Choosing AP Boutique

[shepherdflorida]

In order to get a Royal Oak Concept should I start speaking with a corporate owned Boutique (FL/NY) or would I have equal or better luck with others AP across the US that may be less pursued?

[dauster]

Honestly don’t know but I’d go corporate owned no matter what. 200k plus is always a good relationship starter

[benlee]

Definitely corporate owned boutique. Also, the sales rep plays an important role so choosing a good one is important. If somebody who is an existing client can refer you will be better.

[10XRolex]

Go corporate. I had one AP AD as recent as last year try to sell me a Royal Oak with a 3k upcharge. His excuse was, they are hard to get models and why should I sell retail to you when I can use the watch as a bargaining chip with my established clients.

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by 10XRolex

Go corporate. I had one AP AD as recent as last year try to sell me a Royal Oak with a 3k upcharge. His excuse was, they are hard to get models and why should I sell retail to you when I can use the watch as a bargaining chip with my established clients.

Which model? Current grey asking prices (and AP's continued price hikes) make a $3k premium look almost reasonable.

[supernova]

Didn't think you could even get Concept's outside of AP corp boutiques?

[Watchflair]

I'd go corporate all day on this one - build the relationship so if in the event you want tough pieces down the line you will be able to easily acquire them.

[dauster]

I just discussed the concept with AP corporate, out of my price range but I was told it's pretty readily available not a lot of people want it.

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by dauster

I just discussed the concept with AP corporate, out of my price range but I was told it's pretty readily available not a lot of people want it.

I would think there are quite number of people who want one - challenge is paying for it

[GS93108]

The world is your oyster, take your pick, literally anywhere in the world.

Personally I’d choose my local AP owned boutique. I think there was an earlier comment about the concept only being boutique, I’m pretty sure that’s correct.

AP’s production of concept and tourbillon models is small, demand is small too but not disproportionately small relative to the numbers made.

Getting an allocation should be easy, getting a delivery not necessarily so easy.

Just FYI, the new blue one looks uber nice.

Whichever one you choose, the comfort level for such a large watch is amazing.

Enjoy.

[10XRolex]

If you say so.

Originally Posted by VogelPhoenix

Which model? Current grey asking prices (and AP's continued price hikes) make a $3k premium look almost reasonable.

[dauster]

Originally Posted by VogelPhoenix

I would think there are quite number of people who want one - challenge is paying for it

I'd buy the blue one in a heartbeat but 200k is just completely out of my price range - not even in the same universe

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by GS93108

Personally I’d choose my local AP owned boutique.

Sadly, most of us don't live anywhere near an AP boutique in the US. Too few of them out here.

[Fleetlord]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Sadly, most of us don't live anywhere near an AP boutique in the US. Too few of them out here.

Just the way they want it

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by Fleetlord

Just the way they want it

Seems bad for business when some of the richest parts of the US do not have easy access yet there's talk about having 3 NYC boutiques?

[Ohiorolex]

I know this is a newbie question but is AP only available through boutiques now?

[texasmade]

Originally Posted by Ohiorolex

I know this is a newbie question but is AP only available through boutiques now?

In the US, almost exclusive through boutiques. There are still a handful of AD's left in the US. There's one in Houston and maybe another in NYC.

[Ohiorolex]

Did this make it easier or harder to get a watch

[dauster]

Originally Posted by Ohiorolex

Did this make it easier or harder to get a watch

way harder, less points of sale = more exclusivity.

[youthagainsttt]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Seems bad for business when some of the richest parts of the US do not have easy access yet there's talk about having 3 NYC boutiques?

It's even worse in HK - there are 7 AP boutiques for a population of 7 million people - 1 for each million! Sure HK is an expat city but I'm sure the ratio compared to dubai or Singapore wouldn't be as high. Plus we have the AP house

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by youthagainsttt

It's even worse in HK - there are 7 AP boutiques for a population of 7 million people - 1 for each million! Sure HK is an expat city but I'm sure the ratio compared to dubai or Singapore wouldn't be as high. Plus we have the AP house

Not to dispute how horrible that sounds, but, according to 2018 estimates (and Wikipedia) the aforementioned San Francisco Bay Area clocks in at 7.753 million humans and zero AP boutiques (or even authorized retailers).

Southern California is even worse, I'd argue. Just the Greater Los Angeles Area alone (which really doesn't encompass the entire population in Southern Cali) is 18.71 million, and I believe there's one AP Boutique (Beverly Hills).

[texasmade]

Originally Posted by Ohiorolex

Did this make it easier or harder to get a watch

The AD is lucky to get a men's SS RO now. It used to be no problem but now just about everything goes to the boutiques.

[AshAP]

Originally Posted by 10XRolex

Go corporate. I had one AP AD as recent as last year try to sell me a Royal Oak with a 3k upcharge. His excuse was, they are hard to get models and why should I sell retail to you when I can use the watch as a bargaining chip with my established clients.

If true that is shocking behaviour


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[Reign]

Originally Posted by youthagainsttt

It's even worse in HK - there are 7 AP boutiques for a population of 7 million people - 1 for each million! Sure HK is an expat city but I'm sure the ratio compared to dubai or Singapore wouldn't be as high. Plus we have the AP house

HK (as a city) is the third largest watch market in the world, after two countries (China and US). It makes sense to have 7 points of sale

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Not to dispute how horrible that sounds, but, according to 2018 estimates (and Wikipedia) the aforementioned San Francisco Bay Area clocks in at 7.753 million humans and zero AP boutiques (or even authorized retailers).

Southern California is even worse, I'd argue. Just the Greater Los Angeles Area alone (which really doesn't encompass the entire population in Southern Cali) is 18.71 million, and I believe there's one AP Boutique (Beverly Hills).

You can make that argument for so many major cities; Tokyo, at 37m people only has two AP points of sale, so on a per capita basis it’s the same as LA yet AP isn’t compelled to add more stores.

US expansion is in the cards but supply is the limiting factor. Every new boutique takes away allocation from stores across the existing network so not sure why AP would make it harder for themselves by expanding their points of sales when they don’t have watches to sell through existing stores

[GS93108]

Originally Posted by Reign

US expansion is in the cards but supply is the limiting factor. Every new boutique takes away allocation from stores across the existing network so not sure why AP would make it harder for themselves by expanding their points of sales when they don’t have watches to sell through existing stores

and that’s why there is no perfect solution.

If AP boosts production ‘we’ will all be whining about it (more production = more availability = lower secondary values due to lower demand).

If AP doesn’t boost production but opens additional Boutiques then ‘we’ will all whine because the exiting outlets have even fewer items to sell.

I selfishly would prefer NOT to see every other person on the street wearing an AP, if I wanted a Rolex experience I’d buy one (or try to )

It is AP’s philosophy that bricks and mortar stores aren’t the future for AP.

It’s unfortunate for those that don’t have an AP outlet local to them, but that doesn’t mean AP is inaccessible. Just recently there have been a couple of examples of our TRF members feeling no love from AP because of no physical accessibility to a local outlet who were then ‘turned around’ when they found that they could talk to AP directly.

Personally I can’t see AP expanding their Boutiques to any significant degree. But I can see AP expanding their reach to be able to be accessible to their clients. How that manifests itself in the long run is a work in progress.

[Reign]

Originally Posted by GS93108

and that’s why there is no perfect solution.

If AP boosts production ‘we’ will all be whining about it (more production = more availability = lower secondary values due to lower demand).

If AP doesn’t boost production but opens additional Boutiques then ‘we’ will all whine because the exiting outlets have even fewer items to sell.

I selfishly would prefer NOT to see every other person on the street wearing an AP, if I wanted a Rolex experience I’d buy one (or try to )

It is AP’s philosophy that bricks and mortar stores aren’t the future for AP.

It’s unfortunate for those that don’t have an AP outlet local to them, but that doesn’t mean AP is inaccessible. Just recently there have been a couple of examples of our TRF members feeling no love from AP because of no physical accessibility to a local outlet who were then ‘turned around’ when they found that they could talk to AP directly.

Personally I can’t see AP expanding their Boutiques to any significant degree. But I can see AP expanding their reach to be able to be accessible to their clients. How that manifests itself in the long run is a work in progress.

I 100% agree with you, Gary. Strongly prefer to keep things as is.

The shortage is a recent phenomena, it will blow over. as Patek has said many times, these companies play the long game (they cancelled the 5711 at the top although I’m sure a replacement will come). Increasing capacity, shifting capacity from less loved pieces, adding more stores to adjust to a tiny demand blip over a 150 year timeline would be incredibly short sighted. Demand for watches is far more delicate than other luxury goods given how small the overall market is so I’m minded to believe these measures are needed to stay relevant.

[GS93108]

Originally Posted by Reign

Increasing capacity, shifting capacity from less loved pieces, adding more stores to adjust to a tiny demand blip over a 150 year timeline would be incredibly short sighted.

[10XRolex]

Trust me, I was not happy about it and was even shocked that they were even openly saying it to me. Needless to say, they did not get a sale from me.

Originally Posted by AshAP

If true that is shocking behaviour


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[AshAP]

Originally Posted by 10XRolex

Trust me, I was not happy about it and was even shocked that they were even openly saying it to me. Needless to say, they did not get a sale from me.

There was a similar thing with Govberg jewellers in the US with at least 1 sale of a Patek pilot watch asking the client to buy $50k jewellery in order to be allocated the watch. The thread was on the TRF Patek site.


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[ap1]

It doesn’t matter, they have nothing to sell you