Reply With QuoteHow are all these people getting calls asking if they fancy nice watches? It's amazing but were you on the list? Wonder if last day of the month is anything to go by.
So last month I got the call to say that my SD43 was in after a 2 year wait. Fast forward 6 weeks, today I got the call to ask if I’d like a Pepsi - why wouldn’t I. Very understanding wife, given what I’ve spent recently - and here it is.
Absolutely love it, in my opinion it really does look special. Not sure that I’d pay grey prices though.
How are all these people getting calls asking if they fancy nice watches? It's amazing but were you on the list? Wonder if last day of the month is anything to go by.
Congrats and beautiful watch . Lucky you got 2 nice watches within short time 👍
I got offered one of these went and had a luck thought it was horrific, well done to you though
This works in the jubilee in a way the blnr just doesn’t. Congratulations.
Really? You needed to say that?Originally Posted by Hooshabak
Congrats OP, stunning watch!
I'm currently waiting for the call for mine. Hopefully sooner rather than later Where you on a list ?
You could have bought it and done somebody a favour on here
I really couldn’t of
Nice! Congratulations on an awesome new watch.
Or sold for a nice profit and taken his family on holiday...
"A man of little significance"
Thanks for all of the comments chaps, positive and negative, after all these aren’t everyone’s cup o char. In respect of lists, Rolex now operate an ‘expression of interest’ process, however, at present it is as good as pointless just expressing an interest. If you just phone several dealers asking for sports models you’ll get no luck, I’d suggest choose a local one and build a rapport. There is absolutely no substitute for face to face relationships. Apparently Rolex are reducing UK ADs and will concentrate on Aurum group (WoS and Goldsmiths) as main distributors- they currently sell 80% of UK Rolex anyway. Rolex are trying to stop the grey market but know they are failing miserably and in fact feeding it. My AD also got a Hulk today, they had 280 expressions of interest in this watch. They removed 80 of whom they suspected of looking to profit, they then worked down the list. I feel sorry for those who didn’t answer the call, no messages left just on to the next number.
Goldsmiths will also take account of spending on watches within the group too, so Building up some history doesn’t hurt. I am, I suppose, now in the fortunate position that I have the pre-requisite purchasing history to make me a ‘valued’ customer - not that I have any watch fund left now to take advantage.
It is ridiculous and, quite frankly, wrong that this is now required to buy a mass produced watch at retail.
Unfortunately, with some watches now if you haven’t already expressed an interest the only way you are likely to get one is second hand and at massively inflated prices.
Just my view though people it seemed to work for me, and you must remember ADs want the watches to go to enthusiasts as they are held accountable if their stock keeps appearing on Watch finder.
I've seen that comment made a few times,the one about the AD getting upset if the watch they sold goes to the grey market. How d they know?
Lovely watch.
You’ve been very fortunate, but I do wonder if the balloon is starting to burst a little.....
I certainly remember the call some years back that my Daytona had arrived. No coincidence it was when the housing market crashed - the rest is history.
Off topic, but in a similar vein I’ve had a few Porsche dealerships actually phone me asking me if I was in the market to change me car. The first time in many years that these low-life felt the need to ask me for business.
Where they retain the card for 12 months people other than the buyer phone up asking. Also now they will check serial numbers of those for sale which will tell them who sold it and who to. Also you if buy a Pepsi and 6 months later ask to go on the list again you will be laughed out of the shop. As they have your purchase history (in the UK) they will only allow you to buy one of each desirable model.
When you go to collect the guarantee card and you don't have the watch?! :)
I’ve been explicitly told they would most definitely be upset if a watch went grey
It’s not about how’d they know it’s about trust I think, in the last two years I’ve been offered 2 extremely rare Pateks one being a 5990
Interesting! I often wondered what their market share is. Is that a reliable number, do you know?
David
That number is very reliable, I was told by someone that I trust implicitly. In short smaller ADs are getting very few sports watches which leads to them pushing for more stock they can sell rather than less popular models. Aurum sell volume and it is more important to Rolex to keep them happy.
In answer to the bubble comments, not a chance at the moment. This was only the second Pepsi my AD has had this year and she could have sold it a hundred times over - literally. As an aside the first one went to a premiership footballer.
Nice one James, stunning piece of course & thanks for your insightful comments regarding the state of play regarding Rolex sport models & AD's.
This will be with you for a long time I'm sure.
Enjoy!
Good! I don’t recall where I read it but I’m sure it was on here somewhere that one AD had said that in demand Sports watches went to their best customers and that one such person had bought three Hulks in that year. WTF do they think he was doing with them?
I had a call from my local AD that I bought an Aquanaut from telling me that Patek had been in contact with them as my watch had appeared for sale at Watchfinder. I didn’t sell to Watchfinder - I sold privately after owning it for almost two years. I have a decent buying history from them, but think I am on their blacklist now and won’t get a call for any interesting pieces - Rolex or Patek
Well that shows how much I look at watch finder. I didn't know the adverts have serial numbers.
That’s interesting. I’ve heard that they don’t mind people selling if they are buying another Patek.
Are there serial numbers on Watchfinder?
I'm not sure I understand their logic here? I mean, do they have a prescribed length of time they deem it suitable for you to sell your watch after? Utter nonsense imo.
Going by their advertising campaign, must be passed on to the next generation
True. Tbf sounds like he never owned it to begin with so had no business selling it
Think the more interesting question is if there are no serial numbers on Watchfinder, how did Patek manage to find out? I’ve heard similar stories on Rolex watches.
Hmm - if I own something by paying for it, then it’s mine to do with as I wish. I would very quickly lose my cool if it was suggested otherwise by a shopkeeper. Clearly this snowflake world we now live in has different ideas! - anyhow, congrats to the OP, always liked a GMT on a Jubilee
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AD's "favoured customers" policy is, to some extent, enabling & fuelling the grey market in my view. This sort of anecdata supports that view, it's not happening in a vacuum, other preferred buyers are no doubt rinsing the system to the detriment of the would be buyer who wants a piece that he can keep. While ADs crow that they're eradicating the "Flipper Menace"...
Last edited by Speedy2254; 1st August 2019 at 12:50. Reason: Punctuation!
Yes. Usually after 3 or 4 generations :-)
All the company (Patek/Rolex) needs to do is:
-have an employee pose as a potential customer and go in and view the watch at one of the WF branches.
-mentally note down serial, and/or take a wrist shot (serial is visible on Rolex from the front, Patek would be a bit harder)
-either purchase watch as evidence, or pretend not to be enamored and walk out.
While it seems crazy, I've heard a few stories on how proactive these companies are to protect their brands, and curb some of the silly profiteering going.
Few times up here the ADs have been chased up by Rolex after desirable models has appeared for sale shortly after purchase.
Sadly It's the ADs that get penalized if a customer flips a watch out the door, (after all, once it's sold, how do you police what happens next?), they get their supply cut, or no longer receive desirable models as frequently or at all.
It's not just profiteers companies are after, but the stock dumpers too.
When the first Zenith EL Primero 21s came out there was a grey selling them for 30% under list, so Zenith/LVMH sent in someone on to view the watch, backtracked the serial number, and there was some talk that the originating AD had their relationship with LVMH terminated (ie no more Zenith, Hublot TAG, MontBlanc etc.)
Yes they seem to begrudgingly accept that you can sell your own property if you are buying another watch from them. I however bought a Skydweller on the grey market and sold privately so I am a naughty boy
Apparently it is particularly during the warranty period. Agreed it is utter nonsense
That is my feeling - they were only lending it to me, and they retain all rights over it - despite the large sum of money I gave them.True. Tbf sounds like he never owned it to begin with so had no business selling it
It really turns me off buying new from an AD network, and quite happy with grey dealers and if that occasionally means a premium, then so be it
[QUOTE=Crouchy;5162019]So last month I got the call to say that my SD43 was in after a 2 year wait. Fast forward 6 weeks, today I got the call to ask if I’d like a Pepsi - why wouldn’t I. Very understanding wife, given what I’ve spent recently - and here it is.
Absolutely love it, in my opinion it really does look special. Not sure that I’d pay grey prices though.
Great looking watch OP-good for you getting the two you wanted in a short space of time. I love the BLRO, it looks great on the jubilee in IMO.
Quite! How long, in their opinion, is one supposed to own one's own property before one may do with it what one wishes?
LOL!
One can only presume that it was some form of industrial espionage. E.g. Either an employee being paid to provide serial numbers or a fake customer ploy.
Yes, indeed.
Last edited by markrlondon; 1st August 2019 at 20:46.
If you are on a blacklist then it has to be covered by the Data Protection Act 2018 (which incorporates GDPR as well as previous British legislation).
Do you fancy carrying out a Subject Access Request to see the details of your entry on their 'blacklist'?
Really.
Yes, really. What part of that do you doubt?
The bit when you started typing.
Love that James. I want one but dont have any buying history with Rolex.
Its looking like i have to buy the mrs one so will see!
I see. For something that I presume was intended to be a sort-of-witty riposte, your reply doesn't actually make sense.
Of course, if you really do doubt everything I typed, the information is freely available for you to resolve your doubt.
I haven’t yet discounted the idea of buying from them again as there are no other Rolex ADs near me, so won’t do this as this is sure to get me added 😂
I know a few of the staff in there too as it is a relatively small chain, so it may be just a case of not being on a whitelist rather than actually being blacklisted.
Congratulation, lovely watch.
Ah, the social engineering required to maybe, possibly get them to take your money in future. ;-)
For what it's worth, a whitelist would be a matter for GDPR too.
Ah yes, but I think I am not on it, so nothing to report.
Don’t worry though, I haven’t bought anything from them that I didn’t want just to build a “relationship” 😄
:-)
Cheers. Interesting that a brand would "rely" so heavily on one retailer. It obviously works for them!
Not a question of snowflakes. If Rolex and their ADs want to sell to people who want a watch to keep and wear, then you're hardly likely to be at the front of the queue if they know you are buying with a reasonable chance of you flipping it. As we know, no-one is entitled to be supplied with anything from a Rolex AD. End of the day, profiteering annoys people who want to buy a watch to keep and wear. It's a trivial "problem" in contrast to real world issues, obviously.
Agreed, and probably just as annoying to your average customer that maybe wants to buy one of the in demand models that has just brought into the brand via the website configuration as they’ve a significant life event coming up. Possibly never been into a Rolex Dealer previously and having been sniggered at by the sales assistant after being told “not a chance”.
Almost as annoying as New Customer gets a better deal from a heap of suppliers that existing, loyal customers aren’t entitled to.
Strange world
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