Baselworld/SIHH

By way of background, having been a Rolex and Rolex only guy for over 30 years now, having bought maybe 20+ new Rolex many of them sports watches from the same dealer upto 5 years ago, the AD lost the dealership, the new AD was in the same town and someone we had bought jewelry from for over 30 years, so it wasn't like starting over new again...and the new Daytona came out and they put me near top of the list and guess what nearly 15 months ago they lost the Rolex dealership under the UK scaling back plans..the only local AD left we have known for years and so they put  me on the Daytona list,  then I ordered a new Seadweller before Basle last year(on the list) and a steel Skydweller (on the list)......they have written to me recently and I've had to agree to in writing (to remain on the lists) the watches when delivered having all the plastic stickers removed, the guarantee card being made out to me (never been a problem for me in the past) and they will retain the guarantee card for 12 months after the sale ,in their safe, before releasing it to me and its basically tough sh*t if they lose the guarantee card whilst in their possession , as Rolex wont supply a replacement guarantee card if lost. whilst in their charge.......................

Whilst I have some sympathy for the attempts to stop people flipping watches in demand immediately for quick profits, I'm kinda taken aback by the steps being taken for basically a watch, especially when the dealers know who they are selling to as the have restricted their list to locals who they have had dealings with............gone are the days where if you had the money in your pocket and the watch was in the window or they could get it from Rolex for you you parted with your cash and took the watch away...........its taken some of the pleasure and satisfaction of the acquisition of the watch you want..........so much so I find it simply off putting to buy a sports Rolex these days especially for someone who has been loyal to the brand for over 30+ years and in that time I've usually traded in my old watch for a new one rather than flipping them. As I want to keep these watches I want to buy them new and not secondhand.

So much so that 15 month or so ago I purchased a new Tudor BB with inhouse movement and  the rivet bracelet, although I rarely wear watches these days, the AD almost gave it away to me, as they had just  heard they had lost the dealership and a Daytona was not expected to arrive to complete my order.........that is how things go sometimes.............

I  currently have 2 watches I keep out the safe and  I alternate between, the Tudor BB and a Rolex 16523 Floating Cosmograph and increasingly the Rolex gets less and less wrist time even though its my all time modern favorite..whilst I'm looking forward to eventually getting the new watches currently on order, my long drawn out conditional buying experience is leaving a bit of a sour taste for Rolex these days..........there was a time that your money was good enough but now even long term customers are being treated quite poorly by the current direction the brand is taking, . I just hope that Tudor doesn't follow the same path.

regards

John

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