Rolex a discussion

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Re: Rolex a discussion

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Re: Rolex a discussion

Post by Gower8484 »

I like a number of Rolex watches, just as I dowith most watch brands.
I was at my AD recently to try on an Airking (which is actually one of my favs) but I didn't go through with the purchase. I was wearing my Tudor GMT at the time and couldn't see or feel a £3k increase in quality with the Rolex.
The issue I have with Rolex are the crazy 2nd hand prices and the fact that those not in the know about watches think they are at the pinnacle of watch manufacturing, when in fact they are just a very good manufacturer with elite marketing and branding
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Re: Rolex a discussion

Post by Dickchins »

nbg wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 7:58 am
stefs wrote: Sun Aug 22, 2021 11:00 pm Why do so many people talk about Rolex restricting supply? Where is the evidence of that?
Could it not be possible that they have continued to make the same very large numbers of watches every year but it is the demand that has increased and not the output from rolex that has been deliberately strangled?
Indeed Paul, but some folk would prefer to think nasty Rolex are reducing numbers of the models, that a few years ago were only generally of interest to a small proportion of their customer base.

More people deciding they want one, because they have noticed they won’t take a bath when selling, has gathered momentum over the past six years, reaching the current state over the last couple of years. Combine that with the Instagram and social media impact and it’s not difficult to understand.

People who have joined in purely to sell rather quickly, have increased. Grey dealers end up having to pay more, therefore they charge more and continue to test the boundaries of the market.

Rolex aren’t the only brand that has had an impact on.

Five years ago it was possible to find a PP Aquanaut in an AD window. Preowned prices were generally less than RRP. Now it is rather different.

Can’t get a Nautilus? Well get an AP Royal Oak. Again available in ADs. More decide they would like one, same story. Join a wait list, would sir like to buy a different AP as a start to their AP watch owners journey.

Ok can’t get an SS PP or AP RO. Let’s try that lovely VC overseas. Easily available, what colour dial would you like to try on? Excellent, I like that (off now to buy one from a grey dealer at a discount). Again no longer the case. The situation with VC happening in the past 12 months or so. For AP about 18 months before.

Have these other brands deliberately cut supply. No, it is rather simpler than that, more have decided they would like one.

Most rational people would shake their head in bemusement at the outpourings of people on watch forums, who can’t have what they want. Madness! :lol:

Particularly in the real world the average amount spent on a watch is less than about £200.

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I love this post so much, ive screen shot it :lol:
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Re: Rolex a discussion

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^^^ And quoted it! :lol:
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Re: Rolex a discussion

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^^^ theres a few beers going that mans way if theres ever a gathering...!!!! :lol: :cheers:
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Re: Rolex a discussion

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Jkpa wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 1:40 am Rolex is a customer of the company I work for and I’ve seen many invoices of their shipments to various ADs. I can say with confidence it’s not a supply issue from Rolex’ side. The ADs are controlling everything. They have the watches. They just don’t sell them to schmucks like us. On a couple of shipments, certain ADs got 10 white ceramic Daytonas. In one shipment. Yet the waiting list is what… 10 years? It’s ridiculous.
If what you are saying is common practice for AD's, then you are proving that Rolex is complicit in throttling the supply. Any Rolex AD values their contract with Rolex and Rolex must be fully aware of their practices seeing as the whole watch world has complained about it for years. Rolex could easily stop them with threatening to cancel their AD status, if they wanted to. It's the same end result, Rolex is happy to let the market operate as it has.
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Re: Rolex a discussion

Post by exHowfener »

I must say that as someone who doesn't own a Rolex, and probably never will, I'm enjoying this thread.
We only deal with conspiracy theories.
And I do love a good conspiracy theory :D

What I've never understood about the "Rolex restricting supply" tales is that Rolex don't appear to benefit financially from this (alleged) practice. I would get it if they ramped up their prices until demand and supply balanced out and profits increased massively, but they don't do they? So apart from the kudos of being the manufacturer of such a high-demand product - what's in it for them?
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Re: Rolex a discussion

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exHowfener wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:47 pm I must say that as someone who doesn't own a Rolex, and probably never will, I'm enjoying this thread.
We only deal with conspiracy theories.
And I do love a good conspiracy theory :D

What I've never understood about the "Rolex restricting supply" tales is that Rolex don't appear to benefit financially from this (alleged) practice. I would get it if they ramped up their prices until demand and supply balanced out and profits increased massively, but they don't do they? So apart from the kudos of being the manufacturer of such a high-demand product - what's in it for them?
What's in it for them? Selling everything they make, with minimal stock, no sales/discounting needed, and no scrapping unsold merchandise to maintain the illusion of luxury.
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Re: Rolex a discussion

Post by Richard D »

Just to add to the conspiracy theories…..

F51FA246-4714-4988-B819-A0570920E5D7.jpeg
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Re: Rolex a discussion

Post by A1soknownas »

Rolex have restricted supply...relative to the demand. There is more demand than supply. They could make more, they don't.
However, as it is a luxury product and not mass market (despite the massive numbers), why would they choose to make it more attainable and damage the perceived luxury and exclusivity for those that can access it?

There is too much at stake for too many people in the grey market for the ridiculous prices to ever really 'correct' themselves. It can only ever be fixed by people having more sense than money. Unfortunately, to pay twice what the manufacturer said an item was worth is not a big deal in a society where the gap between the rich and the poor is ever expanding.

What is disappointing is that the great stories about people saving up for a rolex after working hard for years is much less likely to happen as their chances of buying at retail from an AD are ever decreasing and the price they would have to pay on the grey market for someone else with privileged access to make their own profit is increasing beyond reach.

If this trend carries on, in about 15 years we will still be moaning about CW's on Ebay but because they are above retail, not just the summer sales prices :D, at that point it will be well and truly broken!
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Re: Rolex a discussion

Post by JAFO »

It actually makes more sense with a value proposition such as CW. If they are selling at 3xcost, compared with Rolex, who are probably selling at 10x cost, if not more.

You can see this with bracelets. The CW bracelets at under £200 compare very favourably with OEM bracelets for £700 plus.
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Re: Rolex a discussion

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Having read the posts on here and of course all the debate on the net over the years, I now have a picture in my head of a few old boys sitting in vintage high back chesterfields, open fire, puffing on cigars, sipping whiskey and p#££#*g themselves thinking that they make X amount of watches, their AD’s sell them all, the rich and famous want them and there is mass debate in the watch world about their products, pushing up want ability and desire, grey dealers pushing up the preowned market and again desire, people buying them anyway because ‘they have to have one’ , without them doing a thing and they don’t give a f#£k :lol: ....of course this is a tongue in cheek comment :wink:
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Re: Rolex a discussion

Post by strapline »

It’s funny how this thread has panned out; I remember making a comment on the first page about 'possibly revealing my own thoughts on Rolex if this new thread gained some traction'. Well it did that, I think; thirteen pages later and approaching 200 posts. I think it has also naturally found its own critical subject matter and that doesn't appear to be the watches themselves, more Rolex's sales practices and their supporting network of AD's questionable modus operandi. This seems to be what is driving the conversation.

I've been intrigued to see some Rolex owners on this forum have chosen not to enter the discussion, even though they might/should be well placed to offer some interesting insights; perhaps what makes Rolex so great to them, why they might have chosen to go back time and again to buy repeat watches? I thought someone might have something to say on how Tudor compare to their more illustrious stablemate, certainly as there are people on this forum that own models from both brands. When comparing the two is Tudor a superb value proposition, or perhaps Rolex is overpriced?

I did think that there might be more talk about the various Rolex movements; their accuracy or great performance whilst requiring little in the way of servicing. I thought there might have been some great inheritance stories about a Rolex having been in the family for three generations and still being a very reliable performer - that type of thing.

I've enjoyed this thread, by and large, and I don't think it has changed my view on Rolex. The watches are not really for me, they do not speak to me, they never really have. I can admire some of the stainless steel models; they appear to be incredibly well made and executed. But it's all the other stuff around Rolex, isn't it? The stuff that's taken up around half of these posts at a guess. I like my watch to tell the time and perhaps have a little back story that might set it apart from the mainstream fayre. When you wear a Rolex, like it or not, your wrist is making an announcement to an awful lot of people. People that don't know you from Adam...only now they feel entitled to have an opinion of you, based solely on the watch you sport.

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Re: Rolex a discussion

Post by nbg »

Accuracy? :)

From another thread.

Worn for a 72 day period. A four year old Rolex, that I had owned from new.

Neil
nbg wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 3:36 pm IIRC the last time the clocks changed, my Quartz Animal gained only 5 seconds in a six month period.

Most accurate automatics are a couple of Rolex and a Tudor. One of which was worn, for at least part of each day, over a period of about 2 months and ended up at a cumulative +0.5s, with negligible positional variation.
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Re: Rolex a discussion

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kiter65 wrote:Having read the posts on here and of course all the debate on the net over the years, I now have a picture in my head of a few old boys sitting in vintage high back chesterfields, open fire, puffing on cigars, sipping whiskey and p#££#*g themselves thinking that they make X amount of watches, their AD’s sell them all, the rich and famous want them and there is mass debate in the watch world about their products, pushing up want ability and desire, grey dealers pushing up the preowned market and again desire, people buying them anyway because ‘they have to have one’ , without them doing a thing and they don’t give a f#£k :lol: ....of course this is a tongue in cheek comment :wink:
That is the longest sentence I’ve ever seen.

(mumbled from personal library sofa as I sip fine whiskey)
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