Calling Rolex Owners

[MeridasMum]

I've been 'courting' my Rolex contact for well over a year without successfully sourcing the watch I want (there is only one I'm looking for) newly released (ish) and they are few and far between.

Can anyone recommend anything else I can do to expedite it? I can't make one magically appear in store but can I try to get in touch with a head office? I'm desperate for tips.

I was aghast at the hoops you have to jump through to get a Rolex and keeping my contact sweet is really pissing me off!! I'm considering tell her to stuff it but I really really want it!!!

Regarding the Hermes journey... If you want a Birkin bag (which will cost you £6k+ at retail), you can't just walk in and buy one. You'll be told that there aren't any available - even if there are

Those who are committed to the cause will often travel to Paris; make an appointment for a bag consultation, where you discuss your requirements and why you think you deserve to be allowed to buy a Birkin bag; tell them which colours and trim details you would accept if such a bag were available. You get a proper grilling. Your specially trained Hermes consultant will then pretty much decide if they will allow you to have one from the stash they have out back. It seems they'd rather sell none than sell one to the "wrong" person.

Others submit to the need to "build a relationship" and repeatedly buy £200 scarves and hairbands in the hope it will bump them up the list.

I'm all for blowing money on wish list items but I refuse to play stupid games with retailers.

Birkin's do immediately appreciate in value though if you manage to snag one.

This place has them in stock.

Mark Worthington

This is how I learned about the Hermes journey

I bought my first birkin in my early 20s, went on to buy couple more , then I stopped, they got too ubiquitous. Much prefer other Hermes bags.

It’s not that difficult to get, and I think even customers who get one act all ," it took me two years to get ". I think it makes them appear special.

@PGordino

“the demand is so high, that if you do get one it will be worth around 30-50% more when you walk out of the door. It’s pretty much the best return on an investment you can get at the moment”

😯

Have you not paid attention to the interview bit?

You need to revise your oysters and your perpetuals.

The sad thing about Rolex watches, particularly ones like the Submariner, is that they were just supposed to be well made tool watches. Sturdily built, reliable movements but nothing fancy at all (none of the sort of hand finishing and decorating that makes watches by the likes of Patek or A Lange & Sohne so expensive. They ought to be reasonably costly to reflect the build quality, but still achievable.

Instead they’re now treated like a sort of currency. Massively overhyped beyond the good quality watch status they deserve, beloved of people who want to flex on Instagram (which isn’t all owners of course, but by god there are a lot of them on there).

There is a feedback loop of people thinking that it is worth paying more than retail price as they believe you will never lose money on them, and so they become desirable and sought after in a way that feels unconnected to the product itself (arguably a so-called Veblen good).

These decent quality watches have turned into almost unattainable status symbols, so now Rolex have to use their Tudor brand to sell watches that people can actually walk into a shop and buy (except for one or two popular models that might require hunting down).

Meanwhile Rolex are now inching closer to the sort of prices that people pay for watches that are beautifully hand finished by highly trained experts, and it really doesn’t make much sense.

I think of Rolex as a bit Footballer/WAG/Rap star style. It's what you buy when you've come from nothing and finally made it big.

Nothing wrong with that of course. Just surprised that there is a "normal" market out there for them these days

@justswaying

Have you looked on watchfinder OP?

Great company, I got mine from them.

Good luck OP. IMO they are worth every penny

Wow. This thread is fascinating! I had no idea about all this and I own a Rolex, a Bulgari and a lovely IWC. I mostly wear my Apple Watch.

The world’s gone mad

I inherited a gold Rolex from MIL. I've never taken it out if the safe!

This thread wins the internet. I’ve never seen such stealth boasting in my life.

I don't understand your issue OP. Dh and I just go and buy whatever watch we want at the time? Pay with cash they're happy to find us whichever it is we're after.

what is the Hermes journey??

Going up and down the three streets nearest your house with a photo of the rear view of somebody's recycling bin in the hope that you'll be able to find where they've hurled your parcel before it turns into papier mache.

@NeverDropYourMooncup
🤣🤣🤣

@NeverDropYourMooncup

what is the Hermes journey??

Going up and down the three streets nearest your house with a photo of the rear view of somebody's recycling bin in the hope that you'll be able to find where they've hurled your parcel before it turns into papier mache.

Yeah this is the only Hermes journey I'll ever know

@MondayYogurt how do the Kardashians & other rich celebrities fit into the Hermes journey? If Hermes really care about who gets their products, do they not care about which celebrities are linked to the brand?

I remember years ago LV were concerned about being popular with reality TV stars

I hear that there’s a great Rolex dealer on St Barths. So you could maybe combine a fancy getaway with a shopping trip? Win win.

When the Victorians got excited about tulips, they were hard to get hold of. So they got even more excited and the price of tulip bulbs rose higher than the price of a house.

Tulip bulbs aren’t worth much these days.

Rolexes are only valuable because the manufacturer makes them difficult to get hold of. They are literally messing you about on purpose to raise the value of their brand. Dunno why you want to buy from a business like that.

Imo rolexes are ugly 🤷‍♀️

www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160419-tulip-mania-the-flowers-that-cost-more-than-houses

How about a Tudor?

I remember years ago LV were concerned about being popular with reality TV stars

it’s said that Vuitton once sent snooki a Gucci bag, to damage their image .

VB killed Birkins for me, they looked cheap and tacky in all these bright colours.

When the Victorians got excited about tulips, they were hard to get hold of. So they got even more excited and the price of tulip bulbs rose higher than the price of a house.

Tulip mania was in the 17th century, during the reign of Charles I.

If tulip mania had been 100 years earlier then you could probably come up with a joke about a Tudor instead.

@queenofarles

I remember years ago LV were concerned about being popular with reality TV stars

it’s said that Vuitton once sent snooki a Gucci bag, to damage their image .

VB killed Birkins for me, they looked cheap and tacky in all these bright colours.

That's a great share!

There are much better quality watches than Rolex's

Can you get it with a different colour face and get it changed during a service?

I’ve got an Oyster perpetual with a pink face - not sure if it’s candy or not - which I bought in Watches of Switzerland

A few years ago, it unfortunately ended up in the washing machine (don’t ask!) and had to go back to WoS for a complete rebuild.

The face was damaged so had to be replaced as part of this, and they asked me if I wanted the exact same colour or a different one, which makes me presume it would be an easy thing to change during a service?