UK AD allocation process

[cooks19]

Had a chat with my local AD and expressed my interest in a sub date however I was quickly told that to even have a chance of being allocated one I would need to purchase a datejust or similar first. Question is do I purchase a datejust and potentially try and sell on then hope that this puts me in a better position or fork out 9k to a grey dealer. Just hurts having to pay 2k above rrp. I am in no rush to purchase but would one day like to get my hands on a sub and other sports models and it seems the only way to do this is to play the game. Appreciate any advice. Thanks

[DaveTheWatchGuy]

Buying a dj to get a sub doesn’t make sense. Especially if you’re going to offload the dj, because you’ll likely take a 2-3k hit on it. You’re better off just getting the sub from a grey, paying the small premium and telling your ad to go f themself. My two cents


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[STLrolexfan]

Originally Posted by cooks19

Had a chat with my local AD and expressed my interest in a sub date however I was quickly told that to even have a chance of being allocated one I would need to purchase a datejust or similar first. Question is do I purchase a datejust and potentially try and sell on then hope that this puts me in a better position or fork out 9k to a grey dealer. Just hurts having to pay 2k above rrp. I am in no rush to purchase but would one day like to get my hands on a sub and other sports models and it seems the only way to do this is to play the game. Appreciate any advice. Thanks

If you sell you may lose money and it may end up being a wash as compared to going grey. I would talk to more ADs because each place does things differently and you can get lucky (at least that’s how it works in the US).


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[APPRF]

Originally Posted by cooks19

Had a chat with my local AD and expressed my interest in a sub date however I was quickly told that to even have a chance of being allocated one I would need to purchase a datejust or similar first. Question is do I purchase a datejust and potentially try and sell on then hope that this puts me in a better position or fork out 9k to a grey dealer. Just hurts having to pay 2k above rrp. I am in no rush to purchase but would one day like to get my hands on a sub and other sports models and it seems the only way to do this is to play the game. Appreciate any advice. Thanks

Yes play the game, and establish history to be able to get SS Sports in the future. Pick a popular DJ configuration that you will like to wear, and most probably be able to sell easily in the future if you don't want to keep it in your collection. A DJ is an iconic model, and with a jubilee bracelet is great on the wrist. Give it a try.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by cooks19

Had a chat with my local AD and expressed my interest in a sub date however I was quickly told that to even have a chance of being allocated one I would need to purchase a datejust or similar first. Question is do I purchase a datejust and potentially try and sell on then hope that this puts me in a better position or fork out 9k to a grey dealer. Just hurts having to pay 2k above rrp. I am in no rush to purchase but would one day like to get my hands on a sub and other sports models and it seems the only way to do this is to play the game. Appreciate any advice. Thanks

Ask this AD to put what he wants you to do purchase a DJ before he allows you to buy a Sub date in writing.

[cooks19]

He did send a mail to me stating that a sports model would not be the first watch he sells me and to be prioritised for allocation on a sub a prior purchase of a dj or similar would be needed. I followed up with a call and he confirmed again this is their current allocation process due to demand. Contacted some other ads who pretty much said the same thing that buying a DJ would be the only realistic way of being offered a sports model.

[Event Horizon]

Originally Posted by cooks19

He did send a mail to me stating that a sports model would not be the first watch he sells me and to be prioritised for allocation on a sub a prior purchase of a dj or similar would be needed. I followed up with a call and he confirmed again this is their current allocation process due to demand. Contacted some other ads who pretty much said the same thing that buying a DJ would be the only realistic way of being offered a sports model.

Why not forward that email to Rolex and ask if this is S.O.P. for Rolex...

[1William]

I would go Grey from a dealer you trust and pay the extra and get the one watch you want. The AD is doing what they do and no hard feelings just no business for them.

[TswaneNguni]

Originally Posted by cooks19

.... only way to do this is to play the game.

I also had this once .. March 2019 .
Bought a polar 42 from an AD .
1st purchase from the dealer.
Mention a few others I am interested in .
Said that for a sports model a non-sports had to be purchased .The Polar 42 didnt "count".
I said ...that is just too bad.

7 months later I get an email for a black Daytona .

Playing games is good,as long as it is your game .

[sutats]

The brevity of life is put in perspective in the potential list of unfavourable variables in the AD's offer. If you can afford to, pay the extra and you can use it instantly.

[Nairn1980]

Originally Posted by cooks19

Had a chat with my local AD and expressed my interest in a sub date however I was quickly told that to even have a chance of being allocated one I would need to purchase a datejust or similar first. Question is do I purchase a datejust and potentially try and sell on then hope that this puts me in a better position or fork out 9k to a grey dealer. Just hurts having to pay 2k above rrp. I am in no rush to purchase but would one day like to get my hands on a sub and other sports models and it seems the only way to do this is to play the game. Appreciate any advice. Thanks

They just want some purchase history before they get you a sub. Pretty common in most places (although Of course there are exceptions)

[nighthawk77]

I found myself in a similar position to yourself around 12 months ago. My grail was a Sub, but I had no purchase history from a Rolex AD. Fortunately there were other more attainable pieces that I also wanted to own alongside the Sub.

My original shortlist was OP39, Explorer and Sub. By chance I came across an OP39 in August last year at my local AD. Shortly after acquiring this, the Explorer caught my eye, and after a 2 month wait I was able to get my hands on this also. Around February this year, I enquired about another OP for a family member, and when chasing this up in May, the AD asked if there was anything which I was in the market for at present. I stated that I was still wanting a Sub and within a few minutes the deal was done. Trusting nothing goes wrong, I'll be picking my new watch up in a few days now the stores have reopened.

I would add that the jewellers is somewhere that I have bought other jewellery from including wedding bands, and jewellery for my wife. Also as mentioned above, a Rolex for a family member too. When I inevitably want to purchase more jewellery or (especially inevitably) further timepieces, then my AD will be the first point of call and they will get my business again. Essentially the AD route has worked for me, and if you envisage having a similar purchase track record then I'd recommend this route to you also.

It's important to note however that I have never bought anything that I didn't want in the hope of getting something else, and I wouldn't recommend that you do this either. You could end up losing more money on the DJ than the uplift on the grey market would be for the Sub, in which case you will have lost time and money. Furthermore, there are inherent risks when selling expensive watches if it's not something you're used to. Additionally, there is no guarantee that buying the DJ will definitely get you the Sub in any event. In other words there are plenty of reasons to go grey also...

As you can see, there are pros and cons to each acquisition route. For me, the AD route works. For others the grey works. Both are fine, but you'll need to decide which best suits your circumstances. Good luck & keep us posted!

[Calatrava r]

If you do not want a DJ, buy used and actually save a lot of money. On the other hand as suggested a nice DJ is a great addition to any collection. But I would not buy a DJ thinking you can sell it later. That makes no sense just to get a Sub.

[Benzsiam]

How long do you have to wait for Sub Date after you purchase the DateJust? If you are willing to do that, I think it's better to tell them that you can bundle together at the same time, not just buying one now and have to wait on the long wait list for the one you really want.

[drcab]

BUYING THE DJ DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE SUB or TIME YOU GET ONE
Pay the small premium (think of it as the money you would lose on DJ) and you can get the sub now!

[RJRJRJ]

Pay the gray premium, get your watch and move on. It's not a crazy premium like a Daytona, so these games are just a waste of time and energy (and money).

[Rolexflex]

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

I found myself in a similar position to yourself around 12 months ago. My grail was a Sub, but I had no purchase history from a Rolex AD. Fortunately there were other more attainable pieces that I also wanted to own alongside the Sub.

My original shortlist was OP39, Explorer and Sub. By chance I came across an OP39 in August last year at my local AD. Shortly after acquiring this, the Explorer caught my eye, and after a 2 month wait I was able to get my hands on this also. Around February this year, I enquired about another OP for a family member, and when chasing this up in May, the AD asked if there was anything which I was in the market for at present. I stated that I was still wanting a Sub and within a few minutes the deal was done. Trusting nothing goes wrong, I'll be picking my new watch up in a few days now the stores have reopened.

I would add that the jewellers is somewhere that I have bought other jewellery from including wedding bands, and jewellery for my wife. Also as mentioned above, a Rolex for a family member too. When I inevitably want to purchase more jewellery or (especially inevitably) further timepieces, then my AD will be the first point of call and they will get my business again. Essentially the AD route has worked for me, and if you envisage having a similar purchase track record then I'd recommend this route to you also.

It's important to note however that I have never bought anything that I didn't want in the hope of getting something else, and I wouldn't recommend that you do this either. You could end up losing more money on the DJ than the uplift on the grey market would be for the Sub, in which case you will have lost time and money. Furthermore, there are inherent risks when selling expensive watches if it's not something you're used to. Additionally, there is no guarantee that buying the DJ will definitely get you the Sub in any event. In other words there are plenty of reasons to go grey also...

As you can see, there are pros and cons to each acquisition route. For me, the AD route works. For others the grey works. Both are fine, but you'll need to decide which best suits your circumstances. Good luck & keep us posted!

Did your AD ask to see any of the previously bought watches at all when you came back to get more pieces? Just curious

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[Zakalwe]

I would wait nine months for the arse to fall out of the economy when furlough has ended, something else vaguely important has happened on 31st December and loads of people (especially and unfortunately those who work in retail) have been made redundant and politely enquire, without a hint of schadenfreude, what the state of “the list” is then. Even money odds you’ll be able to walk out with a Sub strapped to your wrist.

[fiebru1119]

The value of time and energy wasted on these AD games, is greater than the current grey premiums for a sub date. Go grey.


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[nighthawk77]

Originally Posted by Rolexflex

Did your AD ask to see any of the previously bought watches at all when you came back to get more pieces? Just curious

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Nope, but I’d wear one if picked up from there anyway.

[Londonrolex]

Originally Posted by DaveTheWatchGuy

Buying a dj to get a sub doesn’t make sense. Especially if you’re going to offload the dj, because you’ll likely take a 2-3k hit on it. You’re better off just getting the sub from a grey, paying the small premium and telling your ad to go f themself. My two cents


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Agree 100%

[Dave455]

Mate - don’t do it!

I can understand why you want a Submariner, they’re superb and quite iconic.

I love mine, and I wouldn’t mind one of the new ones. However, I wouldn’t be prepared to take any old nonsense from an AD in order to get one, and I certainly wouldn’t buy something quite costly that I didn’t want, in order to get something I did!

I enquired about a Pepsi GMT the day they were released, but was told I needed to speak to a senior salesman. I enquired a day later and was told the same. I got to speak to this character on day 3 and was told that the waiting list was already so great that they were not putting anyone else on it. And this was to a customer who owns 5 Rolex watches, 3 bought from that same AD, so... you have no guarantees.

Note the words you were told. Buying a Datejust or similar, only gets you a “chance” of getting a Submariner. No thank you!

Rolex have been incredibly fortunate over the last few years, and both they, and their dealers, have got away with treating some very good customers quite poorly. At the moment they can probably justify this, but we don’t at present know how big the upcoming recession is going to be.

I personally suspect that customers prepared to part with Submariner money are going to become a slightly rarer commodity, so hopefully they will again become as valued as they are entitled to be!

Bear in mind that waiting lists are a fairly recent, and totally artificial, phenomena. Only relatively recently you could see Submariners in shop windows.

Unless you really want a Datejust, or whatever, I’d keep my money and spend it on something I did want, and can get!

[drrd]

Originally Posted by Event Horizon

Why not forward that email to Rolex and ask if this is S.O.P. for Rolex...

Rolex care very much about some market practices but why should they mind that an AD is getting someone to buy two watches instead of one?

[strafer_kid]

Originally Posted by drrd

Rolex care very much about some market practices but why should they mind that an AD is getting someone to buy two watches instead of one?

Fair point as regards maxing their sales, but one would wonder how much Rolex care about practices ......surely none of this drama has escaped them?

[alphadweller]

Originally Posted by fiebru1119

The value of time and energy wasted on these AD games, is greater than the current grey premiums for a sub date. Go grey.


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Exactly my thought. Buy from a trusted grey dealer with a return policy.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by padi56

Ask this AD to put what he wants you to do purchase a DJ before he allows you to buy a Sub date in writing.

^^^ this.

Get it in writing, ask for guaranteed delivery by date. Also send a scan of this contract, with a copy of the ADs business card too, to Rolex cooperate in Switzerland so they are aware of the deal.

[brucethemanlee]

If you take sales into account on both sub and DJ and then the loss you take on DJ (you’re also not likely to recoup sales tax on DJ sale)....you’re gong to be in the hole by thousands more than if you bought grey


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[synrrgy]

I was offered the same thing by a few AD's here in the west coast / SoCal area. Basically, "buy a non-sport model and then we put you on the wait list for the watch you want". Although that can be a loooooong wait. Lol.

I've also heard of some seemingly shady practices from other AD's where they get in a new watch from Rolex but since they can't sell it above MSRP (per Rolex guidelines), will have someone that is affiliated with the store to buy it from them and then sell it back to the AD. So the AD designates it as "preowned" but LNIB or BNIB. For example, someone associated with the store buys it at retail, $13,150 for the steel Daytona. Then, they "sell" it back to the store and the store turns around and lists the very same watch preowned but LNIB / BNIB for $25k.

Has anyone else heard of this or experienced it?

[RJRJRJ]

Originally Posted by synrrgy

I was offered the same thing by a few AD's here in the west coast / SoCal area. Basically, "buy a non-sport model and then we put you on the wait list for the watch you want". Although that can be a loooooong wait. Lol.

I've also heard of some seemingly shady practices from other AD's where they get in a new watch from Rolex but since they can't sell it above MSRP (per Rolex guidelines), will have someone that is affiliated with the store to buy it from them and then sell it back to the AD. So the AD designates it as "preowned" but LNIB or BNIB. For example, someone associated with the store buys it at retail, $13,150 for the steel Daytona. Then, they "sell" it back to the store and the store turns around and lists the very same watch preowned but LNIB / BNIB for $25k.

Has anyone else heard of this or experienced it?

There was a thread that Govberg posted in saying that they actively try to avoid selling used watches that were sold by them. I would imagine any Rolex AD that wants to keep their AD status would feel the same.

[GST15]

I would not play that game under any circumstances, nor would I pay over MSRP in gray market. Just my opinion