Airport ADs: Anyone had to buy a flight after getting the call!?

Im the same and also through Amsterdam. I had a long chat with the Ad and he said they cant operate lists but there awlre watches delivered almost every day. He said that they have no idea what time they will arrige and what will be delivered. Most are sold withinvthe hour. Last time i went through Amsterdam they had some expensive ladies OP (gold and diamonds) he said with them they might sit the whome day before being sold. No idea if any of its true though.

Yes you can build one same as any dealer. I spoke to WOS in LGW. It’s exactly the same as a landside AD as it is for an airside one. They could put me on a the list for a Rolex.

Difference is you can pay for the watch from them there and then, but you can’t take the watch with you. It is posted to your registered home address. This is because of tax reasons. (In the UK, even though you are buying “duty free” in the airport, luxury goods are exempt and you still have to pay the VAT. If you buy anything over a certain amount abroad, post the box back and wear it or carry it through customs, or you could get stung)

So no, it’s no hack to buy from them. You pay the same price, go on the same lists. It’s just more convenient for some people I guess.

Also, the guy at WOS explained that they get an allocation of 700 or so Rolex a year to the stores he works at. The “list” has around 7,000 names at present. Not sure if that is true, or massively exaggerated. But it’s just what he told me.

Actually my first Rolex from an AD was at 6 in the morning at DXB. Surprisingly they just received a two-tone DJ 41 and I was the lucky guy. 6 month’s later I was at the same airport again and they had more Rolex watches but they only had the less desirable DJ models. Last week I spoke to an AD in Frankfurt airport and she told me, that they just took away Rolex from their airport store. The reason behind this is, that airports are usually very busy and Rolex wants that the ADs follow the Rolex script. This means offering the customer a drink or coffee, introducing them to the models and welcoming them as a prospect. And since at the airport only very few customers bring this time at all and the concept as such only works to a limited extent, she told me that in the future probably fewer and fewer ADs will be represented at airports and if at all Rolex would operate the stores themselves.

They’re such a conflicted company, they want to give the finest customer experience in the world… but actually, most of us are incredibly fatigued by the rigmoral of trying to buy a Rolex..

Do I need to buy the Mrs a watch from Heathrow before I can get one myself? OR, do I just keep chancing it until I time it right with a fresh delivery of stock!?

The process of buying from WOS in LHR and LGW are the same as any of their stores that are in town centres. Put your name down and wait. There are (unconfirmed) factors that can move you up the list, such as if you have a purchase history with that store then it effectively gives you points to move up the list. But remember people who are doing that are buying A LOT of watches. Not just one or two. So don’t just buy the Mrs an expensive watch and think it will make much difference.

Now this is in the UK and for WOS. If you travel to other countries, like Dubai, you can probably still buy one in the store in the airport. But that, I would imagine, is just a right place right time thing.

Wow never!