The purchase of a new SS Rolex Sports Model is, in my opinion, at an all time low. There are virtually no new sports models in any AD in the country and the AD's are happy to pass on all their incoming stock to "preferred" customers who hoover them up and pass them into the grey market at vast profits.
As can be seen from the new Rolex sales on SC, guys get offered list watches that they neither want or can necessarily afford and then sell them on to retain their preferred customer status and the cycle continues. No wonder ordinary folks can't purchase a new Sports model for themselves.
Rolex need to stop the practice of only selling to preferred customers and indirectly feeding the grey market, how many new Rolex can one guy buy?
When I bought my first GMT in 1981 I remember multiple Daytonas in the window of the shop for months and the salesman trying to get me to take one instead of the GMT, for a few hundred quid more - hindsight, a wonderful thing!
Anyway, rant over and I still believe most folks are decent enough not to rip profit from others. Besides, it's only what Porsche have been doing for years; I tried to pre-order a 911R and was almost laughed out of the dealership as I was not a preferred customer!!!