Hello all,
Seen an AP watch that I would like to purchase (which is readily available) and am weighing up my options.
WoS - Have an existing relationship with them and this will help in the future, but AP are having more and more boutique only pieces so might limit my selection in future.
Harrods - AP in here counts as a boutique I believe, so boutique only pieces will be available for registry of interest. Harrods also stocks another brand starting with R...
AP House - Probably the best place experience wise and availability wise, but limits my relationship to just their brand.
Any thoughts?
I'm not quite sure if purchases in one part of Harrods fine watch section has any bearing in other parts. I always assumed Harrods were essentially letting space in their store to these brands, so I don't think buying a Lange puts you in better stead at AP, or buying a JLC will give you access to Rolex etc. However I may be utterly wrong, just my assumptions really.
Actually, I think you might be correct and perhaps depends on brand. Vacheron and AP might be ‘rented space’ and other brands eg Tudor might be where Harrods act as a reseller. Will be good for me to find out.Originally Posted by M1011
I booked an appointment and went to AP house on Bond st in the hope of buying a Royal Oak.
It was all rather excruciating. I was the only customer there and upon arrival was told there was a long
waiting list for Royal oaks and only their good existing customers got them.... the salesman then sat me down and proceeded to show me a selection of ‘limited edition’ off shores
and other watches I had no interest in at all. I left as soon as I could.
I enquired with WOS re a 26315 blue they were super helpful but said AP Boutique piece only, I contacted AP Londinium during lockdown just before Christmas told them i was already a RO 15300 custodian,.....and knew what i wanted to add a 26315....however rather than discuss an formal order over the phone they want me to travel down to London when possible and have a face to face ‘consultation/ interview’...i think to check my suitability to place an order, it all feels a bit too much like hard work and along with ‘Marvel’ is sullying my enthusiasm for AP which is a shame as the product is superb....
I was in the Sloane Street boutique today to register interest in Royal Oak. Very nice people and I’m under no illusion what the market is like these days.
I’m pretty pragmatic about it all, would very much like one but it’s no biggie if I get overlooked. At least they are nice and pleasant to you unlike many ADs when trying to enquire about Rolex sports (I bought a Tudor GMT after getting so many knock backs for a GMT Master) who just laugh at you because you won’t spend big bucks on other stuff you don’t want.
Are you able to share a bit more detail about the type of questions they asked? Thanks
They just ask what got you interested in AP and then just general chit chat and take your details to register your interest.
Tried on one of Code 11.59 chronos which was truly stunning and an Offshore diver which wasn’t for me.
That doesn’t sound too bad. I’ll tell them seeing the price of Royal Oak’s on watchfinder got my interested in the brand, bound to put me top of the list then!
That sounds awkward which is a shame. I was planning on the same approach but might not bother now
Sent from my SM-G988B using Tapatalk
So my experience with AP in Harrods (Oct 2020) was that they’ve registered my interest in the blue Royal Oak without much difficulty. Salesperson did mention AP produces far less in numbers than Patek (I wore a Patek on my visit) and that it might take sometime but didn’t give me the usual ‘we prioritise our returning customers’ chat.
Fast forward 6 months later, I’ve just visited last weekend and was pretty surprised she still remembers me. We’ve had a good conversation and I’ve tried on one of the steel Royal Oak offshores in blue that I quite fancy.
Am tempted to buy from them but a friend of mine is saying the AP House gets far better allocation if I’m after something rare in future. (And always some risk AP moves out of Harrods too?) I do also need to find out if the purchase in Harrods will help with other brands like Rolex.
My experience with AP in Harrods was quite different. There was one salesperson in there, no customers, and yet it felt like I was being treated as an inconvenience. I didn't ask for an in demand model, I was just having a look at what they had on display! VC is right across the hall and the experience was the polar opposite, very friendly, got out an Overseas for me to try on, took my details, have been in touch since. Guess which brand I'm more likely to buy when the time comes...!
I certainly wouldn’t bother travelling to London just for a ‘consultation’ at AP house- it’s all pathetic.
Maybe if you spent 40k on an offshore you don’t want it would smooth things along for a nice Royal Oak- AP are definitely well on track
to join the Rolex marketing ploy of keeping the decent stuff back ........ which obviously also means largely wasting your time.
Well I speak as I find and I was given the name of someone at the AP House, I contacted them and went up and got a white dial 15500. No previous history, no sales flannel and no interview. They were excellent to deal with. They did say I’d have to come in to buy and meet them and I did. That was 6 months ago so I doubt the market has changed that much since then.
As an aside a couple of months back a member of another forum arranged a Webex meeting with the AP House for a dozen people. It was to show new watches, one off watches and a few that can’t be bought but for anyone interested in AP it was a great virtual event. What surprised me though is the level of service. I struggled with setting up the Webex so the day before the AP House ran through it with me and did a trial meeting. I spoke to the SA, AP House Manager and AP head of sales for the uk on Webex for 20 minutes. All very friendly and helpful and the service was second to none. They all put themselves out to help. I’m certainly no big client of AP and never will be, but I came away thinking their service is exceptional.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
