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

[vh2k]

Relevant comments at 10:50



Do you agree or disagree with Tim? Discuss.

[Wahlberg]

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

[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.

[DonRickles]

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.

Peter, this one is a direct insult and not called for!


I prefer getting my information DIRECTLY from the SA's and the GREY Dealers.....

But since the OP's link is on the internet, it must be true.....

[beshannon]

Seems that in todays world, deny everything is the first response

[DJ2020]

Originally Posted by beshannon

Seems that in todays world, deny everything is the first response

True, So true

[jaisonline]

Yeah because I trust Govberg while they have 1 hand in the secondary market jar and the other in the AD jar.

Great air talent and very knowledgeable about watches although.

[zengineer]

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.

I think the way it's done, when it's done, is a little more subtle and there have been at least a few ADs caught up in this.

A Sales Advisor has some discretion about who they sell to. If they partner with friends or relatives who in turn resell to grey dealers they can earn a nice finders fee. Does this involve or benefit the Sales Manager or even owner...maybe in some cases. But to think it doesn't go on seems a stretch. There is too much money on the table to assume nobody ever falls to the temptation.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[Harry-57]

The YouTwitFace universe is the most unreliable source of information you can tap into. Nothing against Tim, I think he's one of the more professional YouTwitFacers, but these social media channels need clicks, shares, likes and chatter to run. Any chatter will do.

Like the established greys (not the fly by night opportunists), ADs are in the watch retail trade. They know who is who and what is going on. Make friends with an AD and you'll get very limited amounts of info of a much higher quality.

[macrowatch]

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.

Are company owners not allowed to raise prices to increase profits? :-)

To OP, I think they are just stating what everyone else knows as true in 2021, AD’s no longer need gray to move inventory, at least in the current market.

[MiDoon]

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.

Yet here we all are sharing our own opinions on the internet.

[garyk]

Originally Posted by beshannon

Seems that in todays world, deny everything is the first response

Haha, exactly

[Pw92676]

When the sample size is low, it’s hard to extrapolate. Sure WB is a big outfit but they aren’t the authority.

Maybe they forgot to ask the AD near me that had to fire SAs for selling out the back door. Or maybe they had their WhatsApp chat set to mute and missed the messages circulating around.

[joli160]

Because one youtuber says something doesn’t make it true

[samuel019]

I mean what else would they say…

Are we all expecting an admission of guilt?

[DonRickles]

Originally Posted by joli160

Because one youtuber says something doesn’t make it true

The OP is known for posting links that are somewhat suspicious…..

[SearChart]

[Cloudchaser]

Originally Posted by MiDoon

Yet here we all are sharing our own opinions on the internet.

Or, in some cases, continually cuttiing and pasting the same opinions.

"Cupboard" or clipboard?

[Mendota]

Legit question: if they are not selling to greys, then how do you explain the fact that many of these watches for sale at greys are completely covered in the original stickers and bezel protectors? I believe that most ADs are honest and are not doing this, but come on. There clearly must be some that are. Otherwise we wouldn't be seeing so many pieces on the market BNIB with full stickers.

How do you also explain the recent Patek auction for a fully stickered piece? I am sure that original AD was pissing himself and sweating bullets when that watch went up for auction. Oops!

[MRBolton]

Originally Posted by Cloudchaser

Or, in some cases, continually cuttiing and pasting the same opinions.

"Cupboard" or clipboard?

Aren’t you a grey dealer whom ADs sell to?

[Marcjvr]

Nothing like a post on the internet about a video on the internet that is about a rumor on the internet

[Cloudchaser]

Originally Posted by MRBolton

Aren’t you a grey dealer whom ADs sell to?

I am a VIP at numerous ADs. As a result, I resell a number of the watches I acquire after evaluation periods of varying lengths.

Hmmm.

[fania123]

Riddle me this then how is it that some Grey dealers, not naming any names, are able to get new steel watches with blank warranty cards and then fill out the name of their buyer?

[m j b]

I don't know who Tim is and I don't believe anything I see on YouTube except for those dashcam crash videos which make me sweat about ever going to Russia, because apparently no one there can drive. Which is why they all have dashcams.

But I digress.

I think many of our younger brethren here do not know how it was in the "old days" before "the shortage". One could contact a well-known grey market proprietor and get a watch, a new watch, in days, at a discount.

I'll use DSW as an example, although I by no means wish to cast aspersions upon him, as he's a stand-up guy

I figure that D has one or more contacts at various ADs in the large metropolitan area in which he lives, and between those stores he can usually find whatever it is someone wants. As a long-time good customer, they don't care that he resells them, they just know that for a fair discount, they can quickly and easily move items for quick payment, no credit card fees, likely as a wholesale marketer also no sales tax to mess with. They also know that he'll take any of their "trade-ins" off of their hands. That happens more often than you guys may think it does.

Now, things have changed and they no longer need to discount anything. But he is still a good customer, and relationships are worth a lot, especially when the market recovers and things go back to normal. And so they don't care if they sell a watch to me at MSRP or to him, except that I'm just a tourist going through, never to return, and he'll generate literally millions of dollars of sales this year. So he can still get his supplies.

Plus, now that he has quite a reputation, folks like us know that if we get (for instance) a Batperson watch from our AD, we can flip it to him for a quick $8K profit, he'll have a FedEx label in our hands before lunch and a wire deposit before EOB tomorrow. How many among us are not tempted by that kind of money, for a few hours of work?

[epicurus]

Ok. LOL

[brandrea]

So if the gray market isn’t getting them AD’s they are getting them all from private collectors like you and I?

[crew]

Originally Posted by jaisonline

Yeah because I trust Govberg while they have 1 hand in the secondary market jar and the other in the AD jar.

Great air talent and very knowledgeable about watches although.

Whether you agree or not with this statement you can’t deny the appearance or potential for the conflict of interest in this connection.

[peterp]

It is too lucrative to be true. For less profit people make suspicious businesses and if they can earn thousends dollars on each piece (!) in short time without any crime (at worst loosing Rolex license) can be difficult to resist.

[Sandpit]

Watchbox, owned / Co-founded by Govberg (a Rolex AD) says “ADs ain’t backdooring”. Ok. It’s just pure coincidence that grey dealers are stocked full with brand new (sometimes stickered) pieces.

[ben.wins]

I'm just going to leave this here

https://atelierdegriff.com/2021/02/1...o-grey-market/