Why are Daytonas so hard to find?

[Sunstreaker]

So how much does an AD make off of a purchase on average? I’m guessing it varies from brand to brand, so what’s the % of profit for a Rolex vs Omega, etc. If we knew that number, we could work backwards to buy enough pieces to equal $10k profit.

[Brny11]

They are not. Pay to play.

[didikwahyu]

Originally Posted by Brny11

They are not. Pay to play.

Exactly

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[Nairn1980]

Originally Posted by Bobby T

Have you been living under a rock for the last 30 years?

Exactly my thoughts

[shaunylw]

Originally Posted by Bobby T

Have you been living under a rock for the last 30 years?

You’re under the impression the Daytona has always been popular? Nobody wanted a Daytona 20 years ago. Until recently (8-10 years), this has been a very unpopular watch.


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[peterpl]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

You’re under the impression the Daytona has always been popular? Nobody wanted a Daytona 20 years ago. Until recently (8-10 years), this has been a very unpopular watch.
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The Daytona was actually quite hard to get even before all this hype started.

The Models like the BLNR, Hulk, SD4k and pretty much all the sports models werent that popular.

The Hulk was the MOST hated Sub out there for years. Couldnt sell the damn things. LOL

[jaychief]

I bought 3 Rolex’s in 2006 and was put on “list” for a Daytona, and guess what I still never saw it !!!
Like stated paying market price seems to be the way..... however I did but this white gold version a few years ago, personally I think the best Daytona of the lot



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[m56]

It's just the law of demand and supply in this case. And if one wants to get it without an annoying wait which isn't guaranteed, then just pay double the price.

[brucethemanlee]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

You’re under the impression the Daytona has always been popular? Nobody wanted a Daytona 20 years ago. Until recently (8-10 years), this has been a very unpopular watch.


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The Daytona in SS has been waitlisted item since the Zenith Daytona of the 90s and even more so when they went in-house in early 2000s

[Singslinger]

Actually more or less the same applies to other sports/professional models like Subs, GMTs, Explorers and Sky Dwellers.

[bp1000]

At the moment, it seems that you need to have spent around 50k gbp with an AD and still then it’s going to be 1-2 years.

If you spend that 50k just to get a ss Daytona then you are bonkers

Before the madness it was still a 2-4 year wait and fairly doubtful without another purchase

[Miexpeman]

Which makes it all the more frustrating when you visit an AD and the sales advisor is wearing a white faced ceramic Daytona and later in the same conversation tells you that he also owns the BLRO Pepsi GMT!!!
Sales advisors skimming the cream????


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[Rokoru]

Originally Posted by georgekart

He clearly said he wants a black dial. So that doesn't apply. Although, a black dial also has a complicated procedure and it is made of ash of cremated unicorns. Similarly hard to produce and procure and also lots of manufacturing defects. Although yield is better than on white dial.

On a serious note, if OP isn't really into watch world, it doesn't seem too crazy that you can just pick out a model from a catalog, go into the store and buy it. What is happening to SS sports model is exception, not the rule. Usually the more expensive something is, the harder it should be to get, not the other way around. For example, if you want a Rainbow Daytona, it isn't surprising it'd be hard to get. But a SS black Daytona just seems like a watch that should be obtainable by just walking into store, with TT being harder to get and PM being even harder. Yet it's the opposite.

I totally agree..

[htc8p]

the hype is the reason i never got interested in the daytona. i went for the jlc master compressor, zenith el primero and moonwatch

[Moondoggy]

Could have bought as many Daytona's as I liked, I remember on holidays (vacation) in Las Vegas they had dozens of them, I never liked them I still do not...I think (I am warming), same time I was buying a nautilus, calatrava, seadweller, sub's, president etc, no waitlist zero, in fact i got a discount on some but from memory I could not on the President for some reason.

[Aberdein]

As an alternative have a look at the gold versions with the Oysterflex strap. Not sure of their availability now but am sure the wait is no where as long as for the St St versions. The White Gold version is IMHO the best looking Daytona in the current Daytona range. If you can get one from an AD then the difference between that and a ST ST version from the grey market can't be all that big. (could be wrong but worth investigating).

[garyk]

Originally Posted by connorperson

Las Vegas now. It was a sad day when they left Oakland.

Las Vegas? Wow, that’s interesting. Obviously they go where the money is. Thanks for the update!

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

You’re under the impression the Daytona has always been popular? Nobody wanted a Daytona 20 years ago. Until recently (8-10 years), this has been a very unpopular watch.


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That is not true at least on the steel model. Back when purchased my 16610 (1995) the 16520 Zenith Daytona was not “available” and on the market was more expensive than the SS/18K model (which was crazy, just like it is today as the SS model street value is approaching the value of a PM Daytona )


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[Juan Luis]

I remember distinctly that as far back as 1998, the Daytona in steel sold for 10-20% above retail. There wasn't any hype, but the Ad's yearly only received a few in steel. In my opinion, Rolex has had for a long time the policy of controlling those in steel. Even when the supply was slightly above the demand. And perhaps, the "policy" remains regardless of demand.

[eightball76]

I managed to get a 16520 in 1996/97..... It was almost impossible to find one and I was fortunate to pick one up a an airport...... from 1988 onwards the Daytona was always a difficult watch to get at retail (before all the hype).
I was recently at a party in London speaking to a young investment banker and he was talking about getting a SS Daytona and how rare they are and its the watch to have..... I was wearing my 16520 at the time and he never even noticed!

[DESH]

they are beautiful-

[DC116710LN]

Demand far exceeds supply and has now for many years. The result is an opportunity for AD's to exercise their leverage, which is predictable but a bit unfortunate. Hope you are able to find something you enjoy, even if it isn't the Daytona

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by connorperson

I am wondering, why is this watch, and Daytonas in general, is so hard to find?

Because too many people want them

[Calatrava r]

Hi Conner. You should visit the forum more often. You could write the book on the lack of SS Daytona availability from the thousands of threads here on this topic.

[Calatrava r]

Originally Posted by jaychief

I bought 3 Rolex’s in 2006 and was put on “list” for a Daytona, and guess what I still never saw it !!!
Like stated paying market price seems to be the way..... however I did but this white gold version a few years ago, personally I think the best Daytona of the lot



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I agree. Very nice with the Arabic numbers. Great catch.

[Bobby T]

Originally Posted by shaunylw

You’re under the impression the Daytona has always been popular? Nobody wanted a Daytona 20 years ago. Until recently (8-10 years), this has been a very unpopular watch.


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They weren't hard to get in 2000?? Could a person be more wrong than you??? ........maybe the wait wasn't quite as long as it is now but still, 1 year, if you were lucky and a tough find at an AD. You still paid over retail on the grey market if you wanted one. True, not many cared or paid much attention to them in the 60's and 70's but that changed dramatically in the late 80's-early 90's. Either your memory is faulty or you haven't been collecting for very long.......If neither of those are the case, well, this emoji fits you best

[Hollie_Rollie]

Originally Posted by Nikrnic

Tough fight to get one from an AD. That could take many years if at all. Grey market is the real value so going there is not as crazy as it may sound being inflated at almost a 100% mark up. I'm not a chrono fan myself, if I were I'd be looking at other brands. You could get a higher horological piece such as Vacheron Constantin for the approx. marked up price of a Daytona.
Not mine, I have the 3 hander but a friend has this exact one.

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I love the vacheron lineup, especially the overseas with 3 strap options. It’s amazing value and the blue dial is amazing

[shaunylw]

Originally Posted by Bobby T

They weren't hard to get in 2000?? Could a person be more wrong than you??? ........maybe the wait wasn't quite as long as it is now but still, 1 year, if you were lucky and a tough find at an AD. You still paid over retail on the grey market if you wanted one. True, not many cared or paid much attention to them in the 60's and 70's but that changed dramatically in the late 80's-early 90's. Either your memory is faulty or you haven't been collecting for very long.......If neither of those are the case, well, this emoji fits you best

What is this grey market you speak of 20 years ago? you mean the sellers that you bought things at a discount from? Grey sellers were discount houses before they started selling at huge markups.


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[FJT]

I was lucky to pick up mine yesterday. My first Daytona and definitely won’t be my last.

[Rad22]

Originally Posted by FJT

I was lucky to pick up mine yesterday. My first Daytona and definitely won’t be my last.

That’s awesome!

Got mine about a week ago too. It hasn’t come off my wrist.


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