How I got my first Rolex in first AD visit

It was the last week of March and eventually the local AD in my area asked on Instagram about my interest if I should be contacted by the sales team. Said yes and hours after I got text message asking about my interest and an invitation to visit the AD. I fixed an appointment with a sales associate and showed up in store in next Saturday afternoon to that specific AD. 

not necessarily but yes I did dress well in my buisness profile. I was welcomed well by the gentleman whom I was supposed to see and I was taken to a specific Rolex area. The gentleman began the conversation with introduction and he willing to put my expected Rolex model in a paper profile. I didn’t want to stop the meeting just at that so rather I diverted the conversation to watches as hobby. As he was smart we both ended up talking for two hours and eventually discussed brands, watch movements, the market and my personal stories behind every watch I own. He literally told me at one point ‘you really know quite a bit about timepieces’. 

By then he was convinced that I’m from the local area and willing to purchase from them in time. Then he got the card back and made my profile about my goal watches. I said Sub, SKy dweller and a Daytona. I knew that in no way he gonna give me any one of those. but he offered me a basic introductory welcome piece model if I would like to purchase. It was a datejust 126200 blue dial jubilee bracelet watch. I said yes and I actually bought it.

The moral of the story is you really need to convince the sales guy first that you are an watch enthusiast and you will keep buying from that AD. Once they rule out that you are not a flipper they will definitely offer something (at least worked in my case).

By now I believe I have good relationships with AD and eventually got the offer for Submariner date 126610ln. As you can see I bought that last week.

Any questions you have please feel free to shoot. Hope you will get your dream watch soon.

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Well done on the watch. Is it a model you actually wanted or is it just a case of your playing their game? Well done on having the stomach for all that, it would drive me bonkers 😂

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Congrats on the new watch! What a looker!

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DeeperBlue

Well done on the watch. Is it a model you actually wanted or is it just a case of your playing their game? Well done on having the stomach for all that, it would drive me bonkers 😂

No that was not the model I really wanted. But three months later I got a submariner date from that same AD. So yeah the buisness workEd.

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Yeah I could have save my energy and carbon foot print if he had offer me that in first 10 minute. unfortunately this is the way their marketing works.

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Congrats ... Beautiful watch and it's nice to know you have another friend in the salesman and the AD ... Btw block the reference number in the warranty card when you post it ... Could be replicated ... 

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saigiridhar

Congrats ... Beautiful watch and it's nice to know you have another friend in the salesman and the AD ... Btw block the reference number in the warranty card when you post it ... Could be replicated ... 

Done, thanks ! 

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I'm imagining if cars were like this (well, maybe Ferraris already are!). "I had my eyes on the new Mercedes EQS. After several hours, I was able to convince the salesman that I knew a great deal about German auto manufacturers. It was then that he extended to me the offer to buy a C-class, as a courtesy for the time I had spent at the dealership that afternoon..."

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ChillAF

I'm imagining if cars were like this (well, maybe Ferraris already are!). "I had my eyes on the new Mercedes EQS. After several hours, I was able to convince the salesman that I knew a great deal about German auto manufacturers. It was then that he extended to me the offer to buy a C-class, as a courtesy for the time I had spent at the dealership that afternoon..."

That’s cool! Not all get that chance even.

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partha25

That’s cool! Not all get that chance even.

That was a thought experiment, not an actual experience! 😂

Nice Datejust, by the way...

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partha25

No that was not the model I really wanted. But three months later I got a submariner date from that same AD. So yeah the buisness workEd.

Wait, so you bought a $10k watch to get the chance to buy a $10k watch...  Yikes.

But, that DJ is lovely!

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Yeah I didn’t regret! It’s worth to have these Rolexes 

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So basically he got his commission by selling you NOT what you wanted and made you feel happy that he likes you and that you need him.

Ok. That is insane 😃

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JackTrades

So basically he got his commission by selling you NOT what you wanted and made you feel happy that he likes you and that you need him.

Ok. That is insane 😃

Yeah but eventually he sold a submariner date to me last week. That’s the way of business at Rolex.

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You've got two nice watches.  Nice one-two punch.  Congrats!

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Absurd nonsense that people have to go through just to buy a watch. I’m disgusted. 😤
 

Still want a Sub tho. 😂

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synaptyx

Absurd nonsense that people have to go through just to buy a watch. I’m disgusted. 😤
 

Still want a Sub tho. 😂

Try my story! Who knows may be you will get too. 😀

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I’m going to segment this into two sections: watches and consumer experience…

  1. On the watches, 💯. The exact Datejust configuration you purchased is one of my absolute favorites in their current catalog. Congrats on the sub, too (my personal preference is the no-date, but still awesome watch!).
  2. On the consumer experience… Unless you wanted what you bought (which I believe you did, and with good cause because they are awesome watches), what you are describing is a 1970s/early 1980s school kid getting paddled by the principal, having to say after each swat, “Please, sir, may I have another,” and then leaving the principal’s office singing the school song to all the kids who know exactly what just happened.

Note: Not anti-Rolex, as you can probably tell by #1. I’ve bought two this year, both models that I wanted. Their customer experience is lacking, though. Even at ADs who are the “good” ADs. My local AD is a good AD. I like 90% of the folks who work there.

I remember hearing a friend talk about how they had to pledge a fraternity at UF by holding an olive in their posterior cheeks as they climbed up the stairs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and then eat the olive. He enjoyed that experience and sense of belonging afterward, evidently. Some folks enjoy the Rolex AD experience, too.

Rolex can solve this by making it a straight, put in a refundable order with a small deposit and then get updates on when your watch will be ready to pick up process through their ADs that is fair and transparent. They choose not to. That’s not the fault of good ADs. It’s not even the fault of bad ADs funneling stock out the back door for inflated gray market values. That’s on Rolex, who makes some pretty awesome watches. I just don’t like the taste of their olives.

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Bobofet

I’m going to segment this into two sections: watches and consumer experience…

  1. On the watches, 💯. The exact Datejust configuration you purchased is one of my absolute favorites in their current catalog. Congrats on the sub, too (my personal preference is the no-date, but still awesome watch!).
  2. On the consumer experience… Unless you wanted what you bought (which I believe you did, and with good cause because they are awesome watches), what you are describing is a 1970s/early 1980s school kid getting paddled by the principal, having to say after each swat, “Please, sir, may I have another,” and then leaving the principal’s office singing the school song to all the kids who know exactly what just happened.

Note: Not anti-Rolex, as you can probably tell by #1. I’ve bought two this year, both models that I wanted. Their customer experience is lacking, though. Even at ADs who are the “good” ADs. My local AD is a good AD. I like 90% of the folks who work there.

I remember hearing a friend talk about how they had to pledge a fraternity at UF by holding an olive in their posterior cheeks as they climbed up the stairs at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and then eat the olive. He enjoyed that experience and sense of belonging afterward, evidently. Some folks enjoy the Rolex AD experience, too.

Rolex can solve this by making it a straight, put in a refundable order with a small deposit and then get updates on when your watch will be ready to pick up process through their ADs that is fair and transparent. They choose not to. That’s not the fault of good ADs. It’s not even the fault of bad ADs funneling stock out the back door for inflated gray market values. That’s on Rolex, who makes some pretty awesome watches. I just don’t like the taste of their olives.

Thank you so much for your analysis and sharing your experience at AD.

First of all this is just one story I shared about that particular AD in Chicago. In time I will share the stories related to other two AD. Actually regarding the last point you mentioned, I was actually able to purchase a 2020 OP blue model this year. However, the order was placed last year in September with half payment. The watch was delivered last month and I gifted to my wife as it is just 36 mm. I will share that story in next post. Believe it or not that was the another watch I was able to order on my very first visit. Stay tune. 
 

So it depends on AD some can really place order in front of your eyes logging with their business account.

I understand and agree that the business models of this high end watch companies are somewhat annoying. There is no doubt that a loophole is present in their business model otherwise neither of these grey market moron become millionaires and claim that they can source any watch they want. 
 

I was recently at Richard Mille boutique and they said they actually don’t sell much watches to celebrities. They treated me with respect even though I was in my flip flop and in beach trouser. One thing is sure that if you are local to that area chances are better. Others they play very dirty.  

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partha25

No that was not the model I really wanted. But three months later I got a submariner date from that same AD. So yeah the buisness workEd.

So, as a thought experiment, how many watches that you didn't want would you have bought in order to have a chance at the one you did want? Would one be your max? If he said you needed to buy two random OPs to get on the list for a subby would have have done it? 3? And at what point would you start to feel exploited?

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DeeperBlue

So, as a thought experiment, how many watches that you didn't want would you have bought in order to have a chance at the one you did want? Would one be your max? If he said you needed to buy two random OPs to get on the list for a subby would have have done it? 3? And at what point would you start to feel exploited?

I actually bought only this datejust before I got the sub. But I spent 3k in Jewelry on that AD. because they told me in my face for a Pepsi they expect at least 20-25 k business.  So you can count that I got the Sub after spending 8 k on the datejust and 3 k on jeweLery.

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imagine if this happens at the BMW dealership
 

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jtktam

imagine if this happens at the BMW dealership
 

I don’t even have a car! Is it hard to get a BMW? 

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The whole Rolex game is utter nonsense