Check for Daytona List at an AD

[Gaijin]

So I was snooping around at an AD today (not the one I buy my Rolex at) and I asked them "How much would I have to spend in order to get a SS Daytona."

Salesperson, "We can order you one." Me "Really!?" "Ok, order me one." She pulls out a Rolex catalogue and tries to steer me to the WG version. I tell her I don't want the WG version. She says "Let me check on the price for a SS Daytona." I say "Its $7900" as she flips through looking for it, completley ignoring me. I say again, "$7900." She then finds it and says, "Its $7900."


Uh-huh. Ok. So I ask her to order me one just for fun. SCREEEEEEECHING HALT>

She figures out what the heck I am talking about. She then tells me they "Have a list." I said, "I know, I am on it." I ask her to check where I am on the list and she refers me to the General Manager.

General Manager Dude tells me he'll check where I am on the list. Guy actually pulls out a list on a yellow sheet of paper. From what I can see there are 36 names (I looked down at the bottom and saw a name next to number 36. That was just page one.) He checks, I am not even on thier list. He asks me if I want to be on thier list (I thought I already was.) I tell him not to bother.


The owner took my name down over 6 months ago and never put me on the list. So guys if you think you are on a list, ask to see the list. I believe most ADs don't even have "lists" (but take your name down to make you go away.) They sell to whoever they fancy. That was how I got mine from my AD.

This AD today actually had a list that I asked to be put on, but never was.

So don't let yourself think you are on a list. Check. Ask to see it. Check to see if you are on it. I am surprised they even had one. They did. I was not surprised that they never put my name on it.

[Robb]

Good story Tom....


Here is mine. I went to an AD in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago. I asked about the SS Daytona and they laughed at me then proceeded to tell me that I would first have to spend $100k and then wait a few years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I told them I should be getting one anyday now from my AD back home............. They said " Dont count on it"

Hmmmm...........

[supra2nv]

I love the feeling of walking into Ben Bridge while wearing my Daytona, then see the look on their face when they see it on my arm. Then i say how I will never spend money there, unless they earn my business by giving me a bunch of free services haha....cleaning my wifes jewelry, adjusting my bands, etc etc. and i say, "eventually you may get my business, but i only give my business who gives me the most free stuff" lolol

sound familiar? famous ben bridge quote: "we reserve our Daytona for our favorite customers, ones who spend $100k+ a year. Spend that much, and we may eventually get you one"

eff you!!!!

p.s. i still wont spend my money there, just saying the above comments to make a point. i spend where i am treated fairly, dont have to give me free stuff lol

[dcash0615]

Originally Posted by supra2nv

I love the feeling of walking into Ben Bridge while wearing my Daytona, then see the look on their face when they see it on my arm. Then i say how I will never spend money there, unless they earn my business by giving me a bunch of free services haha....cleaning my wifes jewelry, adjusting my bands, etc etc. and i say, "eventually you may get my business, but i only give my business who gives me the most free stuff" lolol

sound familiar? famous ben bridge quote: "we reserve our Daytona for our favorite customers, ones who spend $100k+ a year. Spend that much, and we may eventually get you one"

eff you!!!!

I had a similar experience when I recently visited Tourneau. The second I walked in they spotted my white face SS Daytona I was wearing and 3 sales associates almost triped over each other to ask me if I needed assistance. Not sure why they reacted this way as I thought most of these sales associates are not on commission, at least the ones at my AD aren't. The sales associate asked how I got my watch and what I had to spend to get the watch. She said, what did you spend like $100K to $200K with your AD to be able to get one? I said I did not remember what I spent in the store, but that I had purchased several pieces (that was a lie as the SS Daytona was the first watch I had bought from my AD). She then asked what it would take to get my business and buy my watches from them. I guess she figured I was a big spender. I said I tried to work with Tourneau in the past, but the staff was not friendly so I took my business elsewhere. She apologize for that. Then I said if you can get me a black face SS Daytona, I would consider changing.

Moral of the story is don't let the AD's use the SS Daytona as a bargining chip against you, you use it as as bargining chip against them. They figure if you have one, you had to have spent money somewhere to get it and that means that you have plenty more money to spend and are a very good potential customer. To be honest, this is how I was able to convince the AD that sold me mine and it worked.

[krlyuzh]

Hmm, interesting. Don't know where you guys are shopping at, but I definately have customers who wear SS Daytonas on daily and spend, well, like 20k a year, if that. Some of them own only 1 Rolex, the SS Daytona. It's all about the relationship with a customer, not how much the spend with me a year, and I got customers who buy 2 things a year for Xmas and Annivesary, and customers who buy stuff allllll the time, spending 100's of thousands a year.

Personally, when I see a SS Daytona, the LAST thing that comes to my mind is ''holy crap this person spends millions, SERVE him!'', it's more like, hey that's a good conversation piece, let's chat, perhaps I can help her or him in some way also....When one of my customer initially came in with a yellow gold GMT-Master II Masterpiece with Karat bracelet, that kinda made my stomach tingle, not an 8k watch woohoo!

[daunwaun]

all great stories guys and do check the waiting lists

[Arturo]

You should have flashed the bastard yours and told him that you would make sure and not send any of your impressive clients his way for having lied to you. Tell him your other AD gets all your clients from here on out......LOL DO it. I want to see his face.

[veilstylez]

How about this? What do you guys think of this?
I have a AD that gives me discounts on all Rolexes 15-25% off and hooks it up so I dont have to pay tax. So its great, it took going there like 3 times to get these discounts and now I get them. I honestly don't know any other Rolex ADs that gives me these discounts here in LA, so Im happy about this. So I've bought a couple of watches there and pretty much send everyone there looking for a good deal. So hes knows I send him a lot of business and that I try to. What pisses me off is that when it comes to the Sub LV or the Daytona. They are asking 6.5k for the LV which is rediculous and 13K for the daytona which is even more rediculous. Right? So I have a new friend thats looking for a LV sub and I ask my AD, do me a favor and sell the LV at least at list (Im effing asking him to sell me the watch at list WTF) and he says "NO" he cant 6k is lowest (which is the same as list with tax somewhere else, and I can get list anywhere else, but I get no tax here). But still Im thinking EFF that sh!t I dont want to buy or send people to them anymore. Premiums on LV's thats BULL SH!T.. But I can't get the discounts anywhere else, what the hell do I do? So do I straight tell him, "no more business from me or anybody I know"? and lose my discounts and look for another AD?


BTW Im calling tomorrow to check myself on that list.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

That is outrageous, Tom!

What a TURD of an AD!

Anyway, MY AD actually showed me the list, and there were 18 persons on it, but not my name. I never asked to get on the list, but just phoned him and asked if I could get the next SS Daytona coming in. He let me get in front of the quoe.

So YES, you are right that some AD's sell the SS Daytona to whom they would like to sell it to, list or no list

[Rudy1000]

Tom,
I had the same experience. In fact, I was told by 2 ADs in FL that
I was on their lists. I went into both stores to ask where I was on the list. In the first store, they told me there was no list. In the second store, I was told that they now use a "lottery" system, where the salesperson's name was chosen out of a hat and they get to call customers on their individual lists. I was then told that I had to have a sponsor salesperson.....This was after a year of waiting and wondering what was happening. I've bought two watches from each of these ADs as well......

[Stef_Call]

Even if the AD does have a list it seems obvious that if & when somebody comes along that the owner likes for whatever reason the list goes out the window. They each seem to have their own set rules to why & who gets them :(

Here is mine that I was lucky to get a few months back

[Moose]

Ben Bridge has to be one of the lowest class AD's in my area. The sales staff treat you as if you can't afford to breathe their air. I went in to look at the ceramic GMT's recently and they said nobody will have the SS ones until Dec. I knew this was not true. I asked to see the TT up close and she cupped her hands under the watch the entire time I was looking at it. Rediculous.

Anyway, back on topic. Some Ad's probably have 3 lists for Daytonas. The first is the list written with invisible ink like the one they put KansiVet on. The second is the list of people they will never call when a Daytona comes available (like the one they showed KansiVet) and the third is the list in their head of the customer who gets the call because he made a recent large purchase. The bottom line is that the list is only as good as the honesty of the AD. You don't know when they get their Daytonas in so it is imposible to audit. Just find a trustworthy AD that tells it like it is and be patient. I have been on some "lists" for over 15 years and never gotten a call. Never trusted the list and never will.

[BigHat]

If I was a dealer I'd sell them to my best customers. If I made a list, it would only be to appease people. I guess I'm not alone.

But these things are selling big time on the gray market. Are people buying them without the Rolex warranty? Seems to me it's bad that one has to pay $4-5K over retail, but horrible that you'd end up with a watch w/o a warranty. Any thoughts on what's happening in this regard?

[ohsixx]

You can snag a grey market TT Daytona BNIB for around $9800. No warranty, of course!

I have seen some with champagne or slate colored dials which or not my perference.