Buying a Rolex from AD 20 years ago

[Flint]

Who can remember AD buying experience at least 20 years ago , I remember I was looking at Rolex window display and every Rolex model was displayed, a sales assistant came out of shop to ask if I needed any help , this happened to me at both branches of Goldsmiths in City nearest to my home . I went back a few days later and bought my first Sub ( non date ) and back then a small anchor was included in box . How times change !

[Seddyspaghetti]

Nope, but sounds nice!

[DVR]

I bought my last Rolex in 2014. A 116264 that was sitting in the window for a long time. I negotiated a +20% discount and took it home.
My YG DD I bought in 2010 with a 28% discount.

If the 'herd' could just refrain from buying grey for just a couple of months the 'card house' would start tumbling down. Alas, instant gratification is what drives the world today. No patience, no self esteem, nothing anymore. YOLO and FOMO rule the world.

[tifosi]

I bought my first new Submariner from an AD just 13 years ago and I had my pick from at least 3 at every AD and they were practically giving them away. Now we have “exhibition” models on display. Crazy.

[Combine man]

I remember doing similar in Cambridge,walked into WOS in boiler suit from work,and dirty etc.
Very courteous sales man,left with new Sub,my first Rolex and as you say anchor in the box,reckon at least 30 yrs ago now.The window was full of all models,a pleasant experience to buy there then.
Went back to shop 12 yrs ago to replace a watch my wife had lost,to be told we should visit a high st chain type of shop,and in 2020 called to try to get a new Sub for me and a yacht master for my son in laws 30th even with purchase history of Rolex and other jewelry they wouldnt even put me on the list.Nothing much,on display either.
As you say how times change!

[khalifam]

Omega folks will be making the same thread in 5 years...

I remember going to goldsmith's and the manager offering 12% on a daydate...

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[enjoythemusic]

I do, it was different. Seems we had more time back then.... We knew each other, TimeZone was a happening online....

Internet bandwidth was low for some, so we traded CDRs filled with pics and info of rare timepieces...

[Dougiebaby]

Originally Posted by DVR

I bought my last Rolex in 2014. A 116264 that was sitting in the window for a long time. I negotiated a +20% discount and took it home.
My YG DD I bought in 2010 with a 28% discount.

If the 'herd' could just refrain from buying grey for just a couple of months the 'card house' would start tumbling down. Alas, instant gratification is what drives the world today. No patience, no self esteem, nothing anymore. YOLO and FOMO rule the world.

I don’t think you really know what is going on…

China’s middle class has 707,000,000+ people. That is almost as large as the entire population of the EU and US combined! Imagine if every person in the EU & US we’re in the middle class?!

It is not just a matter of YOLO & FOMO, it’s the emerging middle class sector purchasing what middle class citizens do (really the upper middle class) … it’s just there are (literally) 100’s of millions more people in this sector of the world’s economy now vs. 20 years ago. And this does not even include the exploding wealth in India (whose entire population is expected to surpass China’s in 2025) or other fast growing countries.

Simple supply vs demand. This “problem” is never going away … unless there will be a global economic downturn of epic proportions.


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[Goin2drt]

Originally Posted by Flint

Who can remember AD buying experience at least 20 years ago , I remember I was looking at Rolex window display and every Rolex model was displayed, a sales assistant came out of shop to ask if I needed any help , this happened to me at both branches of Goldsmiths in City nearest to my home . I went back a few days later and bought my first Sub ( non date ) and back then a small anchor was included in box . How times change !

Yep just how I bought my first Sub date in 1997 at Ben Bridge in the mall. They had them all. Sub date is what I wanted and could barely afford. Whopping $3,700. Still have it, the receipt and oh yeah the metal anchor. Passed it down to my son for college graduation.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Combine man

I remember doing similar in Cambridge,walked into WOS in boiler suit from work,and dirty etc.
Very courteous sales man,left with new Sub,my first Rolex and as you say anchor in the box,reckon at least 30 yrs ago now.The window was full of all models,a pleasant experience to buy there then.
Went back to shop 12 yrs ago to replace a watch my wife had lost,to be told we should visit a high st chain type of shop,and in 2020 called to try to get a new Sub for me and a yacht master for my son in laws 30th even with purchase history of Rolex and other jewelry they wouldnt even put me on the list.Nothing much,on display either.
As you say how times change!

Ha ha no building relationship crap back in those days !

[colpol]

2005 - walked into laings In Glasgow. They didn’t have a sea dweller in stock but could get me one next day. Back next day/ tried on/ bought it. From memory without checking it was £2495.

My one clear memory was that the SA put me off going back to laings for about 12 years.

[telesquire]

Yeah I do....circa 1990. The AD had been established 100 years, the same family owned it and my grandfather had been their accountant. A twenty yr old me was treated like family and I always got discount. I'd swap watches every few months, just pick and chose what I wanted. I'd get dial swaps for free too on DJ's. He'd send me new catalogs in the mail every year. Happy days. The AD is no longer family run as of ten years back, the old man died. Just another faceless AD with nothing much to sell. I feel for the folks who missed those days.

[Meyrin]

Originally Posted by Flint

Who can remember AD buying experience at least 20 years ago , I remember I was looking at Rolex window display and every Rolex model was displayed, a sales assistant came out of shop to ask if I needed any help , this happened to me at both branches of Goldsmiths in City nearest to my home . I went back a few days later and bought my first Sub ( non date ) and back then a small anchor was included in box . How times change !

Yes, that´s how it was for me! My AD buying experience goes back farther, to Feb. 1996. I'd just received a large cash bonus from work and went along to the largest Rolex AD here in Hamburg. Like you I peered in the window...every Rolex model was on display, even some Daytonas! I went inside and bought my 14060 after trying on all the Subs and a Sea-Dweller. I'd done my research with watch magazines...no blethering YouTuber "influencers", Facebook, Instagram etc. back then. They took time with me, and expertly re-sized the bracelet. No discount, but I didn't pay one cent over the price listed in Rolex´s catalogue (DM 3,450). Apart from very good coffee no goodies. I can still remember the excitement of walking out of the AD with a new Sub on my wrist. I'm wearing it as I type this. Still my everyday watch, never babied, never polished but serviced regularly!

[BDII]

Shoot… 6 years ago was different. 2015 everything but the ceramic Daytona was in the case. Was offered 18% off the blue black GMT and passed LOL. Times have changed.

I don’t mind it though. Just requires a lot of patience now, and I don’t mind the value being high :)

[CarlOver]

I struck up a conversation with a guy that was wearing red text Submariner. He seemed surprised that I noticed it. He and his father used to go to a barber that was next door to a jewelry store. When he graduated his father bought him a no date version and bought himself a date version. The jeweler sold both at half off since they were closing their doors permanently. When father died he started wearing the date and son now has his no date. When I told him a bit about the current state of supply and the watch market he was floored. He got his watch appraised at about 23k and very again very surprised. How things change. It’s fun to get good deals. I guess you can say a Rolex at MSRP is a good deal too.

[marmite2005]

2002 Rolex (WOS) Threadneedle street, London. Visited during lunch break, all watches in stock. I wanted a 15200, salmon dial, smooth bezel. Ordered and secured a 10% discount which was standard back then, £1700 (PMs you could get 20 - 30% discount just by asking). Watch arrived within 6 weeks.
2003/2004 you could just walk in and buy a 50th Anniversary sub and secure a discount. No one wanted a strange looking green bezel sub.

I got my information from the timezone forum back then

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by DVR

If the 'herd' could just refrain from buying grey for just a couple of months the 'card house' would start tumbling down.

The "herd" (i.e. humankind) couldn't even commit to universal mask-wearing for 6-8 weeks (which is what I recall experts saying it would take to all but eliminate COVID 15 months ago...

And this is *NOT* a political post, rather one just pointing out that human nature tends to triumph over reason.

[bankermm]

I remember buying a GMT II, Deep Sea 4000 and Sub date for around $10,000 for all three. Had received my bonus check and went to my AD.....gave me a 10% discount for buying all three at once.......ahhhhhh, the good ole days....circa 1998

[malba2366]

Originally Posted by Dougiebaby

I don’t think you really know what is going on…

China’s middle class has 707,000,000+ people. That is almost as large as the entire population of the EU and US combined! Imagine if every person in the EU & US we’re in the middle class?!

It is not just a matter of YOLO & FOMO, it’s the emerging middle class sector purchasing what middle class citizens do (really the upper middle class) … it’s just there are (literally) 100’s of millions more people in this sector of the world’s economy now vs. 20 years ago. And this does not even include the exploding wealth in India (whose entire population is expected to surpass China’s in 2025) or other fast growing countries.

Simple supply vs demand. This “problem” is never going away … unless there will be a global economic downturn of epic proportions.


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Watches are the hottest sector of the luxury fashion market at the moment, this will fade in a few years when something else becomes popular and then supply will normalize. If Rolex or any other watchmaker believed this increased demand was a permanent phenomenon you can bet they would be scrambling to increase production. I don't think we will ever get back to the days of getting 10-20% off on Rolexes just as we won't get back to getting 10% off at the BMW dealer. The pandemic has shown manufacturers especially in the Luxury sector that they can do better with no discounts and a slight shortage vs flooding the market with product.

It will be interesting to see what happens in China. This "Common Prosperity" initiative could make displays of wealth such as luxury goods very unpopular in China.

[bob sims]

Just walk in and you had your pick of DD, subs and DJ's at a small discount. Pick your poison and walk out the door with the watch.
Those were the only models I was interested in so can't speak speak to Daytona, etc.

[huncho]

Originally Posted by khalifam

Omega folks will be making the same thread in 5 years...

I remember going to goldsmith's and the manager offering 12% on a daydate...

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omega would need to drastically change their business model if they want that to happen which is unlikely because they're owned by swatch

[Fisherman1980]

I remember getting discounts !!!

[SaintMickey]

Originally Posted by Flint

Who can remember AD buying experience at least 20 years ago , I remember I was looking at Rolex window display and every Rolex model was displayed, a sales assistant came out of shop to ask if I needed any help , this happened to me at both branches of Goldsmiths in City nearest to my home . I went back a few days later and bought my first Sub ( non date ) and back then a small anchor was included in box . How times change !

Correct. Different time. Different watch.

But I did get 3 from AD this year and the first was with zero purchase...I'm a charming son of a gun.

[StanGMT]

My one and only Rolex AD buying experience was at the Watches of Switzerland store in Liverpool in 1967, when I bought my 1675 GMT. When I walked into the shop I was still undecided between the Rolex GMT Master and the Omega Speedmaster (remember these were the days of the Apollo programme and, as a young physics undergraduate, I was really 'in' to astronomy and space exploration, so the Omega 'moonwatch' had great appeal).

On the day I was there the AD had SEVEN Rolex GMT Masters (all Pepsi) in stock, about a dozen Submariners and many, many other Rolex models. They only had two Omegas, however, and after some consideration I went for the GMT Master. The rest, as they say, is history and I have recently bought myself a modern (3861) Speedmaster.

How times have changed and, back then, I could never have imagined that fifty-odd years on my GMT would have such a crazy market value.

Stan.

[SaintMickey]

Originally Posted by StanGMT

My one and only Rolex AD buying experience was at the Watches of Switzerland store in Liverpool in 1967, when I bought my 1675 GMT. When I walked into the shop I was still undecided between the Rolex GMT Master and the Omega Speedmaster (remember these were the days of the Apollo programme and, as a young physics undergraduate, I was really 'in' to astronomy and space exploration, so the Omega 'moonwatch' had great appeal).

On the day I was there the AD had SEVEN Rolex GMT Masters (all Pepsi) in stock, about a dozen Submariners and many, many other Rolex models. They only had two Omegas, however, and after some consideration I went for the GMT Master. The rest, as they say, is history and I have recently bought myself a modern (3861) Speedmaster.

How times have changed and, back then, I could never have imagined that fifty-odd years on my GMT would have such a crazy market value.

Stan.

1967 tell us more about what was it like back then?

[skipstar]

I bought my 1st Sub Date in 1998 from Crisson Jewelers in Bermuda. I had a choice from many different watches but I went with the Sub Date and went from the store to the Dive boat and went on a dive with it on.
Love that watch so much!,

[LA_LEC]

I sure do! I bought my first Rolex Submariner 16610 at FULL retail which in 1999 was $3550! Walked into an AD with full cases...it was a great time to be alive!

[Cobar65]

I bought my first Oyster Date from an AD in Lamaddalena Italy back in 1984. I walked into the shop, didn’t have enough money for a Sub, so I settled for the Oyster Date. The AD shut the shop, took me to his house, fed me lunch while he sized the bracelet at home. When I was finished, I gave thanks in my best Italian and went on my way. Those were the days. I think I paid about 600 USD for the watch.

[Dougiebaby]

Originally Posted by malba2366

This "Common Prosperity" initiative could make displays of wealth such as luxury goods very unpopular in China.

I highly doubt it … as this goes against human nature. I remember at the middle of the 1990’s (after the conspicuous consumption of the 80s into early 90’s) there was a concerted effort in the US to become “less conspicuous.” Fashion became less loud, grunge music replaced synthesized 80’s tunes, etc. Even Mercedes said the early 90’s S-class would be the last of its kind and moving forward they would become less extravagant.

That may have been forced for a few years but like a spring under high tension, conspicuous consumption took over again to even greater heights. And the newest S-Class reflects that. Even more so in China (a country of 1.6B) the need to “differentiate” oneself from the masses is more important. And, of course, social media is fueled by that.

Once a culture goes down the “consumption rabbit hole” it’s never going to get out … it’s a drug.

The US masses went down it in the 80/90s, Europe followed in 90/00s, and Asia started in the 2010s.


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[sambb]

If you didnt buy 20 years ago, but put the $ in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested, you'd have about 5x. Of course would have to pay capital gains tax if you sold and got a rolex. But you would have done ok, and would be able to afford gray prices for a sub i think.