Interesting conversation at the AD

[1665fan]

Here’s comes millions of datejusts!!!!! Yaaaaaay!!!!!

[bp1000]

Rolex is limited by the watchmakers it can train and hire.

It takes 10-12 years of experience to make it. At that point we were going through a global recession. I’m fairly sure there was a cut back from both sides.

I think it’s very unlikely there will be a big ramp up in production any time soon.

Plus that generation of watch makers is probably thin on the ground

[Andy355]

Isn’t their model the Hermes one? Make some unobtainables and use those to influence you to buy higher net margin items (gold etc) in order to be able to access the unobtainables. This way the customer buys multiple watches and of higher value. The mark up in the second hand is actually a deliberate part of this mystique

[TickTockChuck]

Hey, I would welcome a production increase. It would be nice to go into an AD and actually see watches on display and not have to play these buying games. Purchasing
a Rolex was actually fun at one time and not a desperate search. Cheers!

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Andy355

Isn’t their model the Hermes one? Make some unobtainables and use those to influence you to buy higher net margin items (gold etc) in order to be able to access the unobtainables. This way the customer buys multiple watches and of higher value. The mark up in the second hand is actually a deliberate part of this mystique

No, Hermes' model is the exact opposite: buy lots of the low-cost-high-volume stuff (leather/enamel jewelry, ties/scarves, keychains, notebooks, canvas bags) in order to be "eligible" for the high-end, handmade items (like bags).

This would be like Rolex saying you need to purchase multiple Subs in order to be "eligible" for a diamond dial DD, or Patek not selling you a minute repeater until your third or fourth steel Nautilus .