Buying a Rolex from AD 20 years ago

[Dougiebaby]

Originally Posted by sambb

If you didnt buy 20 years ago, but put the $ in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested, you'd have about 5x. Of course would have to pay capital gains tax if you sold and got a rolex. But you would have done ok, and would be able to afford gray prices for a sub i think.

But what fun is the S&P???


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[huncho]

Originally Posted by sambb

If you didnt buy 20 years ago, but put the $ in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested, you'd have about 5x. Of course would have to pay capital gains tax if you sold and got a rolex. But you would have done ok, and would be able to afford gray prices for a sub i think.

you could also be dead today. not everything is about investing for 20 years into the future, there needs to be a balance. this should be especially more clear after what we've seen with covid

[Emery]

Today’s grey dealer store is the AD experience from 20 years ago.

[TickTockChuck]

Ah yes, I remember those wonderful days when buying a Rolex was such a pleasant memorable experience! My first being a black GMT-IIc in 2008. A very nice down-to-earth & knowledgeable SA which you could chat with and leisurely look at all the novelties on display, such a treat to the senses! Everything was in stock and you automatically got a 15% discount just for the asking...wow! I kept in contact with that SA and always dropped in to visit him buying a few more, a very nice person. I feel sorry for people entering the market now whom for the most part are denied that important first positive impression. Rolex has lost something in all of this current madness. That's too bad. I'll enjoy what I have and the memories that go with it. Cheers!

[DCheeta]

Originally Posted by Flint

Who can remember AD buying experience at least 20 years ago , I remember I was looking at Rolex window display and every Rolex model was displayed, a sales assistant came out of shop to ask if I needed any help , this happened to me at both branches of Goldsmiths in City nearest to my home . I went back a few days later and bought my first Sub ( non date ) and back then a small anchor was included in box . How times change !

Yes, I remember! I had the same experience buying the same watch (14060) back in 2000. Hell, it remained that way up until about 5 years ago.

[brandrea]

I remember back to when I bought my first professional reference, a SeaDweller at a discount. All the models were on display and they couldn’t give Daytona’s away

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Dougiebaby

I don’t think you really know what is going on…

China’s middle class has 707,000,000+ people. That is almost as large as the entire population of the EU and US combined! Imagine if every person in the EU & US we’re in the middle class?!

China's "middle class" isn't buying any Rolexes. 20000 yuan per month per person ($3k) was enough in 2019 to get a chinese household into the top 0.1%. Top 0.1% is still 1.5M people, but it is not "middle class" relative to the rest of the country.

[JSCP]

I bought in 2018 a Daytona Everose for 24-26$K after a nice discount. And A 36mm President for 24$k in Dec 2017“? there about a….My Aquanaut in 2018 was 18,250, but with little history I got in 7 months. So not that long ago

That will not happen again. My oyster batman was allocated in 5/6 months max this year,

Hope you get what you desire in 2022, albeit more likely no discount. But not at grey pricing!

[dwjez14]

I remember when Jared galleria of jewelry sold them and a 2 tone sub was 7500
Or so. My wife bought me one back then

[Deepseadog]

Walked into Mayor's in 1992 in Altamonte Spring, FL. and collected a Seadweller for $2750. I didn't even know what a SD was, but it was thicker, a little more expensive, had a greater depth rating, etc., than a Sub, so I went for it.

[inadeje]

I remember well 20 years ago, in fact I remember 25 years ago, since it was then I sold my TT Sub to buy a SS Daytona (zenith). I visited over 10 separate ADs both in Europe and Florida (I was working in both locations at the time) for about a year. Kept in touch with them, which back then was via fax and phone calls, but to no avail, it was impossible to buy a SS Daytona. After a year I acquiesced and bought a TT Daytona Zenith. A watch I still have. At the time though I could have bought any of the other Rolex watches in just about every AD I visited.

[eltonbalch]

Originally Posted by Flint

Who can remember AD buying experience at least 20 years ago , I remember I was looking at Rolex window display and every Rolex model was displayed, a sales assistant came out of shop to ask if I needed any help , this happened to me at both branches of Goldsmiths in City nearest to my home . I went back a few days later and bought my first Sub ( non date ) and back then a small anchor was included in box . How times change !

Literally my exact experience when I purchased my 14060 in 1995. My stepson now has it on permanent loan (with the box and anchor). Even got a 10% discount!

[chfriedl]

Same experience here. I bought a 16610 sub circa 2002-2003. I still have the box, receipt, papers, and that very same anchor. At that time I think it came to $3400-3500. This was in a small town, and they had nearly every model on hand and willing to negotiate. Prior to that, my dad bought a TT datejust, sub, day-date, and YG lady datejust in the late 80s and early 90s, all were on hand and all at a discount. They were even willing to swap out the dials for him for what he wanted, on the spot.

That AD doesn't even exist anymore, Rolex pulled their contract with 3 dealers in that area of Michigan.

Too bad we now have to plead with a vendor to be blessed with the distinct honor of being able to spend our money.

[jimcameron]

How about 37 yrs ago?

1. wanted a Sub Date.
2. called AD in Alexandria Va. advised they had one.
3. took the subway over from DC
4. bought the 18600, with cash to get the discount. $1000
5. Still have it.

[travisb]

Yup. Pretty much anything you want. And at a discount.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by jimcameron

How about 37 yrs ago?

1. wanted a Sub Date.
2. called AD in Alexandria Va. advised they had one.
3. took the subway over from DC
4. bought the 18600, with cash to get the discount. $1000
5. Still have it.

Ha Ha I couldn't afford 37/40 years ago , too many priorities in life but boy I did enjoy looking in the Rolex AD window and dreaming one day ! Every model and also loads of Tudor models to choose from . Its great you still have watch .

[sean1967]

i bought a GMT2 BLRO from Earnest Jones on 07/07/2007 , they wanted £3k i got them down to £2720 and got 2 glasses of fizz along with it.. still got the GMT

[cbalster]

I have a complete K-serial Daytona 116520 sold almost exactly 20 years ago from a Minnesota AD. I called the AD to inquire whether they ever serviced the watch. They didn't know, but said 20 years ago they'd get calls from all over the country asking for the new Daytona and they only got like 3 a year. Sounds pretty similar for the Daytona nowadays. Ha.

[Mystro]

Yes, I bought a TT Daytona sitting in the window. The sales clerk let me try on 3 other Daytonas for 30 minutes until the manager did his little discount sales pitch…..”I can let that model go for x% off if your interested.” This was 35 years ago when glass displays were full of multiples of every model (except the SS Daytona).

[Chester01]

My sub was a u series and from what I can tell sent to my AD in late 1997. I got in in late 1998. Yes, that’s right it sat in the case for a good while. That’s when the DJ and DD were the hot models and the SS versions did not have the celebrity push behind them.

[Bxtek]

I remember my Grandfather taking me into an AD in 1986. I was a kid. The sales lady let me try on a brand new SS Air King Precision with blue sunburst dial. Price was a whopping $1100!! I wanted that watch so bad, but with only $400 in my bank account at the time, it was only a dream to own that watch.

From what I understand, 20+ years ago, you could pretty much get any reference you wanted at retail. If they didn't have it, you could order it and ACTUALLY get it! Some said that if you left the store and paid retail, you got screwed as you could always negotiate a discount. Man, those were the days! Anyone got a time machine we can use for a little bit??

[S.Explorer]

It was easy pre-2017, with discounts to be had.

[cbalster]

My AD said, "10 years ago I had 300 Rolexes in stock and a waiting list for Panerai"

So there's that.

[JackGale]

Bought a GMT Master new from an AD in Flushing New York in 1970 before leaving for the service. Cost a couple of hundred dollars then. Wore the watch through thick and thin (and I mean, through thick and thin) for many decades until I began to wear my father's watch daily in 1985. My purchase was based on my father buying a new YG D/D in 1960 and wearing it daily without problems until my purchase of the GMT Master in 1970.

[jimcameron]

I worked with a large contingent of former military guys. A Rolex DJ could be bought for around $250 at a military base Post Exchange (PX)

[Solo118]

I remember 20 years ago seeing a white dial SS Daytona in the AD. I was a teenager, fell in love with the watch but wish I had the money to buy it.

Hell I remember not too long ago seeing several SS Sport watches including the BLNR and Seadweller 40mm in Geary's Beverly Hills AD.

[paxjedi]

I bought my Submarier from Torneau in New York City 25 years ago. They had a lot and I couldn't decide which one to get: the SS or the TT.

I also put some of my salary on Apple stock, which is worth SOOOO much more than all of my watches, cars, and house combined.

[Lewi777]

Originally Posted by Dougiebaby

I don’t think you really know what is going on…

China’s middle class has 707,000,000+ people. That is almost as large as the entire population of the EU and US combined! Imagine if every person in the EU & US we’re in the middle class?!

It is not just a matter of YOLO & FOMO, it’s the emerging middle class sector purchasing what middle class citizens do (really the upper middle class) … it’s just there are (literally) 100’s of millions more people in this sector of the world’s economy now vs. 20 years ago. And this does not even include the exploding wealth in India (whose entire population is expected to surpass China’s in 2025) or other fast growing countries.

Simple supply vs demand. This “problem” is never going away … unless there will be a global economic downturn of epic proportions.


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First post. Joined as I find this thread interesting.

Do you think all regions are continuing to receive the same level of supply or are some (e.g. the Chinese) taking an increasingly larger slice of the cake as time goes on?

I'm curious as I live in the UK and my local (rural) AD, like everywhere else, has no/low stock. I'm just wondering if there is increased local demand or they are getting less stock than previously.

Whilst I agree with the increase in Chinese buyers, I'm not sure I can see how that would affect my local market other than the following scenarios (a) AD/Flipper sells to grey who sells to China (b) AD getting less stock as it's being allocated to elsewhere (e.g. China).

[ArtNouveau]

My first Rolex was a SS Datejust with Jubilee bracelet, fluted bezel, and blue dial. $975 at Corrigans Jewelry, a long gone Houston chain that figures prominently in the Omega Moonwatch story. It was 1984, traded it back in for a tutone version in 1986.
Next Rolex was the new SS/Plat Yachmaster in 2000. New releases were “hot” even back then, the honeymoon period just didn’t last as long.
My most recent three starting in late 2017 have all been good too. Sticking with the same SA since 1997 has its benefits despite some folks here’s belief that relationships don’t matter.

[cbalster]

Originally Posted by ArtNouveau

My first Rolex was a SS Datejust with Jubilee bracelet, fluted bezel, and blue dial. $975 at Corrigans Jewelry, a long gone Houston chain that figures prominently in the Omega Moonwatch story. It was 1984, traded it back in for a tutone version in 1986.
Next Rolex was the new SS/Plat Yachmaster in 2000. New releases were “hot” even back then, the honeymoon period just didn’t last as long.
My most recent three starting in late 2017 have all been good too. Sticking with the same SA since 1997 has its benefits despite some folks here’s belief that relationships don’t matter.

20 years ago it was harder to get a yachtmaster than it is today, and the 116520 was still scarce. Oh and who remembers the Milgauss sellling triple retail?!!! Facts!

https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/21/s...-platinum.html