Do ADs sell exhibition watch at some point?

[AK797]

Originally Posted by dnd2984

How is this different than buying any other watch from the cases.

Its just the sheer intensity of being handled and worn by sweaty excited people all day, every day for a month, most other watches would need to be on display for many years before they are handled as much.

These watches should only be handled by SAs with gloves on and not by the punter, until it is sold.

[Easy E]

It’s not like a viewing customer put the watch on and then had a Judo match in the showroom. They put it on, oh and ah for a moment, hand it back over. No big deal to me.

[racerx]

The AD's, Mayor's for example; do what ever the want. They must keep watches on display, but if a "VIP" wants one they can buy it. Seen it.

[Midlifegoals]

Originally Posted by racerx

The AD's, Mayor's for example; do what ever the want. They must keep watches on display, but if a "VIP" wants one they can buy it. Seen it.

The last time I was at Mayors in Florida, they had two undesirable pieces on display…meanwhile, other ADs claim they must keep tons in display. Maybe I stopped by on an off day.

[Ravager135]

They do sell them eventually, but as I have posted before; my AD had the exact same pieces in the exact same configurations on display for almost a year before I saw some changed out. Now you might say that perhaps they were replaced at some point with the exact same pieces and I simply didn't notice, but I'd find that hard to believe as they had the exact same Datejusts, Yacht-Masters, and GMT-Master II (among many others) in the exact same bracelets, dials, configurations etc.

Noticeably, about a year after my AD began displaying exhibition pieces, I started seeing different things in the display. Nowadays, my AD has nothing on display as they cannot sell Rolex until they move into their new location and dedicate 1,000 sq ft to Rolex as a boutique. Once this is complete, they will be getting Rolex again though I imagine there will be quite the backlog of requests.

[Ravager135]

Originally Posted by Easy E

It’s not like a viewing customer put the watch on and then had a Judo match in the showroom. They put it on, oh and ah for a moment, hand it back over. No big deal to me.

It wasn't long ago that almost all Rolex watches were exhibition pieces. It was pretty normal to walk into an AD, try on a Submariner that may have been sitting in the case for a few days, weeks, or months and had been handled. As long as it passed the eye check, it wasn't a big deal. During those years, I have "special ordered" or requested pieces that the particular AD did not have in stock (a Milgauss) and gotten it "brand new." It also wasn't unheard of for people to special request that their watch come directly from Rolex and be delivered in the plastic "coffins" they used to come in. But this certainly wasn't the norm, and most people just bought out of a display not knowing how long a watch sat there for.

[Mystro]

Originally Posted by AK797

Its just the sheer intensity of being handled and worn by sweaty excited people all day, every day for a month, most other watches would need to be on display for many years before they are handled as much.

These watches should only be handled by SAs with gloves on and not by the punter, until it is sold.

Agreed. I have seen SA set the watches down in a number of ways even on glass display cases. Besides the multitude of hairline scratches on the side of case, caseback and clasp, these watches should be classified as “demo” watches when sold and not “new”. It just depends on how selective you are when buying a new watch. The environment has people so desperate they won’t care but I do.

[KatGirl]

Aren’t they all fully stickered, to protect them, though? As far as I know, unless your allocation arrived the day you take delivery, a lot of our brand new watches have been exhibition pieces. I was told my Wimbledon arrived the day I lucked into it, but that may have been a fib. I say that because it was the exact configuration I had been trying on for several months prior. Having said that, it was pristine, and since a two tone, with gold PCLs, harder to keep that way, if an exhibition piece.

Kat


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[belutak]

Originally Posted by Mystro

In automotive terms they would be “Dealer Demos”. So those that must have a “New” watch only from a AD might be getting a significantly more handled watch than say from a trusted seller that has a unsized “new” or “NOS” model. It’s certainly something to be concerned about if you’re holding out for years for a particular hot professional ss model Rolex.

If the watch is not wrapped in factory stickers then it should not be taken as brand new unworn.

Cellophane wrapping, for instance, is indicative of the watch been tried and tested, once or many times who knows…


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[Mgf8462]

I've had 2 separate ADs tell me they have to have at least 1 of every model in their safe at all times. When they get 2 or more, someone gets a call.

One AD ran in the back and let me try on every model I was interested in. Anything I could think of they had. Daytonas, Pepsis, you name it.

[Jackie Daytona]

It’s all speculation I guess since nobody knows the full extent of the policies and how ADs address it individually, but my SA recently bought a display watch and had told me they have to send it back to Rolex briefly before it can be retailed for some sort of once over.

[colonelpurple]

yes. my latest purchase was an exhibition watch. however, it depends on the time they have been there and their stock replacement cycle. Also how much the manager likes you (as salesmen/women can't release the exhibition watch, it has to be the manager).

After watches and wonders, you find that most chains will be replacing any model that has been changed/discontinued.

you usually find that it has no stickers. in some cases, particularly on TT or PM, there are some micro scratches. Since the hour after your first wear they are full of micro-scratches (you just have to breath on the gold), I wouldn't be bothered by this. I wouldn't accept any deep scratches, nicks or anything on the case back though.

When I bought it was a palaver. The exhibition watches in the chain I bought from have a special stock code which can not be sold. The manager had to transfer it "out of stock" back to head office, and then transfer it back to the branch in normal stock (all virtually of course). didn't take that long.

[Toptimes]

Rolex doesn't typically sell watches with exhibition case back, where you can see the movement. if you're interested in seeing the intricate movement, brands like Tudor offer models with exhibition case backs.

[Bruno007]

I was waiting for the last iteration of the Daytona Oysterflex Paul Newman dial. When the new series came out I went to the AD to remind him I had waited for several years and that I really wanted the outgoing one and was not interested in the new one. As luck would have it he had the exact watch I wanted on exhibition. After a little discussion I was able to buy it since he did not think he would receive any more before the new models started arriving.

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[KatGirl]

The day I walked into my AD, and a gentleman was turning down his allocated TT 36 mm Wimbledon, I was asked if I was interested in trying it on again, and possibly purchasing it, as it was the exact watch I had shown interest in previously. Naturally I said, “Yes”, and did buy it. It was fully stickered, until after I paid for it. I always suspected it was the exhibition model that I had tried on before. Today I confirmed it. I was able to make out the serial number in a wrist pic I had taken on Nov. 1st. I bought it on Feb. 3rd. Same serial #! Who knows how many people tried it on before it was mine. My understanding is that all Rolexes delivered to the AD are eventually sold, just like the old days, but with a twist. A certain number have to be displayed, and for a certain amount of time. Then they are released for sale, and whoever was on the waiting list for those configurations is called to pick them up. I should add that the actual watch I fell in love with is now mine, and on my wrist. I’m perfectly OK with that!

Kat


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[Ninja Master]

My black OP was an exhibition watch. It was a walk in purchase.

[Undefeatable]

Can also confirm, I bought my Explorer 1 from an AD and it was a display model.

It was fully stickered, so I didn't care, plus it was kind of cool to buy the exact watch that I tried on 18 months prior and fell in love with.

It took them a couple weeks to mail the warranty card since I think they had to get that from Rolex, so when I bought it I walked away with the watch, box, hangtags and manual.

[Osmin]

Nom They throw them away /s

[themacman]

They tell you they dont, but some do. I have been offered a watch straight from the window that had an exhibit tag on it.
Shame it was a two tone explorer!

[themacman]

Originally Posted by Osmin

Nom They throw them away /s

Put them in a dumpster out back.

[MarioB83]

Originally Posted by KatGirl

The day I walked into my AD, and a gentleman was turning down his allocated TT 36 mm Wimbledon, I was asked if I was interested in trying it on again, and possibly purchasing it, as it was the exact watch I had shown interest in previously. Naturally I said, “Yes”, and did buy it. It was fully stickered, until after I paid for it. I always suspected it was the exhibition model that I had tried on before. Today I confirmed it. I was able to make out the serial number in a wrist pic I had taken on Nov. 1st. I bought it on Feb. 3rd. Same serial #! Who knows how many people tried it on before it was mine. My understanding is that all Rolexes delivered to the AD are eventually sold, just like the old days, but with a twist. A certain number have to be displayed, and for a certain amount of time. Then they are released for sale, and whoever was on the waiting list for those configurations is called to pick them up. I should add that the actual watch I fell in love with is now mine, and on my wrist. I’m perfectly OK with that!

Kat


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Exactly The same happened to me with my Datejust and Air-King. Both exhibition pieces for certain time, however fully stickered and inmaculate. Actually the first came directly from the display case to my wrist (Wimbledom also)