Buy what you like and what makes you feel good to wear. Don't overlook the Breitling chronos. The new B01 is arguably the best movement to come out Switzerland in the last decade and so good that even Tudor uses them in their top end models.
If anyone fancies making their case here to the level of detail, consistently backed up with direct references to the state of the art science with accurate exegesis, that I undertook over on the Covid thread, I'll be happy to engage.
Or, perhaps, you are free to tell me, with the benefit of hindsight, what I got wrong without the benefit of hindsight. Or just mutter in your beer, because oddly, all of the people who were clear about their expertise were slightly less damning.
Last edited by M4tt; 10th November 2021 at 17:00.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Lol. Why do you think it’s necessary for anyone to make “their case”. I imagine the vast majority buy what they want and don’t feel the need to make “their case” to folks on an Internet forum. In fact only deluded self rigorous folk, would think they should.
However in answer to the original question, in my opinion I think not, unless we have a global financial meltdown and bog-roll, petrol and potatoes become the new currency of choice. Some people been predicting a massive reset in secondhand watches since the mid 80’s and it hasn’t happened yet. So the only conclusion i can reach is that no one actually knows - shocker!
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Another question to ask is do we want the madness to end? Those that already have the watches they want are probably happy with the current situation but I, as someone who doesn’t rate Rolex watches that highly, am also happy as it also helps me to get better deals on the watches that appeal to me. This year I’ve bought watches from the likes of Moser and Breguet at huge discounts. My Christmas incoming is from Parmigiani, a maker that largely flies under the radar but produces excellent watches that really do rival the trinity. The model I’m getting has a retail price of £17k, which could easily be doubled if it had a different name on the dial, but I’m picking it up new from an AD for under £7k.
If everybody wanting to buy a watch ignored the branding and herd mentality would these kind of discounts on what are, for me at least, better watches still be achievable?
The worry, of course, is that these other makers eventually throw in the towel and we are left with no choice, that would be to the detriment of all watch collectors.
Yes, I have been researching these, out of fashion shape and out of fashion maker = brilliant bargain.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294463940...MAAOSwZ3ZhaS9K
That being said, there’s more than Rolex with vastly inflated prices. Yesterday I saw a quartz watch with an rrp of 12k, not Rolex/PP/AP.
Turns out it’s unobtainable. A 10k+ quartz! (FP Journe elegante)
Same thing is happening with cars. Some are completely sold out with waiting lists, used ones selling over list.
Why not Rolex?
Maybe it's over? Got the call for this yesterday after expressing an interest a month ago!
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It's from WoS Cardiff.
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I had an interesting communication with watchfinder today. I requested a valuation on a 2016 SD 4K. I received the following response.
“ Unfortunately, we already have quite a few watches like your Rolex Sea-Dweller 4000 116600 and so we won’t be able to purchase it from you at this time. Not what you want to hear, but we’d rather say that than offer you an unfair price.
We can, however, accommodate a part exchange if there’s a watch you’re interested in exchanging for. If that sounds good, please do let us know.”
It seems they’re holding too much stock at the moment, although you wouldn’t know that from their website.
Maybe there’s gonna be a correction in the not too distant future?
Can only think that there are a limited number of people wanting to drop £15k on an SD.
I think subs are by far the better sellers.
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I enquired about selling a watch last week to WF and had what I thought was a very decent offer. They currently have 8 of the model I enquired about in stock as well on the website.
I enquired about a px with them a month or so ago, they had 3 x of the watch I was looking at vs none of the watch I was looking to px which is a much harder watch to get at retail plus recently serviced in mint condition. Their watches were over priced and the px offered for mine was under priced - I think we were about £10k apart between the 2. Ended up px-ing for the same watch elsewhere for £1k difference.
Watchfinder declined to bid on my 116520 Daytona this week.
Sold it to one of the handful of other dealers all offering strong money for it.
I can't see demand easing off anytime soon - anyone spending money on most Rolex models can do so comfortably in the knowledge that they are unlikely to face significant depreciation. Which allows desireability to flourish unhindered by economic considerations. As long as demand stays up the prices can continue to rise which in turn will push resale values up and so on in a circular fashion. Would take a major demand shock I would have thought to change those price trends.
An interesting issue longer term it seems to me is the security of wearing a Rolex as it increases in price. I happily bought a Sub for my son when he was born and it cost just over £2k. Now he's a teenager and its worth what, almost £10k, not sure I want him to have it on his 18th birthday. Someone that young wearing what might be £12k worth of watch is asking to be mugged. Wearing a 5711 in 2010 when it was worth £17k is one thing, wearing one now when its worth more than £50k is another. People would happily stab you for those sums. At what point do people say no, I'm not spending that much on something which makes me a target.
I have to agree with you on this. I’d never ever given any thought to wearing any of my watches wherever I’ve been, but in the last 2 or 3 years I have. If I’m going somewhere away, I actually think about whether I should wear X watch, which is very sad. I’m sure others don’t worry about it and maybe I’m overthinking it, but that’s the way it is.
Got to try these on last night when a friend stopped by. If the madness does end I might finally be able to get an LVc, I’m gagging for one.
The Daytona looks like a woman’s watch on me. I tried on the same friend’s Platinum Daytona a few weeks ago and that actually looked ok, bracelet makes a big difference.
I inquired at a local AD who I have no purchase history with about a rose gold/ steel yachtmaster 37 for my wife a month ago.
Got a call this morning to say their delivery was in and the YM37 was mine if I wanted it. If I hadn't have bought her something else in the interim from another AD, I'd have been tempted. Still, nice to know the next person on the list got the phone call they were waiting for today.
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Who needs Rolex when you’ve just snagged a beautiful Smiths Everest 25th Jubilee with Aventurine dial before ordering closed???
Now remind me again, which brand was first up that big mountain also known as Chomolungma
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Called into WOS in Regent St yesterday, my wife wanted to try an exhibit only model on , which to be fair was dealt with very well by the SA.
They had an internal display cabinet with 4 Rolex watches actually for sale , which is their total offer.
I’d be a worried man working there with next to nothing to sell .
I’ve had them, plenty of them, over the last 30-years. Mostly Submariners, Explorers, Explorer II’s and Datejusts so that itch has been well and truly scratched for me!
I sold the last couple - V-serial Submariner and random serial OP Blue Arabic - to Watchfinder back in 2018 after experiencing quite possibly the worst customer service I can recall anywhere from the Rolex Service Centre in Kent. This whilst they were trying and failing to regulate my brand new Green Seal Datejust 126233 to within COSC - let alone the oft quoted +/-2 seconds per day.
It was so bad that I even turned down the opportunity to buy a shiny new ceramic no date Submariner from an AD at list price back in 2019.
Three years on I’‘ve still no regrets about my decision; if anything the new designs and current madness only confirm my choice and make me regret spending so many years being loyal to Rolex.
Today, based on my own experience, I feel that many other brands offer nicer designs, quality and superior customer service but without playing any stupid games to own one.
Do I want or need another Rolex?
You know the answer
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Last edited by adg31; 29th November 2021 at 09:13.
The trouble is that the signs are other manufacturers are happily allowing the prices and scarcity of Rolex to bump up their own prices (yes, I'm looking at you Omega)
Re cars: covid led to people buying them and the genuine shortage of some components is bottlenecking production. Result of increased demand and reduced supply = high prices. That's how the market should work. Rolex? Not so much. You could argue that the net result is the same but the solidity of the outcomes are very different. There will be a natural (and probably gentle) correction in the car market. Watches? Who knows. Artificially created conditions have a tendency to not end well. But as others have said, the end of the bubble has been predicted for years now. And with few other places to park cash they look like a solid investment. Whether that will always be the case is anyone's guess. Any fall could be sharp and sudden. After all, their intrinsic ("book") value and utility are both pretty poor so there's nothing keeping prices high except the nonsensical demand and a deliberate (imho) throttling of supply. Suffice to say my pension isn't in watches, even less so in Rolexes. But each to their own.
I disagree in one respect Mick - purchase is indeed a 'brainer'.
Throwing stones from the sidelines whilst owning a few purchased years ago is a bit cheap and crass tbh. The ability to afford one is no measure of a 'good quality buyer'. One could argue that some of the brands are straying into the type of purchaser territory that they may not have previously done.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
You have often made digs at me for publicly stating that selling a Rolex is foolish, so that's a cheap dig to be honest.
Your second sentence is total codswallop. Affluent customers are preferable to someone who has had to burst a gut to buy a watch as they are likely to be the ones who may have to make an urgent distress sale if some financial disaster strikes.
No one can be totally sure of the future but owning a watch with a good brand is a pretty good bet at the moment.
That really isn’t true in this situation Mick. It makes not a scrap of difference to Rolex whether someone struggles to save for their watch or pays for it out of pocket change. They have sold a watch and made their profit either way.
There’s more than enough demand for them to have no worries about whether they’ll become a repeat customer or not or have to make a distress sale.
I have not made digs at selling a Rolex to you personally - I have recounted my ownership over the year..
Affluent customers? - it matters not post-purchase.
Some of the brands are attracting the wrong type of customers - nothing is worth owning if you have to liquidate it.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........