Availability...hyperbole. Prove me wrong...

[steeevvvooo]

Not another "availability" post, this is just moan at the moaning posts...

I see so many people say X watch is "unavailable" or "unobtainable". However, unless we are in the vintage section and going very niche this is simply not true. Every hard to get (at MRSP) piece seems to be available if you want to pay a premium, otherwise known as market price I guess.

Please, show me a modern watch that is truly "unavailable". I'm not being confrontational here, but curious if there are any true unobtainable pieces if I won the lottery today and looked on chrono24 (or classifieds here), was willing to pay the asking price listed and wanted it delivered within 24 hours... I am not talking about me saying "I will pay $1mm for a platinum AP RO, who wants to sell me one?" As with a huge lottery win any piece, however rare, is theoretically possible.

[Watch This]

I suspect you can get any modern piece assuming you are willing to pay any price. Not everyone is so inclined nor financially able to do so. Exception might be very limited releases. The PAM bronzo was at one time an example.

[steeevvvooo]

Originally Posted by Watch This

The PAM bronzo was at one time an example.

Thankyou. This was the direction I was heading in with the question. I appreciate with unlimited funds anything is available with a little time.

A 5711 listed on here and instock at a trusted seller for $55k is not "unobtainable" but sounds like this PAM bronzo may have been at one point. Even if you had some cash you couldn't buy one and have it tomorrow

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Watch This

I suspect you can get any modern piece assuming you are willing to pay any price. Not everyone is so inclined nor financially able to do so. Exception might be very limited releases. The PAM bronzo was at one time an example.

This. I have no knowledge on the PAM bronzo so can’t comment, but I can say pretty much unarguably, (with anyone that has Rolex experience) that when we say on here something is “Unatainable” we are refering to at MSRP (or close to it). The MSRP of a Pepsi GMT is $9,200 I believe, there are a couple attainable right here on TRF, if you have/want to pay a premioum price. In the case of the Pepsi, it is somewhere around $15,000 and up.

[Burlington]

You may find some application only PPs are not available, no matter the price, unless they ‘want’ to do business with the purchaser. They simply may choose not to make you one, but again - everything and everyone has a price perhaps.

Otherwise I dare say provided there is no PR risk to do business with a certain individual, then most companies would be open to custom make whatever for the correct sum.

[steeevvvooo]

I hear you on the application only models sure. A couple of examples I though of which are production watches that are close to unobtainable are Speedmaster varieties. The Soyuz meterorite dial and the adventurine dialed moonphase.

There are hardly any on chrono24, worth only perhaps one or two looking like real adverts. If I wanted one of these tomorrow I can't see one available even if I wanted to pay 2x MRSP. Sure, a "want to buy" post with a crazy price would find offers but to me something like these are truly unavailable, not Pepsi/5711 etc

[breitlings]

There are some rare rolexes that are very hard to buy. White Dial GMT Master, White Dial Submariner,, a bunch more. I think after my MBA, my SEO book, I'm going to write a book on Rare Rolexes.

So thanks OP for being a muse on this; I'll send you a free copy.

[Jay (Eire)]

You are trying to figure out what modern watch out there is so coveted that owners are unwilling to sell them. It's a great question, and I'm thinking....

The Bronzo was definitely not one of those, immediately on the grey market. And a PP subscription piece, no doubt you could have one in short order at the sellers price.
.

[brandrea]

Pretty much any watch can be had for a price. As Paul points out, MSRP is a completely different game

[steeevvvooo]

Originally Posted by breitlings

There are some rare rolexes that are very hard to buy. White Dial GMT Master, White Dial Submariner,, a bunch more. I think after my MBA, my SEO book, I'm going to write a book on Rare Rolexes.

So thanks OP for being a muse on this; I'll send you a free copy.

Good shouts, and I look forward to the publication

Originally Posted by Jay (Eire)

You are trying to figure out what modern watch out there is so coveted that owners are unwilling to sell them. It's a great question, and I'm thinking....

The Bronzo was definitely not one of those, immediately on the grey market. And a PP subscription piece, no doubt you could have one in short order at the sellers price.
.

Originally Posted by brandrea

Pretty much any watch can be had for a price. As Paul points out, MSRP is a completely different game

I get what you are both saying. If I put a WTB post out saying "i have just won the lottery so show me a bronzo, white gmt and a meteorite Speedmaster" I could buy one of each for a crazy amount, sure. However, if I wanted to buy one discretely, for the asking price from a current seller who has one listed and in stock, I probably can't. That's how I am trying to think here.

Even rare and collectable watches like Newman daytona are listed and seemingly available (for mega money) on chrono24. Therefore, despite the huge price I don't see even these as "unavailable". "Unobtainable"... Sure!

[Daveh3196]

Hodinkee posted an interesting financial article regarding Richemont.

Per the article,
“the group has installed strict guidelines to make sure watch supply matches demand in the watch division's wholesale network.” They made it a monthly KPI and stated “It reflects our unwavering commitment to clamp down and end grey market trading, because we do not want to feed products, directly or indirectly, into the grey market”.

Perhaps this has been the theory at Rolex throughout 2018. Greys, as we all know, still have inventory but it could partially explain the empty display cases as supply was scaled back or estimates fell short of demand.



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