Rolex Warranty

[thetuk]

Hello,
I am new here. This is my first post. Actually, I have been lurking here for awhile and read really useful information. So, thank you you all. My wife and I have been wanting to buy our first rolex watches.....hope the day will come soon.

I have been searching in the for sale section, through both ADs and grey market dealers to find the watches we want and of course at the prices we can afford. Obviously, the prices that grey market dealers offer are so tempting....easily 15% off the MSRPs. I understand that if I buy from a reputable grey market dealer, I should be somewhat comfortable that the watch is 100% authentic. However, what concerns me is the warranty. I understand since grey market dealers are not ADs, they are not allowed to provide Rolex warranty to their customers. Now, comparing with watches bought from an AD, which usually come witha 2-yr Rolex warranty, is there a significant difference in the warranty? For me, I would not expect to see my brand new rolex needing service within the first 2 yrs anyway...so getting a 2-yr Rolex warranty may not actually be worth the extra $$$ we spend at an AD? Am I making sense at all? After 2 yrs, whether the watch is bought from an AD or grey market, we are on our own anyway, correct?

Thank you all for your input........hope to be a rolex owner soon.

Happy Rolexing.......

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Welcome to TRF, Tuk!

Often, what you don't expect, will happen. It's Murphy's Law. So if you need your Rolex repaired under guarantee within the first 2 years, imho the AD deal is worth it. Also, being able to inspect the watch(-es) carefully before buying is a big plus (at least that how I feel).

Furthermore, on some models you can get a nice discount at AD's, as well. Which leads me to the question "what Rolex models are you and your wife going for?"

[perryj]

warranty would be helpful if you discover your watch has some imperfection, such as dial not centered, or some other small problem, they do happen.
read through the archives here and you'll notice a few new watches going back for some warranty work.

[f16570]

Like Bo said, the warranty is key for me, and discounts can be had at the AD, all you have to do is politly ask.
Welcome and enjoy.

[thetuk]

For me, it will likely be the SS 116200. My wife would want a different model, she is thinking TT 179173 w/o diamonds. Will we able to get some a discount on these models from AD?

Thank you all.

[Tools]

Some Grey Dealers operate brick and mortar establishments and have watchmakers on staff.

These Dealers usually offer their own warranty, some of them are lifetime warranties too.

Like most high-end products, shop around and feel comfortable with the product, service, and the deal.

[Baptistman]

Its not just about warranty though, you get absolute peace of mind that it authentic. Plus the complete back up of and authorised dealer. One grey dealer in my area got caught with a GMT fake. For some reason it had all the bits and bobs, but when it went for a service it had a fake movment, case dial and bracelet were genuine, however Rolex refused to deal with it. So the dealer was left a few K out of pocket.

IMO when spending so much money, only deal with an AD or someone here that you know can be trusted.

Remember a while back I had a faulty SD, there was a hole in the case under the protective plastics, which could not be seen until the plastic was removed. As it was, I had purchased from and AD and got a brand new replacement. If I gone Grey, how would I of scored. Food for thought

[Bobareno]

Welcome.

[thetuk]

Since these will be our first Rollies, we are more leaning toward buying new at an AD. There is a Ben Bridge close by that we can easily drop by for services. From what I have read here, BB is very reputable and trusty. Last time we were there, we were told 5-10% discount was possible. Sounds good?

As it is shaping out though, it is looking like the wife will get hers first since I do not have 10K to drop all at once without hurting my wallet..... Sure wish I did though so I would not have to wait long.

[SPACE-DWELLER]

I would say that 5 % discount is better than NO discount. But 10 % is of course better and also the "normal" discount to get (except on models like the SS Sub Date, SS GMT IIc, Milgauss and SS Daytona that most AD's would not discount, at all).

If you go for a TT Rolex, you should be able to get 15 %+ on it due to higher earnings of the AD if he sells such a watch.

All precious metal Rolex watches, especially with diamond embossed dials, make for even greater discounts.

Knowing this might help when you are to use your negotiation skills. Sometimes, having ready CASH also helps since the AD does not then have to pay the credit card fee.

[pinkybanks]

Today I bought my wife her first Rolex from a AD in Stoke On Trent. I did the usual thing of comparing the grey, pre-owned and AD options, and decided to pay the little extra and go for the dealer option. I managed a 12% discount on a SS DJ with diamond face, and my wife is tickled pink.

[thetuk]

Well...I pulled the trigger today. Bought a coke GMT II from the Rolex Flagship in Costa Mesa, CA. They had one coke and one pepsi left....like the coke better. Actually, I had my eyes on SS DJ but somehow walked away with GMT II with no regrets. I had to visit the store twice.....needed some chatting with my wife.... By the way, wifey liked the GMT on me better than the SS DJ I tried....so that is a plus....

Glanced the new GMT as well...somehow the polished center links are just not may paste.....no offense to new GMT owners....just my personal preference. Would have liked my GMT to have some of the new features offered in the new GMT (e.g., 4 links on the 6 o'clock side, solid links, etc) though.

FWIW, no discounts were given, I asked. But they offered me an extended warranty and a buy-back option for full paid price with a new purchase. I thought that was a pretty good/interesting offer. Oh, I was told that my GMT has 3186 movement....but I did not ask to open the backcase to verify.

BTW, learned one very intersting quote, a salesman said that Rolex will very soon inform all ADs to not give discounts on their watches. They claim discounts degrade their brand. Similar to LV brand, where they do not give a discount, period. You be the judge whether that is true.

Pictures to come at a later date. Time to go play with my new baby....