Getting a popular steel model at MSRP as a random customer?

[HiBoost]

Originally Posted by subby718

Possibly so, but the general consensus from what I have read on this board would suggest customers looking to buy a Sub in the US struggle as much as we do across the pond. I don’t think this Rolex bubble is isolated to the east.

It's definitely a global phenomena, no question about that. But I've had 2 different ADs tell me that Rolex actually "pushes" (though they can't force) ADs to sell some percentage of their allocation to first time customers. It's not good for the brand to have things be so incestuous.

So think 1 in 20 is probably on the mark. But OP is in Seattle, a large market. Let's say an AD gets 200 watches in a year (double what my smaller town AD gets btw). Let's further say that 10% of these are SS Subs (just pulling a number out of my arse). And let's say there are 100 randos who have walked into the AD this year asking if they could get an SS Sub.

So we've got a supply of 20 Subs this year, of which 1 is going to go the rando line, and there are 99 other people in it besides you. So yeah, 1 in 20 going to first time customers can still mean you wait a lifetime.