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View Poll Results: What would you guys do?
Seize the moment and get the 15407 - Steel is classic 100 64.94%
Wait for the black ceramic - it's sooo special... and prey 54 35.06%
Voters: 154. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 17 May 2022, 03:20 AM   #31
Vince_76
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Ceramic double balance openworked. My grail.
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Old 17 May 2022, 03:33 AM   #32
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15407st - the ultimate grail.
I realized this is an old thread with a recent update.
Sorry to hear OP hopefully things turn out for the better. I would have gone for the steel version with no hesitation... as they say a bird in the hand...
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Old 17 May 2022, 04:35 AM   #33
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If it's any consolation I would have passed on the ST aswell to wait for the CE, hope it still comes through and it'll be all the more special for the wait. Have faith!
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Old 17 May 2022, 08:05 AM   #34
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Yeah…keep the faith. I would of done the same as a black ceramic DB or Perpetual is my favorite watch they make…even if I do wish the could pretty up the pins used to connect the links. Maybe blackened TI sleeved screws or something that thread together (obviously can’t thread into the ceramic.
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Old 17 May 2022, 08:36 AM   #35
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Yeah…keep the faith. I would of done the same as a black ceramic DB or Perpetual is my favorite watch they make…even if I do wish the could pretty up the pins used to connect the links. Maybe blackened TI sleeved screws or something that thread together (obviously can’t thread into the ceramic.
The fixed the "holes in the links" issue on the 50th anniversary 77350CE, so clearly it can be done and one would assume will be done on future iterations of 41mm CE ROs.

Will be interesting to see how's OPs predicament resolves - good luck!
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Old 17 May 2022, 08:56 AM   #36
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The fixed the "holes in the links" issue on the 50th anniversary 77350CE, so clearly it can be done and one would assume will be done on future iterations of 41mm CE ROs.

Will be interesting to see how's OPs predicament resolves - good luck!
Good call! I didn’t even notice the change for the 34mm. Hope they can carry that over to the others.
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Old 17 May 2022, 09:15 AM   #37
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Well so here we are - 1 month 1/2 after the end of Q1.

And still no 15416CE.

I feel a bit let down by AP. I understand this is not science. But the end of Q1 was a rather strong promise. At least that's how I interpreted it.

+ My SA left a month ago so I am a bit anxious other SAs will priorize their own clients. And am still in the dark as to who is taking care of me today.

Could I get back in time I would snap the 15407 in a flash.

Seems like good old sayings are good old for a reason... ;-) A bird in the hand...

Not completely losing hope but the wait is long and after a while the fund fades away.

Tough situation, very unlikely your new SA will fight for you over his/her own established clients when such a piece comes in. Not to let you down but being realistic.

If I were you I would ask for the boutique director and explain the situation to at least get clarity.

Good luck


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Old 17 May 2022, 11:14 AM   #38
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Keep the faith, was a tough decision!
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Old 17 May 2022, 11:31 AM   #39
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Perhaps a conversation with the manager might be in order? It seems you're a loyal collector of AP and have been offered grail pieces that you passed on to pursue your grail or at least your true preference...i dunno if I could have done so if offered those..best of luck!
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Old 17 May 2022, 02:18 PM   #40
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Originally Posted by AperolSpritz View Post
Well so here we are - 1 month 1/2 after the end of Q1.

And still no 15416CE.

I feel a bit let down by AP. I understand this is not science. But the end of Q1 was a rather strong promise. At least that's how I interpreted it.

+ My SA left a month ago so I am a bit anxious other SAs will priorize their own clients. And am still in the dark as to who is taking care of me today.

Could I get back in time I would snap the 15407 in a flash.

Seems like good old sayings are good old for a reason... ;-) A bird in the hand...

Not completely losing hope but the wait is long and after a while the fund fades away.

Re SA, I don’t think this matters; seems that your status and history are the drivers.

My SA left in. Feb 2022; my new SA got me the 15407ST in May 2022 (first piece from her).


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Old 17 May 2022, 05:08 PM   #41
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Thanks guys, will keep you posted.
Speaking to the manager might be a good move - agreed.
I'll try to stop by the boutique this week and I'll see what I am told.
Re-reading the comments you had made last year, I feel even more stupid as the general advice was - get it now...
My last SA had also promised a 50y piece. I'll see about that as well.

To be honest, it's not so much the fact the Q1 deadline was missed that makes me uncomfortable but the fact my previous SA left without introducing me to my next contact or the boutique manager taking over.
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Old 17 May 2022, 09:32 PM   #42
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Thanks guys, will keep you posted.
Speaking to the manager might be a good move - agreed.
I'll try to stop by the boutique this week and I'll see what I am told.
Re-reading the comments you had made last year, I feel even more stupid as the general advice was - get it now...
My last SA had also promised a 50y piece. I'll see about that as well.

To be honest, it's not so much the fact the Q1 deadline was missed that makes me uncomfortable but the fact my previous SA left without introducing me to my next contact or the boutique manager taking over.

This is key. I had a meeting w my SA, and was introduced and handed over to my new SA and met w the boutique manager.


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Old 18 May 2022, 03:10 AM   #43
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I’ve always been a believer on waiting for the watch you really want, although this has also backfired on me before.

I hope a chat with the manager will put you in touch with a new SA who can follow through with this promise, fingers crossed they pull through for you!
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Old 18 May 2022, 07:07 PM   #44
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This is key. I had a meeting w my SA, and was introduced and handed over to my new SA and met w the boutique manager.


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This explains how the new SA came through with a grail. Most of the times it’s not the case, or at least with me.


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Old 3 June 2022, 12:12 AM   #45
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So... Update #2

As some of you advised, I e-mailed the boutique manager (couldn't find the cell number) to explain things and that I would need a new contact with a new SA.

Couple hours later I received a nice call from a new SA. I was in a meeting and couldn't pick-up but that lady left me a nice voicemail telling me she was calling me to schedule a meeting after having spoken to the boutique manager, blablabla.

I felt re-assured and happy.

BUT...

Since that voicemail a week has passed.
The new SA never called back.
I tried calling back, probably every day - always hitting voicemail. Leaving a few messages and sending 2 whatsapps.

I find this crazy and unacceptable. I don't feel like e-mailing the boutique manager again.
I'll send a last whatsapp tomorrow and let it slide... and probably pull the trigger on other watches with the money I had allocated to AP.

Very disappointed. I feel like for no reason I was moved from "close to VIP status" (I was offered 3 hot pieces over the last 12 months - 15407ST, Skeleton rose gold, white ceramic PC). I was promised this 15416CE in less than 6 months end of last year. Just in March, my ex SA told me they had reserved a 15510 blue 50y for me (which I was trying to move to a 16202). And now they can't be bothered to even call me back to pick up 2 watches for service and have a chat on incomings...

I am treated very differently by PP and VC, and I have less buy history there.

Sharing this, as I find it often helps to see others' experiences and mine is probably not uninteresting though not a good one at the moment.
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Old 3 June 2022, 12:18 AM   #46
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Wow, that really really sucks. Sorry to hear about it.

The big red flag for me is if the manager decides not to old onto the relationship management themselves and delegates down to a SA for a VIP.

FWIW, as probably 2-3 steps down the ladder from you, I've found/felt for the last 9 months that whatever is offered is probably what you can get and any other reach for something else has suddenly become impossible, whereas before was possible to wiggle a bit. But again, this is not apples to apples as I'm clearly lower than you on the pecking order.

Is an in person meet impossible? Maybe the only route left to gracefully smooth over any miscommunications, especially with a new SA in the mix.
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Old 3 June 2022, 12:31 AM   #47
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Thanks man!
You are 100% right about the boutique manager delegating. I was initially happy the reaction was so swift. Literally under 2 hours to get a call back but then nothing...

And to be clear, I am not a "VIP". I just felt that I was treated probably "close to one" over the last years, even when things go tough in terms of getting watches.

I have a good buy history but many others on this forum will have a better one. It's also that I was a well flagged local client of the boutique, who has been consistently and regularly buying pieces for a while, even when you where basically losing money on everything just by walking out the door, and never sold anything.

If I had to analyze things. My boutique is relatively "touristic". So one analysis could be they offered me the hot pieces when COVID hit and there were less tourists. But now that things are back like they were, I became again less interesting for them.

Could be true but in that case very very disappointing.

I don't want to appear like complaining too much. Just sharing experience.

I also don't feel like crawling on the floor to fix this. I have nothing to fix, I am the client. I am sad, because AP was my heart brand but I'll fix my broken heart with someone else. Will give them the benefit of the doubt for a few days but if nothing changes, I'll move one. Again - crazy that I can't even communicate with the guys...
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Old 3 June 2022, 12:41 AM   #48
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If you had the relationship that you feel you had then persevere. If you give up then that's on you.
AP are CRAZZZZY busy, you know that, it's not a slight that you haven't been called back yet, it's just that the SA's are run off their feet. It's really unfortunate that your prior SA is no longer around so you'll have to make a bit more of an effort and exhibit a bit more patience than normal but it'll be worth it.
Just FYI I have never been offered ANYTHING from AP, no one ever calls me with a 'surprise', so perhaps that's a regional thing. From a personal perspective I also don't think I 'belong' to any specific SA, I like to believe that I know most of them and certainly if I make an appointment and the person I'd like to see isn't available then someone else looks after me. Perhaps we operate differently in the UK, nevertheless, once you are back to where you used to be then make sure they all know who you are.

Don't give up, don't feel slighted, just chill out and be a bit more patient and make a little more effort without getting too stressed. Good luck, it'll all work out.
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Old 3 June 2022, 12:51 AM   #49
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AperolSpritz, so my reply here is not to excuse the behavior, but maybe to give some tactical feedback as someone who is neutral by fact that I'm not the one missing out on a piece in this discussion.

First, I have noticed SA's have gotten really numb to digital messages - almost as a coping mechanism to the deluge of messages they get daily. I know some SA's who were newly hired 1-2 years ago. They tell me that they felt compelled to quickly reply to all messages when they started. But now there is so many of them, between answering the land line answering the same questions over and over again, walk ins, internal staff meetings/trainings, etc, they have just gotten used to not replying to all messages.

Second, there may be a chance that something has slipped through the cracks. The boutique manager things they have done their job and are assuming the SA is doing theirs. They may be completely unaware their delegation has not gone as intended.

In turn, the SA may not understand who you are, and the what's app messages are literally below a stack of 100's of other messages unseen by the SA.

So I think visiting in person is as crawling, but cutting through the digital message inbox clutter in the only way possible.

For emphasis, the last time I went in to drop something off for service, there was no idle time for any of the SA's I saw. They were busy 100% of the time replying to messages and phone calls. But if they get 200 messages a day and reply to 60...that inbox math does not work in your favor even on a random basis.

Good luck and look forward to drooling over your new photos soon.
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Old 3 June 2022, 12:59 AM   #50
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AP are CRAZZZZY busy
That's true and you are correct!
Actually, that's why my previous SA left... He was fed up with the pressure.
You would think being an SA for a luxury brand where any appointment lasts 1h and is a nice chit chat around coffee, shouldn't be that stressful. But he told me that some clients came with lawyers were disrespectful etc. + receiving hundreds of messages day / night and week-end...

I get all that. But on the other hand it was always that same SA taking care of me. I could come unannounced, without appointments, and he would come to the entrance to tell the welcome lady to let me in anyways and always find time, etc. etc.

But you are right I guess. I need to rebuild... Thought I had built enough, that's all.
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Old 3 June 2022, 01:03 AM   #51
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Thanks macrowatch, and don't worry I fully understood where you were coming from and thanks again for taking the time to read my posts and give advice. really appreciated.

There is a lot of good wisdom in all this. I am more emotional about all this of course but I guess I need to take a step back.

I'll give them and chance and persevere.

The only issue is the boutique works "by appointment" only. With my previous SA I could come anyway and he would "pick me up of the street" but I wouldn't risk it today. So I still need to be able to make that first contact, that seems to be the challenge at the moment.
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Old 3 June 2022, 01:06 AM   #52
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Also, all that being said.
I better understand how hard it must be for someone new to the game to just start building a relationship and how crazy it must feel for someone not knowing the watch world...
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Old 3 June 2022, 01:12 AM   #53
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So... Update #2

Very disappointed. I feel like for no reason I was moved from "close to VIP status" (I was offered 3 hot pieces over the last 12 months - 15407ST, Skeleton rose gold, white ceramic PC). I was promised this 15416CE in less than 6 months end of last year. Just in March, my ex SA told me they had reserved a 15510 blue 50y for me (which I was trying to move to a 16202). And now they can't be bothered to even call me back to pick up 2 watches for service and have a chat on incomings...

I am treated very differently by PP and VC, and I have less buy history there.

Sharing this, as I find it often helps to see others' experiences and mine is probably not uninteresting though not a good one at the moment.
IMO, even if you are VIP, your relationship with your SA is the biggest factor for you to getting your fav watch. He/she goes, so do your chances. It's unfortunate that you were offered something really special, but things just didn't work out.

Seeing that you've been venting quite a lot here, would there be a chance that you upset them in anyway? Not to be mean, but i smell a little self-entitlement in your posts. Does your account have a lot of purchases that warrant you to get special pieces?

And btw, AP do have employees who check this forum. Would they have caught wind of you discussing the deal here?
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Old 3 June 2022, 01:28 AM   #54
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Just to add to Macro's point about the SA's and digital messages. Indeed some of the stories about how the SA's are treated are awful and they really are bogged down.

I was with AP last Saturday for lunch with my wife and after I left I messaged our host to thank her, very shortly I received a reply. Once we arrived home my wife also messaged our host to follow up on a conversation they were having - yet no reply at all so far - the reason being that my wife's message will just be yet another message to deal with from an 'unknown' contact (my wife had always left everything to me, but that's changed now, she's AP's problem, and not allowed to eat into my allocations :) )

Also, I have an 'open invitation' to stop by anytime without notice for a coffee. That's just AP being super polite though, I'd never do it as I know how busy they are. So perhaps those 'drop in' days are behind you for a while, at least until the 50th stuff blows over, and then you can rekindle the full on experience you had.

I honestly don't think you're out of favour or forgotten, just that no one 'owns' you to proactively keep your warm and cosy. Persevere - and as you note, you could be a newby to all of this where hope is all there is to look forward to.
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Old 3 June 2022, 01:46 AM   #55
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Not to be mean, but i smell a little self-entitlement in your posts.
Sorry if this is how it came along but I am absolutely not that kind of guy.

Maybe they read, maybe not, who knows. But I don't think I have said something disrespectful or out of line. And I always make sure not to name the boutique or specific people obviously.
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Old 3 June 2022, 01:47 AM   #56
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Persevere - and as you note, you could be a newby to all of this where hope is all there is to look forward to.
I will and keep you posted. So that all you guys that have kindly read and posted know how it ends ;-)
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Old 3 June 2022, 01:57 AM   #57
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Since that voicemail a week has passed.
The new SA never called back.
I tried calling back, probably every day - always hitting voicemail. Leaving a few messages and sending 2 whatsapps.
Any chance to pay them a visit, rather than continuing to play phone-tag? Hopefully that would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
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Old 3 June 2022, 02:01 AM   #58
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Any chance to pay them a visit, rather than continuing to play phone-tag? Hopefully that would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
That would be ideal but boutique is "by appointment only" so don't want to risk it.
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Old 3 June 2022, 02:09 AM   #59
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But he told me that some clients came with lawyers
Just when one thought one had heard it all. That's fantastic, I should start assembling a team for my next visit to the boutique
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Old 3 June 2022, 02:12 AM   #60
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Just when one thought one had heard it all. That's fantastic, I should start assembling a team for my next visit to the boutique
Actually it apparently happens quite a lot. The first time I heard it was from my Patek SA.
Some people came with lawyers and even just sent lawyers to the boutique to get them watches. Invoking discrimination or other wrongful business procedures etc. not in the details.

And recently I shared that story with my AP SA and he told me it happened to them as well.

Crazy. Absolutely crazy.
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