Santorini

[GusFring]

Hi Everybody

I’m sure many people have been before, but just came back and wow for a watch fan it’s a great place (Thira specifically) name the luxury watch manufacturer and they had a shop there! Living over 100 miles from London in the UK boutiques are few and far between.
I know Santorini has become a pretty hot tourist destination but I didn’t expect there to many so many boutiques

First time I’d seen a chopard alpine in the flesh, plenty of VC and the usual Rolex exhibitions.

I didn’t try to buy anything but would have been interesting to see the Rolex AD response over there!

Has anybody else been somewhere that caught them by surprise from a watch perspective?

[rolex16]

Santorini is awesome, I went years ago and remember many jewelry stores, etc. I also remember a lot of cruise ships coming in, almost Caribbean island-style. I nearly bought a 14060M at an AD there, but they wouldn't move on price, so bought back in the US when I returned.

[rolexpure]

I did a 1 week island hopping tour on a cruise ship many years ago around all the greek islands.

Santorini was one of my favourites. Its a beautiful island. Very touristy and quite expensive from memory but well worth it if you never been.

Back then Rolex was not popular as today I should have bought up every single piece they had at MSRP. hahaha

[GusFring]

Originally Posted by rolex16

Santorini is awesome, I went years ago and remember many jewelry stores, etc. I also remember a lot of cruise ships coming in, almost Caribbean island-style. I nearly bought a 14060M at an AD there, but they wouldn't move on price, so bought back in the US when I returned.

Lovely place, unfortuantely as per most places now it’s been takeover by the Instagram brigade crowding all the spots and turning them in to photoshoots.

I wish I’d have had a bit more time, I’d have wandered in to the AD and tried my luck!

[GusFring]

Originally Posted by rolexpure

I did a 1 week island hopping tour on a cruise ship many years ago around all the greek islands.

Santorini was one of my favourites. Its a beautiful island. Very touristy and quite expensive from memory but well worth it if you never been.

Back then Rolex was not popular as today I should have bought up every single piece they had at MSRP. hahaha

I suspect it’s quite a unique position in terms of managing their allocation, as rolex16 said above a lot of cruise ships and tourist footfall, not arrogant enough to believe there aren’t residents with money to spend living on the island or indeed on mainland Greece who would get priority potentially, but I suspect they would shift the ‘less desirable’ models to tourists who seemed decent enough?

[HelloMelo]

Will also be visiting Corfu, Athens and Santorini in a week! Let me know if you have had any lucks with the AD's there

[brandrea]

I believe someone posted an incoming of a 41 mm DJ from a trip to Santorini.

That’s said, it’s a beautiful island, and if you’ve never been you love it. For us, it’s more of a one and done sort of destination.

I’d rather spend time on the smaller outliers like Kythira. YMMV.

[GusFring]

Originally Posted by HelloMelo

Will also be visiting Corfu, Athens and Santorini in a week! Let me know if you have had any lucks with the AD's there

Enjoy you’ll love it! I want to do Athens later in the year too hot for us currently! Mind you it’s a lot closer for us than you too.

I think if you have the $ bills you might get lucky, let me know how you get on but who knows! Fingers crossed if you do go on the hunt when in Santorini you must go to Thira as I say on my OP!

[GusFring]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I believe someone posted an incoming of a 41 mm DJ from a trip to Santorini.

That’s said, it’s a beautiful island, and if you’ve never been you love it. For us, it’s more of a one and done sort of destination.

I’d rather spend time on the smaller outliers like Kythira. YMMV.

Absolutely I agree, I think we’d definitely visit again but explore the many other islands there’s far too many to go back to the same one every year; just surprising the number of boutiques!

[SLMinATX]

I was there last September, a stop-over on a cruise. Visited the ADs in Thira and Oia. Both had Rolex available for purchase, perhaps because tourist travel was still very light.

AD in Thira had a Milgaus and a stainless Yachtmaster 2. And probably other lesser desirable pieces that I don't recall. Very small store. In Oia they had a rose gold Skydweller on Oysterflex available and I also think they had a Yachtmaster 2 in stainless. Larger store and other brands available too. They also had on display a white gold GMT with the blue dial. It was sold and awaiting its new owner but they let me try it on and drool.

I didn't buy anything but that Skydweller sure was beautiful, just a bit over what my credit card maximum could allow. Plus I'm not ready to shell out over $40 grand for a non-metal bracelet.

Do they have any inventory now? Don't know. But it was such a treat to go into two stores and have at least a few desirable pieces available. Salespeople at both were very friendly and helpful.

To those going soon, good luck, it's a magically beautiful place. Enjoy and safe travels.

[GusFring]

Originally Posted by SLMinATX

I was there last September, a stop-over on a cruise. Visited the ADs in Thira and Oia. Both had Rolex available for purchase, perhaps because tourist travel was still very light.

AD in Thira had a Milgaus and a stainless Yachtmaster 2. And probably other lesser desirable pieces that I don't recall. Very small store. In Oia they had a rose gold Skydweller on Oysterflex available and I also think they had a Yachtmaster 2 in stainless. Larger store and other brands available too. They also had on display a white gold GMT with the blue dial. It was sold and awaiting its new owner but they let me try it on and drool.

I didn't buy anything but that Skydweller sure was beautiful, just a bit over what my credit card maximum could allow. Plus I'm not ready to shell out over $40 grand for a non-metal bracelet.

Do they have any inventory now? Don't know. But it was such a treat to go into two stores and have at least a few desirable pieces available. Salespeople at both were very friendly and helpful.

To those going soon, good luck, it's a magically beautiful place. Enjoy and safe travels.

Not too sure on the inventories as said I didn’t have the time to essentially waste as I didn’t have any of my cards with me plus it was pretty busy around the streets and in the doorways etc. so I didn’t want to hassle the sales staff but they were certainly all smiles as I stood at the window, in Oia it looked like they had a number of skydwellers though oddly which is ironically the one I want next (white dial) at a small boutique.
I also totally agree with you on the WG, I’d love to see one a full watch in the flesh as even the hints of WG on the datejust make it special.