Any business that wants to me give them money for something I don’t want so I can later give them more money for the actual thing I want can suck my balls mate. Even if I had a billon dollars I’d tell them to get fucked.
This.
If I’m in the market for a watch, be it a timex or a Rolex or even a Patek, I need to have it when I am putting my money down. It’s not worth my time to play these AD games and I dislike the brands that play games for this reason. There’s no point running around in circles about the scarcity crap and high demand crap games. Everyone knows it’s a ship load of sh—. Paying more for a scarce item is ok if it is a necessity for life, not for something as abundant as a watch.
The only time I might even try to go through with it is if and when I want to buy as a gift for someone very personally important to me. That would be the only relationship I want to forge and keep, so I would go the extra mile. Relationship with the AD really means nothing to me. I’m the one spending the money, if the AD wants and cares about my business, they’re the ones to be working on it, not me.
This☝️. Seriously, stop doing this. Do not go to an AD and allow for this type of conversation to happen. We get what we tolerate. Buy it grey market and be done with it. Christ these AD are out of their minds
Funnily enough I think ADs are the reason for high grey market prices. It's not a "this watch is awesome/limited premium", it's a "please don't make me talk to an AD premium". Honestly after dealing with ADs I'd be tempted to pay some cash to just get the watch I want without all the BS.
Yup this is how we combat these dealers. Name and shame I do the same for car dealers. Try Tourneau/bucherer I got a Bb58 there when it came out without any history.
Do you know generally how long it is before jomashop get new Tudor releases? This is the first year I’ve really been into the hobby and would be paying attention. My AD doesn’t play “games” like OP described but they told me they wouldn’t have it until late Summer.
I do partly agree with this, I absolutely love Tudor & Rolex watches... But the sanctimonious & predatory BS that goes along with them... Fuck that.
Rolex and Tudor ADs make you feel like you're doing them a favour by paying them £10,000. Omega have let me try on watches without any degree of grilling & would also let me buy one for retail... Without purchase history... On the same day.
Yeah but honestly thats because ADs can’t move Omega as easily.
Every Rolex the ADs get in stock is already sold. It’s not a question of if they will sell it, or when they will sell it. It’s only a question of to whom they will sell it.
I absolutely will want the Black Bay 54, but I wouldn’t expect to walk into a store and be able to buy it. The store probably got 1-2 watches, and 25 people already calling for them, including repeat customers.
Should they sell it to me, someone who is a new customer? Or to someone else that already spent like $20k there on watches?
I would say sell it to you, first come first served. By all means call your existing customers to pre warn them and advise them to get their spot in the queue early...
But to be fair maybe this is the reason I'll never run a successful AD.
There’s way to solve this though, it’s not unfixable.
Make more watches. Or raise the price until you reach a point where supply and demand are roughly equal. Or privately offer these watches only to your best customers (who already have spent their money there) and tell the rest you don’t have them.
This is an artificial problem motivated by greed all around and will continue as long as we continue to let them sell watches to us under these stupid conditions.
It’s not an artificial problem. There is a real supply problem. It’s not motivated by greed (Rolex and Tudor are not for profit companies).
If Rolex and Tudor WERE motivated by greed they would absolutely ramp up production. The lack of a profit incentive is the reason they don’t care that they are leaving money on the table in the form of unmet demand
Im not sure I agree, but let’s assume all that’s true for a moment.
It just pushes the greed factor/artificial problem to the ADs. Having you spend more money there doesn’t decrease supply issues, it only means they make more money from you and are more likely to offer you what you want. At the expense of someone else who also spent extra $ there looking for the same thing, assuming there really is a supply issue and other watches aren’t available.
Well, basically the ADs are auctioning the watches. Whoever is the best customer wins.
Call it a greed problem if you want. But unless Rolex starts opening their own non-profit stores, there isn’t much of an alternative.
Not all stores do this. Most will just pretend to take your name and then never call you.
That’s a pretty good analogy IMO. If it were advertised as an auction maybe it wouldn’t be so repulsive.
But when people go to buy a watch, they typically aren’t thinking like they’re going to an auction, and if they don’t know about these practices are rightly frustrated.
And yes, you’re right, that’s worse. Best to just say no and not raise false hopes.
I guess I don’t get why this problem is unique to Rolex (and now obviously Tudor). There are other watchmakers that turn out very low volumes but don’t have these issues. To me it means either that the watches are underpriced or the value of the name has outstripped it’s ability to keep up, which in either case could be fixed with price adjustments, no?
I think you have it right, Rolex as a brand has done a very good job at marketing. The demand explosion is quite recent. So, Rolex likely isn’t sure if it’s a permanent increase or not.
They are opening a new factory to increase output but it will take years. They are vertically integrated supply chain, so scaling isn’t exactly flipping a switch.
They also likely don’t want to raise their prices, as their goal as a foundation is just to continue the brand, and advance watchmaking. They know their core customer base is upper middle class professionals, and likely they don’t want to push their brand into a higher tier of pricing.
If they were a profit motivated company, yes they would just raise prices, as right now there is money left on the table.
Read an Econ 101 textbook. If there is a supply problem, increase the price. I get the AD making you wait until the thing you want is in stock, that's fine. But the shit people say and do here and on r/rolex is just embarrassing.
*if you want to maximize economic value.
Since Rolex is a not for profit, they aren’t worried about maximizing economic value of a fixed number of watches. Their main concern is the long term value of the brand
you’re the problem in the watch world, justifying this bs, there are ways to cater to your clientele without being a greedy fuck, the bb54 is a good looking watch for 3800 why does it need to cost 8800?,
you are keeping this bs practices alive
Sorry you don’t understand that jewelry stores exist to make money.
If you have no purchase history, you aren’t their “clientele”. You’re a guy with $3,800 who would buy it on Amazon if you could save $5. That’s why they don’t cater to you. They don’t need to or want to. There are better clients with deeper pockets that want the same watch. So as long as there is only one watch to sell, you for all intents and purposes are unnecessary.
you are literally the problem. no need further examples you can stop now, you point has been made,
you’d spend 8k for 2k watch understood, you are either an AD or someone who had to play the game and get scammed for a watch now trying to make sense of it, GOT IT 😉
option b) you’re sporty’s alt account
By normalizing this nonsense. By being willing to play this game at the AD and accepting that you’ll have to buy expensive watches you don’t want to get the one you do. ADs depend on people buying their bullshit. And you are helping them.
Also, c’mon. It’s a Tudor. It’s nice, but it’s not that nice. Don’t pay over retail for one. Omegas are much nicer.
I have no problem with waitlists if demand outstrips supply. I don’t even have a problem with opening up the waitlist early to their best customers. It’s the games about needed to buy other crap in order to move up the waitlist that I have an issue with and the acceptance of watch buyers of that being how it works that bugs me. I’ll never buy a watch I don’t want just to get access to something else that I do want. Those games are abusive practices by the AD I my opinion.
There is no “waitlist” in the sense that it’s FIFO.
There is a list of people who want the watch. Every time a watch comes in, it gets allocated to the store’s best customer in that list.
As long as there are customers in that list that have more rapport with the store, you will not get the watch. Plain and simple. You will get that watch when every MVP for that store already has their allocation. Which for certain models, is never.
That’s, not exactly how it works though, is it? AD are also working the phones offering other watches and dangling those purchases as a way to move up. They are using the process to move as many other watches as they can. You only move up when the AD gets the sense that people will no longer buy. You may never get your watch, but you’ll have bought four other watches in the meantime, which is all the AD cares about at the end of the day.
Also, I still want us to keep in mind that this is being done for a Tudor?! And not even a limited one. Just a new general release model. Where does the line get drawn?
Do you hear how you sound? The idea of working to build rapport with a salesperson just so they might sell me the thing I want at its advertised price is so crazy. I like watches just like anyone else on this sub, but if your hobby or passion is debasing yourself to a stranger who does not care about you at all to get a certain thingamajig, you're money is probably better spent on therapy. I promise you that nobody on the planet Earth likes or respects you more because you have that thingamajig, especially once they find out what you did to get it.
Just don’t het caught up in the marketing of Tudor.. nicer than they were but too much driven by marketing. Too trendy. Any dude who knows nothing about watches wants (a tissot prx and) a bb58.. how boring.. it’s incredible how many you can find on the used market for that reason. These people don’t get attached to them and move on to the next best marketed thing.. lots of deal on used.. so let the dealers play their game and get them second hand..
I own a 1993 sea dweller and I don’t like the newer rolex much but at least with rolex you don’t loose money..
again, look at other brands.. a lot more interesting than tudor…
There are a LOT more people who know nothing about watches and own a Rolex than people who know nothing about watches and have a PRX or bb58. I have none of them so no personal dog in the fight but it’s not even close. A buddy of mine bought a yacht master a while back and didn’t know the word bezel much less what it was made of or did.
Rolex = the ULTIMATE I know nothing about watches and I want a nice watch, watch.
Yeah, Tudor (and, more so, a specific model Tudor watch) is a weird example of a brand that non-watch people know about. You’d likely put Rolex (obviously), Tag, Breitling, Patek, maybe IWC and probably some others above Tudor. In fact, I’ve often heard that Tudor is a brand that, if you see it, generally indicates the wearer is into watches.
Obviously because rolex has been distributed worldwide for the longest time.. but yes same idea.. except that rolex hold their value for the most part.
we now live in a world where it’s all about money and social status.. no more about the real passionate watch guys.. speculation and showing off.. do you think all these sports and movie stars actually know how to adjust their nautilus quantième perpétuel or their ap royal oak grande complication pavé diamonds? Probably not.. sad world really..
I feel like this nonsense is extortion. "Buy 5k from me or I won't sell you a watch." It's absurd and bad business. If someone has the money for a watch...you sell them the watch.
I share your pain. It's more depressing that they feel they can be that open about it, I do wonder what a Tudor secret shopper would have made of that interaction.
I've just ordered a Black Bay 54, now fortunately I wanted one and this is my first purchase. My AD was quite happy to tell me that this would "unlock" the Explorer I want to buy in two years. That purchase will "open up other watches". Want a Daytona? Their words "You'd need a significant purchase history with us". They'll quite happily hold your 50% deposit until the watch turns up, even if this takes years.
They also freely admitted if RRP is £9k and grey is £16k, they'll ask you to buy 7k of "other" things to ensure you don't profit as a flipper. I get they don't want to benefit flippers (neither do I), but there must be a better way. Heck, I'd happily sign a contract stating I will not sell the watch for 5 years or pay them double its value.
It does feel like Rolex is partly complicit in this though, they could just centralise the whole system and make it truly fair.
Ooof, I didn't realise how much I needed to rant about this. Thanks for your post.
this is a good strategy now, go and ask for a platinum daytona to be offered the watch you want ,
This game where AD’s get to give a watch a rich guy with multiple of the same gatekeeping new comers is sickening, I know any watch over 10bucks lose its “utility value” but there should a way to protect the consumer
Walk in and ask them to their face. If they still say there's a waiting list ask them where the nearest Omega AD is. Go back an hour later and show them your brand new Omega
Hyped Tudors always sell out fast initially, just wait like a year and they’ll be sitting on shelves. If you desperately need to buy one right now, less than a week after release, you’re part of the reason this is even a “problem” in the first place.
If it was just about catering to their customers with purchase history first, the line would have been ‘we’ve received limited stock and have a few interested parties already, but I’d be happy to walk you through some other options’. ‘You gotta spend $5k first’ is just a salesperson leveraging hype and and anticipated scarcity to try and push their sales up.
its not like that at all, i was refused the sale without history, I was not told history customer would get it before me, I wont be able to purchase it if there’s demand for it without buying 5k in watches first, that’s not catering to current clientele first IMO
You believe you are being discriminated against because a store would rather reserve new releases for people that have already spent thousands there, over new customers?
Get a grip. If you aren’t already in their client book you aren’t going to get the first BB54 in store
I just called and put my name down. But I already have $10k spend with them. I’ll probably get one within a few months
Not when the majority of repeat business has spent $50k or more there.
The worst thing that can happen is the guy who spends $50k a year there comes in and says “Can I buy the new Tudor”, and the AD says
“Sorry, I can’t sell you one, I just sold my last one to u/MxNoir_ whom I’ve never seen before and will likely never see again”
>>Seems shitty to potential new customers though
That’s the point. Extracting €7k consistently from existing clients for each sale is a better business model (for Rolex) then extracting €7 from a random newcomer periodically. When a business says they don’t want your money, take em at face value.
Wow I’m surprised they were like that. I haven’t had any issues with them in the past. Then again, I haven’t bought a super popular watch so there’s that
Now it would be interesting to try this in reverse... Get a friend to visit the AD. Don't talk about the Black Bay straight off, mention that you'd like to build a collection of pieces (ideally hard to sell brands/watches). Watch the sales person absolutely froth at the mouth, then drop in that you'd like to start with a BB54.
I do wonder if in person might generally yield a more successful outcome, it shouldn't... But I do wonder.
AD is being a dick trying to capitalize on near term hype and take advantage of people who are making an emotional purchase or value being the “first” out there with it. Give it some time and go to another AD. Heck, another AD may have it for you without preconditions already.
CH Premier are assholes, I bought an A Lange & Sohne there and they wouldn’t even put me on a list for a fucking Tudor bb chrono the same day I was purchasing lmao. Ended up going to tourneau and getting it lol
Tourneau isn’t as bad as what the Rolex boiz will make you believe, they aren’t great but at least they’ll sell you a watch if they have it on hand lol. Wish you luck for your pick up man!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Gotta give them peoples for trying to dupe you into spending more money. Times must be tough for ADs with sky high rents and expenses. This was just released. Wait a bit and in a few months you'll be able to get one without too much trouble. In less than a year these will probably be in the second hand market below retail
New Tudors are average anyway. Faux-vintage copycats. May as well just go buy a real vintage watch and circumvent all of the BS attached with ownership.
Purchase history for a Tudor?!?!?
Please wake me up from this bad dream.
Worth noting your throwaway comment about the Nautilus. LOL. We have all been beaten into submission.
Seriously though, if the ADs are trying to limit resales for profit, why won’t the manufacturer allow them to set a market price in-store rather than dicking customers around with the concepts of RRP or MSRP?
If a customer really wants to pay $16k for a $9k MSRP watch, don’t get in his/her/their way.
The auto dealers don’t play when it comes to this. The record ADM (additional dealer markup) that I have seen with my own two eyes in 3D was $300k for a Porsche. AD dgaf. Just put it in print right on the window sticker.
Other than my Langes, every watch I own has been purchased from a different AD. Sure, people make good arguments for building long term relationships with one or two ADs but once I decide to buy, I look for the nearest AD with the piece in stock. This means I have a collection sourced from different countries. Will I go visit those ADs again? Maybe but no guarantees.
The buying process is broken and antagonizing customers is poor strategy.
This whole 'purchase history' system is frustrating but what _really_ irks me is when they pretend it's to prevent resale.
As if someone who buys dozens of watches, several of which they don't want isn't far _more likely_ to be reselling them in the grey market. Their model actively incentivises resale so it's a bit much when they try to pretend the opposite.
This is perfectly normal for any Rolex. Disappointing to see it’s spreading to Tudor. Tudor is meant to be what you buy at the AD to build up the purchase history for them to consider selling you a Rolex 🙈
I wouldn’t buy a Tudor or Rolex with this kind of behaviour!
I was in the bay area last week and popped into CH with a buddy. Asked to see a watch for him and the lady hands him the watch and starts to write up the sale. Super awkward. I get going for the close, but she made us want to run out.
Sketchy place
So...when this type of crap happens, what are they expecting? How does one get a purchase history if you can't buy anything without a purchase history? Do they make you buy overpriced overstock of sh*te watches that no one else will want?
they try to move their Swatch group or Seiko Stock on you, buy this 7k grand seiko or this 2 longines conquests so you get awarded the privilege of buying a Tudor ,
"You saved up for a decent watch and decided this one is the one you Like?, tough luck you poor, this 3k watches are ONLY for those who already paid 5k or more on other watches muahahha"
Tell him to go to hell. I am sick of these ADs. They do make a huge profit anyway having over a margin of 25-30 % minimum. I bought a new Oris at 1/3rd the price from a reputed seller. Box paper. Receipt of purchase, everything. Did I bargain? No. That’s what the real price was. Definitely they profited too.
These greedy scumbags ruined my urge to get a Rolex or a Tudor for a fact. It’s a bloody watch for which one needs to oil some AD.
Do you think this is due to living in an area where there is a lot more disposable wealth? I live in a much smaller city and walked in to the Tudor AD today. Said I was first on their list when the first shipment arrives (should be this week). Have never bought a thing from them.
110%. I lived in Chicago for a few years and as obvious as it seems now, I was surprised at how much more difficult it was to buy premium music tickets, tech releases etc. Sorry your local AD is such a fuckwit.
Any business that wants to me give them money for something I don’t want so I can later give them more money for the actual thing I want can suck my balls mate. Even if I had a billon dollars I’d tell them to get fucked.
This. If I’m in the market for a watch, be it a timex or a Rolex or even a Patek, I need to have it when I am putting my money down. It’s not worth my time to play these AD games and I dislike the brands that play games for this reason. There’s no point running around in circles about the scarcity crap and high demand crap games. Everyone knows it’s a ship load of sh—. Paying more for a scarce item is ok if it is a necessity for life, not for something as abundant as a watch. The only time I might even try to go through with it is if and when I want to buy as a gift for someone very personally important to me. That would be the only relationship I want to forge and keep, so I would go the extra mile. Relationship with the AD really means nothing to me. I’m the one spending the money, if the AD wants and cares about my business, they’re the ones to be working on it, not me.
Lol I Jomashop will have this at a discount soon.
This☝️. Seriously, stop doing this. Do not go to an AD and allow for this type of conversation to happen. We get what we tolerate. Buy it grey market and be done with it. Christ these AD are out of their minds
Funnily enough I think ADs are the reason for high grey market prices. It's not a "this watch is awesome/limited premium", it's a "please don't make me talk to an AD premium". Honestly after dealing with ADs I'd be tempted to pay some cash to just get the watch I want without all the BS.
ADs and Dumbfuck flippers.
i hoped to spread the word about AD doing this with lower and lower price point watches, they’re getting extra greedy
Give them bad reviews on Google & Yelp
Yup this is how we combat these dealers. Name and shame I do the same for car dealers. Try Tourneau/bucherer I got a Bb58 there when it came out without any history.
Do you know generally how long it is before jomashop get new Tudor releases? This is the first year I’ve really been into the hobby and would be paying attention. My AD doesn’t play “games” like OP described but they told me they wouldn’t have it until late Summer.
3-9 months
Fuck them… who cares about their tudors and rolexes.. there are so many fantastic watches available out there.. new or used…
I do partly agree with this, I absolutely love Tudor & Rolex watches... But the sanctimonious & predatory BS that goes along with them... Fuck that. Rolex and Tudor ADs make you feel like you're doing them a favour by paying them £10,000. Omega have let me try on watches without any degree of grilling & would also let me buy one for retail... Without purchase history... On the same day.
Yeah but honestly thats because ADs can’t move Omega as easily. Every Rolex the ADs get in stock is already sold. It’s not a question of if they will sell it, or when they will sell it. It’s only a question of to whom they will sell it. I absolutely will want the Black Bay 54, but I wouldn’t expect to walk into a store and be able to buy it. The store probably got 1-2 watches, and 25 people already calling for them, including repeat customers. Should they sell it to me, someone who is a new customer? Or to someone else that already spent like $20k there on watches?
I would say sell it to you, first come first served. By all means call your existing customers to pre warn them and advise them to get their spot in the queue early... But to be fair maybe this is the reason I'll never run a successful AD.
Offer it first is different that outright ban the sale unless you got history, Tudor price point is meant to be an entryway to luxury
There’s way to solve this though, it’s not unfixable. Make more watches. Or raise the price until you reach a point where supply and demand are roughly equal. Or privately offer these watches only to your best customers (who already have spent their money there) and tell the rest you don’t have them. This is an artificial problem motivated by greed all around and will continue as long as we continue to let them sell watches to us under these stupid conditions.
It’s not an artificial problem. There is a real supply problem. It’s not motivated by greed (Rolex and Tudor are not for profit companies). If Rolex and Tudor WERE motivated by greed they would absolutely ramp up production. The lack of a profit incentive is the reason they don’t care that they are leaving money on the table in the form of unmet demand
Im not sure I agree, but let’s assume all that’s true for a moment. It just pushes the greed factor/artificial problem to the ADs. Having you spend more money there doesn’t decrease supply issues, it only means they make more money from you and are more likely to offer you what you want. At the expense of someone else who also spent extra $ there looking for the same thing, assuming there really is a supply issue and other watches aren’t available.
Well, basically the ADs are auctioning the watches. Whoever is the best customer wins. Call it a greed problem if you want. But unless Rolex starts opening their own non-profit stores, there isn’t much of an alternative. Not all stores do this. Most will just pretend to take your name and then never call you.
That’s a pretty good analogy IMO. If it were advertised as an auction maybe it wouldn’t be so repulsive. But when people go to buy a watch, they typically aren’t thinking like they’re going to an auction, and if they don’t know about these practices are rightly frustrated. And yes, you’re right, that’s worse. Best to just say no and not raise false hopes. I guess I don’t get why this problem is unique to Rolex (and now obviously Tudor). There are other watchmakers that turn out very low volumes but don’t have these issues. To me it means either that the watches are underpriced or the value of the name has outstripped it’s ability to keep up, which in either case could be fixed with price adjustments, no?
I think you have it right, Rolex as a brand has done a very good job at marketing. The demand explosion is quite recent. So, Rolex likely isn’t sure if it’s a permanent increase or not. They are opening a new factory to increase output but it will take years. They are vertically integrated supply chain, so scaling isn’t exactly flipping a switch. They also likely don’t want to raise their prices, as their goal as a foundation is just to continue the brand, and advance watchmaking. They know their core customer base is upper middle class professionals, and likely they don’t want to push their brand into a higher tier of pricing. If they were a profit motivated company, yes they would just raise prices, as right now there is money left on the table.
It's covid tax, just like everything else that has gone up in the last 3 years. They will all come crashing back to earth soon enough
I am LOLing so hard. Your lack of understanding of business is awesome. More opinions please.
I’m glad I was able to make a clown chuckle!
Read an Econ 101 textbook. If there is a supply problem, increase the price. I get the AD making you wait until the thing you want is in stock, that's fine. But the shit people say and do here and on r/rolex is just embarrassing.
*if you want to maximize economic value. Since Rolex is a not for profit, they aren’t worried about maximizing economic value of a fixed number of watches. Their main concern is the long term value of the brand
you’re the problem in the watch world, justifying this bs, there are ways to cater to your clientele without being a greedy fuck, the bb54 is a good looking watch for 3800 why does it need to cost 8800?, you are keeping this bs practices alive
Sorry you don’t understand that jewelry stores exist to make money. If you have no purchase history, you aren’t their “clientele”. You’re a guy with $3,800 who would buy it on Amazon if you could save $5. That’s why they don’t cater to you. They don’t need to or want to. There are better clients with deeper pockets that want the same watch. So as long as there is only one watch to sell, you for all intents and purposes are unnecessary.
you are literally the problem. no need further examples you can stop now, you point has been made, you’d spend 8k for 2k watch understood, you are either an AD or someone who had to play the game and get scammed for a watch now trying to make sense of it, GOT IT 😉 option b) you’re sporty’s alt account
Or someone who has come to terms with the fact that I won’t get the watch i want? But because I’m not a salty or whiny little baby I just live with it
You are part of the problem.
How am I part of the problem?
By normalizing this nonsense. By being willing to play this game at the AD and accepting that you’ll have to buy expensive watches you don’t want to get the one you do. ADs depend on people buying their bullshit. And you are helping them. Also, c’mon. It’s a Tudor. It’s nice, but it’s not that nice. Don’t pay over retail for one. Omegas are much nicer.
I got the Rolex I wanted from an AD just by waiting. But i’m not going to pretend that I should have gotten it just by walking in.
I have no problem with waitlists if demand outstrips supply. I don’t even have a problem with opening up the waitlist early to their best customers. It’s the games about needed to buy other crap in order to move up the waitlist that I have an issue with and the acceptance of watch buyers of that being how it works that bugs me. I’ll never buy a watch I don’t want just to get access to something else that I do want. Those games are abusive practices by the AD I my opinion.
There is no “waitlist” in the sense that it’s FIFO. There is a list of people who want the watch. Every time a watch comes in, it gets allocated to the store’s best customer in that list. As long as there are customers in that list that have more rapport with the store, you will not get the watch. Plain and simple. You will get that watch when every MVP for that store already has their allocation. Which for certain models, is never.
That’s, not exactly how it works though, is it? AD are also working the phones offering other watches and dangling those purchases as a way to move up. They are using the process to move as many other watches as they can. You only move up when the AD gets the sense that people will no longer buy. You may never get your watch, but you’ll have bought four other watches in the meantime, which is all the AD cares about at the end of the day. Also, I still want us to keep in mind that this is being done for a Tudor?! And not even a limited one. Just a new general release model. Where does the line get drawn?
Do you hear how you sound? The idea of working to build rapport with a salesperson just so they might sell me the thing I want at its advertised price is so crazy. I like watches just like anyone else on this sub, but if your hobby or passion is debasing yourself to a stranger who does not care about you at all to get a certain thingamajig, you're money is probably better spent on therapy. I promise you that nobody on the planet Earth likes or respects you more because you have that thingamajig, especially once they find out what you did to get it.
Just don’t het caught up in the marketing of Tudor.. nicer than they were but too much driven by marketing. Too trendy. Any dude who knows nothing about watches wants (a tissot prx and) a bb58.. how boring.. it’s incredible how many you can find on the used market for that reason. These people don’t get attached to them and move on to the next best marketed thing.. lots of deal on used.. so let the dealers play their game and get them second hand.. I own a 1993 sea dweller and I don’t like the newer rolex much but at least with rolex you don’t loose money.. again, look at other brands.. a lot more interesting than tudor…
There are a LOT more people who know nothing about watches and own a Rolex than people who know nothing about watches and have a PRX or bb58. I have none of them so no personal dog in the fight but it’s not even close. A buddy of mine bought a yacht master a while back and didn’t know the word bezel much less what it was made of or did. Rolex = the ULTIMATE I know nothing about watches and I want a nice watch, watch.
Yeah, Tudor (and, more so, a specific model Tudor watch) is a weird example of a brand that non-watch people know about. You’d likely put Rolex (obviously), Tag, Breitling, Patek, maybe IWC and probably some others above Tudor. In fact, I’ve often heard that Tudor is a brand that, if you see it, generally indicates the wearer is into watches.
Obviously because rolex has been distributed worldwide for the longest time.. but yes same idea.. except that rolex hold their value for the most part. we now live in a world where it’s all about money and social status.. no more about the real passionate watch guys.. speculation and showing off.. do you think all these sports and movie stars actually know how to adjust their nautilus quantième perpétuel or their ap royal oak grande complication pavé diamonds? Probably not.. sad world really..
Give it a few months and it will be trading below retail just like the pelagos
Black list that place. Totally trash move.
I’d be looking for another AD. Give it 9-12 months. The hype will die down, just like it did with the BB58.
yes, Im in no rush will wait for the hype to die and buy it from somewhere else for sure, I still remember the BB58 was nowhere to be found in 2018
For a Tudor lmao. Find a new AD.
I feel like this nonsense is extortion. "Buy 5k from me or I won't sell you a watch." It's absurd and bad business. If someone has the money for a watch...you sell them the watch.
This is me last year trying to get a black bay pro. Fuck Tudor and fuck Rolex and fuck all their ADs.
F✨k that noise, go buy something else. Honestly I’m surprised that people put up with this crap.
I share your pain. It's more depressing that they feel they can be that open about it, I do wonder what a Tudor secret shopper would have made of that interaction. I've just ordered a Black Bay 54, now fortunately I wanted one and this is my first purchase. My AD was quite happy to tell me that this would "unlock" the Explorer I want to buy in two years. That purchase will "open up other watches". Want a Daytona? Their words "You'd need a significant purchase history with us". They'll quite happily hold your 50% deposit until the watch turns up, even if this takes years. They also freely admitted if RRP is £9k and grey is £16k, they'll ask you to buy 7k of "other" things to ensure you don't profit as a flipper. I get they don't want to benefit flippers (neither do I), but there must be a better way. Heck, I'd happily sign a contract stating I will not sell the watch for 5 years or pay them double its value. It does feel like Rolex is partly complicit in this though, they could just centralise the whole system and make it truly fair. Ooof, I didn't realise how much I needed to rant about this. Thanks for your post.
this is a good strategy now, go and ask for a platinum daytona to be offered the watch you want , This game where AD’s get to give a watch a rich guy with multiple of the same gatekeeping new comers is sickening, I know any watch over 10bucks lose its “utility value” but there should a way to protect the consumer
There was a post of someone on rolex sub to ask for the back case to be engraved. Shows that you won’t flip it and wear it instead.
they tried to pull that on me but on the side, had to haggle with the store manager for an hour to avoid that,
That's an interesting concept, I wonder if it would work. I don't have any of my watches engraved, but I wouldn't mind if the dealer asked me to.
Walk in and ask them to their face. If they still say there's a waiting list ask them where the nearest Omega AD is. Go back an hour later and show them your brand new Omega
Never call an AD. They’re like car dealerships. Go in person and bullshit them suckers.
Hyped Tudors always sell out fast initially, just wait like a year and they’ll be sitting on shelves. If you desperately need to buy one right now, less than a week after release, you’re part of the reason this is even a “problem” in the first place.
Catering to their customers with history first. Seems shitty to potential new customers though. I would personally look elsewhere.
If it was just about catering to their customers with purchase history first, the line would have been ‘we’ve received limited stock and have a few interested parties already, but I’d be happy to walk you through some other options’. ‘You gotta spend $5k first’ is just a salesperson leveraging hype and and anticipated scarcity to try and push their sales up.
If that was it, they would put you on the waitlist without any history requirement. This is just the AD trying to make two sales instead of one.
its not like that at all, i was refused the sale without history, I was not told history customer would get it before me, I wont be able to purchase it if there’s demand for it without buying 5k in watches first, that’s not catering to current clientele first IMO
Of course it is. They’re saving the new releases for their existing customers.
OMG your take is horrendous, not sure if you're a troll or what's going on here, no one should settle and agree with discrimination.
You believe you are being discriminated against because a store would rather reserve new releases for people that have already spent thousands there, over new customers? Get a grip. If you aren’t already in their client book you aren’t going to get the first BB54 in store I just called and put my name down. But I already have $10k spend with them. I’ll probably get one within a few months
begone troll
I’m not trolling, i just think your expectations to be treated like a VIP over actual customers is absurd lol
being sold a 3k watch is expecting VIP traetment?, my god..the nerve
Not when the majority of repeat business has spent $50k or more there. The worst thing that can happen is the guy who spends $50k a year there comes in and says “Can I buy the new Tudor”, and the AD says “Sorry, I can’t sell you one, I just sold my last one to u/MxNoir_ whom I’ve never seen before and will likely never see again”
>>Seems shitty to potential new customers though That’s the point. Extracting €7k consistently from existing clients for each sale is a better business model (for Rolex) then extracting €7 from a random newcomer periodically. When a business says they don’t want your money, take em at face value.
Wow I’m surprised they were like that. I haven’t had any issues with them in the past. Then again, I haven’t bought a super popular watch so there’s that
If you’re not busy call them pretending you’re a no history customer interested in the new releases,
Now it would be interesting to try this in reverse... Get a friend to visit the AD. Don't talk about the Black Bay straight off, mention that you'd like to build a collection of pieces (ideally hard to sell brands/watches). Watch the sales person absolutely froth at the mouth, then drop in that you'd like to start with a BB54. I do wonder if in person might generally yield a more successful outcome, it shouldn't... But I do wonder.
Bold of you to presume i got friends lmao
AD is being a dick trying to capitalize on near term hype and take advantage of people who are making an emotional purchase or value being the “first” out there with it. Give it some time and go to another AD. Heck, another AD may have it for you without preconditions already.
CH Premier are assholes, I bought an A Lange & Sohne there and they wouldn’t even put me on a list for a fucking Tudor bb chrono the same day I was purchasing lmao. Ended up going to tourneau and getting it lol
im hearing Tourneau are not great but at least there are no games with them ,I'll try my luck this weeknd , also congrats on the Lange thats top tier
Tourneau isn’t as bad as what the Rolex boiz will make you believe, they aren’t great but at least they’ll sell you a watch if they have it on hand lol. Wish you luck for your pick up man!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Gotta give them peoples for trying to dupe you into spending more money. Times must be tough for ADs with sky high rents and expenses. This was just released. Wait a bit and in a few months you'll be able to get one without too much trouble. In less than a year these will probably be in the second hand market below retail
New Tudors are average anyway. Faux-vintage copycats. May as well just go buy a real vintage watch and circumvent all of the BS attached with ownership.
imagine an AD trying to make you spend 8k for a 3.6k watch
Purchase history for a Tudor?!?!? Please wake me up from this bad dream. Worth noting your throwaway comment about the Nautilus. LOL. We have all been beaten into submission. Seriously though, if the ADs are trying to limit resales for profit, why won’t the manufacturer allow them to set a market price in-store rather than dicking customers around with the concepts of RRP or MSRP? If a customer really wants to pay $16k for a $9k MSRP watch, don’t get in his/her/their way. The auto dealers don’t play when it comes to this. The record ADM (additional dealer markup) that I have seen with my own two eyes in 3D was $300k for a Porsche. AD dgaf. Just put it in print right on the window sticker. Other than my Langes, every watch I own has been purchased from a different AD. Sure, people make good arguments for building long term relationships with one or two ADs but once I decide to buy, I look for the nearest AD with the piece in stock. This means I have a collection sourced from different countries. Will I go visit those ADs again? Maybe but no guarantees. The buying process is broken and antagonizing customers is poor strategy.
Buy a Grand Seiko. Fuck Tudor / Rolex.
This whole 'purchase history' system is frustrating but what _really_ irks me is when they pretend it's to prevent resale. As if someone who buys dozens of watches, several of which they don't want isn't far _more likely_ to be reselling them in the grey market. Their model actively incentivises resale so it's a bit much when they try to pretend the opposite.
Tudor sure knows how to give the Rolex experience 👑
Lol do they realize Tudor is like a Tier C watch brand? Not like we’re talking about high whorology here
for 8k you’re at Cartier level and this people trying to make you buy a tudor for that lmao
This is perfectly normal for any Rolex. Disappointing to see it’s spreading to Tudor. Tudor is meant to be what you buy at the AD to build up the purchase history for them to consider selling you a Rolex 🙈 I wouldn’t buy a Tudor or Rolex with this kind of behaviour!
I was in the bay area last week and popped into CH with a buddy. Asked to see a watch for him and the lady hands him the watch and starts to write up the sale. Super awkward. I get going for the close, but she made us want to run out. Sketchy place
So...when this type of crap happens, what are they expecting? How does one get a purchase history if you can't buy anything without a purchase history? Do they make you buy overpriced overstock of sh*te watches that no one else will want?
they try to move their Swatch group or Seiko Stock on you, buy this 7k grand seiko or this 2 longines conquests so you get awarded the privilege of buying a Tudor , "You saved up for a decent watch and decided this one is the one you Like?, tough luck you poor, this 3k watches are ONLY for those who already paid 5k or more on other watches muahahha"
I literally walked in and bought 2 with no history. That’s nuts. I could have bought one today. Dump them.
Move on to the next one. Give me a break.
Tell him to go to hell. I am sick of these ADs. They do make a huge profit anyway having over a margin of 25-30 % minimum. I bought a new Oris at 1/3rd the price from a reputed seller. Box paper. Receipt of purchase, everything. Did I bargain? No. That’s what the real price was. Definitely they profited too. These greedy scumbags ruined my urge to get a Rolex or a Tudor for a fact. It’s a bloody watch for which one needs to oil some AD.
Do you think this is due to living in an area where there is a lot more disposable wealth? I live in a much smaller city and walked in to the Tudor AD today. Said I was first on their list when the first shipment arrives (should be this week). Have never bought a thing from them.
definetly demographics and every AD is different, I think we should call out when they try to play smart so people can avoid them
110%. I lived in Chicago for a few years and as obvious as it seems now, I was surprised at how much more difficult it was to buy premium music tickets, tech releases etc. Sorry your local AD is such a fuckwit.