NYC AD Thread- Today's Experiences

[NYC2023]

As I mentioned in a separate thread last night, I went to several ADs in New York City today to register my interest in a black Sub. Spoiler alert: y'all were correct about not getting any commitments or hard timeline on this watch. I still found trying on a bunch of different watches and talking to the SAs to be enjoyable, and actually have some new Rolex and non-Rolex watches to add to my "list."

With that being said, the experience I had varied significantly across the various ADs. I thought some members on the forum might find my experiences with the different ADs interesting or helpful, so I decided to write it up.

About Me: ~30 years old, live in NYC/Manhattan, work in finance. No purchase history with any of the ADs I went to.

Stop#1: Bucherer/Tourneau Rolex Boutique, Meatpacking

Location/Store Design:
The Meatpacking District is one of the coolest neighborhoods in NYC, and this boutique is right in the middle of it. I believe it opened in the last 1-2 years and is an absolutely beautiful store. There is a large bar in the center, a Tudor boutique on the right, and a wide selection of (exhibition only) Rolexes in the rest of the store. This is a really impressive store, and probably visually the nicest watch store I've ever been to.

Experience:
This store was the busiest of the four ADs I went to today. It seemed like most of the people there had appointments, and I had to wait a few minutes to talk to an SA. They have a nice place to sit while you're waiting, and I was offered various water/drinks/coffee by the very nice bar attendant.

Unlike the other stores I went to, there were multiple people openly being delivered new Rolexes while I was there, including a relatively well-known celebrity who was receiving a watch with his wife.

The SA brought me to a nice semi-private desk and showed me a number of watches, including the black sub I was interested in. When I expressed interest in a black sub (date or no date) he tried to gently steer me towards other watches which he implicitly indicated were more attainable. Primary focus seemed to be a Datejust, which is unfortunately not a model I'm interested in.

I would say the SA felt a bit more transactional here compared to other locations, and didn't really want to have a longer conversation about watches. He took my information down but I would not say the body language was positive about receiving a Sub in the near future. With that being said, he was quite friendly and the store was beautiful. I would rank this experience third out of the four ADs I went to.

Stop #2: WoS Hudson Yards

Location/Store Design:
For those who don't know New York City, Hudson Yards is a relatively new neighborhood on the west side of Manhattan. This location is located in the brand new mall at Hudson Yards, which is effectively the newest luxury mall/shopping location in the city. The store itself is beautiful and sells a variety of brands ranging from Tag to Patek.

Experience:
I did not have a particularly good experience at this store. Upon entering the store there were multiple SAs standing around and behind the counter. None of them seemed to want to help me, even after spending a few minutes looking around the Rolex section of the store. Eventually I went up to an idle SA and asked for help. He let me try on a few watches, but was not particularly friendly. I asked him about availability and was given the usual comment about too much demand, limited supply, etc. He did take down my information and watch preference (black sub date or non date) via their electronic system, but did not seem particularly optimistic. I would rank this experience last of the four ADs I went to.

Stop #3: Bucherer/Tourneau Bryant Park

Location/Store Design:
This store is on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street opposite Bryant Park. This is a decent sized store with a wide selection of watches and a nice pre-owned selection. They don't have a separate Rolex boutique, but have a nice corner of the store dedicated to Rolex with the usual display models.

Experience:
I had a good experience at this store. Upon entering I was almost immediately greeted by a very friendly SA who was also super knowledgeable about Rolex and non-Rolex watches. He complimented me on my watch and asked why I had come in. I explained that I was relatively new to Rolex and was interested in putting my name down for a watch. He took me to the Rolex section of the store and spent a good 20-30 minutes letting me try on a number of Rolex models and explaining the history and nuances of each one. We then went to a different section of the store and tried on some additional non-Rolex watches.

He took my information down on a card, and explained the supply/demand situation in detail. I expressed my interest in a black Sub, which seemed to discourage him a bit. He asked if there were other watches I'd be interested in and I said not at the moment. He said he would put my information in the system, but did warn me that there was no timeline for when watches would be allocated. While my read is that I won't be getting a watch in the near future, the SA was very friendly, knowledgable, and spent a considerable amount of time with me showing and talking watches. Pretty good experience. I would rank this the second best experience out of the four ADs I went to.

Stop #4: Wempe Fifth Avenue

Location/Store Design:
This store is quite different than the other three I went to. The location is on Fifth Avenue in the 50s, in the building that houses the Peninsula Hotel. For those who don't know New York, this part of Fifth Avenue is a famous high end but more traditional shopping location, and there are numerous well known luxury stores (and some watch boutiques) nearby. It is a few blocks south of Central Park and the Plaza hotel. The storefront is definitely a bit more "old school" than the others I went to. Once inside, this is a mid-sized store with a number of different brands represented, including some quite high end ones like Patek, A. Lange & Sohne, and JLC.

Experience:
I was actually a bit intimidated walking into this store given the location and high end brands represented. However, that was immediately put to rest by the super friendly doorman who let me in. I walked over to Rolex section, which is to the right when you enter the store. I would say this section was somewhat compact compared to some of the other stores, but had a quite good selection of exhibition watches.

Once in the Rolex section I was greeted by an incredibly friendly SA who asked what I was looking for and showed me a wide range of watches. I was offered water or coffee immediately. We had a great conversation about my background, my watch collection, and what I was looking for in a watch. Unlike the other stores, she did not actively try to steer me away from my desire for a sub, and indicated that at the end of the day I should request what I truly want (I think this is legitimately good advice!). Even though there were other customers in that part of the store, she gave me her full attention, and we actually ended up having a great conversation about Rolex and watches in general that probably lasted 30+ minutes while also trying on a number of models.

She indicated that these watches are difficult to get for new customers, but that she would keep me updated as they get additional supply. I didn't get the feeling that I would get one of these watches soon, but certainly got the feeling it was a possibility within a moderate time frame.

Overall the SA and entire store staff was awesome here. I would rank this the best experience of the four ADs.

Anyway, I know I've been pretty long-winded here, but hopeful that someone on the forum might find this useful!

Thanks,

NYC2023