Not A Single Watch

[Haveapair]

What??!!! How can that be? The Breitling boutique was full of watches...

[dawalsh]

They just didn’t put it in the case. All in the safe in the back of the store.

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by dawalsh

They just didn’t put it in the case. All in the safe in the back of the store.

Actually, having known that boutique for a bit, I'm pretty sure they barely have one or two in the safe.

They haven't had much stock, in general, all year.

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by Haveapair

What??!!! How can that be? The Breitling boutique was full of watches...

The day people start flipping Breitlings like they do APs is the day I quit watch collecting.

[doze]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Did Royal de Versailles stop selling AP?

Long time ago...

[GW44]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

The day people start flipping Breitlings like they do APs is the day I quit watch collecting.

Rest easy, it’ll never happen…..

[ajas]

KL under strict lockdown including all luxury shops including AP Boutique.All closed down.

[fsprow]

[QUOTE=GreenLantern;11497262]Honestly, this is a huge problem from a future sales perspective.

You can't stop acquiring new customers, unless you want to end up with decreasing sales in the mid to far future.

Having zero watches in stock turns off new customer acquisition.

This sounds reasonable, but I’m not sure. Does having no watches in the cases decrease customer demand or increase it due to
presumed rarity and desirability? One could probably make either case.

[honuswagner13]

Has any forum member been to the AP boutique in NYC recently?

Just wondering if they have display pieces in house. Or are they totally empty too?

[macrowatch]

Maybe a code. Sometimes stuff in back.

Best to have appointment since at least as of May limited number of people inside at a time.

[Burlington]

I can certainly see how covid is still having a massive back log of impacts.

Unlikely they are back up to full speed on manufacturing given how manually labour intensive it is, let alone all the rest on top.

Don’t forget we are still in it.

[maciej]

Originally Posted by honuswagner13

Has any forum member been to the AP boutique in NYC recently?

Just wondering if they have display pieces in house. Or are they totally empty too?

Only Codes, in the back there are the museum pieces which consists of two Concepts, and a few other pieces.

[BigTexRlx]

Originally Posted by Jshwarms

Was in the Crystals Mall in Vegas last weekend over Memorial Day. The Audemars Boutique had not 1 watch in the store all all. Nothing in any cases, window, back. NOTHING......not even sure why they were open. Amazing the brands own store had not a single watch.

This boutique is actually owned and operated by Westime, not AP. But crazy to think not a single watch. I'm sure rent isn't cheap in that mall.

[OH2004]

Originally Posted by BigTexRlx

This boutique is actually owned and operated by Westime, not AP. But crazy to think not a single watch. I'm sure rent isn't cheap in that mall.

They might not have anything to sell to walk in customers but they are selling more watches than ever mostly to their current clients. Once the watch comes in a customer gets the call.

[RLXSRGN]

Originally Posted by OH2004

They might not have anything to sell to walk in customers but they are selling more watches than ever mostly to their current clients. Once the watch comes in a customer gets the call.

no watches because they are selling as soon as they come in... never seen anything of this magnitude... it's frustrating for everyone, clients and employees included.

Even the new 43mm royal oak offshore is going to be tough which is surprising since the 44 and 42 mm offshores were always somewhat within reach. The only way to make them more available is to increase production numbers to above 42K which is what I believe it's capped at currently... I don't think AP will be doing that anytime in the near future.

[RLXSRGN]

Originally Posted by maciej

Only Codes, in the back there are the museum pieces which consists of two Concepts, and a few other pieces.

museum pieces as in watches for display that are not for sale?

[robinmgb]

I was in the Sloane street boutique in London last Saturday to order an extract from the archives
I was pushed for time and am not interested in buying a new AP so didn’t pay much attention but they certainly had several watches on display including some 42mm ROO’s

[maciej]

Originally Posted by RLXSRGN

museum pieces as in watches for display that are not for sale?

Correct, I think they had a Schumacher Lap Timer and one other concept, then I believe there was a Schwarzenegger. I could be wrong though, I wasn't paying close attention when I was there a week or two ago.

[RyanO]

Visit the NYC boutique. Great staff. I got my 15500st.02 in April and couldn't be more ecstatic. They also let me try on some other pieces while I was in the store, which were spoken for...

I do think AP, however, is limiting supply intentionally to create more demand.

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by RyanO

Visit the NYC boutique. Great staff..... They also let me try on some other pieces while I was in the store, which were spoken for...

Forgive me, but I have long considered that inappropriate.

I don't want a boutique letting someone else try on pieces that I am committed to, and most likely fully paid on, just waiting to pick up / ship to me.

[BNA/LION]

Dang!

[macrowatch]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Forgive me, but I have long considered that inappropriate.

I don't want a boutique letting someone else try on pieces that I am committed to, and most likely fully paid on, just waiting to pick up / ship to me.

I never put the watch on my wrist, usually don't even hold it for that exact reason. But I do appreciate the ability to see the dial and such in person on watches that are hard to find and even harder to photograph properly.

But you know, comes with the territory, if you walk into a restaurant with a partner who's a 10, can't help but attract ogling eyes you know?

[911AP]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Forgive me, but I have long considered that inappropriate.

I don't want a boutique letting someone else try on pieces that I am committed to, and most likely fully paid on, just waiting to pick up / ship to me.

It's not that serious.....It's fully wrapped and if something happens they will get you another one if it's for that kind of reason.

[macrowatch]

Originally Posted by 911AP

It's not that serious.....It's fully wrapped and if something happens they will get you another one if it's for that kind of reason.

Is there a 'you break you buy policy' that I don't know of? Maybe I should have totally handled the watch and accidentally dropped it in order to buy it.

[pennywise]

People want what they can’t have. I work in manufacturing and there are supply chain shortages popping up every day. This is partially strategy on APs part, and partially pandemic related. Demand has also increased because of a massive transfer of wealth and people not taking expensive trips because of lockdowns. Desirability will ebb and flow, but as long as people desire exclusivity, as they have since the beginning of humanity, AP and Rolex will be just fine.


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[GW44]

Originally Posted by MikePRT

When I was at the AP house in London getting my 1.5 link sorted a few days ago I went with the expectation of being able to try some watches on…nope, only the new RO diver (which was massive on me) and that’s it. Literally had nothing in 41mm size for me to look at. Very disappointing.


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Even worse at the AP Boutique in Harrods.....literally 1 ROO Ghost and 2-3 Codes in cabinets that were 90% empty/fresh air....

Over at AP House situation was better and got to see try on 4 new pieces that had come in this week.

[911AP]

Originally Posted by macrowatch

Is there a 'you break you buy policy' that I don't know of? Maybe I should have totally handled the watch and accidentally dropped it in order to buy it.

That's a good idea. I'm going to drop one next time they let me touch another watch lol.

[subtona]

surely all the 11:59 were in the case?

[Jshwarms]

Originally Posted by subtona

surely all the 11:59 were in the case?

Sadly when I was there nothing was, not even an 11:59. Sales agent stated they stopped taking any deposits back in Jan of this year so they could try and get out of the hole.

100% nothing in the store, nothing in the back, no cufflinks, no ladies watches, nothing to show but a catalog.

Atleast Rolex will usually have some ladies watches or a few Cellini around.

[yOyOYoo]

Originally Posted by Jshwarms

Sadly when I was there nothing was, not even an 11:59. Sales agent stated they stopped taking any deposits back in Jan of this year so they could try and get out of the hole.

100% nothing in the store, nothing in the back, no cufflinks, no ladies watches, nothing to show but a catalog.

Atleast Rolex will usually have some ladies watches or a few Cellini around.

At the boutique I went to, they didn’t even have a catalog. The SA let me look at their digital catalog with an iPad.