Rolex front loading Gold watches

[Edfrozen]

3 Rolex dealers have told me that Rolex is front loading their precious metal watches. They ( precious metal ) will not be available at the end of the year .
Why they are doing this? I have no idea. That is why we're seeing them at dealers and the prices have softened

[ArtNouveau]

Anecdotally references seem to come in batches, may be a bunch of PMs just got completed and shipped. I last spoke with my SA a couple of weeks ago and it was business as usual.

[puma1552]

If there's any truth to it, it could be related to precious metal mining seasons or maybe more specifically, annual/cyclical lead time between mining/processing? But then I would expect this to occur annually.

[amh]

Originally Posted by puma1552

If there's any truth to it, it could be related to precious metal mining seasons or maybe more specifically, annual/cyclical lead time between mining/processing? But then I would expect this to occur annually.

Highly doubtful. Gold in particular is not very scarce - Rolex can buy all they need without requiring fresh mining.

[Calatrava r]

With Rolex it seems nobody but Rolex knows what is going on regarding supply.

[jb335]

Maybe but I doubt it.

Just another my AD said.

Quite a few TRFers were adamant their AD let them in on a secret that Rolex had paused BLRO production due to QC issues yet we still see those incomings…..


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[Rolex1982]

Originally Posted by jb335

Maybe but I doubt it.

Just another my AD said.

Quite a few TRFers were adamant their AD let them in on a secret that Rolex had paused BLRO production due to QC issues yet we still see those incomings…..


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I know what you mean but it can also be that certain AD’s have more ‘in the back’ than we know and that those incomings were produced earlier. I also see incomings of discontinued models after 6 months.

I think we can safely conclude that the rolex/patek/ap watch market is highly manipulated by manufacturers and/or AD. We hear what they want us to hear. Nothing more and nothing less.

[jb335]

Originally Posted by Rolex1982

I know what you mean but it can also be that certain AD’s have more ‘in the back’ than we know and that those incomings were produced earlier. I also see incomings of discontinued models after 6 months.

I think we can safely conclude that the rolex/patek/ap watch market is highly manipulated by manufacturers and/or AD. We hear what they want us to hear. Nothing more and nothing less.

Fair point

I stopped by my AD last week and they had just added a steel BLRO to their exhibition case. I mentioned to my SA that i didn’t recall seeing a steel Pepsi as an exhibition in awhile and he said they got it in last weeks shipment. But yes, we can also file that under “my AD said.”

At the end of the day, who knows anything….


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[Rolex1982]

Originally Posted by jb335

Fair point

I stopped by my AD last week and they had just added a steel BLRO to their exhibition case. I mentioned to my SA that i didn’t recall seeing a steel Pepsi as an exhibition in awhile and he said they got it in last weeks shipment. But yes, we can also file that under “my AD said.”

At the end of the day, who knows anything….


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I don’t want to sound to cynical but AD’s have nothing to gain from telling everything. They only have one goal, sell as much product as they can. And the watch hype have helped them sell a lot more high margin stuff so they really want to keep the hype alive as long as they can.


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[jb335]

Originally Posted by Rolex1982

I don’t want to sound to cynical but AD’s have nothing to gain from telling everything. They only have one goal, sell as much product as they can. And the watch hype have helped them sell a lot more high margin stuff so they really want to keep the hype alive as long as they can.


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We are on the same page.


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[Rolex1982]

Originally Posted by jb335

We are on the same page.


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[Za1]

Originally Posted by jb335

Maybe but I doubt it.

Just another my AD said.

Quite a few TRFers were adamant their AD let them in on a secret that Rolex had paused BLRO production due to QC issues yet we still see those incomings…..


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Was at my AD yesterday and he definitely confirmed there were issues with the BLRO bezel production, not halted but slowed. Fwiw he was just back from a Rolex training.


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[Tavli3]

Was passing by Mayors in local mall and decided to pop in the boutique part of the store just for the heck of it and when I asked if anything was for sale I was fully expecting a No or some Ladies DJs at best.

To the point of this thread they had 1 40mm platinum day date diamond bezel and silver dial, 1- 36 white gold DD with blue diamond dial and diamond bezel and 1-36mm rose gold DD with champagne diamond dial and bezel.

The platinum DD was most surprising to see sitting in case for sale. So maybe the rumor is somewhat true or just coincidental?


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[sevykor]

Maybe more profit on the PMs. In a relatively hot market, it’s what I would want to push as a retailer.


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[dannyp]

You have to think about what was going on when Rolex was doing its annual planning. If a recession was anticipated during H2 23, then it would make sense to try and move the PM inventory before an anticipated crash. I’m guessing Rolex works with some very talented economists in developing those plans, so maybe they know something we don’t…

[kaiserphoenix]

Originally Posted by dannyp

You have to think about what was going on when Rolex was doing its annual planning. If a recession was anticipated during H2 23, then it would make sense to try and move the PM inventory before an anticipated crash. I’m guessing Rolex works with some very talented economists in developing those plans, so maybe they know something we don’t…

Agreed. In addition, they probably have a team of analysts looking at things like the FX Variance between nations and also distributing stock accordingly to maximise sales. For example in Japan, I have yet to see a single AD with ANYTHING in stock, despite many TRF'ers spotting Daydates or PM Skydwellers on display sometimes or in the back. In Japan, we have ZERO. Then I compared the MSRP of Japan and countries like the US/UK and noticed that the price differential was HUGE. A Yachtmaster RG on oysterflex for example was a whopping 30% price differential between japan and many other countries. This lead me to conclude that if I were the head of Rolex, why would I send inventory to japan and essentially sell at 30% discount?

[TheVTCGuy]

You lost me after those famous three words.. “My AD said”

[omar10213245]

i'll take all that with a grain of salt, but if there is truth to it, that's kind of a bummer to me, as i'm hoping to maybe luck out and get a 116515ln rose gold daytona (sun dust dial) on oysterflex from my AD either in November or December.

[jb335]

Originally Posted by kaiserphoenix

Agreed. In addition, they probably have a team of analysts looking at things like the FX Variance between nations and also distributing stock accordingly to maximise sales. For example in Japan, I have yet to see a single AD with ANYTHING in stock, despite many TRF'ers spotting Daydates or PM Skydwellers on display sometimes or in the back. In Japan, we have ZERO. Then I compared the MSRP of Japan and countries like the US/UK and noticed that the price differential was HUGE. A Yachtmaster RG on oysterflex for example was a whopping 30% price differential between japan and many other countries. This lead me to conclude that if I were the head of Rolex, why would I send inventory to japan and essentially sell at 30% discount?

Ha. Makes sense why a few well-known vintage dealers have been going to Tokyo recently.


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[Nodzex]

While traveling I had a connecting flight at London. Had some time to kill and I visited the Rolex store. They had 2 DD 40mm for a purchase, everything else was exhibition models only!

[padi56]

Originally Posted by amh

Highly doubtful. Gold in particular is not very scarce - Rolex can buy all they need without requiring fresh mining.

Most gold billets today are bought and made from recycled gold items that have been melted down.

[Moondoggy]

AD, why does not anyone have a BC.

[PenDelicate]

I don't know what "Front loading" means.

Your second sentence, "They ( precious metal ) will not be available at the end of the year," suggests it means that Rolex is selling all their PM pieces for the year now, rather than distribute them evenly throughout the later.

Why would they do that? Does it suggest they're expecting that the PM pieces _won't_ be sellable later in the year?

And does Rolex work like that normally: do they manufacture all their PM pieces exclusively towards the start of the year?

This seems odd. I must be misinterpreting this.

[Mystro]

AD’s will say anything to shift attention away from the SS Professional market. It’s generally known that AD’s do not have any inside information and this is by Rolex intel design.

[Oystersteel92]

Originally Posted by PenDelicate

I don't know what "Front loading" means.

Your second sentence, "They ( precious metal ) will not be available at the end of the year," suggests it means that Rolex is selling all their PM pieces for the year now, rather than distribute them evenly throughout the later.

Why would they do that? Does it suggest they're expecting that the PM pieces _won't_ be sellable later in the year?

And does Rolex work like that normally: do they manufacture all their PM pieces exclusively towards the start of the year?

This seems odd. I must be misinterpreting this.

Maybe anticipating a gold-backed currency announcement from the BRICS nations? Of course, if gold becomes more expensive and harder to obtain, it would affect TT models as well.

[bluestreak]

Isn’t it much more likely that the AD was just saying this to create a sense of urgency in order to sell you a PM watch?