Watches - another OCD problem
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Always wanted a Rolex and when I was finally in a financial position to do so I booked an appointment to buy a submariner and wow, did I get a harsh lesson. Was accused of being a scalper and apparently I was someone who was only there to make a profit and not a lover of watches. I had zero idea of what she was on about and walked out feeling like shit. Tried five more stores in 4 other countries and was given very similar treatment. So I went with Omega. Absolutely love em. The Chrono is my daily watch and feels bullet proof. Can’t fault it. I’d love to eventually add a German made Sinn U50 to the fold and one day a Grand Seiko. I’ve worn Seiko’s for the majority of my life and to step it up and eventually buy a spring drive would be pretty bloody cool. Gotta have the power reserve on the front face though. -
@Aussie-Ben said in Watches - another OCD problem:
did I get a harsh lesson. Was accused of being a scalper and apparently I was someone who was only there to make a profit and not a lover of watches.
How to make friends - NOT......
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@Giles in my part of the world there is definitely some games being played with the brand and their watches. It’s the same 3 or 4 people non stop selling “brand new stock” on the grey market for jacked up prices. What ever
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I used to have a couple of Rolex's (I bought them off a mate for silly cheap, not because I particularly wanted one). I flogged them to help fund something that I really wanted. I absolutely hate the way Rolex manipulate of the market and think it is disgustingly cynical. On the basis that they make about a million watches per year, they're not even all that scarce. However, I take my hat off to them, because they're fucking good at it.....
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@Giles fair point. will take it into consideration the next time 1 gets on my wrist
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I'm not sure it's fair to say Rolex manipulates anything. There's a situation where demand > supply. The normal way to resolve that would be to raise prices until supply = demand. Would it be better? Maybe, but it wouldn't change anything for me. They could use a lottery system, or a priority list, etc, but that would require undermining their dealers, which is a big ask of a manufacturer.
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@louisbosco I would go for a watch with the Spring Drive UFA movement, which is regulated to within 20 seconds per year. It's a unique and very accurate timepiece.
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tbf you could walk in and buy full gold and rose gold rolex models off the bat. not sure if that counts as shitty or not but the value on them ain't great..
"Loyalty is a two way street. If i'm asking for it from you, then you're getting it from me."
- Harvey Specter
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@Graeme the sakura dial was the one that caught my eye..
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This is far from my area of expertise, but why in the world should a retailer care what you’re going to do with something once you purchase it? Especially if you’re willing to drop tens of thousands of dollars? Also: how in the world would they profile someone like that? Aren’t many “lovers of watches” just buying investment pieces they wear once in a while and eventually flip for profit? How would one be categorically different from another? Forgive my uninformed musings—fine watches are waaay beyond my scope financially so I understand very little of this world.
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@sabergirl not watches but I recall reading a similar story about expensive car dealerships profiling potential buyers in the Bay Area. If a guy walked in wearing a flash suit, the salesman would be hesitant to let them test drive right away. If a guy walked in wearing a simpsons t-shirt and battered sneakers, he'd hand him the keys instantly, knowing they were the silicon valley developers with loads of money
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@louisbosco said in Watches - another OCD problem:
not sure if that counts as shitty
I meant shitty in terms of desirability, not form or function. For the record, I have nothing against the watches, just the company
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There is no question that Rolex manufacturers scarcity in their distribution model, and of course that is almost certainly intentional. It's one way they maintain prestige that is outsized to the intrinsic value of the products. I think this distribution model also offers something similar to what ticket brokerages like Ticketmaster offer artists in being the "bad guy" who takes all the heat from frustrated customers or wannabe customers. And while they don't officially embrace the gray market, it helps them too: a buffer in the event of low demand, and a source of pricing and market value signals (e.g., if they see aftermarket prices collapse on certain models, in theory that could inform manufacturing, promotion, pricing, and distribution strategies and decisions.
I do admire their vertical integration and what that does for quality at scale from a manufacturing perspective, and now they are extending verticality into distribution by buying Bucherer.
This is such a change from the AD model and seems to at least potentially undermine the ADs, while also via the CPO program undermining the gray market. In one fell swoop the two major distribution channels I am aware of are disempowered and made vulnerable.
Pick your asshole, I guess, if you want to buy one
