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Old 22 June 2018, 12:52 PM   #1
turborolex
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Rolex Event Without A Single SS Model

I recently went to a local AD Rolex event to showcase the new Basel 2018 releases.

They had the new white gold Pepsi GMT, new SS Pepsi GMT and the CHNR. All were displays with no movement.

The attendees were mainly in there 30-40s.

The AD didn’t have a single SS model on display expect for a white dial Milgauss and a Polar GMT. That’s it!

They were pushing the Datejust line and no one was paying attention.

Many went up to the Rolex rep asking him what’s doing on with the current market and he didn’t really have any answers.

It was really strange because many wanted to buy, but nothing was available.

Not sure what kind of marketing plan this is, but everyone was kind frustrated.


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Old 22 June 2018, 12:57 PM   #2
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Well they depend on what they get from Rolex, they should be frustrated as well


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Old 22 June 2018, 12:59 PM   #3
turborolex
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Well they depend on what they get from Rolex, they should be frustrated as well


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The sales guys who I’ve known for years were frustrated for sure with so many people asking for subs, hulks etc...any they weren’t even allowed to take down names.


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Old 22 June 2018, 01:04 PM   #4
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I'm starting to wonder if all this limited supply thing is just because Rolex launched the DJ41 and and replacing the DJ36....and probably the Exp2 soon too. Perhaps they're giving us 3 years of nothing, to force us all to buy those DJs Then all the bugs will be out of those 3235s and they'll be ready for the new Subs. We'll never know
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Old 22 June 2018, 09:33 PM   #5
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This really shows that WIS and those with a little knowledge of the product line won't go into DJs, and unless Rolex want to be a firm of only walk-in clueless status buyers, they have to re-allocate their product, and I'm sure they will next year.

The Rolex name already has such a superficial stigma attached to it, that they can't think double downing on this is the way ahead... altho it will reduce all their R&D budgets to zero, and maybe then a 30% price cut! What a strategy.
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Old 22 June 2018, 09:40 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by turborolex View Post
I recently went to a local AD Rolex event to showcase the new Basel 2018 releases.

They had the new white gold Pepsi GMT, new SS Pepsi GMT and the CHNR. All were displays with no movement.

The attendees were mainly in there 30-40s.

The AD didn’t have a single SS model on display expect for a white dial Milgauss and a Polar GMT. That’s it!

They were pushing the Datejust line and no one was paying attention.

Many went up to the Rolex rep asking him what’s doing on with the current market and he didn’t really have any answers.

It was really strange because many wanted to buy, but nothing was available.

Not sure what kind of marketing plan this is, but everyone was kind frustrated.


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the event i went to had all the new releases and it was at Rolex HQ in London. What surprised me was that they didn't have the other popular watches to see. When one goes to "Rolex" its not that unreasonable expect to be able to see a demo Hulk or SS Daytona or whatever. They had a Rainbow Daytona though and both prototype watches that went to the bottom of the ocean on the outside of submarines.. the one from 1960 and the deepsea challenge yet no SS watches currently in production.
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Old 22 June 2018, 09:56 PM   #7
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This really shows that WIS and those with a little knowledge of the product line won't go into DJs, and unless Rolex want to be a firm of only walk-in clueless status buyers, they have to re-allocate their product, and I'm sure they will next year.

The Rolex name already has such a superficial stigma attached to it, that they can't think double downing on this is the way ahead... altho it will reduce all their R&D budgets to zero, and maybe then a 30% price cut! What a strategy.
What a losing business strategy. This Rolex CEO is clueless. The "DateJust Generation" ship has obviously sailed. Yeah, in the 80's, the TT DateJust was the bread and butter Rolex watch, but this is 2018.
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Old 22 June 2018, 10:35 PM   #8
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I'm really sorry for business owners who work hard and invest their money with no products to sell. That is a lot of BS to put up with. If I worked in sales at a Rolex AD I'd be looking for another job outside this industry.
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Old 22 June 2018, 10:57 PM   #9
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What a losing business strategy. This Rolex CEO is clueless. The "DateJust Generation" ship has obviously sailed. Yeah, in the 80's, the TT DateJust was the bread and butter Rolex watch, but this is 2018.
The DJ and Sub are/were their top movers by a landslide. Unfortunately, the DJ is viewed as an "old man's watch." I've heard this comment many times from a lot of different people. I would agree that the DJ ship is on the way out. The younger generation doesn't seem to care for mechanical watches much at all, much less their "grandfather's watch." They want what's new, flashy, popular, and whatever the latest flash in the pan celebrity is wearing. It will be very interesting to see how all this plays out and if the attitude of the younger generation changes.
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:04 PM   #10
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I'm starting to think ADs have the pieces but only pull them out for special customers that will spend big bucks on PM and hard to move pieces. Please someone contradict me, the pieces are out there, but they are not in the AD display case...
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:21 PM   #11
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What a disappointment, we had an event and they pulled out all the SS models to be displayed and tried on for the event. SUBC, HULK, BLNR, White D500, Smurf ect
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:23 PM   #12
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I'm starting to think ADs have the pieces but only pull them out for special customers that will spend big bucks on PM and hard to move pieces. Please someone contradict me, the pieces are out there, but they are not in the AD display case...
Maybe not as much quantity as past years, but I can see any Rolex model at my main AD from the back that are supposedly waiting for a customer to always pick up. They always have 1 or so of each, but you have to buy that Day Date I’m sure if you want the popular ones lol. In the US anyway, wear a SS Daytona into an AD and tell them you’re interested in buying a PM Rolex. I’d guess that 50% of ADs will pull a watch from the back that is an allocation piece as well to try to get you moving on the PM purchase.
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:23 PM   #13
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Rolex Event Without A Single SS Model

So very disappointing indeed.
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:38 PM   #14
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Sucks there was ok a few, but I wouldn’t say it was “without a single SS”
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:46 PM   #15
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The DJ and Sub are/were their top movers by a landslide. Unfortunately, the DJ is viewed as an "old man's watch." I've heard this comment many times from a lot of different people. I would agree that the DJ ship is on the way out. The younger generation doesn't seem to care for mechanical watches much at all, much less their "grandfather's watch." They want what's new, flashy, popular, and whatever the latest flash in the pan celebrity is wearing. It will be very interesting to see how all this plays out and if the attitude of the younger generation changes.
I think the DJ range is a little too broad to pigeonhole as an old man’s watch. There’s a big difference between a two-tone tapestry dial with fluted bezel on Jubilee vs. a plain stick dial with flat bezel on Oyster.

Oddly enough, here in super-hipster, close in Portland, I’ve been seeing DJs (both vintage and new) more than anything else lately.
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:50 PM   #16
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Sucks there was ok a few, but I wouldn’t say it was “without a single SS”


There wasn’t a single SS piece... except for two
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:50 PM   #17
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I think the DJ range is a little too broad to pigeonhole as an old man’s watch. There’s a big difference between a two-tone tapestry dial with fluted bezel on Jubilee vs. a plain stick dial with flat bezel on Oyster.

Oddly enough, here in super-hipster, close in Portland, I’ve been seeing DJs (both vintage and new) more than anything else lately.
Hipsters can be a “unique” bunch of consumers. Hot today, tomorrow it’s today’s Casio. Can’t count on them to commit to any kind of trend. Tomorrow they’ll be wearing gen 1 Apple watches because they’re absolutely the coolest thing ever made, at least for that week.
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:56 PM   #18
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I think the DJ range is a little too broad to pigeonhole as an old man’s watch. There’s a big difference between a two-tone tapestry dial with fluted bezel on Jubilee vs. a plain stick dial with flat bezel on Oyster.

I agree.

Personally I don’t think the DJ is an old mans watch in any configuration
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Old 22 June 2018, 11:59 PM   #19
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supply and demand..these guys know what they are doing...they turn on the faucet and off...
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Old 23 June 2018, 12:07 AM   #20
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supply and demand..these guys know what they are doing...they turn on the faucet and off...
The definitely have a Monopoly in their space. Omega really isn't a competitor to most of what Rolex does. Omega competes better between Tag and Rolex, their high end aren't very competitive and certainly can't hold value near Rolex or Patek in the long run. Most won't buyers won't go with such depreciating watches new in the $8k-$10k range. If you don't want to lose 40% of your value if you ever sold, then you really don't have any alternatives than Rolex in the $10k to $20k and they at Rolex are well aware.
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Old 23 June 2018, 12:49 AM   #21
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Hipsters can be a “unique” bunch of consumers. Hot today, tomorrow it’s today’s Casio. Can’t count on them to commit to any kind of trend. Tomorrow they’ll be wearing gen 1 Apple watches because they’re absolutely the coolest thing ever made, at least for that week.
Yeah, I shouldn’t have really said hipster. I don’t mean guys with 8” moustaches dressing like the 1800s. I pretty much mean anyone under 50 living in a West Coast city (outside of maybe somewhere like San Diego.) I see more professional models in the suburbs these days.

Kind of Ryan Gosling vs. Brooks Koepka.
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Old 23 June 2018, 12:50 AM   #22
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I'm starting to think ADs have the pieces but only pull them out for special customers that will spend big bucks on PM and hard to move pieces. Please someone contradict me, the pieces are out there, but they are not in the AD display case...
I think AD’s have some but not all the high demand pieces not on display. I have a good AD relationship and when I stop by I always ask what they have “in the back”. They usually have something there that I’m interested in.
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Old 23 June 2018, 01:02 AM   #23
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Same as the event I attended in Chicago, you would think they would take those opportunities to sell product when they have a captive audience!
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Old 23 June 2018, 01:02 AM   #24
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Datejust is a great reference and a cornerstone to the brand.

This hyper focus on SS sports models is just a WIS thing.

I've been to a few AD recently that said overall sales are up since distribution was cut back.

The general public loves Rolex and DJ, TT, and yes PM are what they buy. Yes, that's right. PM watches sell very well.

Then the SS models are selling over and above through lists. FOMO is driving people to buy models they wouldn't have previously, such as the Hulk.

Rolex is selling more than ever by limiting distribution and marketing effectively.

What else would you suggest they do?
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Old 23 June 2018, 01:06 AM   #25
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I'm really sorry for business owners who work hard and invest their money with no products to sell. That is a lot of BS to put up with. If I worked in sales at a Rolex AD I'd be looking for another job outside this industry.
Agreed, it’s got to be tough right now for sales people not to have the models people want.
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Old 23 June 2018, 01:09 AM   #26
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Personally I don’t think the DJ is an old mans watch in any configuration
Agree, IMO very few hard-and-fast rules with watches and I definitely would not consider DJ an old mans watch. Wore my TT, jubilee, fluted yesterday with flip flops and swimming trunks at a waterfront restaurant deck yesterday afternoon. Would have taken a picture but my hands were busy with 50 cent wings and $2 bud lights. Maybe I am an old man but I’m an old man enjoying vacation :)
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Old 23 June 2018, 01:20 AM   #27
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Hipsters can be a “unique” bunch of consumers. Hot today, tomorrow it’s today’s Casio. Can’t count on them to commit to any kind of trend. Tomorrow they’ll be wearing gen 1 Apple watches because they’re absolutely the coolest thing ever made, at least for that week.
but the beards and round glasses remain, that they are committed to. Ugly sweaters too
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Old 23 June 2018, 01:59 AM   #28
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Datejust is a great reference and a cornerstone to the brand.

This hyper focus on SS sports models is just a WIS thing.

I've been to a few AD recently that said overall sales are up since distribution was cut back.

The general public loves Rolex and DJ, TT, and yes PM are what they buy. Yes, that's right. PM watches sell very well.

Then the SS models are selling over and above through lists. FOMO is driving people to buy models they wouldn't have previously, such as the Hulk.

Rolex is selling more than ever by limiting distribution and marketing effectively.

What else would you suggest they do?
Well your post here seems to contradict the OP. Nobody was paying any attention to the DateJust models. Can't blame them, when I do walk into an AD on rare occasion I pass on looking at DJs and go right to the sport references. And I am mid 50's. DJ was my first Rolex bought. Sold it soon after for a Coke GMT and have owned sports models ever since.
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Old 23 June 2018, 02:04 AM   #29
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Well your post here seems to contradict the OP. Nobody was paying any attention to the DateJust models. Can't blame them, when I do walk into an AD on rare occasion I pass on looking at DJs and go right to the sport references. And I am mid 50's. DJ was my first Rolex bought. Sold it soon after for a Coke GMT and have owned sports models ever since.
i think the DJ sells very well however it was the exact same thing at my event at Rolex. No one tried on the DJ's and it was a very mixed crowd in both gender and age. There was a line to try on the pepsi and even the rainbow daytona although im sure no one was actually going to buy it even if they could get one.

They had 3 displays for DJ's. the 26mm (i think), the 36 and maybe the 39. I don't even know but there were 3 separate displays and only one for the GMT's and one with the blinged out YM and Daytona. No one even cared, seriously.

I think some of the sales are a factor of it being available/in stock and also because a lot of women buy the smaller versions as there are no real female specific sports models. Being the biggest seller based on that isnt the same thing as it being popular.
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Old 23 June 2018, 02:11 AM   #30
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I'm 49.......Relatively affluent crowd. I don't know ANYONE under 75 rocking a datejust. I owned a datejust II, oyster, back dial, fluted.....I liked it a fair amount actually, but the DJII was a bit more sporty looking. Moved it because my Skydwellers trump it in every way.

Jubilee? No thanks.....

I don't think the Datejusts sell as well as everyone states. They just sit around at my AD.
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