Another Rolex/AD thread so apologies if your sick to the back teeth of this same old drivel, some of what I say we already know but some of it might be interesting to those sat waiting for the call or maybe a warning to those on multiple lists - this is just an off chance conversation I had with a local AD..
Today I walked past a WOS dealer and seen the Exhibit Only watches in the window, I thought it was nice to see the real steel rather than a couple of bi-metal lady DJ's as the only stock.
It looked quiet so I walked in, browsed the Bremont cabinet, looked at a couple of nice Speedmasters and then ended up chatting with a sales manager who seemed a nice straight forward guy, I mentioned I have no interest in new Rolex or lists but being a watch collector I do find it interesting, with that we had a good chat about how the list system works at least in his branch, without drawing all the conversation out here are some quotes that he said -
Since the Exhibit Only watches have been on show only one customer has got very upset that they couldnt buy the Submariner in the window, their issue was they have been on the list for two years but still have not had the call in yet they are now on show, said he is also fed up telling people you cannot buy them but accepts its better than not having anything in the window.
I asked when they last had a white dial Daytona thinking they are not common even for an AD, he said - we had one last week and they regularly come through, in this branch we will get 10-12 professional Rolex every week, the Daytona's go to the VVIP's, to get that status you have to have purchased more than two Rolex and be proven that you do not sell on the watches but there is not a spend limit to qualify for one.
He admitted that they ask questions on who you are and other personal info, this is mainly because the system is so advanced now it can suss out the same person on multiple AD lists even if they spell their name differently to try and get around it, if this is the case you are then ghosted.
Interesting one I thought was that they/he likes to share the watches they get rather than give them to the same people, he said if you had a green Submariner 10 years ago and wanted to be added to the list for a regular Sub then you probably wouldn't get it due to already owning a Submariner.
He said a customer mentioned he has £150k to spend on Rolex essentially wanting preferential treatment, his answer was thank you but in the nicest way I have a list with a 1000+ people all willing to buy those watches and its better to spread the watches out rather than sell to one customer and we still get the £150k!
While we were talking two ladies walked in and one said to the other - thats the one my husband wants but its a two year waiting list and promptly walked out, the manager then looked at me and said he finds it strange when people say 2/3/4+ years as there is no set time on any Rolex and he wouldn't give a customer a time estimation, you just get the call when your name is up and your watch is in.
This was one branch, I did ask who sets these rules WOS, Rolex or an individual AD, he said it was company policy so by that I imagine WOS..
Once again sorry for ANOTHER BORING ROLEX THREAD, maybe it enlightens and gives more insight to some of you wanting a new professional Rolex.
Sometimes it’s good to be reminded we can’t always have what we want in this life. I’m reminded of that simple truth each time I look longingly towards my colleague Monika. Perhaps Sinead O’Connor had in mind the dearth of Rolex sports models when she sang “I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got”. Maybe we should all take a leaf out of Sinead’s book when it comes to Rolex.
I found it an interesting read. Thanks :)
Not overly interested in new Rolex but I do want to see Monika
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 "
Back in the 1980s I had a colleague who waited 6 years for a Morgan sports car which came bespoke to him. His view was it was worth waiting for and the brand image in his eyes was up through the roof.
If you can walk into a shop and buy it on the spot the brand image is nowhere near as good as if you had to wait for it. This is something some WISs need to get into their heads. If you don't like it, buy another brand.
Nice thread on the AD
The thing is though is that Rolex will never be on the likes of say PP in the sense of exclusivity and brand image , walk around nearly anywhere in the UK and it’s nearly guaranteed you’ll see a Rolex on someone’s wrist however PP and I’ve hardly ever seen one .
Interesting to hear one real world view; cheers for posting.
On the topic of AD insight, mine told me that it would not be a problem obtaining the panda chrono white face as WoS is pushing to make sure they don’t experience the supply issues with Tudor that they have with Rolex.
Funny you say that, when we were chatting about selling watches on for profit he mentioned the recent green dial Aquanaut that sold for a ridiculous sum and how the AD lost the support of PP.Originally Posted by marksh
He also admitted that if he had a watch with silly money profit in it he would sell it on and sod the consequences!!
Everyone has a price..
That was tactical. The AD sold the watch to her son and retired.
Interesting info being shared OP and seems to match what I overheard in a M&W branch yesterday (part of WOS group) when picking up an Explorer. Specifically, I overheard the branch manageress explaining to a potential customer that they prefer to please a number of people rather than 1 individual wanting a bunch of watches. The potential customer was mentioning all the watches on his wishlist.
What’s worked for me and what I’d take away is the need to be clear on what one or two watches you want and why. If you’re then successful in getting one of these pieces, then go away and enjoy it for a while before returning and asking for yet another watch (6 months minimum is what I overheard!).
Good luck to all you watch lovers
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That there lies the reason why everyone on Instagram is now a brand new Rolex watch dealer . a blind man on a galloping horse can see that tons of new stuff is being passed off for profit and then onto the Grey market .
I like the new stuff don’t get me wrong but when they ( ADS ) preach about the flipping etc it just makes me laugh as not all by the way but hefty numbers of ADS are getting the satchels filled at both ends .
Yep
I know of a WoS sales assistant who spent north of £200k on redoing his house from top to bottom. I wonder how many decades this twenty something guy was saving for to be able to spend that amount of money in one go....Hmm...
Bad form to count other people's money.
Could be family money, inheritance, married up, two jobs, anything.
True story
I came across the dude's Instagram from a grey dealer friend. Grey dealer friend told me about the 4-6 Rolex watches he buys from the sales guy each month.
Ouch, what a douche then.
And how will they control waiting lists from different ads if not part of wos group
One email to Rolex with screen shots and names and that would be the end of it, problem is genuine people are sitting there waiting for a call with little chance of getting the watch because they are being skimmed off.
So much for the system double checking buyers, how can two people deal that many Rolex but not overlap details like bank accounts, names, addresses?
Last edited by murkeywaters; 28th October 2021 at 17:11.
Yep
It is a high risk thing. I know of one chap who was sacked from a very big Rolex AD in 2018 for taking cash. Bear in mind this is when the market was not nearly as crazy as today's market.
They all used to do it (according to him). Many of the others are still there. They're just more careful now.
That guy was brazen though and that was his downfall.
Posted elsewhere earlier, but it seemed relevant to this thread.
I think that nonsense. I don't doubt they said that to you, however, they're getting more than they suggest. They just don't want to sell the watch to you
What a silly circus
Agree, as I said in my opening post they all get regular deliveries but have huge lists to choose from, while I think the sales manager was telling the truth about spreading the watches around as in if you have had one Sub you cannot have another Sub that does not say you cant have an Explorer, OP41 etc..
You’d have thought that - assuming WoS is the largest Rolex AD - that they’d have pretty s**t hot systems for controlling allocation of Rolex watches.
OP, I wonder if the bloke you were talking to was being entirely honest, I have been on the supposed waiting list/expression of interest list with Goldsmiths in Chelmsford since the day the new Pepsi was announced, recently one of sales adviser told me "if you don't spend a lot with us you will never see it" She could see on their system what I have spent with Goldsmiths and Mappin and Webb over the years.
There is no way that makes you a VIP anywhere.Daytona's go to the VVIP's, to get that status you have to have purchased more than two Rolex and be proven that you do not sell on the watches but there is not a spend limit to qualify for one."
I believe that's what you were told but I think the guy was spinning you a yarn.
ADs do try to be fair but at the end of the day it's a business and the big boys spending real money aren't going to accept the same treatment as someone buying a single DateJust.
That and the fact there’s a pretty high probability that it’s another amateur dealer wanting to get some stock in.
Oh, hope it does! I’ve never been a VIP before! All I get from my AD is an apologetic shrug of the shoulders. I’ll make sure I put him right next time I pass and ask when I can pick up my Daytona!!
They're all at it though
The managers might not speak to the guys passing envelopes of cash to sales people but they get their cut. Obviously, I'm not suggesting this happens at every Rolex AD on the planet. But I do believe this is widespread and I totally get it.
If some sales guy is being paid £15ph and he sells a steel Daytona to someone who is going to make 15k flipping it, sales guy wants a piece of the action. I guess no one is getting hurt necessarily but I wouldn't engage in that stuff. I have been propositioned a few times. It's been happening for years. Last time was 2018
Daytona was around 9k. Grey price about 14.5k
Sales guy said he'd get me a Daytona for 9k if I gave him 4.5k in cash on top. Errrr, no thank you.
We should start our phones recording before entering the AD. I bet that 4.5k bribe would be reduced to the next available Daytona at a discount before you even finish dialling the SFO.
This is it really. Lots of ADs tell different stories but I agree if your spending big money you are much more likely to get what you are asking for as long as you don't look like a dealer.
I've been told if you don't have a history you wont get a watch - sounds like that would be true. I have a small history and was told id get one if I waited long enough - again sounds true. However I also expect any high spending customers to be leapfrogging me in any list there might be.
Their preferred person to take bribes from are overseas dealers. Because the overseas people used to get VAT back (pre brexit) and they always had lots of cash. They just wanted watches. I don't think offers of a daytona plus cash are made to every day folk walking in asking for a daytona.
Why was it offered to me? Because I really pushed to understand how the exotic watches are allocated and I had bought some watches from the chap before (all above board and paid by card to the AD). But I'd made my purchases at a different time when watches were not tickets to make thousands or tens of thousands from flipping.
The dude did mention that the Mandarin speaking sales people were the most comfy. Because they could happily speak Mandarin to the Hong Kong dealers in a very open way and no one would have a clue what was being spoken about.
Not sure if you are replying to my post above yours, or to the OP, but they did also say that they would only be allocating the watches to preferential customers so although the timescale was indicative, in reality I would never get one. So in that regard you are correct, they don't want to sell one to me.
It's strange though as this is from the same AD who sold me an OP28 for my wife straight out of there stock a few months ago with zero wait, despite the store being full of customers all interested in the same watch that day. I went on the wait list the same day for an OP41 to match.
Maybe I just got lucky first time.
It does seem pretty ridiculous and I am not sure if I really want the DJ that much as I have always preferred non-cyclops models. I think I will wait to see what it is like in the wrist having only worn older, smaller two-tone (too small for me) DJs before
Last edited by jmitch; 29th October 2021 at 16:32.
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