I got the call, but............

[Meyrin]

Originally Posted by jerrizhao

Hey guys,

Only a couple of weeks ago I started to look for DJ31 in Mint Green with fluted bezel and the jubilee bracelet. I put my name down with a few AD's in Melbourne for this one, and also a DJ31 in the Bright Blue just as a backup.

I got the call today for a Bright Blue one with jubilee bracelet and the smooth bezel. I haven't seen it yet, will go to the store as soon as my meetings are done today.

However, they said to me that they will use this watch as an exhibition piece for the month of September and I can buy it at the end of the month. I will need to put down 50% deposit and pay the rest when I pick it up.

Is this normal? And should I go for it?

Don´t go along with this! I would not put down a 50, or any %, deposit for a watch that is, at the end of the month as an exhibition piece, no longer a brand new watch after a month of sticky fingers pawing it. Not to mention the inevitable scratches that are bound to occur. And I certainly would not buy it unless I got a pretty hefty discount! This AD is being very cheeky, imo. But good luck!

[Giovannibravo]

Originally Posted by seosub

Ive walked into a few ADs in Canada in the last year with mint green dial 31 DJ in display case - one smaller AD with two: oyster/smooth & oyster/fluted

Dont settle - 31mm DJs are available..

He is right. DJ31 are available these days. May I ask why you did not place an order for the exact configuration you are after? I would prefer to wait for the piece in my configuration then be offered.

[LC23]

Why not? That's a confirmed transaction just have to wait it out

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Calatrava r

This happened for 50 years in Rolex stores. Some watches sat for years in the case before they were sold and tried on all the time. No one thought a thing about it. The notion that goods offered for sale to the general public have to be untouched or they are inferior somehow is really a new way of thinking. Go into any department store people and customers are trying everything from clothing to shoes which will be sold to someone if they do not take it. The notion that a Rolex watch encased in protective plastic can be harmed in any way by people looking at it and trying it in a jewelry store in front of a trained SA is simply not true.

Very true. However, I think that:

1. There’s always beds some segment of the population that asks for a new one from the back (on anything).

2. It’s psychologically different to hear: “We have a brand new, untouched, piece but you can’t have it until a month’s worth of customers have handled it.”

[Sprezzatura!,]

Originally Posted by jerrizhao

Hey guys,

Only a couple of weeks ago I started to look for DJ31 in Mint Green with fluted bezel and the jubilee bracelet. I put my name down with a few AD's in Melbourne for this one, and also a DJ31 in the Bright Blue just as a backup.

I got the call today for a Bright Blue one with jubilee bracelet and the smooth bezel. I haven't seen it yet, will go to the store as soon as my meetings are done today.

However, they said to me that they will use this watch as an exhibition piece for the month of September and I can buy it at the end of the month. I will need to put down 50% deposit and pay the rest when I pick it up.

Is this normal? And should I go for it?

So they want you to settle for a watch you didn’t specify, and, wait whilst they showcase it to others, whilst paying in advance for half of it?

The AD has some front.

[mykii]

Mate, you're getting fleeced. Don't buy it. It's only a Rolex... not a rare or particulalry illustrious watch to the point they need to "show" yours for a month before you have the pleasure of taking it home. Do yourself a favor, when you buy a watch, walk out the door with one that is YOURS!

[Ensign]

Hard NO.

1. You didn’t want a smooth bezel. It’s going to have a different look on your wrist; it will look smaller and have less flash.

2. A floor demo model is basically used. The case was opened to deactivate it. It was opened again to get it running. You are paying for a brand new watch. It should be in stickers and not have other folks’ DNA on it.

3. And they asked for 50% down in today’s market! Grey prices have come down, but ADs can still sell anything they drop in the case. You pay 50%, the AD still has use of your watch for a month. I believe ADs’ markup is like 40%; so you pretty much covered their cost, allowed them to use your watch for a month, and will drop thousands more at pick up.

Wow, what aggressive and crafty ADs! Best to just ghost ‘em before they steal the gold from your teeth.

[johnorpheus]

Originally Posted by Giovannibravo

I have never heard anything about putting deposits on exhibition pieces. I personally wouldn't buy an exhibition piece. From my experience they have lots of scratches because they are constant beat around by people trying them on.

Lol are people really trying on demos and banging them around the store for hours? C’mon

[johnorpheus]

All these people hyperventilating over here

Op, congrats on the watch. You tried it on and loved it, and it’s very far fetched to think a “demo” is going to get all beat up or something.

[brkn]

Do not pay any money to these people. Your new watch should be stickered and shouldn't be handled by anyone up until you enter the store. You are being ridiculed.
edit: lol it isn't even the watch you WANTED? have some respect for yourself.

[omar-rye]

Originally Posted by Ensign

2. A floor demo model is basically used. The case was opened to deactivate it. It was opened again to get it running.

That’s not true. Where did you ever hear that?

[jerrizhao]

I will definitely give it a thorough check when they call me again. I did put down the 50% but they said that if I change my mind, I can back out.

Not sure why they called me now, like everyone else said, they could've easily waited until exhibition is over, then call me and sell it to me as a new piece. No one will ever know. I do think this is a tactic to see if I'm a genuine buyer and to establish rapport with this AD.

Either way, I'll take a close look when they call me again and if the watch does have some obvious scratches, I will definitely pass it up.

[Jari from Finland]

Than any other brand in a watch shop that can be tried on wrist and can be bought if feel like to do. But in my opinion if one buys an expensive watch it should be just like you want.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Ensign

2. A floor demo model is basically used. The case was opened to deactivate it. It was opened again to get it running. You are paying for a brand new watch. It should be in stickers and not have other folks’ DNA on it.

Originally Posted by omar-rye

That’s not true. Where did you ever hear that?

I think that there's some confusion here between the original exhibition pieces and what is in many cases today. As far as I can tell, there are three categories of "display" watches:

1. Non-functioning demos. These were the originals, and indeed do not work. Some dealers still have these, but I think they make up the minority of exhibition pieces. This is what Ensign is referring to, and they're never sold as new.

2. Functioning exhibition watches. Working watches that were sent for display purposes but without boxes or paperwork, so they couldn't be sold.

3. Dealer's "for sale, just not for you" stock. This is what the OP is looking at. Pieces from the dealer's regular allocation, that they want to display to avoid empty cases, but are pre-sold (or to-be-sold to the "right" buyer).