2K . Thats not far off 2X retail of £4150.I am not in the market for a Rolex at the moment but I was walking past... In this a thing now? What's the point? Whole situation is bizarre of course.
Sky-dwellers, explorers, milgauss, sub, JC DSSD
Last edited by higham5; 19th October 2021 at 17:36.
To be fair having exhibition models does make the shop window look much better than an empty display and it’s an opportunity to see and try on some. I saw the 41mm Tiffany OP in one recently so went in to try it on - never been on my radar but was curious when I saw it there and I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype.
100% agree, I think the penny has finally dropped to Rolex snr mgt. An empty window in a premier location , certainly does not look good.
Really?
Skydwellers not “that desirable”
Deep Sea James Cameron not “that desirable”
White Gold Sub 41 not……well, you get the idea…..
Not nearly in the same league as batgirl, Pepsi, Daytona, SS sub, but you get the idea.
I went to the local Ad whilst visiting family in Devon and tried on the Tiffany dial and really liked it. Also tried on a sky dweller in black on jubilee and it’s a lovely watch. I really liked the dealers openness about the waiting lists and how it would work for me. I wish they were local as I think they would have squared away all the watches I wanted
I don’t know if it has been mentioned but apparently the exhibition models do not have a working movement. The time can be set but the watch doesn’t tick. The movement is disabled with a pin or something.
I guess that’s a good way to deter thieves too!
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Tried on an exhibition root beer, batman & SD today and all ticked. Assured that they were all real watches, just not for sale.
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Everything Rolex is “desirable” now but I remember calling in at my AD around the time the Sky Dweller came out and was as good as asked if I wanted to put my name down for one. (And for completeness, I’m a Z list customer.) Can’t remember how long ago that would be but I didn’t fancy it so said no thanks. Who knows if I’d have got one but it was back in the day when people bought watches because they wanted to keep and wear them!
SkyDweller has been hard to get from day one in stainless steel. Two tone or gold is another story entirely. A blue SkyDweller is as bad as a white Daytona.
Makes so much sense to show off their watches but also super frustrating for the ADs, imagine having to explain every five minutes they are not for sale, guess it gets the customers in the door though!!
Not sure where you’ve heard that but it’s not the case with Watches of Switzerland/mapin Webb stock. They’re displaying regular models then selling them after a few weeks, when new models are delivered. They realise empty displays don’t look good.
Are you sure about that…..
All of the above are now very desirable, maybe not in the uber unobtainable category but not far behind
All trade well above list
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https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=825167
I think you’ve misunderstood Gareth’s post - he’s actually saying they are very desirable.
That would defiantly make more sense
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Or even definitely makes sense! (Joke)
I remember calling 22 dealers and finally finding a sub date “in stock and in the window”Picked it up the next day for £2,350….. back then it was a bit of luck to get hold of one vs now by a)paying well over list, sometimes almost 100% over b)going on a list.
WOS Brent Cross had a JC and Seadweller last week. Couldn’t be bothered to go in and enquire…..a couple of three years ago I would have.
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