So I’m on the hunt for a watch or two, Rolex and Omega and I’ve scoured the usual places - Watchfinder, Blowers, C24, Chronomaster and Parkers... the stock there of Omega particularly, seems well, well down on what I’ve seen in recent years. It used to be the case that SMPs were all but growing on trees at these sites, same with the Planer Ocean. Sea Dwellers seem to have all but disappeared, though there are more BNIB Submariners than you can shake a stick at (though all well north of ten grand).
Watchfinder has stock, but given how easy they are to sell to, that’s not a shock - but their prices are loony tunes silly. For everything. Even knocking them down results in an inflated price. So I’m just not keen on doing business with them. As to the rest - C24 is full of pawn shop watches, which I can’t bring myself to take a fancy to - the others have little stock.
The obvious answer is that the pandemic is choking the used supply... but new watch sales are through the roof. Is it really as simple as to say ‘pandemic’ or are there new places worth checking?
Or am I having a singular experience and the rest of us are finding what they want?