Rolex UK RIP

[GreatCircle]

Originally Posted by Onikage

How so? There will always be a secondary market and that would serve only to further intensify the brand and and its exclusivity.

This !
Grey market is nice to safe yourself a few bucks when buying new, but that's it.
For the rest the pretty big grey Rolex market doesn't do the brand much good.
You would lilke your watch to be a little exclusive right? And not for sale BNIB at some kind of vague (web)shop or used cardealer doing grey Rolex in the back on an industrial area.
Most of the trusted sellers here are good, honest and professional guys, let me emphasize that, but in the end a huge grey market for a luxury brand like Rolex is not good.

[travisb]

Makes sense.
We've all seen the slashing of ADs world wide.
Rolex and many other high end brands have been positioning to bring a heightened exclusivity to their line.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by GreatCircle

For the rest the pretty big grey Rolex market doesn't do the brand much good.
You would lilke your watch to be a little exclusive right?

This ship has sailed. I would guess that 9 out of every 10 luxury watches sold worldwide, say with a value over $5k, are Rolexes.

[winston]

I do not believe that even the Apollo group behind the Watches of Switzerland group wish to carry on with volume of retail locations they have, especially when they have to carry so much of their capital in stock.

My view is that the independent will certainly survive in the UK but the prime locations of major cities will move to bigger boutique type stores discounts may well be harder to source but on higher pieces a deal will always be available.

Interesting to see the next few years ahead with Rolex......

[craigb]

my local ad had a major refurb last year. this particular shop sells a few swiss brands. but now pretty much all the shop is dedicated to rolex.

[yld2rob]

Originally Posted by kilyung

It's a direction I expect to see continue wolrdwide over the coming years.

X2. I totally agree with Mike. I think we will see this happen around the globe.

[fmc000]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

So hurry up and get your Platona Mike!

[mannyv11]

I agree Mike, where is the incoming thread?

Waiting for that platona on your wrist lol =)

[powerfunk]

Originally Posted by Onikage

How so? There will always be a secondary market and that would serve only to further intensify the brand and and its exclusivity.

To some people, any watch reseller who isn't an AD is "gray." But by other definitions, a gray dealer is a non-AD who sells new product (which originally comes, presumably, from an AD). I'd expect Rolex boutiques would be less likely to sell in bulk to gray dealers than a regular AD would.

The secondhand market will always be alive and well, but that's different than gray imho.

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[ARTISAN]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Grey sellers don't only source from UK. Mostly from Southern Europe, in fact (allegedly), so there'll be trusted sellers with cheap NIBs around for some time to come. Also, Rolex Boutiques and ADs co-exist quite happily in Hong Kong (for example); in fact ADs run the Boutiques for Rolex.

if you go to harrods [ watch dept ] in the same street there is a rolex boutique [ large store ] and a watches of swiss .

[Andreas Schuback]

mappin & webb glasgow already lost AD status.

[subtona]

Originally Posted by craigb

my local ad had a major refurb last year. this particular shop sells a few swiss brands. but now pretty much all the shop is dedicated to rolex.

For his sake, i hope he doesnt lose his AD status to a strategic boutique location in the neighborhood...it happens a lot and it happens to nice people with small business', sometimes regardless of their financial commitment or customer satisfaction...imho its not right, but you cant stop the juggernaut.

[terrywoods]

The positive side is places like goldsmiths won't carry the brand so it's not that bad