What Would Happen If…

[liveralone]

All pieces that AD’s received for inventory went into the display case and we’re available to whoever walked in? Would a first come first serve market normalize pricing?

[joejet]

It would spoil the fun, I like trying to get a watch waiting for a call. If that happens then i have to chase Patek and RM’s and that’s a much bigger budget needed. (just kidding i really don’t like RM and would not buy one even at retail). I hope supply gets a bit better but look at Hermes it took me 7 years to get my wife’s Birkin, Rolex is doing okay.

[Wcdhtwn]

THey'd all be sold in a few days and the AD would be back to empty shelves. But at least the AD makes money, and the SAs a commission.

[JEdwardK]

Originally Posted by liveralone

All pieces that AD’s received for inventory went into the display case and we’re available to whoever walked in? Would a first come first serve market normalize pricing?

wouldn't that make it worse?
so someone with more time than money will just line up at the crack of dawn in front of the rolex AD and buy whatever is available

and people with more money than time will pay the premium to buy the watches without having to wait for hours in line

[norcalgt3]

you have enough in the title to write out your question btw

[superspectral]

The AD wouldn’t be able to bundle the smaller watches.

[GreatHarry]

Originally Posted by liveralone

All pieces that AD’s received for inventory went into the display case and we’re available to whoever walked in? Would a first come first serve market normalize pricing?

There would be unprecedented mayhem. The likes we've never seen before.

[RealMadrid1988]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

THey'd all be sold in a few days and the AD would be back to empty shelves. But at least the AD makes money, and the SAs a commission.

Huh? ADs are making money hand over fist…

[ca_luxuries]

Originally Posted by JEdwardK

wouldn't that make it worse?
so someone with more time than money will just line up at the crack of dawn in front of the rolex AD and buy whatever is available

and people with more money than time will pay the premium to buy the watches without having to wait for hours in line

100% agree with this comment

[vh2k]

Originally Posted by liveralone

All pieces that AD’s received for inventory went into the display case and we’re available to whoever walked in? Would a first come first serve market normalize pricing?

Are you worried you won’t be able to flip watches anymore?

[edisonstar23]

Originally Posted by joejet

It would spoil the fun, I like trying to get a watch waiting for a call. If that happens then i have to chase Patek and RM’s and that’s a much bigger budget needed. (just kidding i really don’t like RM and would not buy one even at retail). I hope supply gets a bit better but look at Hermes it took me 7 years to get my wife’s Birkin, Rolex is doing okay.

7 years for a Hermes bag? Never had to buy one but that sounds insane for a women’s bag.


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[shaunylw]

Originally Posted by JEdwardK

wouldn't that make it worse?
so someone with more time than money will just line up at the crack of dawn in front of the rolex AD and buy whatever is available

and people with more money than time will pay the premium to buy the watches without having to wait for hours in line

I’ll pay someone to stand in line as their full time job and buy everything available. Then I’ll start my own grey dealer from my couch. Every grey dealer will do the same and now 100% of watches will go towards grey vs whatever percentage it is now. First come first served doesn’t work so well with luxury goods.


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[ltmgeller]

I doubt it

[JC316]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

I’ll pay someone to stand in line as their full time job and buy everything available. Then I’ll start my own grey dealer from my couch. Every grey dealer will do the same and now 100% of watches will go towards grey vs whatever percentage it is now. First come first served doesn’t work so well with luxury goods.


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Already happened/ happening in Korea. I believe the going rate is $100 for someone to stand in line for you and yes they will stand over night if they have to.

In an effort to make things fair the following rules are being observed in Seoul, Korea:

1) When the store opens you are expected to register your phone number into their electronic ticketing system. This system lets you know your number in the queue and how many people are ahead of you. It is unable to estimate the time you have to wait. I was informed by an employee at the AD that it generally takes 4 hours to clear the first 18 numbers. I happened to be number 48 on this specific day and was able to enter the store at 1900. They only allowed the first 50 people to register.

Some stores mandate that you have ID which verifies that you are registered to the phone number used to enter the electronic ticketing system. If the ID and credit card do not match, they will decline sale. It is a fairly easy thing to do in Korea.

2) You are only able to purchase 1 Rolex, regardless of model, per year. All of the Rolex ADs are centrally registered, here in Korea, and track this information. So when they go to register you in their system and you show a history of a previous purchase within that year, you will lose the opportunity to secure a new watch.

They had signs posted on little placards around the store and made it a point to address the rule before showing any of their inventory.

I do not think these rules apply to duty free stores and I believe Japan also enforces a 1 watch per year rule as well.

[doboy007]

People will get trampled to death :)

[Wcdhtwn]

Originally Posted by RealMadrid1988

Huh? ADs are making money hand over fist…

The boutique in Houston has over a million $ in inventory they are not allowed to sell. No the owner and the SAs are not making nearly what they could be making.

[Peter123]

I’d like to see Rolex have their own boutiques and take back control of the allocation process. Some dealers like WOS in the UK for instance are absolutely difficult to deal with. Rolex could then really have a strategy for getting new ppl into the brand. Have a much better shot at identifying flippers ie similar to AP… to activate the warranty you need to login to AP and the watch is in your portfolio if you sell it and the new owner registers it to their portfolio (assuming still under warranty which it would be if flipped) then AP could see you’ve sold it. I’m not saying it’s full proof but clearly it’s better.

[jsavoie88]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

The boutique in Houston has over a million $ in inventory they are not allowed to sell. No the owner and the SAs are not making nearly what they could be making.

Why isn’t the boutique allowed to sell its inventory?


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[MILGAUSS88]

There would be people that were paid to go in and buy out the entire inventory, every delivery day.

I have seen it done at estate sales were there is a lot less money involved.

So, no it would not normalize the market. Just funnel more watches to gray dealers.

[inoahguy]

It would become the sneaker industry


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[77T]

A good analog might be “What happenstance would result in new models filling AD showcases?”

Armegeddon, Global Depression, Asteroid Strike, you know…Hollywoodesque Drama.


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[Ensign]

No, prices would stay the same.

Investors would be camping out in line waiting for watches to be put out.

[Speedbird-1]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

THey'd all be sold in a few days and the AD would be back to empty shelves. But at least the AD makes money

Not as much, I suspect as (some of them) are making, currently.

[travisb]

That's how it used to be but those days are done.

[Wcdhtwn]

Originally Posted by jsavoie88

Why isn’t the boutique allowed to sell its inventory?


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It’s the inventory Rolex requires them to have, and keep, in stock or they get no more watches. It’s the same for AD’s but boutiques have to hold a lot more.

[jsavoie88]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

It’s the inventory Rolex requires them to have, and keep, in stock or they get no more watches. It’s the same for AD’s but boutiques have to hold a lot more.

Interesting. I was not aware of that requirement.

Thank you for explaining.


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[enjoythemusic]

[alphadweller]

They wouldn't stay in the display cases very long, which would still look empty most of the time. Little effect on price due to overwhelming demand, there's just not enough watches for everyone.

[Chester01]

Originally Posted by liveralone

All pieces that AD’s received for inventory went into the display case and we’re available to whoever walked in? Would a first come first serve market normalize pricing?

Yes, somewhat provided the gray market went away. Because if not, when the gray shows up they will take many and the rest of the public maybe 1.

[goldenboy80]

I know this may not be a popular view, but I like the way Rolex and its ADs are managing everything including the allocation process. I wouldn't change one thing about it. The challenge and the wait makes me appreciate the pieces more. The ADs at the stores aren't always able to give you exactly what you want when you want it but that's life and the reality of luxury goods in an inflationary environment. I haven't noticed that Rolex sports models are particularly hard to get. You have to put some effort into it but it's totally do-able given mass-production of Rolex. Every day they keep making more.