Exhibition only models - where do they end up?

[obhitn3]

Thats up for debate. You hear so many different stories from the AD's and here n the forum. I did see 2 of the same watches in the exhibition case last week. Makes you wonder!!

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by AFinchMustang

This would be my guess. Once they feel stock is within 10-20% of demand they will either take them back or invoice to the dealer to sell CPO after a quick polish.

Regarding the ADs saying they sell the one in the case as soon as they get another of the same this makes absolutely no sense to me. Why would you continuously subject new watches to potential scratches, drops, etc when they can just move the brand new one and maintain delivery of "perfect" stock to customers? I can certainly believe that some smaller ADs or less than above board ADs/SAs would sell out of the case at the right price if there was a warranty card behind it. If there isnt a warranty card behind the watches in the case then I would think they still are "owned" by Rolex and thus cannot be sold no matter the price.

It's been said many times that the "requirement" is for total watches in the case. So let's say there's a black Explorer II in the case "on display" in order to meet the requirement. There's also a customer waiting for the next available example of that watch. There are two ways I see this playing out:

1. Next black dial Explorer II comes in, and is allocated to the above customer.
2. A white dial Explorer II comes in, is rotated into the case, and the displayed black dial is sold to the waiting customer.

Originally Posted by S.Explorer

Having collected a watch from the AD, I would also say that it's most likely the display model isn't sold but the same reference which comes in is, having already been allocated to a customer.

I would tend to agree, as that makes zero sense, and as a customer I'd be requesting one that wasn't a display model, even if it meant an additional wait. The only scenario in which it makes sense to continue moving them through the case is to minimize the wear accumulated by each, so that they're each still sellable. Just like in the old days, when watches were purchased out of display cases.

[Rolexguy$]

Originally Posted by Newt

I dunno what that is, but my soul just died a little.

I felt same thing when I saw this... Like a sudden palpitation

[terrywoods]

I like that they have exhibition pieces in ADs

I’ve tried 2 watches on recently and both were not to my taste, yet I would have wait on list to find out I don’t like them instead

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by obhitn3

Thats up for debate. You hear so many different stories from the AD's and here n the forum. I did see 2 of the same watches in the exhibition case last week. Makes you wonder!!

I’ll do you one better: was in an AD a few weeks ago and saw two identical non-working watches in the case.

Also makes me wonder what happens to the non-working ones when their “tours” are done.

[mickyd329]

My AD(owner) is a friend f mine and he says they purchase the Exhibition pieces up front and cannot sell them until Rolex green lights it.

[Tach24LMS]

When I tried on many exhibition models in Chicago a few months back, most weren’t stickered and were set to some variation of 10:09-10:11

The only one with a working movement was the BLNR, and it was fully a stickered and tagged. So I assume at some point, that one goes for sale. (I asked to be put on the list for one).

I never touched the watches. The SA white gloved, and put them on me, and took them off of me. She let me take as many pictures as I liked.

[lmdh]

I've purchased 3 for exhibition only watches over the last 2 years, 2 from an AD in the Philippines and 1 from an AD in Finland.

What I want to know is, what happens if whilst handling a for exhibition only sub and I accidentally drop it, what happens?

Surely they should give you the option to purchase and not just pay for a repair?

[Carguy87]

Originally Posted by lmdh

I've purchased 3 for exhibition only watches over the last 2 years, 2 from an AD in the Philippines and 1 from an AD in Finland.

What I want to know is, what happens if whilst handling a for exhibition only sub and I accidentally drop it, what happens?

Surely they should give you the option to purchase and not just pay for a repair?

This happened at my AD. The customer was on the waitlist for a sports model and accidentally dropped an exhibition piece and damaged it. They basically told him he could pay for RSC to fix the damage and they’d shrug it off and keep him on the list in his place, or he could refuse and not be allowed to purchase a piece in the future.

He paid for the damages and was allocated his waitlist piece not long after.

[Sglass]

I was in an AD where they moved them into their pre-owned inventory at ‘market’ prices. Did not have much interest in playing that game.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Carguy87

This happened at my AD. The customer was on the waitlist for a sports model and accidentally dropped an exhibition piece and damaged it. They basically told him he could pay for RSC to fix the damage and they’d shrug it off and keep him on the list in his place, or he could refuse and not be allowed to purchase a piece in the future.

He paid for the damages and was allocated his waitlist piece not long after.

Wow, that shows how times have changed. Traditionally, pretty sure that's what insurance is for and a risk taken when displaying salable merchandise in a store. I can't imagine that, prior to the "waitlist everything" days, the customer would have been asked to pay for a repair assuming they weren't being exceptionally reckless with the watch/damaged it on purpose.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Sglass

I was in an AD where they moved them into their pre-owned inventory at ‘market’ prices. Did not have much interest in playing that game.

Out of curiosity, did they say when the warranty began on them? Was it when they arrived for exhibition (presumably "purchased" by the dealer), or when purchased by the customer out of the pre-owned case?

[Ferrari308]

I bought my wife her watch. I know it was an "Exhibition Only" piece. We have the full warranty and all is good with it. Doesn't bother me. It's the same thing - people test drive cars all the time - it's part of life. The difference is that the sales people will sell you the car that very instant.


PDG

[puma1552]

Originally Posted by dannyp

Wow, that shows how times have changed. Traditionally, pretty sure that's what insurance is for and a risk taken when displaying salable merchandise in a store. I can't imagine that, prior to the "waitlist everything" days, the customer would have been asked to pay for a repair assuming they weren't being exceptionally reckless with the watch/damaged it on purpose.

Yeah, it seems strange/not a best practice to ask the customer to pay for the damages or pound sand.

Look, I'm all for personal responsibility etc., but this is what insurance on the inventory is for and it's simply a cost of doing business when you are handing saleable merchandise over to people to handle.

[Calatrava r]

From what I understand, ADs now have everything (box and papers) to sell exhibition watches, but they need to maintain a certain level of display models. So, supply has really not increased, the display watches just rotate in and out. It is a nice change as now different watches, from time to time, are on display.

[OG1982]

Originally Posted by Adam84

So. According to my local AD, they are allocated watches for the next person on top of the list. When another gets shipped in, the one in the window finds its way to the lucky owner

That’s not what my AD does (UK independent).

I bought my wife a mint green 36mm DateJust on Oyster. We ordered it in October last year and shortly afterwards they got one for exhibition only. When I got ‘the call’, I made sure to mention that it wasn’t the one in the window that every man and his dog had been trying on. It absolutely was not. My wife’s was brand new out of the coffin, fully stickered.

The exhibition piece still lives in the window to this day


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[thenewrick]

I was told the new policy is a store must have X number of exhibition pieces for X amount of time. They're allowed to rotate but not sell for X number of months. Then they can be sold. It's more of an honor system for the AD's than a super strict Rolex rule where they count the number of days an exhibition piece is in the case to try on AFAIK. But they are real watches and are eventually sold.