2017-2019 (pre-Covid) DD40 discounts

[Kenny G]

Hi folks,

For those of you who bought a DD40 ~2-3 years pre-Covid, could you enlighten me on what discount (if any) you were able to get from your AD?

I’m guessing somewhere in the 10-25% range with the upper range being on the factory diamond configurations and other pricier models?

Any info is much appreciated!

[SLWoodster]

25% off of retail was normal, with tax included. But it was YMMV. I've heard of others getting more. I have friends that were able to purchase the full white gold daytona at below $30,000 from the authorized dealer, taxes included. Day dates usually had a better discount. An acquaintance of mine purchased the "john mayer" gold daytona in about 2016? No discount from the Wynn Vegas boutique. At that time, one of my local dealers gave you a discount on the full gold but required this bundling for customers to get 116500 white daytona.

[arcampado]

I was offered a 40mm YG DD stick dial at 20% off retail in 2019 (no tax if shipped out of state). It was sitting in the case for months unsold… I turned it down and have no regrets because I personally don’t prefer YG on the DD bracelet on my wrist but of course YMMV.

[Raddoc1]

10-15%

[Oystersteel92]

Originally Posted by Kenny G

Hi folks,

For those of you who bought a DD40 ~2-3 years pre-Covid, could you enlighten me on what discount (if any) you were able to get from your AD?

I’m guessing somewhere in the 10-25% range with the upper range being on the factory diamond configurations and other pricier models?

Any info is much appreciated!

Things were getting crazy by 2019 but in 2017-18, a long time grey dealer I've done business with in the past routinely had 20 or so DD40's on their site. These were clearly all sitting at an AD somewhere who was using this grey essentially as an online sales portal. Prices were 10-12% off MSRP and you figure that had to include local taxes the AD would have to make good on from the "sale," so the equivalent of a 20% discount or thereabouts if you'd walked through their door. I miss those days.

[dk65]

I have seen some DD40's (RG and YG) out there in the 38-39 range, which is about $5k less than AD+tax. The ship is turning....

Also have seen some WG Daytonas out there BNIB for $40k-ish, which again, is about $4k less than retail + tax.

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by dk65

I have seen some DD40's (RG and YG) out there in the 38-39 range, which is about $5k less than AD+tax. The ship is turning....

Also have seen some WG Daytonas out there BNIB for $40k-ish, which again, is about $4k less than retail + tax.

Good news!


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[Kenny G]

Thanks for the replies all.

Given that DD’s have almost always historically been available on the grey for deep discounts, I have to think that we’ll return to those days eventually…it’s just a matter of time. AD’s will have to follow the same pattern eventually assuming that happens.

The fact that Rolex are a mass produced watch and we’re still seeing PM DDs and even SS DJs sell over list is just crazy to me. Should be interesting to see where we end up and how soon we get there..

I’m not sure that I should express interest at the AD quite yet…

[dk65]

There was a long time when .22 ammo was unobtainium. Three or four years. Now it’s back on the shelf at every Walmart. Everything goes in cycles. Just be patient. If you really want a DD, give it time. If you want it Right Now, go for it! YOLO and all that.

My recommendation would be to express your interest at the AD as soon as you reasonably can. IE, don’t call off your anniversary date to drive to AD… but next time you have an opportunity, maybe drop in and get the conversation started.

AD’s will stick to very near the grey prices, if the market reverts. IE, if the DD you want is available on grey for $30k, the AD price won’t be far off that. Those days probably several months away, if not a couple years, but you get my point. The AD’s won’t sell anything if the greys outpace them by 25%. It seems silly that anybody would spend $30k on a watch without spending two minutes with a basic Internet search to check some prices for competition. And if stock is on hand, the AD’s do have to compete with each other.

As long as the AD is close to grey price, I’d always go with AD for peace of mind, but that’s just me.

SS DJ’s aren’t far over list. Maybe $1500-$2k. The Wimbledons and a few other highly desirable ones command a little more premium, but the “typical” black/slate/blue DJ’s aren’t too far over retail, if at all, right now. There is a slate dial DJ41/fluted/Jubilee on C24 right now for $10,600. Retail + tax would be $11,000-ish.

Just my two shekels. Hope it’s at least thought provoking.

[Kenny G]

Originally Posted by dk65

There was a long time when .22 ammo was unobtainium. Three or four years. Now it’s back on the shelf at every Walmart. Everything goes in cycles. Just be patient. If you really want a DD, give it time. If you want it Right Now, go for it! YOLO and all that.

My recommendation would be to express your interest at the AD as soon as you reasonably can. IE, don’t call off your anniversary date to drive to AD… but next time you have an opportunity, maybe drop in and get the conversation started.

AD’s will stick to very near the grey prices, if the market reverts. IE, if the DD you want is available on grey for $30k, the AD price won’t be far off that. Those days probably several months away, if not a couple years, but you get my point. The AD’s won’t sell anything if the greys outpace them by 25%. It seems silly that anybody would spend $30k on a watch without spending two minutes with a basic Internet search to check some prices for competition. And if stock is on hand, the AD’s do have to compete with each other.

As long as the AD is close to grey price, I’d always go with AD for peace of mind, but that’s just me.

SS DJ’s aren’t far over list. Maybe $1500-$2k. The Wimbledons and a few other highly desirable ones command a little more premium, but the “typical” black/slate/blue DJ’s aren’t too far over retail, if at all, right now. There is a slate dial DJ41/fluted/Jubilee on C24 right now for $10,600. Retail + tax would be $11,000-ish.

Just my two shekels. Hope it’s at least thought provoking.

10-4 on this but that’s just it..I have all the patience in the world and I’m thinking we will be back to AD discounts on these models at some point in the near future….whether that’s 6 months or 2 years I have no idea…..but I’m confident that it’s happening and therefore my reluctance to express interest right now. I have no issues paying 40k retail but if that same watch could be bought for 30k(ish) a short time later I have to admit I’d feel like an idiot lol.

[10klakes]

Pre-Covid, 20% on precious metal was standard to established clients at my AD.

I think the days discounts is gone forever. Rolex will use the exhibition models to fill AD cases, and we won’t know what’s in the vault. This will keep the dealer in a position to offer pieces if/when they see fit, to the clients of their choosing, and it will remove the buyers market they never enjoyed.

Brand exclusivity is the name of the game, and the exhibition pieces have a longer lasting goal than just empty cases as of recent couple of years.

[Vipes]

I’ve expressed interest in platinum DD at my AD. I’ll probably hold off and wait a bit longer. I can see DDs becoming available soon and being below retail on the secondary market.

[Oystersteel92]

Originally Posted by Kenny G

Thanks for the replies all.

Given that DD’s have almost always historically been available on the grey for deep discounts, I have to think that we’ll return to those days eventually…it’s just a matter of time. AD’s will have to follow the same pattern eventually assuming that happens.

The fact that Rolex are a mass produced watch and we’re still seeing PM DDs and even SS DJs sell over list is just crazy to me. Should be interesting to see where we end up and how soon we get there..

I’m not sure that I should express interest at the AD quite yet…

I very publicly on this board made predictions at the beginning of Covid and was proven completely and utterly wrong, so I'll refrain from making a prediction now. I will say that for Rolex cases to fill, you need a white collar recession with job losses among their ranks, and you may get it. The numbers released by Walmart and Target this week reflect similar consumer behavior from the recession of 2007-2009. Target got taken to the woodshed and Walmart did very well with evidence of higher income households "trading down."

Originally Posted by 10klakes

Pre-Covid, 20% on precious metal was standard to established clients at my AD.

I think the days discounts is gone forever. Rolex will use the exhibition models to fill AD cases, and we won’t know what’s in the vault. This will keep the dealer in a position to offer pieces if/when they see fit, to the clients of their choosing, and it will remove the buyers market they never enjoyed.

Brand exclusivity is the name of the game, and the exhibition pieces have a longer lasting goal than just empty cases as of recent couple of years.

I think there is some truth to this. It's certainly a new paradigm and AD's can play that game as long as their sales and cash flow allow. When they need to move metal to keep the lights on you'll see the spontaneous offers of previously hard-to-get watches "from the safe" and perhaps even discounting again. They will resist putting stock back in the cases as long as they can.

I was at an AD in a bigger city yesterday that I hadn't been to since about 2017 and they made a big deal out of showing me the diamond encrusted ladies model sitting off to the side and saying "this is all I can sell you." That was at least better than "we'll never ever sell you a Patek Phillipe...ever" I guess.

[Bigsoftee]

I purchased mine in Manila in 2017 and got around 30% off. YG

[Harry-57]

In 2017 and 2018 I was getting around 15% on Professional models. Nothing since.