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Thread: Wow. European availability and prices. Wow.

  1. #1
    Craftsman
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    Wow. European availability and prices. Wow.

    I’m working in Sofia at the moment and thought I’d just check out the Stainless Steel Rolex availability and prices in the store on Vitosha Street. Two submariner dates, a black GMT, a deepsea and the rest aplenty. Ok no Hulk or BLNR but still, plenty of SS stock. Then I asked the price.... on the Sub only. It was 15,300 Bulgarian doodah. So only £7050!!!!!
    Thanks Brexit. It’s all going swimmingly.
    As you were.


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  2. #2
    Craftsman
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    I mean by that of course, that our exchange rate is god awful. As for availability from Rolex, is it tied to that? Someone with more business sense enlighten us.
    Just seems odd that plenty of forum members are on the UK prowl for pieces that are seemingly plentiful on the continent, but are hampered by a crushing exchange rate. What’s the cheapest flight to Bulgaria and back for any Sub scouts?


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  3. #3
    Having a look, GBP/Lev is pretty much where it was three years ago, there was just a big peak in between then and now.

  4. #4
    Master ordo's Avatar
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    So, life won't be perfect after Brexit ? Well that's shocking...

  5. #5
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    Yeah I was after a slightly more nuanced response than ‘Remoaner’ but hey ho. The question was ‘is lack of SS availability in UK (which there there clearly is) tied to our performance against the Euro?’
    But you’re quite right I meant life was definitely perfect when we had the Euro......?
    Jeeeeez


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  6. #6
    Grand Master Griswold's Avatar
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    Strange that there always seems to be a shortage of Rolex SS models here in the UK.

    When we were on a cruise last year we saw plenty in places we visited around the Adriatic. I think the most we saw were in Split, Croatia. One jewellers window was full of them, but no prices on them so can't say if they would have been dearer, cheaper or the same as here. But they were in the window and available to buy.

    Of more interest, (to me), were the Zeno's. Not seen so often here in jewellers, but quite a few in Adriatic cities....




    Again no prices though.


    Is 'restricted supply' part of Rolex's policy to keep prices up here in the UK? Or do the have different 'rules' in other areas?

    .
    Best Regards - Peter

    I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.

  7. #7
    Master
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    The link between availability and currency exchange rates is not so direct as suggested.

    For what it's worth, UK main agents appear to be running around 20% up on Rolex sales this year and it is across the range, not just the steel professional models on which watch fora focus. Many are struggling even to obtain the big gold and bicolour pieces that their customers want, which previously would have been whistled out to them. A waiting list for a bicolour / blue trim Submariner is now quite common.

    EU main agents are not experiencing such sales and are broadly flat against the previous year.

    I learned today that if more than 30% of a UK main agent's sales comprise steel professional models, they face a sanction such as reduced supply!

    Strange times indeed.

    HM

  8. #8
    Currency fluctuations work both ways...

  9. #9
    Grand Master Griswold's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton View Post
    The link between availability and currency exchange rates is not so direct as suggested.

    For what it's worth, UK main agents appear to be running around 20% up on Rolex sales this year and it is across the range, not just the steel professional models on which watch fora focus. Many are struggling even to obtain the big gold and bicolour pieces that their customers want, which previously would have been whistled out to them. A waiting list for a bicolour / blue trim Submariner is now quite common.

    EU main agents are not experiencing such sales and are broadly flat against the previous year.

    I learned today that if more than 30% of a UK main agent's sales comprise steel professional models, they face a sanction such as reduced supply!

    Strange times indeed.

    HM
    Yes, I suspect that that may well be due to lower wages in the countries we visited leading to lower local demand and perhaps a reliance on visitor trade as they were mainly tourist citites we visited.

    Sad to hear that Rolex take humbridge on the proportion of watches sold by type. Surely, this is a restrictive practice?
    Best Regards - Peter

    I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.

  10. #10
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by rgwarden View Post
    Yeah I was after a slightly more nuanced response than ‘Remoaner’ but hey ho. The question was ‘is lack of SS availability in UK (which there there clearly is) tied to our performance against the Euro?’
    But you’re quite right I meant life was definitely perfect when we had the Euro......?
    Jeeeeez
    Is the issue not that all the UK watches have been bought by visitors who are delighted about how the cheap they are due to the low pound, leaving no stock for the locals. Unless it's also the case that Rolex themselves would prefer not to send high value pieces to be sold in the UK, where they will get less for them unless they put the prices up here to compensate. Either way, not great. What's more annoying for me personally, since I'm not after a new Rolex, is the lack of well priced European watches on Chrono24, due to poor exchange rate and the recovery of Italy and Spain - or perhaps, due to the UK joining them in the U-bend.

    Perhaps Alan Partridge and Malcom Tucker can explain the details.

  11. #11
    Craftsman Oracle's Avatar
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    Of course the other down side of the UK RRP's being 15-20% lower than most of the rest of the planet is that a lot of steel Professional watches are probably being sold to foreign visitors/Rolex purchasers from UK locations with a big tourist trade.

    This will then have the knock-on effect of these highly sought-after watches being less available to UK customers who actually want to put them on their wrist!

    There would certainly be no benefit in travelling to Europe to buy currently.

  12. #12
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    Thanks for the responses, economics being one of my weakest suits. I was just pleasantly surprised to see that much stock available (bi metals aplenty as well btw) and then a bit flummoxed by what my pound meant they’d actually cost me!


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  13. #13
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    I am actually from Sofia but working in London. Last Christmas I checked in the Rolex store there, they had LV and BLNR. Prices were same as in Europe, ie Germany or France. At the time the BLNR was £1,000 more than the UK price.

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  14. #14
    Grand Master Chinnock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Philip View Post
    Currency fluctuations work both ways...
    Indeed, I invoice most of my clients in € and $ so I'm grateful considering the downturn in global trade.

  15. #15
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    I was in Santorini earlier in the year and they had a number of hard to come by Rolex’s (BLNR, steel Daytona’s etc) but all at 15/20% above Uk list following the Brexit debacle. The local AD there (Poniros - I’d recommend swinging by if you’re ever there as they are lovely folk) then preceded to explain his utter confusion over the Brexit decision - I couldn’t explain either...


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  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Haywood_Milton View Post
    For what it's worth, UK main agents appear to be running around 20% up on Rolex sales this year and it is across the range, not just the steel professional models on which watch fora focus. Many are struggling even to obtain the big gold and bicolour pieces that their customers want, which previously would have been whistled out to them. A waiting list for a bicolour / blue trim Submariner is now quite common.
    Interestingly, I was offered the sum of £7000 by a forum member for my 8 month-old 116613LB recently.

    R
    Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.

  17. #17
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    Think no matter which way you cut it, buying from the uk is more attractive for our European counterparts than it is vice versa. That to me explains a large part of the ‘shortage’.


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  18. #18
    Master
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    Just like many of the grey market watches from a couple of years back were from relatively weaker currency countries I presume.

  19. #19
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    thanks brexit! should have put a rolex advert on the side of that big red bus!

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by td1596 View Post
    thanks brexit! should have put a rolex advert on the side of that big red bus!
    The irony being that the good folk who voted for Brexit / recession are generally those less likely to be concerned with the price of a Rolex!!


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  21. #21
    Speaking to my ad oversea's buyers are only 10% of there business and 90% is uk from what i was told. he did mention however the overseas buyer will mainly spend big money on the gold pieces as it's cheaper for them to fly in.
    Last edited by taz11; 17th November 2017 at 11:13.

  22. #22
    There's a strong argument that Sterling was overvalued anyway.

  23. #23
    Master blackal's Avatar
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    Looks like Watch Talk got off to a political start and spiralled downwards?

  24. #24
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    Not wishing to become political, BUUUT
    There is a flip side to lower currency valuation, I run a sub contract enginnering company, basically we make things, we export probably 90% of what we make, The upside is that our customers have had a 20 % price cut and thus we are very busy, along with a lot of others in manufacturing, first time in a long while I have felt positive about being in engineering!!
    So before folks complain to much about brexit spare a thought for the dwindling band trying to scratch a living helping out the countries balance of payments defecit!!

    Sorry if its a bit to political
    Scottie

  25. #25
    Craftsman lacroix4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by scottie2345 View Post
    Not wishing to become political, BUUUT
    There is a flip side to lower currency valuation, I run a sub contract enginnering company, basically we make things, we export probably 90% of what we make, The upside is that our customers have had a 20 % price cut and thus we are very busy, along with a lot of others in manufacturing, first time in a long while I have felt positive about being in engineering!!
    So before folks complain to much about brexit spare a thought for the dwindling band trying to scratch a living helping out the countries balance of payments defecit!!

    Sorry if its a bit to political
    Scottie
    No need to apologise by stating a fact that is easily brushed aside or ignored by the re-moaners.

  26. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by lacroix4 View Post
    No need to apologise by stating a fact that is easily brushed aside or ignored by the re-moaners.
    Mmmmm whilst that might be a fact, the fact that the country as a whole will end up a load less well off probably outweighs the minority who stand to benefit...

    Anyway, enough of politics, back to Rolexs - there’s a new limited edition been released that’s specifically targeted at leave voters. Not to my taste, but there’s always a market for everything......




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  27. #27
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rossmore10 View Post
    Mmmmm whilst that might be a fact, the fact that the country as a whole will end up a load less well off probably outweighs the minority who stand to benefit...

    Anyway, enough of politics, back to Rolexs - there’s a new limited edition been released that’s specifically targeted at leave voters. Not to my taste, but there’s always a market for everything......




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    Oh my, posting pictures of a fake Rolex.

    Will people never learn.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


  28. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andyg View Post
    Oh my, posting pictures of a fake Rolex.

    Will people never learn.
    It’s amazing how close to the real thing some of these fakes are these days....


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  29. #29
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rossmore10 View Post
    It’s amazing how close to the real thing some of these fakes are these days....


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    At least that one will be correct twice a day

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


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