If you want to buy a Rolex

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TG3N
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by TG3N »

Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:37 pm It isn't "sexy" (to my way of thinking at least) to **** about with people's aspirations and expectations (not to mention their hard-earned and then imposing ridiculous conditions re. warranty cards and stickers &c.) in order to create an aura of ultra-exclusivity.
I can understand that point of view, but to my mind the warranty retention & stickers thing is geared towards hindering speculators who only want the watch to immediately re-sell for profit, and trying to keep watches for those genuine customers who actually value the physical thing enough to keep it.

I don’t think that’s messing with people’s aspirations, so much as an extreme response to an equally extreme situation.

As to the wider business approach of Rolex, in terms of engineered scarcity etc., of course they’re playing a strategic game, but so does any successful business.

Patek Phillipe’s Thierry Stern came out with some utter nonsense recently about 10-year production lead times & watchmaker training as to why the company doesn’t churn out more Stainless Steel Nautilus, when the simple reason is they’re playing the same game.

And why not. Businesses exist to make money (despite Rolex’s nebulous Charitable status).

It’s annoyingly, yes (though personally I think it’s totally overblown when there’s so many wonderful watches out there), but the interesting thing is that for every potential customer it irritates & dissuades, there will be 10 more only too happy to play their game, and 10 other existing Rolex owners very happy about the halo effect of such brand management, as their own watches continue to escalate in value & desirability.

Rolex is like that other hot topic dominating the news at the moment - the argument goes endlessly round & around, and most never change their opinion, despite all the hot air expended.
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by Mikkei4 »

nbg wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:49 pm ^^^^^I think in reality the only people that Rolex are screwing are the other brands, who can only dream of having such a level of internet coverage to keep their brand at a level where they don’t have to beg customers to take a watch off their hands....

“Just off to check the stickers I carefully stored in the box, of a watch bought a few years ago, before Rolex ADs apparently started messing with customers and removing stickers, as a means of screwing the customer experience! :)

There are a few folk, who if they read the above sentence would realise the absurdity of all the anguish about stickers being removed. Who wears the stickers! :lol:

Neil
What do the ADs do with the stickers? If they stick them on a business card and hand that over to the customer then that'd be OK for me as I just want the full package of how the watch was sent out from Rolex. If they throw them away that's not so good.
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by stefs »

#TG3N
Spot on. Vg post
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If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by adg31 »

...and so, 138 posts later, we have once again demonstrated how good the Rolex marketing machine is at creating internet content to drive the perception of exclusivity and thereby demand for their product.
The real way to drive their marketing team insane would be to simply not mention them. As it is we are merely doing unpaid work for them!


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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by what-time-is-it »

nbg wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:49 pm
There are a few folk, who if they read the above sentence would realise the absurdity of all the anguish about stickers being removed. Who wears the stickers! :lol:

Neil
That'll be me. :lol:
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by nbg »

what-time-is-it wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 4:10 pm
nbg wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 1:49 pm
There are a few folk, who if they read the above sentence would realise the absurdity of all the anguish about stickers being removed. Who wears the stickers! :lol:

Neil
That'll be me. :lol:
Yea, but that’s only because they weren’t removed when you bought it! :) :lol:

I wouldn’t want to produce a whole extra level of potential angst to the thread, but did you receive the delivery coffin as well?

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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by what-time-is-it »

No coffin, but have the bezel protector.

Tempted to take the stickers off and 'stick' them on eBay...
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

You can always buy this one :shock:

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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by mibby »

Watchfinder prices have gone mental. 18 months ago I paid £5450 for a year-old 114060, just over list at the time but less than a new one today. Now their cheapest one is £7150!! :shock:
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by Caller »

adg31 wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 3:29 pmwe have once again demonstrated how good the Rolex marketing machine is at creating internet content to drive the perception of exclusivity and thereby demand for their product.
Spot on. As the largest selling luxury watch brand (as opposed to group), they are hardly exclusive. Popular, yes. But that ain't the same thing.
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by Mikkei4 »

mibby wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 6:25 pm Watchfinder prices have gone mental. 18 months ago I paid £5450 for a year-old 114060, just over list at the time but less than a new one today. Now their cheapest one is £7150!! :shock:
I've just been looking at their latest email and they are selling a 3year old BLNR GMT at £10,650 which is over 50% mark up on the quoted RRP of £6850. Who buys these at such prices?
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Extraction of aqueous waste product by fiscal catheterisation springs to mind.

I suppose we all have a choice. No-one is COMPELLED to buy a Rolex, are they?
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by BobMunro »

Mikkei4 wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 6:41 pm
mibby wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 6:25 pm Watchfinder prices have gone mental. 18 months ago I paid £5450 for a year-old 114060, just over list at the time but less than a new one today. Now their cheapest one is £7150!! :shock:
I've just been looking at their latest email and they are selling a 3year old BLNR GMT at £10,650 which is over 50% mark up on the quoted RRP of £6850. Who buys these at such prices?
They are a ‘for profit’ organisation and price what they pay a seller/flipper and the selling price they charge to the ‘more money than sense’ brigade based on current known and/or anticipated market demand. Our friend capitalism at work. ‘‘Twas ever thus”.

If the mugs didn’t exist then Watchfinder would be in big trouble - but they do.

Regarding your post, Steve - I disagree. In my mind they are taking the p*ss :lol:
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by kiter65 »

Sometimes I think with all the talk about prices/profiting/market value/AD’s practice and Rolex image it gets lost that they make absolutely stunning watches
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Re: If you want to buy a Rolex

Post by De Sisti »

kiter65 wrote: Sun Feb 03, 2019 7:38 pm Sometimes I think with all the talk about prices/profiting/market value/AD’s practice and Rolex image it gets lost that they make absolutely stunning watches
+1 (so do other brands).
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