AD Shenanigans: Advice Needed

I think you're reading too much into it. You clearly like watches, her job is to sell things to people, the sales rep is trying to get you to buy watches she thinks are cool. 

Out of curiosity, what are you doing when you go in to visit every month or two? Are you talking about watches in general, or just asking about the specific watches you asked for? 

I ask because I want to understand this whole "build a relationship" thing. In my experience (with cars mostly), the only relationship that matters to sales reps and dealers is how much you've bought from them. They don't care more about you if you come in tire kicking, than they care about any other random person off the street. 

I think @KristianG has nailed it on the head.

I have an amazing relationship with my GS Boutique guy...  but only because I've spent a ton of money with him.  No matter how scintillating my conversation, and how bubbly my personality, he wouldn't give me the time of day if I hadn't dropped a load of cash on his head.

Hmmmm...  now that I think about it, my marriage is kinda the same.  But, whatever.

You may be right. We talk watches, life, family etc. I've spent five figures with them since March of this year.

Oke doke. Thanks for the insights guys. Much appreciated.

I think the answer is obvious, Take all of your Rolex watches to HotWatchChick69's Grand Seiko AD and trade them in for Grand Seikos.  Forget the126610LV and get a GS diver or a Fifty Fathoms.  

Rolex being Rolex is the reason I buy Omega.  I’m sorry but I can’t stomach the game that Rolex ADs have made out of buying a watch.  There’s one or two Rolex watches I might have considered buying if Rolex ADs weren’t more snooty than the valets at the restaurant in the movie LA Story.  In answer to the OP, yes I think you are being played into buying stuff with the soft ‘whiff’ that you are ‘getting closer’ to the watch you actually want to buy.  As I understand Rolex distribution, the ADs have no say in what Rolex unilaterally decides to send them.  So, I therefore posit, she has no way to know when the AD might get the watch you want.  Even if the elusive watch is sent by Rolex, there’s every reason to believe it could go to someone that has been snookered into buying thousands of dollars of unwanted goods.  I could be wrong.  But I’ll never even walk over to a Rolex case ever again.

These are the games one plays if you want to chase down a Rolex at MSRP. I decided a while ago, based on a horrible AD experience, to not consider any Rolex. There are equal watches available for less, much better watches available for the same price, and both can be had without all the hoops to jump through. If you really want one, go grey. 

Come on, man!  We love what we love.  You can't tell someone to just drop whatever and go for something else.  The heart wants what the heart wants!

There was this gal I met in college, and have been hung up on her for 30 years now!  Even to this day, when she emails me, my heart skips a beat. 

Nonetheless, while she was my first adult (emotionally-stunted man-child?) crush, the woman I subsequently ended up marrying has been a far, far better match, and we've been happily married for some time now.

Kinda like my decision to go from this...

... to this...

Hey, OP, here's a nice GMT watch!  SBGE215 in titanium!  33% off MSRP on Chrono24 brand new!

SBGE201 - 30% off MSRP on Chrono24 brand new!

SBGJ237 - 26.5% off MSRP on Chrono24 brand new...  and it's 36,000 vph!

I think it all depends on the AD and your first hand impressions are the best.  Good luck and stick with it because it sounds like you, at least, have a shot. 

I have been on the "list" for a BLNR for 3 years now with my AD who I have a purchase history (Omega and Tudor). I don't know if it's because I'm in Southern California and just can't spend enough to move the needle but my AD has never even hinted that I will get the BLNR and when asked just says it's very very popular and supplies are tight. My salesman is a great guy and never pressures me to buy other watches during my frequent visits but I don't think I'll ever get off the list. 

Good luck again.

OP, sounds like you are doing the right things. A couple of questions:

• Are any of your previous purchases a Rolex?  Have they offered you others and you turn them down? IE, did you turn down a Sub in hopes to get a Starbucks?
• Are you in a major city? IE, your profile says Midwest, but $10K in CRM data will not get you a Sub of any kind, never mind a Starbucks or Batman in Chicago. Honestly, it would still be tough in a small market like Indianapolis or Minneapolis, but definitely doable. 
• Is any of the $10K jewelry?
• Are any of the purchases used models?

I ask because it is not always the spend, it is the type of spend. Yes, we can talk all day about why it should not matter, but it does when it comes to buying certain luxury brands, like Rolex and it's been that way for ages.  

I wish you the best of luck, but those two particular models are going to be a challenge for most and rarely (very rarely) will they be the first Rolex an AD lets you get unless your high margin spend is significantly higher. IE, you may be incentivized with a Batman if you buy a $25K engagement ring that is essentially worthless the moment you walk out. 

So, your Omega AD only sells Omega? I don't know of one single-brand AD (company-owned stores excluded).  In most cases, a "Rolex AD" is also an AD of Tudor, Omega, and probably half a dozen other watch brands. I know mine is. My local Rolex AD has one of their stores as a flagship Rolex boutique but they still sell several other brands in that same store. So is "Rolex being Rolex" really a problem or is it the "AD" who plays games with whom they will sell specific highly-desired models. Does it matter if that happens to be a 1266610LV ("Cermit") or a 210.30.42.20.10.001 (the new green dial 300M)?

No, I never said that my AD ‘only’ sells Omega.  My AD is not a Rolex AD.  But when I’ve gone into a Rolex AD I did not feel welcome, wanted, or even considered as a potential customer.  Hey, maybe they just didn’t like my face, lol!  All I know is how I felt like I was perceived, and that I cant walk in and buy the watch I’m interested in.  So, I gave up on Rolex as a brand because I refuse to play the Rolex AD acquisition game and I’ve found that I actually prefer Omega anyway.  Maybe Rolex makes really great watches.  But if I have to buy grey market at obscene mark ups I’m never going to bother.

I have an Omega and love it. I guess for me, the challenge is servicing. If I didn't need them for servicing needs, I'd probably mostly go grey. I've gone grey on a couple of pieces with no issues. The games are annoying. I'm moving in the near future here and may take that route because of the games Rolex is playing. You may be right about my AD, but from what I hear, production that was destined for Russia was allocated to larger markets. We shall see.

But the heart wants what the heart wants @HotWatchChick69 😎. I may just go grey from now on or a mix of both.

I'm really trying...

Answers to your questions...

• No. No offers on any Rolexes at this point either. 
• Not in a major city. I live in Michigan and the AD is in Birmingham, MI. Not a major city.
• Yes. + Watches. The brunt of the 5 figures is the jewelry.
• No.

Thank you, much appreciated. If it takes too long I may go grey and stick to buying Seiko's, Tags or others from them and get Rolex elsewhere even with the premium. Totally get that about the engagement ring, and to be candid, I've put a time frame on it. I'm not one to wait two years for something. I could have saved the additional funds to get what I wanted by then. I like my AD and my first inclination is to be honest with her but I know that won't bode well. We shall see though.

Thanks for the input and that makes a ton of sense. I'm not going to keep buying to get a Rolex. Candidly for what I've already spent at this point I could have purchased the Batman grey market and been done. I'm invested now but I'm not spending more. I have a time frame that if I don't get the 1st or 2nd choices, I'll make other arrangements. 

Sounds like your doing the right thing. This may or may not work with you, but when I was starting out, I’d mention to my SA, that my goal was X piece and my preference was to buy locally vs grey he gave me an honest timeline. Your mileage may vary.

The SA will know their personal (not store) allocation usually a week or two in advance. Your goal is to make them think of you when they see the piece you want. The hard part is, your SA may only get 1-3 Batmans and Starbucks a year, so timing is brutal.

My take on this:

• truly the stock they receive is way less than demand. Example scenario for illustration: a small AD only gets 1-3 of the most desirable models a month and the list is 50-100 people long. They are obliged to sell it to the guy who has spent $200,000+ with them this year, you are small fry, sorry
• They also want you to start with base models first, most likely you will never get the call for the Sub, not until you buy 1 or 2 less desirable models first or something like that
• I just went grey for my Sub, brand new, no fuss, no BS… if you desire it that much then unfortunately that might be the only way to ensure you even get one
• this is why I am totally done with Rolex AD’s. I’m on the list bla bla, zero hope of getting a call, and I’m ok with this. I figure: Just buy it Grey and pay more when I want a watch. I’ve accepted this reality (and it sux, don’t get me wrong) I am post “angry” lol

Further Reading: I spent $15k on diamonds for my wife on out 20th anniversary and they still don’t want to sell me any Rolexes, welcome to join the angry mob😛

Thanks for the advice. I waited less than 8 months for the GMT Master 2 "Batgirl". I had spent quite a bit of $ at this AD for genuine things that I needed/wanted she got it for me. While I agree with much of what you're saying, I think the best advice I received was to avoid big box stores, and ADs in larger cities (i.e. NY, LA etc.) and go with family owned, which I did, and it worked out for me. I also have pieces from the grey market (non-Rolex) and having recently come back from a work trip in Europe, I noticed that the sales rep at the boutique in the airport would have sold me a sub if they had it. She told me she had just sold a two-tone sub.