UK update!

[WWCO]

Rolex have reduced the UK supply this year due to the pound being as weak as it is, and also due to other European markets having higher RRP Rolex have decided to allocate more stock in that direction. However I price increase is around the corner so fingers crossed that strengthens the UK market again and we see an influx of stock at the ADs.

Also I have found out that ADs now only sell Daytonas and the likes as gifts to major customers. It is near impossible to get your hands on one otherwise and if you manage to do so and were to decide to sell it on profit, ADs will now ring you to question why you did.

[AutoBay]

I mean...as for your first point, it’s true, the market is picked clean and the secondary market is hilariously overpriced right now (£17000 for a Daytona? Fuggedaboutit). As for your second point, that’s just normal life


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[WWCO]

Exactly! No way I'm paying 8k over list, my AD won't even tell me what I need to do to qualify for a Daytona. I've suggested "if I buy this this and this, will I be near the top for a Daytona" and all I get is, we can't guarantee anything.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by WWCO

Rolex have reduced the UK supply this year due to the pound being as weak as it is, and also due to other European markets having higher RRP Rolex have decided to allocate more stock in that direction. However I price increase is around the corner so fingers crossed that strengthens the UK market again and we see an influx of stock at the ADs.

Also I have found out that ADs now only sell Daytonas and the likes as gifts to major customers. It is near impossible to get your hands on one otherwise and if you manage to do so and were to decide to sell it on profit, ADs will now ring you to question why you did.

Did Rolex tell you this?

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by WWCO

Exactly! No way I'm paying 8k over list, my AD won't even tell me what I need to do to qualify for a Daytona. I've suggested "if I buy this this and this, will I be near the top for a Daytona" and all I get is, we can't guarantee anything.

then you will be paying more than grey market prices. Its a trap and they are not as scarce as they want you to believe. They just want to see what you will do to get one.

If you really want it i would just save yourself the hassle and buy grey market. If time=money then the amount of your time AD's waste giving you the runaround every time you go in there, its well worth it to pay grey market pricing.

Im not a SS daytona fan but i told an AD who tried to sell me a Datograph that i judge the AD by how they treat me as a Rolex customer, not as a PP or ALS customer. They put me on a Waitlist for a black dial DSSD 3 years ago (not hard to get) , 37mm yacht master for my wife almost two years ago (not hard to get), and a WG daytona 6 months ago and have never once called me. So i said, "thanks for letting me try on the datograph, but i will be buying it somewhere else."

[Sarosh]

In central London as we speak meeting the wife after work. WOS on Oxford street and regent street had no SS sports stock at all. Rolex in selfriges had a TT GMT and explorer 2. Otherwise nada! However Joanna in selfriges was very nice to discuss watches with. 20 mins we were chatting about this n that. Wempe on Bond Street......nada BUT drooled over the ALS in their window as one does.

UK won't be getting au stock anytime soon, price increase won't do anything unless they hike up the prices so much that it puts off the international buyers! And when it does then we here in the UK will have all the supply we need but at prices that will make your mind spin, especially for a stainless steel watch......retail upwards of 7.5k for a SS watch........dear god

[bp1000]

Now is not a good time to be a watch collector in the uk... unless you agree to buy precious metal and oh look at that, Daytona in the safe.

Every since rolex are doing what they are doing I’ve bought 3 other watches from 3 different watch makers.

Shame as I want a Daytona C and I’ve waited patiently. Plus I never sell or flip. Hard to watch these big spenders get their watches and flip for profit. Ironic that they are the ones that get the calls from the ADs as they spend so much.

[Sarosh]

It's a shame because they do have such a large loyal following here. Surely they can make enough money from the rest of the world! Either way I think now a lot of people are looking to other watch brands as they're fed up of Rolex.

[The Joker]

They are punishing us over Brexit

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Sarosh

It's a shame because they do have such a large loyal following here. Surely they can make enough money from the rest of the world! Either way I think now a lot of people are looking to other watch brands as they're fed up of Rolex.

being fed up with Rolex and being fed up with Rolex AD's isn't the same thing. The UK in particular its the AD's game playing that is the issue not the stock, which they have no control over. There is a right way and a wrong way to handle customers when there isn't enough stock and most UK AD's are going about it very wrongly. This new found power to make you jump through hoops and be condescending to potential customers is my issue.

[SC11]

OP
Sorry way too many assumptions in your post.

As for price rise it would be fair to say one appears to be imminent given the total increase by AP and PP plus the move by Tudor, but no one know even AD’s until a few days before!

[Sarosh]

Fair point Tyler. Well said. After my BLNR in Jan my next watch will be a JLC

[AK797]

It's not just Brexit, the decrease in supply has spread to Europe, Asia and now even the US, so there is something bigger going on, either production problems or a new global strangulation strategy which seems crazy as it has turned ADs into warzones here already and this is hardly a good model to roll out worldwide. Rolex are in danger of becoming a social media company only as there are never any SS models to see in ADs and thus not many customers, which will lead to an inevitable culling of them.

There doesn't even really need to be a price rise now as the Pound has stabilised and strengthened this year to not be much more than 10% down on the pre-Brexit levels. And a 5% rise won't make any difference to supply I'm sure.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by AK797

There doesn't even really need to be a price rise now as the Pound has stabilised and strengthened this year to not be much more than 10% down on the pre-Brexit levels. And a 5% rise won't make any difference to supply I'm sure.

its still cheaper including all taxes and not including any refunds than the US, but yes i agree that a rise won't make a whole lot of difference.

I tend to be of the opinion that the "rarity" is fueling a lot of the demand and people always want what they can't have and end up buying something they normally wouldn't when they get an opportunity to finally get one. Its a balancing act of managing supply and demand by creating the illusion of rarity and i think the artificial scarcity has gotten too far out of hand and there will be some blowback on the brand at some point.

[Nyc27000]

does the stock situation also apply to SS DJs and OPs? will be over there in a few weeks and thinking about either a DJ41 or one of the DJ OP 36mm.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Nyc27000

does the stock situation also apply to SS DJs and OPs? will be over there in a few weeks and thinking about either a DJ41 or one of the DJ OP 36mm.

generally no, the blue dial DJ41 seems to be the exception but at least one AD should be able to locate most other varieties.

[Nyc27000]

thanks for the info!

Originally Posted by tyler1980

generally no, the blue dial DJ41 seems to be the exception but at least one AD should be able to locate most other varieties.

[WEST HAM ROLEX]

Have just spent a few days around Bond St with 2 friends...

They were trying to get - (No Date sub or GMT LN)

No chance anywhere. Selfridges had a GMT 3 weeks ago for 5 minutes.

Apparently the 10% price increase last November made no difference to any waiting lists.

[tommy91]

Milton our holy fortune teller! Where are you? Price increase? Can you confirm?

[Quicksilver]

GMT LN's appear to be the only ss models that appear occasionally. When they do they are gone in a flash. Absolutely absurd situation.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

its still cheaper including all taxes and not including any refunds than the US, but yes i agree that a rise won't make a whole lot of difference.

I tend to be of the opinion that the "rarity" is fueling a lot of the demand and people always want what they can't have and end up buying something they normally wouldn't when they get an opportunity to finally get one. Its a balancing act of managing supply and demand by creating the illusion of rarity and i think the artificial scarcity has gotten too far out of hand and there will be some blowback on the brand at some point.

Looks like PP are taking cues from the D500 model with the Nautilus and now the 5522 where we are all having a joke and a laugh over the crazy resale market that puts Rolex to shame

[SC11]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

GMT LN's appear to be the only ss models that appear occasionally. When they do they are gone in a flash. Absolutely absurd situation.

Goldsmiths (Aurum group) received a Daytona shipment beginning of this week

Also most AD’s have had at least three 126600’s now since release.

[sutats]

Are there any knowledgeable Rolex sales managers or advisors about on the forums?

[kepler22]

I understand that AD's get their allowance at the beginning of the month. In Leicester there are only two AD's, both had an SS GMT in the window, didn't see any other SS sports models. As of today only one left. As regards the price rise Rolex only have to give 24 hours notice, so who knows when that will be.

[bp1000]

I wonder if rolex is ever going to go the way of other high end watch makers, into precious metals

Big push from tudor

I don’t understand this strangulation strategy

I know 1 forum thread is not the basis of facts but it certainly seems global supply is at an all time (modern) low.

What does this do to rolex earnings. If they are not to shift to higher margin precious metal watches.

This I don’t understand as it is rolex heritage. I’m just trying to get into the head of the board

[Quicksilver]

I can't see Rolex totally abandoning the SS market. It's a huge part of their heritage. They could conceivably see some advantage in restricting supply, increasing demand and therefore cachet and persuading people to buy precious metal models. If that's their game then it could backfire.


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[hitman23]

I tend to think there's more money flowing out there now and people are just buying up everything. When the bubble bursts again, the demand will come down.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by hitman23

I tend to think there's more money flowing out there now and people are just buying up everything. When the bubble bursts again, the demand will come down.

It does feel that way, doesn't it? And yet I thought we were in the midst of a global slowdown with the Chinese and Russians pulling back their ravenous demand of recent years. Altho this is mainly supply side imho, demand does seem very healthy indeed, and social media very impactful.

[Terrakot]

Originally Posted by bp1000

I wonder if rolex is ever going to go the way of other high end watch makers, into precious metals

Big push from tudor

I don’t understand this strangulation strategy

I know 1 forum thread is not the basis of facts but it certainly seems global supply is at an all time (modern) low.

What does this do to rolex earnings. If they are not to shift to higher margin precious metal watches.

This I don’t understand as it is rolex heritage. I’m just trying to get into the head of the board

Rolex will try to climb to higher price range in an attempt to avoid the fate of Fossil, which lost market thanks to Apple Watch
Obviously that next gens of AW will also play in upper price range market and only watchmakers like AP, PP will be in safe.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Terrakot

Rolex will try to climb to higher price range in an attempt to avoid the fate of Fossil, which lost market thanks to Apple Watch
Obviously that next gens of AW will also play in upper price range market and only watchmakers like AP, PP will be in safe.

I was going to mention the rise of Apple in my comment above about slowing global demand, but they really cater to very different price points as the iWatch only has a limited shelf life, and so it can't ever be priced at a Veblen luxury level similar to a Rolex. The gold versions were unsuccessful. High Street fashion watches are really in their sights, maybe even Tag.