How to get first Patek

[just1time]

Here in Canada, safe to say the Patek availability is ZERO to NONE given no sensible number of ADs available.

I fly into NY frequently.
What would be the first way to get a PP?
I am interested in a Nautilus, Aquanaut and a 40mm Complication series( in no particular order).
Am in no rush and don't mind waiting as long as an AD is willing to start a relationship.
Do ADs even consider new customers? Or is PP generally out of reach for newcomers?

[Hard_Six]

They will consider new customers. Nautilus and Aquanaut will be too tough. They should work with you on a complication though. May have to wait a bit but they should order it for you. At least this is what my local AD will do. Not sure about NYC...

[2nastie]

There are only 3 ADs in Canada. And being a relatively small market, yes, definitely inventory is low.

But in comparison to larger cities like NYC, I won't say it's necessary an improvement going there. At the end of this day with this current market situation and us (Canadians) being still a foreign purchaser there isn't much relationship building. There are ample local clients. And I'm refering to buying complications.

Nautilus and Aquanaut... it aight happening bud. Sorry. You need to have more than few bucks with more than few other purchases (less popular models) until you get on to a waitlist for those. And probably even more extensive and longer in a US market like NYC.

...

And nothing against you and everyone saying this phase: "I don't mind waiting, etc. etc." But everyone says that and everyone means that. No one minds waiting for any of these sought after pieces. Whether you are in it for the piece of whatever reasoning we all have, it doesn't make it easier to acquire the piece.

Yes, there is a one in a million chance of an AD allocation epiphany, but I won't bank on that.

Buying a complication to start might literally just introduce you to the AD, a couple more complication purchases after that might start the Aquanaut/Nautilus conversation and probably a few more purchases after that might get you on a waitlist. You'll definitely be a few hundred if not several hundred thousand downline before they seriously consider you (minus the above epiphany).

[FloridaBill]

Originally Posted by just1time

Here in Canada, safe to say the Patek availability is ZERO to NONE given no sensible number of ADs available.

I fly into NY frequently.
What would be the first way to get a PP?
I am interested in a Nautilus, Aquanaut and a 40mm Complication series( in no particular order).
Am in no rush and don't mind waiting as long as an AD is willing to start a relationship.
Do ADs even consider new customers? Or is PP generally out of reach for newcomers?

I think a 40mm Complication series is doable, but the other two...you are better off going second market if you really want those.

[just1time]

Admiring these pieces from afar is very tedious.
I remember when I got into luxury watches a few years ago and I would find Aquanuats and Nautilus for 25-30k and 45 -60k.
Now I loom at the prices, and I had to convince myself it was the same watches I was seeing few years ago. Nautilus pretty much the price of a small condo.

[francoamerican]

Aquanaut and Nautilus from a dealer - you are hoping to be handed $75K-$125K of equity - likely going to end in disappointment. They are 100K to 200K watches that's the only realistic way to look at them.

"Waiting" for one of these two means the dealers are kicking your can down the road in case there's a decrease in demand due to a crater in the earth forming or something and throwing out a wild timeline so they don't have to hear from your too often.

[jon_jon]

The question of how to get an Aquanaut or Nautilus as a first time customer seems like a recurring new thread here weekly. I don't think the answers have changed at all. The main thing is to show genuine interest in the brand and purchase a Patek (or two or three) whose secondary market price is not above the suggested retail price at the AD. The AD can hopefully trust that you are not a flipper waiting to make a hundred grand on the watch and Patek knocking on the AD asking why they sold the watch to a flipper.

[verse214]

Originally Posted by just1time

Here in Canada, safe to say the Patek availability is ZERO to NONE given no sensible number of ADs available.

I fly into NY frequently.
What would be the first way to get a PP?
I am interested in a Nautilus, Aquanaut and a 40mm Complication series( in no particular order).
Am in no rush and don't mind waiting as long as an AD is willing to start a relationship.
Do ADs even consider new customers? Or is PP generally out of reach for newcomers?

You will not have more luck in NYC as a first time Patek customer.

[ButtButt]

I’m not sure which complication watch you’re after but I’m a recent new customer and in an arguably worse city for watches than NYC. I was able to get my 5172G in about 2 weeks although I think this is not the norm.

I would echo what the others have said and I’d suggest just talking to as many ADs as you can. Show them your passion for watches somehow and Patek in particular and talk to them about your goals and see if they are willing to work with you to achieve them. It sucks that you even have to do this but it’s the unfortunate reality these days. I wouldn’t even bring up the Nautilus or Aquanaut as a first watch.

Don’t be discouraged if you get turned away and just move on to the next one. I think in total I must have visited more than 5 ADs and only one of them came through with a watch. In the end the search actually became kind of fun seeing the different watches each AD had on display and trying them on.

Good luck.

[abacona]

Originally Posted by ButtButt

I’m not sure which complication watch you’re after but I’m a recent new customer and in an arguably worse city for watches than NYC. I was able to get my 5172G in about 2 weeks although I think this is not the norm.

I would echo what the others have said and I’d suggest just talking to as many ADs as you can. Show them your passion for watches somehow and Patek in particular and talk to them about your goals and see if they are willing to work with you to achieve them. It sucks that you even have to do this but it’s the unfortunate reality these days. I wouldn’t even bring up the Nautilus or Aquanaut as a first watch.

Don’t be discouraged if you get turned away and just move on to the next one. I think in total I must have visited more than 5 ADs and only one of them came through with a watch. In the end the search actually became kind of fun seeing the different watches each AD had on display and trying them on.

Good luck.

Had the same experience , found a dealer who would give me a straight forward path to the watch I desired and we executed


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[Lambo67w]

Getting Patek from AD is not impossible, but you need at least $30,000 budget to spend within 3 -6 months. AD may receive 5-6 pieces every 4 months and you can buy them when it arrives. But you need have the money ready.

[thephillywatches]

Originally Posted by verse214

You will not have more luck in NYC as a first time Patek customer.

Agreed, there is no inventory to even "Start" a relationship with.

[NiceShirt]

Here is my experience at Watches of Switzerland earlier today.
"Hello, I am interested in one of the new releases"
"We don't know availability because we don't know our allocation yet"
"Should I come back in 6 months?"
"No, not unless you are an existing client"
"I bought 2 grand seikos from the other location."
"Oh, that doesn't count"
"How are allocations handled? Is it strictly total spend?"
"Yes, also the length of time you've been a client and if you are the right type of client"
"But this WoS has only been open for a few years in NYC"
"Yes, since 2019"
"Does it matter which sales person I go through?"
"No"
They never asked for my contact information or the reference I was looking for.
At Wempe, they took down my name and the reference and said "We can note your interest, but we can't make any promises"
So basically no chance of getting a watch from either AD. Which approach do you prefer the brutally honest WoS, or the polite dismissal?

[dauster]

I'd pick a city that's not overrun like NYC, maybe somewhere in Florida or elsewhere or frankly work with one of the salons in Europe - buy a complication first but to be frank unless you have serious money to spend this is not going to happen.

[WatchSphinx]

Another great option is to go vintage / models over 10 years old. There is still great value out there on these even as full set. This is what I ended up doing especially given the complication I was looking for + I am more comfortable with smaller sizes relative to recent models. Best of all, no need to have to play the AD game...