Back to Full Production?

[Mike I]

Originally Posted by HiBoost

This is directly disputed by official statements from Rolex, and from comments given by multiple ADs including my own. All signs are pointing towards Rolex shipping as many watches, if not slightly more, than years past. What has changed dramatically is the demand and therefore the in-store inventory levels at any given AD.

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Agree completely.

[Singslinger]

Originally Posted by HiBoost

This is directly disputed by official statements from Rolex, and from comments given by multiple ADs including my own. All signs are pointing towards Rolex shipping as many watches, if not slightly more, than years past. What has changed dramatically is the demand and therefore the in-store inventory levels at any given AD.

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Yes, this has been my experience as well.

[Xerxes77]

Originally Posted by Boaters

I dont think the current situation is going to change anytime soon.

For sure

[subdownunder]

One thing will change the availability.

When international travel gets back to pre Covid levels all that grey army money sloshing around for a place to be spent will go back to Cruising/ travelling and hotels/resorts.

[teck21]

Originally Posted by subdownunder

One thing will change the availability.

When international travel gets back to pre Covid levels all that grey army money sloshing around for a place to be spent will go back to Cruising/ travelling and hotels/resorts.

Most certainly. I wonder how great that effect will be though.


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[Nav01L]

I think we are all underestimating the exponential increase in demand that will inevitably happen as soon as you have a reasonable expectation to make a profit by purchasing a particular asset. Works for crypto too.

[garyk]

For sure Rolex had unintentional shut downs and furloughed employees due to Covid…I wonder if they are experiencing competent staff shortages like the rest of the world while trying to bounce back towards normalcy these days?

[77T]

Originally Posted by MRBolton

Does anyone know for sure if the Rolex factory is back to their full level of production after shutting down and/or slowing down last year?

IMHO, Unanswerable as framed.

Too many variables and too much uncertainty renders this impossible to ascertain.

Opinions, as you’ve seen since yesterday, vary…

Our ability to provide a meaningful, relevant answer for readers is truly impossible.

To be meaningful and relevant would require knowledge along the entire Rolex supply chain. That includes the country-by-country distribution scheme, and the subsequent “fan out” done by the in-country distributor’s strategy to the official retail jewelers.

So, my suggested answer is “yes” - as there is no official evidence to the contrary.

And “no” - as it relates to any improved chance that a random buyer will walk into an official jeweler and find the Rolex they seek.




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[HiBoost]

Found this interesting and relevant to the discussion here...

A full speed Rolex will reportedly make around one million watches per year, a figure the company never confirms, but could it make two million or three million?

Not a chance in the short- to mid-term future.

You only have to read accounts by experts that have visited the Swiss manufacturing facilities to appreciate sheer scale of the task to make the first million watches.

You cannot read this piece by Ben Clymer, founder of Hodinkee, and then think Rolex is sitting on some secret unused capacity or could simply turn up the speed on a production line to make more watches. It is not going to happen.

ref: https://www.watchpro.com/corders-col...boom-a-bubble/

[jakemiller69]

I talked to Mr. Rolex and Zir said they are at 110% capacity