Rolex discounts for military?

[baller24]

this might be a weird question but at some point did people in the US military get discounts on rolex and other luxury items? My uncle was in the Air Force and has had a Sub for as long as I can remember (probably 15-20 years). I remember when I was a kid he said he bought it from some special AF magazine they had access to.

I recently asked him what he paid for it back in the day and he said it was like 1k dollars.

anyone know about this?

[boogiebot]

never heard of any military discounts. not saying its not possible but just never heard of them.

[Lamone]

Some PX's have a tax free policy.

[Hurricane]

You could get Rolex watches at a discount (and no sales tax) at some large U.S military exchanges overseas for decades. They stopped carrying them in the early 2000s (2001 or 2002). My father bought his GMT Master in 1983 this way and I purchased my first Rolex in 2000 in Germany from the exchange before they stopped carrying them.

[AJAX]

AAFES used to sell Rolex in its catalog many years ago for OCONUS buyers only. They no longer sell them and haven't since at least 1999 if memory serves.

[slcbbrown]

I got my rootbeer in 1973 thru the PX system. My price was about $220 when the same watch was $440 on the outside. My rootbeer was on a strap and a Sub w/oyster was the same price.

[DCgator]

Yup, those were the days when Rolex was sold in the PX/BX/NEX. They first stopped selling them in US stores (late 70s), then in overseas stores (90s).

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by AJAX

AAFES used to sell Rolex in its catalog many years ago for OCONUS buyers only. They no longer sell them and haven't since at least 1999 if memory serves.

I bought mine at Ramstein in 2000...went back in 2003 and they no longer carried them...ah, the memories! :D

[jshepard]

They still sell certified pre-owned at some Navy Exchanges, my dad actually bought his TT DJ there 2 years ago, but I think they're prices are crazy and they don't discount although it is tax free. I went with him to buy a blue sub and we just had a bad experience. The sales lady didn't know what she was selling, they almost sold us one without a divers extension, i noticed the notch where its supposed to clip on when you fold the extension but no extension, and the lady said its supposed to be like that... Plus the lady was insisting that the bezel was ceramic when it was clearly an aluminum insert. I found him a one $2000 cheaper off-base but he ended up buying a Zenith mov't SS Daytona instead. So I gotta be real nice to dad now... :)

[Ravager135]

There is only one AD is in my small Navy town (lucky we have even one) and they stated that they usually eat the sales tax for military buyers. I kind of saw right through this because while it seems nice on the surface, that was the dealers initial offer to me assuming I would not counter. In my particular instance, the Explorer II was listed at 7,750 and they offered me the watch at a flat price. I countered with a few hundred less, she agreed, and then started calculating sales tax on top of it which probably would have brought me back to her initial offer possibly more. So I re-countered with my price including a waived sales tax and we agreed. With a Rolex which has small margins I saved myself a few hundred bucks on the watch but if I was buying a Breitling, just waiving the sales tax probably would not have been as generous as it appeared.

[Cato]

Originally Posted by DCgator

Yup, those were the days when Rolex was sold in the PX/BX/NEX. They first stopped selling them in US stores (late 70s), then in overseas stores (90s).

I was in the Navy from 92 to 2000 and never saw anything close to a Rolex at the NEX and army PXs I visited in the Contiental US and in Europe.

[GermanyMatt]

From AAFES website, you can order Breitling, a few varieties from Omega, Tag Heuer, and Baume & Mercier - but no Rolex.

Just for comparision, the Omega Speedmaster Pro Moon (3570.50) is $3599 from AAFES, which is probably more than you could purchase one from fleabay or right here on TRF - neither of which would have sales tax..

[mikkolopez]

Wow in the '70s a Rolex can be had for USD220.00.

[JohanG]

I got my PO at a 40% discount through military services!

[Cabaiguan]

AAFES still sells Omega. If you time it right, you can get the watch on sale PLUS a coupon.

I got a PO a couple of years ago for a ridiculously low price. Rolex is NOT on their website though.

[Eulogy]

The first Rolex I saw (Sub) was in a Navy Exchange in Japan in the mid 70's. It was in the $100s when my budget was in the $10.

I made the mistake of saving for a Nikon when I should have been saving for that Sub, even though travelling in the Philippines with anything more than a Timex was a risk.

[gwozhog]

Originally Posted by Eulogy

The first Rolex I saw (Sub) was in a Navy Exchange in Japan in the mid 70's. It was in the $100s when my budget was in the $10.

I made the mistake of saving for a Nikon when I should have been saving for that Sub, even though travelling in the Philippines with anything more than a Timex was a risk.

Whoops

[Ed Rooney]

You could order them from the AAFES catalog if you had orders for overseas, or if you were actually overseas. Also the Midshipman's store at the Naval Academy sold them.

I remember the ND Sub being just within my PX credit line, but I didn't have orders.

[syata]

True, the exchanges used to carry them. Their prices were less than retail (off post) and no sales tax.

I got my SUB in the 80s from Frankfurt, Germany. I looked at the sales tag...New with all the bells and whistle (papers, anchor, box) $1800.00. --- I still have it with all the fixings.

I remember they had the GMT (pepsi, the SUB and the Daytona). I wanted to get the Daytona but my mom (who got my my first Roles for my 18th) opted for the SUB. She did not like all the buttons ont he watch...Bless her heart.

I saw a the Pearl Harbor NEX, HI that they sell certified pre-owned through a third party.

Too bad the exhanges do not carry them anymore.