I finally have an interesting tale to post! My Visit to Bucherer Geneva

[The Waddler]

So after my volcano/wedding/GMT epic thread from a few months ago (that I'm sure you don't remember) I finally have something to tell you guys that's worthy of starting a thread.

Briefly, we (the company) have a Geneva office and have had for years, and I go there once a week or so from London. Usually my watch-perving activities are confined to Bucherer on the Rue du Rhone and the Omega shop on the same street, however I came into town yesterday via the train station and walked past the Bucherer on that side of the lake....

What did they have in the window but the new ceramic sub in stainless steel!! "No way" I thought, they must have put that out this morning....

So I went in and was treated like a king by a very cute girl called Jade who told me some very surprising things:

1) The SS Ceramic Sub had been in the shop for nearly 3 months - no takers. they are very easy to come by she said. No hard sell, no AD B.S., she was just being honest.

2) After loads of people putting their names down for one only a few actually came through with the money. This annoyed their shop so much that they have restricted their waiting list for the new Explorer to known customers who they 100% know will buy the watch.

3) The DSSD just doesn't sell. It did initially but they just don't any more. I also heard this from Ernest Jones in London btw. It really isn't popular at all.
Too big, too heavy and the main complaint she said is that they don't fit under shirt sleeves

4) This is mental - brace yourselves...... the new ceramic green sub is either being limited or totally held back. Yup, I'm not making this up. She said that SO many of them appeared on ebay and other sites days after being sold that they are halting supply for the time being. These are her words and not mine so make of it what you will. This may also only be true for Switzerland naturally. I don't think she was speaking globally, she's only a shop assistant after all.

5) She said lots of their regular clients don't like the new Sub as it's "too shiny" (her words) and too similar to the GMTc. Again, this is just what she said.

6) She said they had far more orders (from genuine clients) for the new Explorer than the new Sub easily. She even said that if I was thinking about a new watch then to take my time, shop around and give them a few visits before making my mind up. Unheard of compared to the sales bull***t I get in London.

7) Almost forgot - she said they had NEVER heard of any breakages to ceramic bezels - so I told her to come to this site and have a look!! she was sceptical to say the least!

I just wanted to share this with you, I'm not making any particular point and have nothing really to add, I'm just recounting what happened in the shop. nothing more.

For what it's worth she was lovely (although not as lovely as the blonde who works on the ground floor in Bucherer on the Rue du Rhone!!) and totaly charming. Just thought you'd be interested.

Cheers,

Alex

[Andad]

Hi Alex,

Very interesting information and a reflection on how the new models are being accepted.

Thank you.

[calibre1]

Originally Posted by The Waddler

So I went in and was treated like a king by a very cute girl called Jade who told me some very surprising things:
....

For what it's worth she was lovely (although not as lovely as the blonde who works on the ground floor in Bucherer on the Rue du Rhone!!) and totaly charming. Just thought you'd be interested.

Cheers,

Alex

Any pictures of her??





Padi Edit
Than could quite easily be aranged with just one button click.

[Andad]

I was too polite to ask .

OK you got me - I forgot to ask.

[mickeydainish]

Thanks, Alex. Interesting...... ;-)

[The Waddler]

Originally Posted by calibre1

Any pictures of her??





Padi Edit
Than could quite easily be aranged with just one button click.

I tell you mate, the blonde in the Rue du Rhone shop is stunning. STUN-NING

[The GMT Master]

Originally Posted by The Waddler

So after my volcano/wedding/GMT epic thread from a few months ago (that I'm sure you don't remember) I finally have something to tell you guys that's worthy of starting a thread.

Briefly, we (the company) have a Geneva office and have had for years, and I go there once a week or so from London. Usually my watch-perving activities are confined to Bucherer on the Rue du Rhone and the Omega shop on the same street, however I came into town yesterday via the train station and walked past the Bucherer on that side of the lake....

What did they have in the window but the new ceramic sub in stainless steel!! "No way" I thought, they must have put that out this morning....

So I went in and was treated like a king by a very cute girl called Jade who told me some very surprising things:

1) The SS Ceramic Sub had been in the shop for nearly 3 months - no takers. they are very easy to come by she said. No hard sell, no AD B.S., she was just being honest.

2) After loads of people putting their names down for one only a few actually came through with the money. This annoyed their shop so much that they have restricted their waiting list for the new Explorer to known customers who they 100% know will buy the watch.

3) The DSSD just doesn't sell. It did initially but they just don't any more. I also heard this from Ernest Jones in London btw. It really isn't popular at all.
Too big, too heavy and the main complaint she said is that they don't fit under shirt sleeves

4) This is mental - brace yourselves...... the new ceramic green sub is either being limited or totally held back. Yup, I'm not making this up. She said that SO many of them appeared on ebay and other sites days after being sold that they are halting supply for the time being. These are her words and not mine so make of it what you will. This may also only be true for Switzerland naturally. I don't think she was speaking globally, she's only a shop assistant after all.

5) She said lots of their regular clients don't like the new Sub as it's "too shiny" (her words) and too similar to the GMTc. Again, this is just what she said.

6) She said they had far more orders (from genuine clients) for the new Explorer than the new Sub easily. She even said that if I was thinking about a new watch then to take my time, shop around and give them a few visits before making my mind up. Unheard of compared to the sales bull***t I get in London.

7) Almost forgot - she said they had NEVER heard of any breakages to ceramic bezels - so I told her to come to this site and have a look!! she was sceptical to say the least!

I just wanted to share this with you, I'm not making any particular point and have nothing really to add, I'm just recounting what happened in the shop. nothing more.

For what it's worth she was lovely (although not as lovely as the blonde who works on the ground floor in Bucherer on the Rue du Rhone!!) and totaly charming. Just thought you'd be interested.

Cheers,

Alex

Some interesting stuff - I'd agree with some of those points from my own experience, but disagree with others.

With regards to the Sub, we had similar issues - 8 people on the list, not one wanted to actually buy it. Still, only took a few days to sell, a chap came in, asked about it, and went home happy.

I've found the the DSSD has been a very respectable seller, we never hold on for one for very long. I think the longest we've had the same one in stock is maybe a month and a half, which was over summer - trade was bad generally, so I wouldn't put it down to the watch itself. I'd even argue that it sells better than the old Sea Dweller for us.

With the Sub LV, I can understand Rolex being annoyed about it. You know there's something wrong when grey dealers are getting watches before they're offered to ADs

And on a final note, I've never come across a broken ceramic bezel at the shop - I think a lot of the panic is caused by the smoke and mirrors effect that the internet has sometimes. There have only been four confirmed cases of a broken ceramic bezel posted online, and given how many ceramic-bezeled watches Rolex have produced since 2005, I think it's more an endorsement of the bezel's strength than its weaknesses.

Thanks for posting, though, some interesting thoughts, especially coming from the heart of Rolex country. If there was an AD whose word you could trust unconditionally, it'd be Bucherer

[esm]

great info Alex.

Bucherer knows how to conduct business and thats why we love them. Luceren Bucherer is my Swiss AD, and they have been helpful to-date.

[DRAWTOOL]

Alex, I think I speak for everybody, seeing as how you be goin' to the big "G" ever week or so...please take a camera next time and get us some pichers of these two lovely ladies... or we shant believe you.

[The Waddler]

Originally Posted by DRAWTOOL

Alex, I think I speak for everybody, seeing as how you be goin' to the big "G" ever week or so...please take a camera next time and get us some pichers of these two lovely ladies... or we shant believe you.

You're a bad man Drawtool

I tell you what, you tell me a valid reason I could give them for having their picture taken and I'll make it happen - you have my word!

Jade I would ask, but the blonde....I can barely speak to her she's so hot - and I'm a happily married man!

[Watch Professor]

Buchere is a marvelous emporium.

A quick story. Many years ago, (1970) my wife and I were visiting Italy and Switzerland. My wife bought a beautiful Cameo ring in Florence but since we were leaving for Switzerland the next morning, didn't have time to get it sized. We went into a Bucherer in Lugano Switzerland, our next stop and asked if they could size it for us. They were only too happy to oblige, and the next day we picked it up. They refused to take any money, and presented the sized ring in a beautiful silk Bucherer box, which we still have. I would love to make them my Rolex AD, as there are very few US AD's that exhibits such class and graciousness.

[calibre1]

Originally Posted by DRAWTOOL

Alex, I think I speak for everybody, seeing as how you be goin' to the big "G" ever week or so...please take a camera next time and get us some pichers of these two lovely ladies... or we shant believe you.

X2

[hsfrank]

Originally Posted by The Waddler

For what it's worth she was lovely (although not as lovely as the blonde who works on the ground floor in Bucherer on the Rue du Rhone!!) and totaly charming. Just thought you'd be interested.

Cheers,

Alex

I am

[SDDS]

thanx Alex for sharing

[Gerardus]

Thnxs for sharing, i thought/felt the same about the deepsea. but could not measure.

[1000ftSub]

Great Stuff, thanks for the post!

[dazzpowder]

I love my DSSD but I did see 2 in shop windows while at Westfield shopping centre. As for the Sub I still don't know wether to keep my new one, it's so different from my 2001 Sub

[Dr. Robert]

Originally Posted by The Waddler

You're a bad man Drawtool

I tell you what, you tell me a valid reason I could give them for having their picture taken and I'll make it happen - you have my word!

Jade I would ask, but the blonde....I can barely speak to her she's so hot - and I'm a happily married man!

How about this valid reason....you are taking photos of Rolex shops & their employees for the Rolex enthusiast's watch site, TRF..........a comparison of various Rolex AD's from around the world

[wjrw592]

So, your thinking a sort of "Global Girls Selling Rolex" project X . . . I guess followed
by a swimsuit calendar with grils wearing SS bikinis sporting various models?

Sorry, got off track there - thanks for the interesting info from around the globe!

[Michael M.]

Thanks for the info!

[Fiery]

Thank you for the info.

1) Same here in Hungary. Noone seems to be interested in the new SS Sub-LN, according to the sales lady in our AD. Noone has even tried it on yet, it's just sitting in the store window...

2) I think that's normal. But I don't see a waiting list to be a hurting thing. It's not like an AD can order 10 or 20 Rolexes and getting them right away from Rolex. AFAIK Rolex decides which AD gets what.

3) I think the DSSD's success may vary hugely country by country. But I'm not surprised it's not a big seller in Switzerland: afterall, it is a country full of men running around in suit and shirt, they need a watch that goes well with shirtcuffs. It would be interesting to see which country sells the most Blancpain sports models, or the most Breitlings. I bet Rolex sells the most DSSD in those countries :)

4) That kinda explains why our AD hasn't received any green Sub-C yet. They have the black Sub-C on stock for weeks already, but no news on the green one yet.

5) I think that once again could be a Switzerland-specific issue. I'm sure similarity between models would not hurt the new Sub's sales globally. Surely when someone walks in with a GMT IIC on his wrist, he'll find the new Sub too similar to what he already has. But I'm sure those guys shopping around for a new Rolex would eventually find something else among Rolex's offering.

6) I find it a bit weird. I wouldn't imagine the new Explorer to be a huge sales success, at least not globally. Not that it's a bad watch, but it has never been nearly as popular (globally) as the Submariner.

7) I'm glad to hear that. But I'm not afraid of ceramic bezels at all. When I bang the watch so hard that the ceramic shatters, there's a big chance the crystal would also shatter, and it means a full service would be required either way. Sure, it's not a cheap part to replace, but then again, Rolex watches are not cheap.

[The Waddler]

Originally Posted by Dr. Robert

How about this valid reason....you are taking photos of Rolex shops & their employees for the Rolex enthusiast's watch site, TRF..........a comparison of various Rolex AD's from around the world

A comparison of Rolex AD's?

"Excuse me my dear but I'm doing a comparison of Rolex AD's and I'd like to take a picture of the hot blonde over there in the short skirt - but purely for research purposes you understand.....oh, and I'll naturally be posting it on the internet........no, no, there's no need to call the police..."

[captain_rossco]

What were the prices for the sub in Bucherer?

[The Waddler]

Originally Posted by captain_rossco

What were the prices for the sub in Bucherer?

Off the top of my head about CHF7500 I think.

However If you're thinking about it I'd forget going to GVA or Zurich as the Swiss Franc is killing Sterling at the moment. Best deals I've seen (for Rolex in general, not the ss sub c) are Gassan in City airport. Has to be said that as of last Wednesday morning they hadn't received any Sub c's yet.

[TempoKing]

She said
This is mental - brace yourselves...... the new ceramic green sub is either being limited or totally held back. Yup, I'm not making this up. She said that SO many of them appeared on ebay and other sites days after being sold that they are halting supply for the time being

Many of them appeared on ebay..???
The green sub is so wanted that there is no time or reason to list it on ebay.
Halting supply (these are big words)
again here we have normal production runs
this model was produced in the specific production number
and now it's waiting for another turn again.
Soon we will be buying at 30% off no problem

Bucherer Geneva is a nice store, a compatriot of mine is the manager
there, when he was younger he was nice and accessible - he worked
in the Athens flea market... then he got married and moved to big time
(Geneva) and started working for Bucherer...lets put it this way, I can get
better deals from John Doe in outer Mongolia than him in Geneva.

[ersnyder]

Originally Posted by The Waddler

I tell you mate, the blonde in the Rue du Rhone shop is stunning. STUN-NING

So, are there any pictures of HER?!

[tkc324]

I want to see a picture of her!!

[The Waddler]

I can post a picture of her business card if that will suffice or if forum rules allow!!?!! Just to prove she's real

[D O C]

Pictures!

[esm]

Originally Posted by The Waddler

1) The SS Ceramic Sub had been in the shop for nearly 3 months - no takers. they are very easy to come by she said. No hard sell, no AD B.S., she was just being honest.

lets say early september 2010, minus 3 months would make it early June...

did Rolex really speed up their production line and AD distribution for the Basel '10 released models this year?

maybe she was referring to the 16610 Subs.

would still love to see her pic