[priceaction]

I have a friend who negotiated the purchase of 3 BMW 750il from the BMW importer. These were to be used as executive limos for the company. They got them at cost as it was 2008, the financial crisis had just hit and the cars were not moving anytime soon, so BMW was glad to get rid of them.

So you need to pick the right item at the right time.. Is it the right time to ask for a discount on the Zenith Chronomaster? Non.. there will be some other punter along in a minute willing to pay MSRP just to have it.

Agreed. During the last financial crisis, I was able to purchase a Bentley and received a wholesale price.

 

[priceaction]

As others have said, I'd just wait. My AD actually has a wait list and I doubt that they're letting it go for under MSRP. Give it 6 months when the wait lists have been burned through and supply is in stock and you'll have better luck.

I am surprised about the wait list.
I have already sourced several and they have been sitting there all month.
I will check with a few ADs that have been recommended in this thread and see how it goes.

 

[priceaction]

These are strange times for watch prices. I do own a White Chronosport and got it for a very slight discount. I feel this is going to be one of those current exceptions watches that the past year or two has had more than it's fair share of. I've never seen a Zenith with this much buzz. It is well worth the $10,000 asking pricing having several over $10K chronographs to compare it to. The more crazy one for me in the past year was having to pay MSRP for the Breitling SOH 1957 Covid 19 hero watch. Here is an ETA 2824 watch retailing over $5K. Turns out I love this highly flawed watch and so does the market. For a brand that get's discounted 25-45% on a regular basis here is a watch that sells second hand for 2x MSRP. I don't know if the Chronosport will appreciate, but I would see better than average for a Zenith value retention. It truly is the best chronograph I've ever owned and that is a fairly long list I can reference. I've taken some beatings on more dressy Zeniths in the past but the Pilot series and the newer Defy 21 have not taken that much of a beating when I let them go a few years later. I feel these will do better than those.



View attachment 15789920

Thank you for your very informative feedback.
I may just purchase this at MSRP.

And thank you for sharing a real photo of your watch. It looks stunning!

 

[priceaction]

I know I just don't like paying more than I have to. That imaginary line of "what I have to pay" is dictated by the minimum amount that a retailer is willing to take for a watch, what others have paid for the same model, market forces of supply and demand, and general personal desireability of that watch in particular.

No different that buying a car, if I can pay % less going to the dealer across town, I will. I'll check forums for what others are paying. Negotiate with multiple dealers. I'll even see what associations I am part of that have prenegotiated rates can get me.

Its not a slight on the retailer. Just me trying to be prudent with my money. The retailer has the same choices to make with his/her business. They can choose to discount or not. It's just business.

Well stated sir.

 

[priceaction]

This can be a problem when buying raw materials or goods; you take them into stock, and they depreciate. From a commercial point of view, your business strategy should be to minimise stock write-downs.

However, I thought you were buying a luxury watch to enjoy and wear, not buy corn or lease a Buick...

If you just want a discount "because", tell every dealer you won't pay more than X. You'll find out if they'll sell, when they dig out the credit card machine .

Your points are well taken.

 

[priceaction]

Given that virtually no Zenith model has ever done so, are you sure that the Chronosport will hold its value well? Or at the very least, are you surprised that a lot of people feel it will depreciate and so also expect a discount? I plan to get a Chronosport a little down the road and am reasonably certain I will get 25% off (based on some informal discussions I have had with the sales guy at my AD). So where exactly does the fact that you are "appalled" fit into this?

Re the bold part - the idea that discounts are archaic/not fitting: what makes you say that? I am sure the manufacturers would love for us to fall over and pay whatever number they think their watches are worth, but the discount is a corrective mechanism that balances their desire to charge as much as possible. It is about the purest form of commerce one can imagine - just like the flea market, actually.

Precisely.

Price discovery is a fundamental part of a free and open market.

I am failing to understand why most people think it is acceptable to haggle on the price of a car, but unacceptable to haggle on the price of a watch.

 

[Awesom-O 4000]

Agreed. During the last financial crisis, I was able to purchase a Bentley and received a wholesale price.

 

[EekTheCat]

I see no issues with asking for a discount. It's a business transaction - willing buyer / willing seller, and deals aren't made without inquiries. If the price is unattractive, skip it. Plenty of other worthy horological marvels to sink your teeth into.

Re: the Chronomaster Sport, I was recently offered 20% off from an AD along with a wait time of around 3-6 months. Which seems alright considering all the interest being generated around the watch. There are folks still waiting on a BB58 blue from last year, so I'm not surprised. I'm actually quite happy for Zenith - can't remember when was the last time they got this much attention and hype. Good on them.

Personally I'm not all that keen on the Chronomaster sport, rather more inclined towards an older release, the A384 Shadow. Is the Chronomaster Sport really worth picking up? Does it really hold its own, or is it just what ppl are scratching their Daytona itch with?

 

[RetiredKarlMarx]

I see no issues with asking for a discount. It's a business transaction - willing buyer / willing seller, and deals aren't made without inquiries. If the price is unattractive, skip it. Plenty of other worthy horological marvels to sink your teeth into.

Re: the Chronomaster Sport, I was recently offered 20% off from an AD along with a wait time of around 3-6 months. Which seems alright considering all the interest being generated around the watch. There are folks still waiting on a BB58 blue from last year, so I'm not surprised. I'm actually quite happy for Zenith - can't remember when was the last time they got this much attention and hype. Good on them.

Personally I'm not all that keen on the Chronomaster sport, rather more inclined towards an older release, the A384 Shadow. Is the Chronomaster Sport really worth picking up? Does it really hold its own, or is it just what ppl are scratching their Daytona itch with?

I think Zenith understands that they have a wonderful movement (EP), but no iconic design (except for the 50 years old tri-color design) to case it in. So, they decided to go with the "less choices = simpler choices = happy customers" route by offering just 2 designs this time. Zenith being Zenith, they decided to style it based on what the market thinks it wants (a Daytona). Nothing wrong with that, but I wish they were bolder. All of that aside, I think the ChronoSport is a wonderful watch, with a decidedly modern design and heritage (or can be traced to heritage) movement. I will be interested once they come out with the non-foudroyante version.

 

[fish70]

If this is popular Zenith will pump them out as fast as they can. They don't have the discipline or business model of Rolex or Patek, where they purposely limit supply. I find it hard to believe that supply won't soon far exceed demand. It doesn't matter how nice it is relative to a Daytona.

You say that like it's a good thing! Bring on the high-quality mass-produced non-DeBeers artificial scarcity wristwatches.

 

[fish70]

Agreed. During the last financial crisis, I was able to purchase a Bentley and received a wholesale price.

Me too. They even painted it to match my G600!

 

[clarken]

These are strange times for watch prices. I do own a White Chronosport and got it for a very slight discount. I feel this is going to be one of those current exceptions watches that the past year or two has had more than it's fair share of. I've never seen a Zenith with this much buzz. It is well worth the $10,000 asking pricing having several over $10K chronographs to compare it to. The more crazy one for me in the past year was having to pay MSRP for the Breitling SOH 1957 Covid 19 hero watch. Here is an ETA 2824 watch retailing over $5K. Turns out I love this highly flawed watch and so does the market. For a brand that get's discounted 25-45% on a regular basis here is a watch that sells second hand for 2x MSRP. I don't know if the Chronosport will appreciate, but I would see better than average for a Zenith value retention. It truly is the best chronograph I've ever owned and that is a fairly long list I can reference. I've taken some beatings on more dressy Zeniths in the past but the Pilot series and the newer Defy 21 have not taken that much of a beating when I let them go a few years later. I feel these will do better than those.



View attachment 15789920

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[clarken]

These are strange times for watch prices. I do own a White Chronosport and got it for a very slight discount. I feel this is going to be one of those current exceptions watches that the past year or two has had more than it's fair share of. I've never seen a Zenith with this much buzz. It is well worth the $10,000 asking pricing having several over $10K chronographs to compare it to. The more crazy one for me in the past year was having to pay MSRP for the Breitling SOH 1957 Covid 19 hero watch. Here is an ETA 2824 watch retailing over $5K. Turns out I love this highly flawed watch and so does the market. For a brand that get's discounted 25-45% on a regular basis here is a watch that sells second hand for 2x MSRP. I don't know if the Chronosport will appreciate, but I would see better than average for a Zenith value retention. It truly is the best chronograph I've ever owned and that is a fairly long list I can reference. I've taken some beatings on more dressy Zeniths in the past but the Pilot series and the newer Defy 21 have not taken that much of a beating when I let them go a few years later. I feel these will do better than those.



View attachment 15789920

Very nice did you get the zenith through Topper, haven’t seen any post from you on the ball forum lately which you regularly frequented.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[clarken]

These are strange times for watch prices. I do own a White Chronosport and got it for a very slight discount. I feel this is going to be one of those current exceptions watches that the past year or two has had more than it's fair share of. I've never seen a Zenith with this much buzz. It is well worth the $10,000 asking pricing having several over $10K chronographs to compare it to. The more crazy one for me in the past year was having to pay MSRP for the Breitling SOH 1957 Covid 19 hero watch. Here is an ETA 2824 watch retailing over $5K. Turns out I love this highly flawed watch and so does the market. For a brand that get's discounted 25-45% on a regular basis here is a watch that sells second hand for 2x MSRP. I don't know if the Chronosport will appreciate, but I would see better than average for a Zenith value retention. It truly is the best chronograph I've ever owned and that is a fairly long list I can reference. I've taken some beatings on more dressy Zeniths in the past but the Pilot series and the newer Defy 21 have not taken that much of a beating when I let them go a few years later. I feel these will do better than those.



View attachment 15789920

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[clarken]

These are strange times for watch prices. I do own a White Chronosport and got it for a very slight discount. I feel this is going to be one of those current exceptions watches that the past year or two has had more than it's fair share of. I've never seen a Zenith with this much buzz. It is well worth the $10,000 asking pricing having several over $10K chronographs to compare it to. The more crazy one for me in the past year was having to pay MSRP for the Breitling SOH 1957 Covid 19 hero watch. Here is an ETA 2824 watch retailing over $5K. Turns out I love this highly flawed watch and so does the market. For a brand that get's discounted 25-45% on a regular basis here is a watch that sells second hand for 2x MSRP. I don't know if the Chronosport will appreciate, but I would see better than average for a Zenith value retention. It truly is the best chronograph I've ever owned and that is a fairly long list I can reference. I've taken some beatings on more dressy Zeniths in the past but the Pilot series and the newer Defy 21 have not taken that much of a beating when I let them go a few years later. I feel these will do better than those.



View attachment 15789920

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hub6152]

Precisely.

Price discovery is a fundamental part of a free and open market.

I am failing to understand why most people think it is acceptable to haggle on the price of a car, but unacceptable to haggle on the price of a watch.

No one has said it’s unreasonable to ask for a discount - it’s the notion that a discount is obligatory otherwise you’ll walk and wouldn’t actually buy it which makes me question what value you really place in the watch as a watch or is it purely just about the money!

 

[EekTheCat]

I think Zenith understands that they have a wonderful movement (EP), but no iconic design (except for the 50 years old tri-color design) to case it in. So, they decided to go with the "less choices = simpler choices = happy customers" route by offering just 2 designs this time. Zenith being Zenith, they decided to style it based on what the market thinks it wants (a Daytona). Nothing wrong with that, but I wish they were bolder. All of that aside, I think the ChronoSport is a wonderful watch, with a decidedly modern design and heritage (or can be traced to heritage) movement. I will be interested once they come out with the non-foudroyante version.

I reckon they do have at least a semblance of something recognizable with the white dial n overlapping gray/white/colored gradient sub dials somewhat. Perhaps this Chronomaster's popularity (or at least hype) would cement that look in the watch-buying psyche?

Oh, is there an impending non-foudroyante variant? Adds variety I suppose...but that 1/10th thing is kinda special and relatively uncommon these days now that I think about it.

I just noticed ur siggie, ur Chronomaster and Panoreserve both ought to have 20mm width? That'd make it convenient for strap interchangeability. I like the idea of being able to utilizing a strap on many watches...maybe I ought to give the Chronomaster
another look at least.

 

[RetiredKarlMarx]

I reckon they do have at least a semblance of something recognizable with the white dial n overlapping gray/white/colored gradient sub dials somewhat. Perhaps this Chronomaster's popularity (or at least hype) would cement that look in the watch-buying psyche?

Oh, is there an impending non-foudroyante variant? Adds variety I suppose...but that 1/10th thing is kinda special and relatively uncommon these days now that I think about it.

I just noticed ur siggie, ur Chronomaster and Panoreserve both ought to have 20mm width? That'd make it convenient for strap interchangeability. I like the idea of being able to utilizing a strap on many watches...maybe I ought to give the Chronomaster
another look at least.

Really hope that look is cemented as the brand "DNA" of sort. I think it is quite distinctive, without being gimmicky. I am not sure if they will introduce a conventional chrono, but that would be my guess. While distinctive, the jumping seconds hand is a bit too hectic for me, so I went with the Chronomaster instead.

Sadly, my 38mm EP is 19mm lug width. But I love the Chronomaster right now, and already have some straps incoming to add to it. The tri-color design gives a lot of options for strap matching to highlight different aspects of the dial.

 

[One-Seventy]

No one has said it’s unreasonable to ask for a discount - it’s the notion that a discount is obligatory otherwise you’ll walk and wouldn’t actually buy it which makes me question what value you really place in the watch as a watch or is it purely just about the money!

Now, more than ever, it's become about money and surplus. Like buying raw materials, or corn futures. Who cares what it is, as long as you meet or beat market price.

 

[UptownKevin]

For tasty discounts, wait until the watch hits the grey.

Well, unless the grey dealers scooped up all of the stock and are now selling them at a premium to MSRP ;-)