Let’s all write a letter.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by Lt Virgil Hilts

How would you suggest it's 'policed'?
It has been mooted here on more than one
occasion that it's 'rogue' AD's that supply the grey market.
Let's face it, it's not...rocket surgery,....or magic.

How long does one have to keep one's Rolex to
be considered a "true buyer", and by whom exactly?
---------------------------------------------------------------

If I buy a used Mercedes am I considered to be not a true buyer?
If I buy a new Mercedes and sell before some arbitrary period has
passed, am I considered flipper? Would I, or anyone else care?
I think not. I get my my money, and someone gets a car.
Simple. It's the market.
As a wiser man than me once said, "Put up, or shut up".


Go ahead, write your letter, in your heart you'll know, it's a wasted stamp.

in the UK you get blacklisted if you get caught. No more watches for you. Its the common thing to do retroactively. Rolex is policing the secondary inventory and seeing where the watches are coming from. Do they catch a high percentage? no. But its a deterrent for sure.

customs doesn't catch everyone breaking customs rules either but enough get caught that it forces compliance for most people.

[DPE]

I never heard that before Tyler1980 in the UK ?

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by DPE

I never heard that before Tyler1980 in the UK ?

yes. Basically what is happening is Rolex will buy up some watches. How many or how often i have no idea. They then contact the AD who sold the watch and come down very hard on them for not properly vetting the customer. The AD is then scared to sell to anyone they don't know as they fear the wrath of Rolex. AD then blacklists the customer and will never sell them another watch.

Im talking daytonas as an example. Its not DJ's. Rolex doesnt care about non flippable watches. Its easy to do in the UK as its a small island with a few major cities.

For such a profitable watch to flip, WF has 1.

[LightOnAHill]

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

I think it would be more effective if people would just continue to bitch about it on TRF. That's the real difference maker.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Lt Virgil Hilts

How would you suggest it's 'policed'?
It has been mooted here on more than one
occasion that it's 'rogue' AD's that supply the grey market.
Let's face it, it's not...rocket surgery,....or magic.

How long does one have to keep one's Rolex to
be considered a "true buyer", and by whom exactly?
---------------------------------------------------------------

If I buy a used Mercedes am I considered to be not a true buyer?
If I buy a new Mercedes and sell before some arbitrary period has
passed, am I considered flipper? Would I, or anyone else care?
I think not. I get my my money, and someone gets a car.
Simple. It's the market.
As a wiser man than me once said, "Put up, or shut up".


Go ahead, write your letter, in your heart you'll know, it's a wasted stamp.

It's been happening for over a year in the UK, as has been said a THOUSAND TIMES. If you seriously think Rolex do not care what happens to their watches after they are sold and the grey market, then stop posting and start reading threads, you are still living in 2016 and you are getting very tiresome.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by DPE

I never heard that before Tyler1980 in the UK ?

As Tyler says It's more to catch ADs selling watches to greys or to flippers who sell to greys, rather than individual customers, but then the AD knows who bought the watch and they get blacklisted ofc.

[drmizzou]

Probably will go unheard. As people stated. The best way to counter this problem is with your wallet and not buy the brand. Unfortunately, you will find that even if all the members here stopped buying Rolex, were just a tiny fragment of their overall sale and it wouldn’t amount to much effect, if any, for Rolex hq.

[dannyp]

The only part Rolex might care about is the part about dealers overtly telling customers that they can have X watch if they buy Y at the same time. It's a very classless tactic, in my opinion.

Reserving in-demand pieces for good customers is just an incentive to become a good customer. However that is a two-way street and ADs need to work to cultivate those relationships, too. Simply saying to every would-be SS Daytona purchaser that they can have one if they first by a Platona is not only classless, but a lazy spray-and-pray strategy.

[JTL31]

Originally Posted by Fleetlord

It should be a letter thanking Rolex for cleaning up the market for its watches.

As soon as early last year, Rolex was far too available and having new watches with stickers on the street for thousands below retail was ridiculous.

All of that is terrible for the brand. Recognizing that they don't want to become Breitling, Rolex instituted firm but fair distribution of the SS Sport line.

In reaction to this limitation, different dealers are handling this in ways they see fit to accommodate their customer base.

Some dealers have plenty of stable existing business and don't need or care for new business that only wants the "hawt" stuff.

Other dealers are open to new customers and will get them the product in a reasonable period of time....or require them to buy a certain amount to be eligible to buy limited pieces.

Thanks Rolex!

+1


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[springbar]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

until very, very recently my AD has said they haven't gotten any less than normal. There are more people waiting though.

Grey dealers have about the same amount of watches as normal (maybe more in fact). The prices are way higher. Both indicate a demand side increase.

It's certainly possible, but a long way from conclusive. Some ADs around here say they haven't been able to get inventory for a long time.

It is also odd that there should be a sudden spike in demand for a handful of specific models that have been around a long time. It's not just the new ones, and it's not all of the cheap ones.

People here assert that the shortage has something to do with "fighting the grey market." Now that doesn't make any sense at all - shortages *create* grey markets.

On the other hand, if the shortage is due to overwhelming demand, that means Rolex is either unable or unwilling to increase production. Perhaps there aren't enough Submariner sales to make it worth doing, perhaps they cannot react very quickly, or perhaps they don't want to chase a bubble.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by springbar

It's certainly possible, but a long way from conclusive. Some ADs around here say they haven't been able to get inventory for a long time.

It is also odd that there should be a sudden spike in demand for a handful of specific models that have been around a long time. It's not just the new ones, and it's not all of the cheap ones.

People here assert that the shortage has something to do with "fighting the grey market." Now that doesn't make any sense at all - shortages *create* grey markets.

On the other hand, if the shortage is due to overwhelming demand, that means Rolex is either unable or unwilling to increase production. Perhaps there aren't enough Submariner sales to make it worth doing, perhaps they cannot react very quickly, or perhaps they don't want to chase a bubble.

it depends on the watch too. Some like a daytona i have no idea as those are scarce period. Subs was more where i am seeing it. AD is still getting them, but they have huge lists now.

[Speedbird-1]

Originally Posted by AK797

It's been happening for over a year in the UK, as has been said a THOUSAND TIMES. If you seriously think Rolex do not care what happens to their watches after they are sold and the grey market, then stop posting and start reading threads, you are still living in 2016 and you are getting very tiresome.

May I be allowed to point out, that this is a 'forum', and,
that I respect your right to hold, and post, your opinion.
However.....tiresome.

[zaydans]

Haha, nice idea but let’s face it, Rolex don’t care. They created this situation on purpose because they saw what Hermès did with the Burkin and PP with their watches and they also want the man in the street to be falling over themselves to get a Rolex Sports model.