Do Rolex ADs order watches or do they get random shipments?

[Parapraxis]

I'm hearing conflicting things. Some say ADs order watches from Rolex. Others say Rolex sends random shipments to ADs and the ADs are unaware of when they arrive or what will be in them. Can someone please provide me some clarity on this? Thanks

[Handey0465]

Simply from what I've read, they know their allotment every year...Just not when the pieces will arrive....

BUT...

I believe, if you want a $50k+ piece, they can make a phone call/request and get it shipped to them or prioritized....

[JodyHighroller]

They have allocations each year, but they do not know when they will get them during the year. The AD can order whatever they want each month via online portal, but it does not mean it will come in the following month for delivery. What my three ADs have told me, YMMV.

[ltmgeller]

I've heard its a little of both.

[N2theCAPE]

Whenever they sell a sub, they get a sub but they do have an allotment depending on their traffic/sales.

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[Yess]

They can't "order" watches. They can "request" watches, but this isn't a guarantee that they will get the watch. It is very hit and miss. Even if a $50k sale is dependent on a Hulk thrown into the deal, it is still up to Rolex as to whether the AD gets the "request" watch or not. Hence why we often hear on this forum of hot watches appearing from the safe - it's likely that ADs keep one of all the hot models on hand in case they need to sweeten a large deal.

The way it works here in Australia (and parts of Northern Europe): ADs get invoiced for what they are sent a month in advance of getting the watches. They know what they get from month to month - and have some idea (more of a guesstimate) what they will receive across a year.

[ArtNouveau]

First things first, just because something is true for one country doesn’t make it the norm worldwide. RolexUSA has 3-4 tiers of dealers based on volume. My Boutique AD is at the top level and has a “base” inventory of 275 pieces. I believe that means that when a non-allocation piece is sold it will be replaced in their next shipment. They also know the minimum number of allocation pieces they will get each year but not exactly when they will arrive although I think it’s pretty consistent. They usually get bonus allocations each year too based on some performance bogey.
Most people here think AD’s lie anytime their lips are moving. All I can say is my deliveries have been very close to when they predicted they would be. I waited 9 months for my Daytona and the countdown to it was almost exactly when expected.

[biscotti]

They most definitely can and do order less in demand models and will eventually get them.

[Ensign]

Big ADs can “order” you a certain watch from another one of their stores. I did that on a Datejust years back. They aren’t ordering a watch from Rolex.