Rolex AD- worth the premium?

[dddrees]

So far I have purchased all of mine from my local AD. It's been worth it to me so far.

[novae500]

i asked myself the same question when i first got into rolexes/high end cars. Do i buy new and be the first one to use/wear it? or let someone else and save some $$$ from depreciation.

The 3 rolexes that i have purchased have been used. Same goes for 2 of the last 3 cars i bought as well. Used 2006 E500 4matic and 2005 E55AMG 2yrs after lease turn in.

[snowbird]

Originally Posted by johnbeth

In the USA you guys are lucky as u have lots of ADs who are willing to discount. Here in Australia only 2ADs in the city of Perth and the same for Sydney that I know off. They have been told not to discount heavily. So to receive 5 to 10% is rare. Last month as AD here would discount 20% only gold models and what they have in stock. If you order anything else, 5% discount. Now thats rogering your customers!

So for Australians, the AD experience is not pleasant to your bank balance.

Good point, it does sound like it's a different equation in Australia.

[ersnyder]

I've bought from both an AD and a TRF reseller. One thing about te AD is having a relationship with a store and its staff where you can drop in for assistance (bracelet adjustment, cleaning, etc.) as well as helping keep a local business "in" business.

[Jinder]

Some AD's are great! I haven't got my GMT yet (I'll be ready to snap it up this fall - still got some saving up to do). I was promised a 23% discount thats after taxes, I feel great about that. But this is in Ontario Canada.
Also I fully trust this AD, the owner is very pleasant. I do agree with making a good relationship with a AD...just feels good to me anyways. Sometimes its about piece of mind.

[TopNotchChach]

I havent found an AD that is quite worth it yet. might as well save some loot and purchase from here.

[Mr. K]

Originally Posted by Speed

So Mark...it is worth it to you to pay $1K more in some cases for the AD experience? That's what it comes down to in my view.

$1,000, no not worth it, I will go to the used market. (Well depending on the watch.)

A few hundred bucks, maybe a little bit more, I will try to get new from an AD.

My DD is intended to be a life long keeper. I could have saved quite a bit more going used on an all gold model for sure. But I paid the premium and it was worth it.

The tipping point may be different for each person. yes I'll pay a premium to go through my AD, but to a point only. That is no fault of the AD either as resale of some Rolex watches like DJs just are not strong.

[mitchy]

Originally Posted by johnbeth

In the USA you guys are lucky as u have lots of ADs who are willing to discount. Here in Australia only 2ADs in the city of Perth and the same for Sydney that I know off. They have been told not to discount heavily. So to receive 5 to 10% is rare. Last month as AD here would discount 20% only gold models and what they have in stock. If you order anything else, 5% discount. Now thats rogering your customers!

So for Australians, the AD experience is not pleasant to your bank balance.

yes Johnathan, but i believe everyone should experience the AD, just once!
the AD might be more expensive but it can sometimes out weigh what you would save when you think you get 'freebies' you get as well as free insurance evaluation, all the after sales support, plus if i walk into my AD with my rolex they will polish/regulate all for free, plus if i had a pepsi or coke i could get a free bezal change.
also AD event invitations only go out (ie bazel releases) to people who buy from AD's which is a great opportunity to be the first with that particular model
but each to there own

[TempoKing]

I buy all of my watches from an AD.!

But sometimes I share them with my fellow TRFrs - for a price...

[Singslinger]

Originally Posted by sea-dweller

I just feel better when buying from an AD. I know the history of the watch.

Yes I agree.

[GradyPhilpott]

Got my two from the AD. I call the price differential the mental health premium.

I have nothing against the trusted sellers here, but I just have a thing about knowing what I'm buying and the field of Rolex is sufficiently complex that I don't really trust my own knowledge to make a wise and prudent decisions about sellers or watches.

The AD levels the playing field, so to speak.

I hope there comes a day when I can be so confident as to look into the other markets, but that time has not yet come.

[johnbeth]

Originally Posted by x06verdm

yes Johnathan, but i believe everyone should experience the AD, just once!
the AD might be more expensive but it can sometimes out weigh what you would save when you think you get 'freebies' you get as well as free insurance evaluation, all the after sales support, plus if i walk into my AD with my rolex they will polish/regulate all for free, plus if i had a pepsi or coke i could get a free bezal change.
also AD event invitations only go out (ie bazel releases) to people who buy from AD's which is a great opportunity to be the first with that particular model
but each to there own

For the money saved by buying grey and not from an AD in Australia, I can pay for all these services the AD so called provides and still saved thousands... I will never do the AD experience here in Australia.

[jizeal]

I went to the AD and got my first Rolex. Now in hindsight I feel like this is the best place to purchase one. If I had found TRF before finding the AD then I would most likely bought from this forum. My AD didn't do anything special for me besides offer me a bottle of water and coffee. Would have rather saved a lot of money and stayed home and sipped on a couple bottles of Blue Label that I could have bought with that extra money.

[Intruder99]

Originally Posted by x06verdm

the AD might be more expensive but it can sometimes out weigh what you would save when you think you get 'freebies' you get as well as free insurance evaluation, all the after sales support, plus if i walk into my AD with my rolex they will polish/regulate all for free, plus if i had a pepsi or coke i could get a free bezal change.
also AD event invitations only go out (ie bazel releases) to people who buy from AD's which is a great opportunity to be the first with that particular model
but each to there own

I have bought from the Australian AD. If you don't support your AD then better not to go there at all.
each to their own

[scotty38]

Originally Posted by DG123

Your 1 through 4 points are valid.
Regarding #5, I do not believe it is reasonable to expect to find a truly brand new, never tried on watch, at an AD. One might get lucky and catch the watch before an AD has put it on display, or the customer may special order and wait for a watch to be received, but other than that I believe 99% of an AD's Rolex inventory has been tried on by multiple potential customers.

Possibly just my lack of understanding, but why would that be so different going through a trusted seller on here? If the trusted seller can get them BNIB why not the AD also?

[GradyPhilpott]

To me tried on and worn are horses of different colors.

However, my AD did not sell me his displayed Explorer. He retrieved one from the back that still had all the plastic on it. and had it removed for me after I signed all the paperwork and before I left.

I special ordered my DJ, so again, I am the only person to have worn my it.

I believe that the AD can accommodate the buyer's wishes in most cases and that includes producing a BNIB watch either from inventory or special order.

[Danand]

Originally Posted by DG123

Your 1 through 4 points are valid.
Regarding #5, I do not believe it is reasonable to expect to find a truly brand new, never tried on watch, at an AD. One might get lucky and catch the watch before an AD has put it on display, or the customer may special order and wait for a watch to be received, but other than that I believe 99% of an AD's Rolex inventory has been tried on by multiple potential customers.

It really epends on how popular the model is and whether or not the ad has another in the safe. When I bought my subc they had the one in the display case that I tried on, and when I said I'd buy it the dealer gave me the option of that one or the one in the safe. So I saw it come out of its plastic coffin and go straight to my wrist.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by Danand

So I saw it come out of its plastic coffin and go straight to my wrist.

I believe the proper word is "casket," which means a small box for keeping valuables. The term has come to be synonymous with coffin, so it's an easy mistake to make.