Is it worth paying a 40 - 50% premium for a stainless steel rolex daytona ?

[imranahmed]

I have been after a stainless steel daytona for 5 years but have not come across a new model without a hefty premium. Do you folks think it might be a good investment to pay over the top ?

[chevycorvette]

so u are talking around $12k a piece right. not everyone could get one for MSRP $7900. so if u have like the watch. why wait. time is $$$

[bran]

I love my SS Daytona and got it for MSRP with an extended 10 yr warranty and two RSC services free. It is a great watch, but there are other watches I could buy with the kind of money you are talking about.

It is your money, as far as investments go, I have no clue...but $12K is a lot to pay for an MSRP 0f $7.9K. I would wait.

[jordo9998]

bran.. that's nice that you got a 10 yr service plan.. I hope you didn't pay extra for it..

Because now a days rolex can go for something like 20 yrs without ever being serviced or cleaned.. according to a rolex I spoke with...

First he said never and then I said right... then he said well okay maybe 20 yrs.. he went into detail about how rolex worked around the parts that have the most wear and tear and they used different alloys and lube inside the watches these days...

[AZDAYTONA]

Not really! No date and just a chrono. i have an F serial i have never worn and just sold my z serial and bought a GMTIIC SS. I think it's a great watch at MSRP but not for $11-12K in my opinion!

[Incurable]

Absolutely not... JMHO.

[Wolfgang427]

IMO-No. 40-50% premuim puts you in a completely different range of available watches.

[Gaijin]

Well, think about it. I mean 12K really is the realistic MSRP for the Rolex lover who wants one now. Getting one at true AD MSRP is rare and a blessing from the Rolex Gods.

So if you want one and can afford the mark up get one. I used to say never pay over MSRP. Your money. And 12K now will be 13K next year after the price increase. SS Daytonas will go up too. Get it if you want it.

[scottschoe]

If you feel it's fair, go ahead and buy it. It might beat waiting years for one at MSRP.

[Arturo]

Never pay a cent over MRSP. You don't have to with an honest AD with whom you have a relationship of watch buying.

[mikey]

I found out my 1960 Rolex Oysterdate was completely and 100% never worked on. After 47 years, it stopped on me 5 days ago it has been freshly rebuilt and oiled. It should be good for another 50 years! Are you serious about paying double the price on a SS Daytona?

[gmt 16750]

Originally Posted by Arturo

Never pay a cent over MRSP.

X 2

[Tombstone]

Like you I have waited multiple years for a Daytona without any success. I own six Rolex watches and am thinking about one last Rolex watch.

I decided that I could live without a Daytona because of all the B.S. that surrounds the Daytona. There are many members on this forum who have been very lucky and have found a Daytona or two at M.S.R.P. When I hear their stories of success I am very happy for them and I get a sense that there is some Rolex fair play out there about the Daytona.

The more I learn about why the Daytona is artificially made difficult to obtain the more I have a fowl taste in my mouth for Rolex ethics or the lack there of. Why should you or anyone pay over the top for a Daytona? If we as the buyers do this we feed the greed and let Rolex know that we are o.k. with the poor system Rolex has chosen to supply the SS Rolex Daytona. If I were you I might look into other options. Breitling makes outstanding watches that do more than the Daytona at a lower price as well. I would look into Breitling before you pay over list cost which is pure profit for some who is taking advantage of people like us who love Rolex. IMHO.

[imranahmed]

Thanks Guys. I guess I will wait for a while or maybe go for a secondhand one which sell close to the MRSP.

[teo]

If you need to wait for more than 3 years to get one at MSRP, I would suggest you get it now. rOLEX increases price every year by 8 - 10% or more.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

I would NEVER EVER pay over MSRP for a Rolex watch that is part of the current Rolex programme.

[azn022785]

I wanted Daytona so bad that I was willing to pay premium for it.

But now I got my GMT II-c, I don't feel that much desperate to have Daytona anymore.

Daytona is a nice watch and you can find a nice deal around $10500 if you look around. You don't have to pay $12000. That is only if you don't have VIP status like me.

If I were you I'll try to buy other Rolex models that interest you and build AD relationship and get Daytona at MSRP. Or if you feel that you MUST have to have Daytona now and can't buy at retail, then your only way is to pay premium.

[walds11]

Pre-owned is the way to go. That's what I did. Maybe closer to MSRP than NIB, but not close :)

Originally Posted by imranahmed

Thanks Guys. I guess I will wait for a while or maybe go for a secondhand one which sell close to the MRSP.

[llamaofdoom]

Originally Posted by imranahmed

Thanks Guys. I guess I will wait for a while or maybe go for a secondhand one which sell close to the MRSP.

Good luck on that secondhand Daytona at close to MSRP.

Getting a clean used one in the states costs around $10,500.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by bran

I love my SS Daytona and got it for MSRP with an extended 10 yr warranty and two RSC services free (...)

That is one HELLUVA good deal! Congrats!

[ohsixx]

Anything over MSRP is a sucker deal!

[Altair]

Originally Posted by jordo9998

Because now a days rolex can go for something like 20 yrs without ever being serviced or cleaned.. according to a rolex I spoke with...

Do you usually speak with inanimate objects???

[frostie]

I think that it's not worth paying over MSRP at all

[marshallr47]

Originally Posted by imranahmed

I have been after a stainless steel daytona for 5 years but have not come across a new model without a hefty premium. Do you folks think it might be a good investment to pay over the top ?

Call me a sucker then because I paid $11,000 for mine. I know that it's well over MSRP but I couldn't wait and for that reason, I paid the premium price.

I don't have the type of relationship with my AD where I could go in and order a Daytona. And personally, I don't think that buying 5 Rollies from an AD just so you can get a good deal on a Daytona is the smartest thing. You end up spending more money in the long run. Yes, I understand that you are building a relationship and for some or most of you that's important.

I say if you want one, go for it. I believe the price for Daytonas will continue to rise. Think of your happiness and if you can afford it, don't worry about the price. Personally I think it's a small price to pay for the "grail" of watches.

Good luck on your decision.

Here is mine and I'm proud of it.

[Rockrolex]

The meteorite Daytona is my grail Rolex but I would not pay over MSRP for any watch. I just couldn't bring myself to pay a premium for a watch when there are so many others out there that can be had for MSRP or less. But then, that's me.

You gotta do what you feel comfortable with. Let us know what your final decision is.

[Dan Pierce]

It's the double whammy of paying over MSRP and the low numbers of available Daytona's. Hell, I don't even buy my Rolexes new from an AD, so far anyway.
Having said that, life is short and if it's your grail then go for it.
Good luck,
dP

[bran]

Originally Posted by jordo9998

bran.. that's nice that you got a 10 yr service plan.. I hope you didn't pay extra for it..

Because now a days rolex can go for something like 20 yrs without ever being serviced or cleaned.. according to a rolex I spoke with...

First he said never and then I said right... then he said well okay maybe 20 yrs.. he went into detail about how rolex worked around the parts that have the most wear and tear and they used different alloys and lube inside the watches these days...

Nope...I didn't pay extra, my AD includes that when I buy a watch.

[GoldenBear]

Ask yourself two questions---1) Can you afford to pay the premium? 2) How badly do you want it? Money means different things to different people. $10k-20k is just pocket change for some people. Others here can't even afford a used Air King. To each his own.

An item is only "worth" what someone is willing to pay for it. Some will pay a premium, some won't.

[llamaofdoom]

Originally Posted by marshallr47

I don't have the type of relationship with my AD where I could go in and order a Daytona. And personally, I don't think that buying 5 Rollies from an AD just so you can get a good deal on a Daytona is the smartest thing. You end up spending more money in the long run.

If all you're after is a steel Daytona, then you are exactly right. You are much better offer paying the premium - assuming you don't want to sit on a list for a while hoping for one at MSRP.

[CPTL]

Every consumer good has a market value. Usually market value is at or just below MSRP for brand-new big ticket items, but sometimes products are in high demand and the marketeers get it wrong. (Think hybrid cars five years ago, or gas-guzzling SUVs now.)

We all appreciate market value, because it allows us to sell our Rolexes on a whim and get back most of what we paid. (JJ--) In the Rolex world, market value rises with the annual MSRP increase, so as Rolex owners, we all benefit from those increases.

In addition to market value, those who must have a new Rolex will pay a 5% (roughly) BNIB premium. I consider this a separate factor from market value, because when you take the watch out of the store, it's characteristics have not changed--but it's still worth 5% less.

Why doesn't Rolex increase the price of the Daytona to match market value? Who knows. Why don't they do anything that we want them to or think they should do? Cause they're Rolex, and they can do whateverthehell they want to.

Like it or not, market value for a mint SS Daytona is around $11,500. ADs are undercharging. Now, it seems like BS for an AD to charge more than the advertised price--and if the particular AD advertised the MSRP, they would be legally obligated to sell it at that price. But those that don't are simply selling at market, and there's nothing wrong with that.

As for buying one from an AD at market price: why not? The sticker doesn't determine market price--the market does. That is just as "smart" a price as paying $4950 for your BNIB 16610 at an AD. Five years from now, both will still be worth the same in terms of percentage of purchase price. 20 years from now, one may be worth significantly more or less--but we don't buy these things for investment, right?

Just my $.02.