Congratulations, wear and enjoy 👍🏻

 

Now that the economy is going down and fewer people can splurge on a $10K old-man's watch, the "waiting list" nonsense may even disappear altogether.....

 

I also assume wait times are probably going down, but demand is still clearly outpacing supply. And while I certainly no longer consider myself a young man, I have been after a Sub since my sophomore year of college.

 

Congrats on the watch!

Regardless if you are looking for a Rolex, any other Hard-to-Find watch, or ANY luxury watch, the first two points you made are important:

• Visit your AD in person and build rapport with your Rep. Explain what you're looking for and why, but also expand the conversation beyond watches to make yourself a little more memorable as an individual.
• Be honest about about what you like (and don't) and would be willing to purchase. Provide a couple options to be flexible, but avoid asking for everything in the catalogue.

Plenty of people just want to get in, and get out, but when the AD takes the time to know you, and you take the time to know the folks at the AD, and you get to know each other beyond just a watch or two you have interest in, an actual relationship forms, and can be of benefit.

My AD, on more than one occasion, has given me advance notice about something coming in that I might be interested in if I want first dibs. Not Rolex, just other things.

 

Couldn't agree more. I think taking the time to build a relationship (based on the personal connection, not $'s spent) is the most important part of the equation. And it works both ways since I'll absolutely be going back to the same Rep when it's time to buy again!

 

Congrats!


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Nice post. Glad you got what you wanted.

Hope you enjoy it.

 

Glad you got what you wanted, no date sub is hard to argue. But you’ve lost me even at the first bullet point. I’m sure for many that’s not asking much but going out of my way to impress a sales rep is a step I’m not willing to take for an msrp purchase for anything. If my moneys not green enough then so be it, there are other brands who see things differently.

 

To be clear, I wasn't suggesting anyone needs to try and impress their Rep - more about being honest and developing a friendly rapport that goes beyond the simple business transaction. Probably good advice when dealing with just about any front line sales staff.

 

"Learn more about the buying process" am I missing something about the exchange of goods for money?

 

Yes. But you know that already

There's a limited quantity to be sold, so like everything else, not everyone gets one the day the inquiry is made.

 

TLDR but I saw the pictures, so congrats!

 

Love hearing success stories. Enjoy your sub!

 

Congrats! You found an AD that is actually willing to sell steel sports to new customers. There doesn't seem to be many of those left.

Just curious, what vicinity are you in?

 

Thanks! I'm in Southern CA, Los Angeles area.

 

Yup your experience is pretty much how it went for me. It's not the grueling journey that some have described, just friendly interactions and give the sales person a reasonable amount of time to offer a high in demand item to the buyer.

People window shop all the time, and visit AD to look at new watches without buying on every trip. This is no different. Not sure why some people think of it as some sort of degrading chore.

 

It doesn't work everywhere. If you have a choice and there are more ADs sure. But if you have one in the country and he refuses to even consider you for "the list", what can you do.

 

Take it back. It's missing the wart!

This is what they should look like:

 

What can I say, I'm a sucker symmetry!

 

Thanks for posting your experience. Enjoy your amazing watch.👍

 

Enjoy. 🍻

Not really seeing how your experience is any different from the majority of accounts that have been shared though. There’s a level of effort required there that I’m just not willing to expend.

 

I just love how Rolex have turned the whole buyer seller relationship on its head and, instead of them trying to sell you a watch, you have to convince them to sell you one...for a high end piece, requiring a decent amount of hand finishing, and manufactured in small quantities, yea maybe. But for a mass produced item manufactured by the thousands? but have you heard of the fit and finish? Tremendous....

Nice watch. Definitely prefer it without the wart enjoy and wear in good health

p.s. yea yea I know about the current situation with Rolex's and covid, and grey markets yadda yadda yadda....

 

I just love how Rolex have turned the whole buyer seller relationship on its head and, instead of them trying to sell you a watch, you have to convince them to sell you one...for a high end piece, requiring a decent amount of hand finishing, and manufactured in small quantities, yea maybe.

Like this?

 

I'm sooo happy that a Rolex is not something I covet. This whole process just seems so gross and demeaning...

 

Rolex makes a nice watch and I like to look at them, but I have zero interest in owning one. So glad there are many, many options out there for all tastes.

 

 

OP thanks for that well thought out post. But I have to ask myself, are we buying watches or courting a soulmate? This is what buying a new Rolex at the AD has devolved to. For me, I’d rather pay a bit more and get what I want, when I want from a reputable gray dealer. Compounded by the fact Rolex doesn’t even make the watches I really want anymore - like a classic 5 digit Sub i.e. perfection vs the Maxi-case bling status symbol for crypto guys. For real, we’re congratulating each other for the privilege to spend $10k on what should otherwise be a $5-6k watch. Case in point SM300 or BB58, both available, and both on par with a Sub. Sorry not me. Now if you are talking a vintage 5-digit acquired at a decent price when the bubble bursts, let’s go, that’s a prospect I dream about.

 

Congrats on an excellent Rolex @JeromeS and an overall nice story, very happy for you!

What caught my eye was the part about trying on some DEMO models...Don’t recall any other BIG brand doing this. I've seen a few steel sport Rolex pieces while overseas and stateside recently that were in the display case at both places. A Seadweller, Submariner no date, GMT Master and others...So were these all "demo models"? I was going to ask if they were available and almost did while at both places...guess I would have looked stupid as they were only "demos"...

"The Rep responded within a day and invited me to stop by the shop for a visit to learn more about the buying process and to try on some models, which I did the following weekend. While there, we had a good conversation about watches and other things and I was able to see/try on a couple different demo models in person."

 

I said demo model, but dummy model may have been more accurate. Most of the watches on display didn't have functioning movements and simply allowed customers to get a sense of how different models look, feel, weight, on the wrist. Interestingly several of the watches I saw did appear to be fully functional (mostly the "less in demand" pieces), but I assume were not for sale.

 

I appreciate you posting your entire experience. I recently went to an AD in order to get my hands on my first Rolex. I am after a black dial Datejust 41 with the smooth bezel and Oyster bracelet. It's nice to hear that as long as you are patient, it will come. I find some of the stories about having to buy your way into a watch ridiculous. Congrats on the watch! Looks great!

 

Nice watch and glad your experience was a good one!

 

Just nine months? That's very reasonable by most standards. I suspect that following your own common sense advice did make a difference. I've had success following a very similar prescription and had some reasonable success.

Congrats on the new acquisiton!

 

I love how popping into a shop, trying on some watches and talking to a salesperson about watches every couple of months is somehow “degrading.” Especially among people who claim to like watches.
I guess my self esteem is such that it can withstand having to treat a mere salesperson as a human being and be nice to them.

Maybe try saying some self affirming phrases in the mirror every morning….

 

How many people live so close to a Rolex AD that stopping by for no reason other than to kiss their *** (let’s just be real all call it what it is) isn’t a significant imposition?

In my area, it takes 30+ minutes just to get across town. It’s at least twice that long to get to an AD. The only way I’m making that drive is if I get a call telling me something has arrived.

Otherwise, I’ve got better things to do with my time. Like pontificate on the internets.

 

Here’s the executive summary: purchasing a Rolex from an AD is easy. All you’ve got to do is pony up your self respect.

Threads like this - and the behaviors they encourage - are the festering boils on the keister of our hobby.

 

So walking into a watch shop, checking out watches and having a normal human-to-human interaction qualifies as ”giving up your self-respect”? If so, then i have no had self-respect ever - be it with watch shops, bike shops, camera shops, scuba shops or audio shops. And i am glad of it - i enjoy poking my nose into these shops and shooting the breeze with the staff.

As i said in my post above, it makes my skin crawl when i hear people acting as though the only acceptable interaction they can have with a salesperson is the salesperson groveling - and anything less than that is an affront to their dignity.

 

Congratulations on the watch. Your experience seems to be the exception and definitely not the norm. Wear it in good health!