Comparing my latest Boutique experiences
Disclaimer. There will be criticism of Rolex here. More specifically about the experience in sales. These are my personal subjective experiences and feelings. Others may have had better experiences or identify more with the brand. But this should not be seen as criticism of the person who wears it.
Recently I had the opportunity to look around for my future watch. There are several to option. Since there are several boutiques in my city, I took the chance to visit them directly and now had the opportunity to compare both experiences. For me it's not about the products, but the service and communication when visiting a Boutique.
Here at Sinn you don't have the feeling of going into a watch shop. You are there where craftsmanship is celebrated and lived. It is small but clean, structured and functional. They have presented ALL existing products cleanly and in a space-saving manner, with a small workshop right next to them for some minor service.
The staff are friendly, respectful but not intrusive. As an enthusiast you immediately speak at eye level. Most of the employees have very good technical and historical knowledge. Starting to talk about models, then about the functions and special features, then about the movements, the individual parts, comparable models. And they are all taken out individually, touched and tested. In the end, I have the feeling that I not only learned everything I wanted to know about a particular watch, but also that I learned an enormous amount from a technical perspective about watches in general. There was an immediate feeling of trust in the brand and its products.
Then it went straight on to...
To be fair, I have to say that it wasn't a direct boutique, but an AD, but almost exclusively with Rolex. The entire building was decorated accordingly from the outside and inside. The few Breitlings and other models were more or less just decoration.
Nevertheless…these are the interfaces between the brand and the customers.
This was my first visit to an official Rolex AD. As a child, I grew up thinking that certain Rolex models were the epitome of a perfect and timeless watch. But over the years, this brand has lost me. I couldn't identify with the brand, the image or with some of the other customers.
I don't want to write anything wrong here. There was nothing wrong with the behavior and handling with me as a customer (mostly). I was received politely and they brought me something to drink.
To get in I had to go through a security gate. Inside, everything was minimalist, clean, bright.
The saleswoman tried hard to give me advice (and what to sell) and even though it had nothing to do with the watch, I found it difficult to listen to her because her makeup was somehow completely smudged, as if she had been slapped several times. She had more lipstick on her teeth than on her lips. And somehow everything felt like that during my visit. Like a loose facade.
The conversations were without substance. From a technical point of view, almost nothing could be said about the individual watches other than what was written in the brochure. Most of the stainless steel models I was interested in were not available. They always get solled quickly, I assume. So we looked at the watches in the brochure or the solid gold models they had.
I couldn't ignore the conversation at the table next to me. The salesperson appeared to be the manager. His client, a business lawyer specializing in M&A. From where I know this? The sales manager wanted to know it from him. You could tell there was a certain level of discomfort in this customer. There were forced conversations about lifestyle, sailing and status symbols. Regarding the watches that the salesman had suggested to him (the customer had not asked for them), he added how little of them are produced and what the probability of making a huge profit on resale would be. I just thought, “What? The seller gives investment recommendations for his watch and recommends him to flip the watches?”
Later the manager also talked to me... he seemed extremely excited/nervous, hectic, extremely cheerful and self-confident at the same time. He didn't listen to me at all. He ignored my answers to his fast talking questions. Also that of his employee, who looked very embarrassed and worried at the moment.
I've seen people on cokaine a few times...that's exactly how they act. That's why I felt even more uncomfortable having a pointless conversation with someone who appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
I thanked them for the service and the catalog presentation and wanted to leave, but they tried several times to persuade me to register on the waiting list for a GMT Master solid gold. However, I didn't want that.
When I was allowed to leave the store through the security gate, I had to exhale heavily.
The feeling afterwards was extremely unpleasant. I felt like I had gone through something superficial, dishonest and unpleasant. More of a feeling of “I don’t belong here.” and “That’s not me and I never wanted to be.”. Not in the way that I’m something better. More that I tricked myself.
I can't say that I have a complete dislike for Rolex now. I still consider some models to be significant icons. But as a watch enthusiast, my identification with this brand is now even further away.
Anyway….I think it was an important experience for me, to set my focus when searching for watches. But I also expect, that this was my last Rolex visit.
Chairman of Quarz Rights Watch Association, fighting for equal rights of Quarz Watches and reporting crimes against quarz watches by Mecascists (mecanical fascists) and abuses and missuses of Quarz-Or...
To all the brands out there, big or small... Think OF your customer. If you think you know better n Think FOR your customers, you'll lose them one day...
There is something to be said for German austerity. 😉
I do not have a lot of experience with AD, especially for high end as I do not have that money. It should be a simple thing to do. Take an interest in the customer and his questions, explain the watch and its features and not try and steer them towards something else deliberately. It is the same of course in other sectors, but I assume (rightly or wrongly) that with Rolex AD you visited, a customer comes in, is not as informed and a WC person might be and they try and sell/steer them to their most profitable watch. I suppose to get a truer picture you would have to visit a few. Good luck with that if you do, I don't know if I could bear it on your experience.
Your experience sounds terrible. Im not surprised you’re put off. All I’d say is just visit another AD rather than brush off the brand forever.
My first ever visit was completely the opposite. I was welcomed, very polite and organic conversations about watches, family, cultures etc. followed by me sharing what I wanted and why. I had no previous purchase history and was very new into watches itself. And to top it off the SA offered me a watch within 3 weeks of my visit.
I kind of wish I had the opportunity to visit a Sinn AD. I bought both of mine unseen, based on online reviews. Lucky you could go have hands on. It’s a great brand 👍
To all the brands out there, big or small... Think OF your customer. If you think you know better n Think FOR your customers, you'll lose them one day...
They actually didn't treat me bad. But the whole image inside was somehow uncomfortable.
Interestingly many people feel more attracted from a brand the more it looks down to them or others. The gold puking lady which I used as pictures was from the movie "Triangle of sadness". They also had this funny scene of model campagnes and the difference between H&M and Balenciaga 😊
https://youtu.be/aba6WIyG4Hs?feature=shared
At the end Rolex is successful. I'm glad for them and the customers. But it's really not for me.
Your experience sounds terrible. Im not surprised you’re put off. All I’d say is just visit another AD rather than brush off the brand forever.
My first ever visit was completely the opposite. I was welcomed, very polite and organic conversations about watches, family, cultures etc. followed by me sharing what I wanted and why. I had no previous purchase history and was very new into watches itself. And to top it off the SA offered me a watch within 3 weeks of my visit.
That sounds like a great experience as it should be.
And I bet that the manager of your AD wasn't on drugs as mine 😅
So, let's see. I think I need a Rolex break at first. But maybe I will check them out another time again if I feel comfortable to do.
I kind of wish I had the opportunity to visit a Sinn AD. I bought both of mine unseen, based on online reviews. Lucky you could go have hands on. It’s a great brand 👍
To be honest Sinn is actually not my taste in design. Although I always had a lot of respect. But after my visits I do feel more attracted and wait for the 903 release.
I’ll wait for the “got the call” post in a few months. 😂
I’ll wait for the “got the call” post in a few months. 😂
Months or years? 😁
rolex is overrated . sinn is underrated ….
I’ll wait for the “got the call” post in a few months. 😂
I highly respect your pacience 😊
Which model?
Well, that was dramatic. Sadly, people read posts like this and take it as gospel.
That was an interesting post. Made me imagine the scenario of me going in for a visit at a Rolex store wearing my customary atire of jeans and untucked shirt and wearing a Seiko 5. Would I be taken seriously?
Well, that was dramatic. Sadly, people read posts like this and take it as gospel.
Sadly some people doesn't read my disclaimer whoch are literally the first words of my posts.
Last week, I walked into a JLC boutique in order to buy a new strap. The welcome was warm, friendly, they show me some stuff, it was a really nice experience.
The sales associate asked me what would be my next watch. A chonograph, I answered, maybe an IWC, a Zenith (he was enthousiastic) or... a Navitimer. When I cited Breitling, his smile disappeared and he looked at me with immense sadness, as if I had demonstrated a very disapointing lack of taste. His face was quite comical, I smiled as if I had joked.
We parted good friends but I regret no have asked him why he reacted like that.
Last week, I walked into a JLC boutique in order to buy a new strap. The welcome was warm, friendly, they show me some stuff, it was a really nice experience.
The sales associate asked me what would be my next watch. A chonograph, I answered, maybe an IWC, a Zenith (he was enthousiastic) or... a Navitimer. When I cited Breitling, his smile disappeared and he looked at me with immense sadness, as if I had demonstrated a very disapointing lack of taste. His face was quite comical, I smiled as if I had joked.
We parted good friends but I regret no have asked him why he reacted like that.
....now...that's a Cliffhanger.
I also wonder what made him upset.
But JLC in general is a brand which still has a kind if a good touch to the enthusiasts scene, despite being "luxury".
I almost called the boutique back but the sales associate name was not written on the credit card ticket 😂
I took it as a joke as his face was comical, but I am still asking myself why he had such a poor esteem of Breitling. It is the first time I see some despise concerning this brand.
On the flip side I went to a JLC boutique recently and had the warmest welcome. I was just browsing and trying on, trying to figure sizing, maybe exploring other models for fun. And the folks in there were happy to chat, serve beverages and snacks, they were actually enthusiasts themselves . . . complimented my Nomos etc. This is what it should be. I honestly don't get treating customers like crap esp. when the people working at these boutiques are earning a working wage . . . it's not like they are billionaires. Hire actual watch lovers to work at ADs and Boutiques and not just some dead weight is what I say.
I've also had great experiences in Gucci. My wife loves this brand. We were treated like royalty even if, on some occasions, we were just wearing casual street clothes. And while it's not my thing, I have respect for how they have conducted business when we've been at their stores and restaurants.
My local Watches of Switzerland is a toss up depending on who is there. I've spent money there, but if they don't know that then they act like the store is empty and ignore me. If it's from someone who has seen me make a purchase in the past? It's all smiles.
Funny coincident. Another fellow just commented right after you about his great JLC experience.
JLC is one of those brands who managed the epic split of being a luxury brand but still being a part of the enthusiasm scene.
And also other good point the working conditions at some ADs. I once felt very intrigued to apply at AD-Store chain. I'm actually an economist, but at was a kind of YOLO-Moment 😅.
I've checked the companies reputation (yes....we do also make backround checks of employers and watch selers....not just the other way around 😉). It turned out that the company has a horrible reputation in treating the employees, salaries and other conditions as like observing what they do in their lunch break.
While typing this I now remember, it was THIS AD chain 🤣. I better don't say the name.
But I was like: "Nah...I better stay in my job and prefer being a customer (somewhere else)". 😁
Not feeling welcome in a Rolex shop might nit be such a bad thing 😉 I think with many, if not most, the status aspect is what drives the purchase. But that is not a secret, the steel watches from AP and PP from the 70s were marketed specifically to that type of consumer who wants something expensive to demonstrate their social standing and the stores adapted to it.
So I don't think Rolex is and enthusiast brand, they don't want to appear weird or "geeky" because that has much less mass appeal. That of course doesn't mean that inside the Rolex company there are no people who care about the product behind the brand. After all there is someone who suggested that their chronograph, a highly sought after product with little to no competition already, be made 0.5mm thinner just to show off their technical and engineering abilities (there really could not have been another reason). I'm sure there is someone at Rolex dying to tell you all about how they did it but the suits in the boardroom won't let them out of their cave so they don't scare off the whales 😜. It's very difficult to detach the actual watch from the flex-branding of course, especially when many people will see a Rolex wearer and instantly associate them with the status driven buyers.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I think some people would Rolex classify as a Fashion brand.
I think the challenge Rolex faces is that it doesn't have control over who ADs hire and how they're trained. Sure, Rolex provide short trainings for AD personnel, but one or two days here and there is not nearly enough to engrain the ethos of a company into an employee. Likely this is part of the reason (amongst many) that they've acquired Bucherer - to build a network of Rolex owned and operated stores and allow them to give customers an actual Rolex experience.
When I go to the Rolex UK headquarters in London, which is owned and run by Rolex, it is an absolutely fantastic experience, every time. You get to speak with Rolex watchmakers and they are genuine fans of the brand. It's such a nice experience, you walk away feeling great about the brand and your watch.
So @Uhrologe, I recommend you treat that particular AD like the second hand car sales gong-show it sounds like, and stay the hell away from there! If you're actually interested in buying a new Rolex, find an AD where you genuinely bond with the team. Where they're interested in getting to know you, and are willing to chat about watches all day long. Your Sinn experience can be had in Rolex ADs. You just have to find the right one.
Yea...good points.
I think at first I need a Rolex break. If you should visit a Rolex store again, I will go to a direct group owned point of sale.
And yes I also think the Bucherer purchase was good move into the right direction.
I also had mostly very good experiences with Bucherer. Especially the store in Berlin.
From a watchmaker shop to a fashion boutique...
Yes, exactly. The differences couldn't be bigger.
Perfectly nomal
Sinn Spezialuhren GmbH sell very well made watches to sensible customers who put manufacturing quality above status, and the company takes the time and efforts to make customers want to buy more than one watch
ROLEX SA sell very well made watches to people who are ready to pay large amounts of money for having the crown logo on the dial of their watch. ROLEX SA entertaining a massive sponsorship activity, they need to target well-off customers who put status above manufacturing quality and horological excellence. Watch makers are not the star of the show at Rolex's
Exactly. Sinn was always a down to earth manufacturer. Totally focused on their products and quality.
The best example is the 903 which I resently wrote about.
https://www.watchcrunch.com/Uhrologe/posts/the-comeback-of-the-sinn-903-navitimer-in-2024-at-watches-and-wonders-308966
It's an official navitimer. Till its manufacturing stop two years ago. The last price was around 3,000 Euro.
While the current price of a Breitling Navitimer starts at 8,000 Euros!
To keep in mind, that Sinn has the better Navitimer by quality and specs.
They could has easily put the price much higher, bit they didn't.
Wirh the comeback in few weeks the price will rice (as they made some exclusive movement improvements) but it will be still the half price of Breitling I hope.
I almost called the boutique back but the sales associate name was not written on the credit card ticket 😂
I took it as a joke as his face was comical, but I am still asking myself why he had such a poor esteem of Breitling. It is the first time I see some despise concerning this brand.
I would visit again and propably ask him about his expression and what he thinks about Breitling. I'm a to curious person.
You know what's better than a Rolex? Tudor, all the way
I'm a junkie for Sinn
I'm a junkie for Sinn
I can totally understand. Since then I feel also much more attracted by Sinn.
What a bummer that personnel of an AD can so thoroughly crash your interest in such a nice watch brand. I'm no fanboy but I can assure you those people do not represent the quality of the Rolex brand.
Furthermore .... go for Sinn.
What a bummer that personnel of an AD can so thoroughly crash your interest in such a nice watch brand. I'm no fanboy but I can assure you those people do not represent the quality of the Rolex brand.
Furthermore .... go for Sinn.
Yes, everything stands and falls with the AD. I'm not hating Rolex, as they are still the source for many of my favorite designs. But for me as first time experiencer it put me on a distance to the brand. But I decided to keep concentrate on other watch brands. May be I will Rolex give a try another time, but propably at a grey market dealer.
Yes, everything stands and falls with the AD. I'm not hating Rolex, as they are still the source for many of my favorite designs. But for me as first time experiencer it put me on a distance to the brand. But I decided to keep concentrate on other watch brands. May be I will Rolex give a try another time, but propably at a grey market dealer.
Just try another AD next time. They're not all the same.
Grey market can be useful but paying more for a Rolex than retail will not be necessary anymore. That market is shrinking faster than one can blink.