DEBUNKED - Watchbox Says ROLEX ADs “Backdooring to Greys” is a Myth

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Rexplorer214270

All you do is make comments on this forum...

Well OF COURSE! All we ALL do is make comments on this forum

[padi56]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Sixpence short of a shilling…. Is that a lot?

Its a old UK saying meaning below average brain power,there used to be 12 old pennies to a shilling,so sixpence only 6..

[myanezt]

I just heard today from a friend in Genève that Rolex is implementing a policy that recommend their AD to limit the consecutive sport pieces in a given time, lets say in example 5 months. So you get a GMT in January, you cannot get the Daytona in Feb, the Sub in March... you need to wait or buy a non sport model meanwhile. Dont know it is true or not...but looks like Rolex is full aware about the grey thing

[RolexSimon]

Originally Posted by SkyJuice

I got ex-rolex employee telling me otherwise. So backdoor selling to grey could be real.

In Australia? Rolex has such a tight leash on the ADs (who are small in number and petrified of loosing their franchises) I think this unlikely.

[Neom]

Originally Posted by myanezt

I just heard today from a friend in Genève that Rolex is implementing a policy that recommend their AD to limit the consecutive sport pieces in a given time, lets say in example 5 months. So you get a GMT in January, you cannot get the Daytona in Feb, the Sub in March... you need to wait or buy a non sport model meanwhile. Dont know it is true or not...but looks like Rolex is full aware about the grey thing

I was told the same by the guy who wanted to sell me a rose gold CHNR that magically appeared from the back - if you get it you will have to wait (zero indication of waiting time required) before getting the next. Funny thing is I anyway would have had to wait for the next ones so might as well have bought it he

[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by myanezt

I just heard today from a friend in Genève that Rolex is implementing a policy that recommend their AD to limit the consecutive sport pieces in a given time, lets say in example 5 months.

In the UK there are a number of issues with that, although I can't speak for other countries:

ADs have contractual obligations. These regulations are not chopped about and changed piecemeal or wholesale.

ADs buy watches from Rolex (or the local distributor) at wholesale prices. When the consignment is paid for it is owned by the AD. Rolex cannot impose fine detail on how the AD sells and who they sell it to, past the top level stuff already agreed in writing, such as not exceeding MSRP, stock holdings and latterly, display pieces, etc.

Rolex do not know who ADs sell their watches to. If an AD told Rolex they would be breaking the law. Behaving unlawfully could cause an AD to lose their franchise (and more). Rolex would not put them in this position and only a bloody fool would go there.

[Rashid.bk]

This is everything in a nutshell. But people won’t listen because he didn’t say it on YouTube but this assessment is much more relevant than what a grey dealer video reviewer has to say.
It be great if people like the op started a thread saying what Fleetlord just stated, but again, it’s gotta be YouTube for some to listen.

Originally Posted by Fleetlord

Going back 7yrs ago or so, the main source of new Rolex for grey dealers was directly from the AD. They would be fully stickered and sold at significant discounts off retail. Yes, even SS Daytona were available from Greys stickered and discounted to some degree.

Why? Because there was simply TOO MUCH Rolex flooding the AD channel. Too many dealers getting too much product. The dealers couldn’t sell it all…so they needed to dump product…that’s where the greys come in. The AD sold it to them in bulk at approx 35% off to the grey. The grey sold them on the market for about 20% off. Even if the grey didn’t have it, they’d get one drop shipped at a discount, fully stickered, warranty filled out…no problem.

Nobody complained at all about AD selling to greys…in fact everyone LOVED IT! Even Rolex turned a blind eye as it was simply another channel to sell through….but all this had a price in terms of brand image.

So, needless to say, things are much different today. Actually they are the exact opposite. Rolex cut out a bunch of stores, limiting distribution of certain references that put a halo around ALL Rolex.

Now the days of dealers in the USA dumping bulk Rolex qty on greys is long over. The vast, vast majority of new Rolex in the grey market today come from individual flippers and gentleman type dealers who leverage relationships to obtain Rolex for the quick flipsky. I do think the HK Rolex AD still dumps qty of SS and other “cheap” Rolexes directly to greys as they simply don’t want to be bothered with low retail slag, preferring to focus on PM and gem set references to whales. It’s just easier.

[Greglaw]

Well my 57 year old brain and life experience tells me that there probably are some dealers who sell to gray, and some who don’t. I am not going to listen to a gray dealer tell me what’s what when it is something that would bring them big profits. Remember Bill Clinton...”I did not have...relations with that woman...”. Deny deny. But, in the end we know how that turned out. Do they all (ADs) do it? Who knows. Do some do it? Probably. But, those who state with absolute certainty one way or another are speculating. Unless you have access to every single Dealer transaction in the world, which you don’t, then these proclamations are nothing more than opinions. As a trial lawyer, I deal with actual evidence that can be proven/established, and without the actual evidence, it is nothing more than hearsay, conjecture or speculation.

[sokoloka]

Originally Posted by Wahlberg

Watchbox should address the fact how they are changing the De Bethune market and increasing the prices for their own gain/profits.

That's generally what a private business is supposed to do?

[MP777]

Well said Peter, I don’t think you get enough credit but I just want to say I appreciate having you here in the forums. God bless and hope you have a good holiday break coming up.

Originally Posted by padi56

Thank you for your kind words,but expect I have given more knowledge and factual information over the past couple of weeks, than yourself will ever produce on forum over the next 50 years.And forum is for making comments,so please take this '#### off' with a complimentary as a token of my gratitude.And one rule I always follow is I never get into an argument with so called members like yourself, as you will just lower yourself to their level, and they will beat you with there experience have a nice day.

[Polarexplorerii]

Originally Posted by padi56

In the real world would agree anyone who thinks that any Rolex AD would risk his business and livelihood on selling watches direct to grey though back door must be sixpence short of a shilling. But in general I use my own 79 year old brain to figure that one out, and not like many of todays younger age whose sole info cupboard is in so called social media,Youtube etc, and believe everything they read or see on the likes .And many today have mostly the attention span of a fly on the wall, as so called social media have taken over there lives and use of there own little used grey matter brain power.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by Polarexplorerii

There are two sixpence in a shilling.

Therefore if you are sixpence short of a shilling you have half a brain.


Simple?