How well do you play the AD game?

[amphr1]

I realize on my visit yesterday that I'm pretty bad. Reason? I heard 2 sets of words that I hadn't heard from my SA before, "other brands" and "spend history". Basically I got the hint that unless I spend money on other brands and spend more, I'm not going to be able to get what I want. So the thing is I did look at several other brands such as the JLC and Breitling and none of them is a good fit for me even though on its own they are beautiful watches. And if I were to spend an extra $10 on other watches I don't want, I'm not sure that'll really get me anywhere closer to the top. Another bit of info I found out is that the owner of the store is holding all the Daytona and Skydwellers for clients that he himself deem worthy. So no matter what relationship I have with my SA, I'm never going to get a Daytona, because I don't have a relationship with the owner of the store. I guess I'm just glad I bought my Daytona from a trusted grey dealer at what I hope is a reasonable price a few weeks ago. But apparently there's a Recession now and who knows what that means for the watch market.

So how's your game?

[Seddyspaghetti]

Not too bad i’d think. Different ADs btw. I’m not as good as the GMT dude who got doubles at the same AD :/

[Ichiran]

My relationship with my AD equates to 1 Rolex professional piece per year. Wish I'm that quadruple GMT guy.

[SaddleSC]

If we can learn anything from the movie "War Games" it is that you left the most important answer off of the poll...the only way to win is not to play:)

[amphr1]

Originally Posted by SaddleSC

If we can learn anything from the movie "War Games" it is that you left the most important answer off of the poll...the only way to win is not to play:)

[padi56]

Most all of these so called AD games and relationship stuff mainly exists in internet fantasy land.

[joli160]

I ignore AD’s and buy what I like elsewhere. Can’t stand the BS

[seriously_watch_this]

Originally Posted by joli160

I ignore AD’s and buy what I like elsewhere. Can’t stand the BS

Amen! Me, too! After a local AD grilled me about purchase history and then “invited” me to try somewhere else, after I asked about a blue Cartier Santos, I decided I was 100% done with them. I go either pre-owned or grey since - and couldn’t be happier.


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[huncho]

Originally Posted by padi56

Most all of these so called AD games and relationship stuff mainly exists in internet fantasy land.

not true though...everyone here can attest to that. it's not some myth, you don't just walk in and buy what you want anymore

[JRell]

Originally Posted by huncho

not true though...everyone here can attest to that. it's not some myth, you don't just walk in and buy what you want anymore

100% agree. I don’t buy jewelry and I never buy grey. All about the relationship for me.

[amphr1]

Originally Posted by JRell

100% agree. I don’t buy jewelry and I never buy grey. All about the relationship for me.

I agree, but I think relationship is the bare minimum. I'm seeing from my perspective that in 2022, it's that you need relationship to get in the door, but then you need spend history also to get what you want, and I mean on-going spend.

[JRell]

Originally Posted by amphora001

I agree, but I think relationship is the bare minimum. I'm seeing from my perspective that in 2022, it's that you need relationship to get in the door, but then you need spend history also to get what you want, and I mean on-going spend.

For me, the Daytona yes, 100% agree. But will keep trying without it!

[Calatrava r]

I think the AD market will free up sooner than I thought just a few days ago. Economic forecasts from a lot of smart people around the world don't sound too good in the near term. At some point that will hit luxury spending.

[waxy88]

If you haven’t got a purchase history with the AD and only interested in buying Rolex watches, then stop wasting your time and energy and go grey.

And if you are only interested in buying Rolex at MSRP, I’d say stop dreaming…

[Mendota]

Originally Posted by padi56

Most all of these so called AD games and relationship stuff mainly exists in internet fantasy land.

With all due respect, purely based on my own personal experience I have to disagree with your assessment. I know this must seem ridiculously absurd to you, and please trust me - it's absolutely absurd to me and I can't believe it's actually like this, because I KNOW what it was like to visit Rolex ADs in the early '90s and 2000s when they welcomed you in to try on anything you wanted and gave you great customer service. If I weren't in the market for one right now, I would also think that people were exaggerating and must be making this stuff up, too. So I fully understand where you are coming from when you don't believe any of this is real. I wouldn't either.

I have been actively in the market, trying to acquire a basic 124060 Sub for myself since the end of 2020. It was supposed to celebrate my 50th birthday, which came and went this past April. Despite purchasing another Rolex from my AD during this time for my wife, and stopping in periodically to chat about vintage watches in their pre-owned case, I have gotten nowhere. During my periodic visits during these last 20+ months, the other sales people all told me it would be "no problem" and that there was "plenty of time" to get one. My own sales assistant even told me he would make sure to "get me that Sub" for my birthday after I bought my wife her Rolex in April 2021. Nothing has happened, in fact my wife was eye rolled at and laughed out of the AD by another sales assistant when she stopped in during April just to see if she could try a different angle to help me buy one.

There is nothing "fantasy land" about this and it's not "so called." It's 100% fact and this is my personal experience. I am now planning to visit the other ADs in my area, which I really should have done last year when I was still a year away from my birthday.

I will say this - I am frequently receiving welcoming messages from Jaeger-LeCoultre and Omega to stop in and visit their dealers or to call them at their toll free numbers with any questions I may have. Jaeger even has customized factory tours and masterclasses that they offer now, and the emails they send to me regarding those unique and once in a lifetime factory experiences are night and day different from the messaging I am getting from Rolex. The messaging I am getting is Jaeger-LeCoultre wants my business and is even inviting me to come visit their factory and sit side by side with their designers and watchmakers to learn all about how they create these amazing time pieces. Rolex, on the other hand, is brushing me off and worse, giving eye rolls and laughs to my wife for wanting to help me celebrate a milestone birthday. Which would you choose?

This is purely my own experience. Cheers!

[ndane]

Originally Posted by padi56

Most all of these so called AD games and relationship stuff mainly exists in internet fantasy land.

Yeah… unfortunately, this is not accurate. Relationships and purchase history absolutely do matter in today’s AD scene. Some people work very hard on their relationships in hopes of getting the watch of their dreams at MSRP.

[huncho]

Originally Posted by ndane

Yeah… unfortunately, this is not accurate. Relationships and purchase history absolutely do matter in today’s AD scene. Some people work very hard on their relationships in hopes of getting the watch of their dreams at MSRP.

it's sad that he keeps posting that same comment in all these threads when he's a mod and with all the respect he gets here. there's a mountain of evidence that proves buying a rolex today is hard and requires a "relationship" and saying it only exists in a fantasy land is basically just calling everyone here stupid. he hasn't bought a rolex at an AD in a long time and ironically he's the one in the fantasy land

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by huncho

it's sad that he keeps posting that same comment in all these threads when he's a mod and with all the respect he gets here. there's a mountain of evidence that proves buying a rolex today is hard and requires a "relationship" and saying it only exists in a fantasy land is basically just calling everyone here stupid. he hasn't bought a rolex at an AD in a long time and ironically he's the one in the fantasy land

If you hadn't been in an AD since Eisenhower was president you feel same way. way.

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[Hollie_Rollie]

Originally Posted by zengineer

If you hadn't been in an AD since Eisenhower was president you feel same way. way.

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Be that as it may, his presence on the forums is necessary.


I would just scroll past the comments like that and show a little respect and not engage.


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[Tim Plains]

Find a different AD that carries Rolex and other brands that interest you. That's what I did last fall when Rolex was in more demand (market). My wife and I only bought watches we wanted.

DJ 31mm for her.
Tudor Royal (a gift).
3861 Speedmaster for me.
Got a Submariner Date within seven weeks.

Every store will have their nuances but if you don't know how it works, generally, managers allocate the hot Rolex models to SAs based on their performance, SAs make recommendations on which customer gets the watch, manager then informs the owner, owner makes the final decision.

There's no waiting list at many of these ADs, spend enough money, get what you want. My belief is the Submariner I received was in their safe the entire time, and probably along with several other hot stainless steel models, just waiting for someone to come in and spend enough money on other things to cross their threshold dollar amount, and/or someone they like, I am fairly charming.

[HorologicalGangster]

This whole "establishing a relationship" with an AD thing is crap. I'm trying to do the same thing with some Rolex ADSs in my area. One of them is similar to yours and wants me to buy stuff I don't want to hopefully get a piece I want. The others seem legit when setting up my wish lists, but who knows. They could all be BSing me. I wish they were transparent and just tell me the truth if I'm in the running to attain a piece in a reasonable amount of time or not.
I really want to establish a good relationship with an AD, but these games they play really make it difficult to not go gray.

[Teksurv]

I received my JC DSSD a few months ago after an 18 month wait. I have purchased two prior Rolex watches over 10 plus years. I have never been told to make other purchases and if that did happen I'd move on.

[beshannon]

I don't

[Laostuh]

Originally Posted by amphora001

I realize on my visit yesterday that I'm pretty bad. Reason? I heard 2 sets of words that I hadn't heard from my SA before, "other brands" and "spend history". Basically I got the hint that unless I spend money on other brands and spend more, I'm not going to be able to get what I want. So the thing is I did look at several other brands such as the JLC and Breitling and none of them is a good fit for me even though on its own they are beautiful watches. And if I were to spend an extra $10 on other watches I don't want, I'm not sure that'll really get me anywhere closer to the top. Another bit of info I found out is that the owner of the store is holding all the Daytona and Skydwellers for clients that he himself deem worthy. So no matter what relationship I have with my SA, I'm never going to get a Daytona, because I don't have a relationship with the owner of the store. I guess I'm just glad I bought my Daytona from a trusted grey dealer at what I hope is a reasonable price a few weeks ago. But apparently there's a Recession now and who knows what that means for the watch market.

So how's your game?

No bueno. Went grey twice in the last 2 years. Granted I've only scored 1 watch from my AD back in 2017. I wouldn't even consider them "MY" AD but just an AD since I haven't been able to get anything since. Think we all aspire to be on quadruple GMT's level.

[brandrea]

I just try to be genuine and when I’m interested in a new watch I’ve always been successful. YMMV.

[amphr1]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I just try to be genuine and when I’m interested in a new watch I’ve always been successful. YMMV.

I'm genuine, but there's not much else I can do. I'm not like a CEO or something with so much cash. And the stock market tanking is not helping. I'm sensing that relationship alone is no longer enough.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by amphora001

… I'm not like a CEO or something with so much cash….

I’m not either.

It’s more about how you hit it off with your sales rep/manger/the owner IMO.

Maybe I’ve just been lucky, or perhaps it’s just pity on their part

Either way, I guess I’ve always felt that it never hurts to put your best foot forward, be likable, and patiently persistent.

[minute_man]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I just try to be genuine and when I’m interested in a new watch I’ve always been successful. YMMV.

Exactly

[travisb]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I just try to be genuine and when I’m interested in a new watch I’ve always been successful. YMMV.

Same approach.

[amphr1]

My purchase history with this AD are the following. So it's not like I don't have spend history, just not enough. I think they want customers to buy other brands and also their diamond jewelries, which I'm totally against. I think diamonds are stupid rocks, but that's just me. If I do buy, I usually buy lab grown, so there's no chance of being blood diamond.

- DJ31
- Tudor BB58
- Explorer 2 TT
- DJ36 Wimbelton TT

I've also purchase a Speedmaster but from an Omega boutique. Unfortunately this AD doesn't carry Omegas.