article to read

[Oceanklassik]

Grey market for hot models now.

Pretty much if you are willing to pay 26K for the new daytona, you can get one.

If they have to sell at list price, the stocks will just all goes to grey dealers.

That's why I have been curious (since ROLEX has stopped their ADs from selling at premium prices). How does it even work now. The problem simply lies with the watch manufacturer, not the ADs, correct?

[Watcha]

Grey market for hot models now.

Pretty much if you are willing to pay 26K for the new daytona, you can get one.

If they have to sell at list price, the stocks will just all goes to grey dealers.

[Oceanklassik]

Is this good or bad?

Read this article couple of days back:

Grey-market dilemma for luxe watchmakers

ZURICH - A diamond-studded Rolex at 40 per cent off the US$34,000 (S$47,500) retail price or an Omega Speedmaster Moonphase for less than US$10,000?

While still out of reach for most people, the increasing prevalence of such deals highlights the perplexing predicament in which luxury watchmakers now find themselves.

With sales falling, more unsold timepieces are finding their way from the Swiss-dominated industry's carefully controlled official retail networks to online platforms where they are often offered at steep discounts.

Swiss watchmakers say they loathe this "grey market" because high discounts damage the aura of prestige and make it harder to sell their goods at the full price.

"In luxury goods, when you break the illusion of prestige, the dream, the prices... it means a slow death for luxury goods," Mr Jean-Claude Biver, head of LVMH's watch division, told Reuters last month.

However, a sudden end to a boom in Chinese demand is forcing the brands to begin working quietly with dealers in the grey market, occasionally to help with sales but mostly to secure some influence over the unofficial resellers, according to dealers and industry executives interviewed by Reuters.

"There are many sources for grey-market watches: authorized retailers who want to get rid of slow-selling models, country distributors or even the brands themselves," said one watch-industry executive who asked not to be named.

He said that in some cases, operators in the grey market are cooperating with the brands, removing new models from their sale sites when asked or reducing discounts manufacturers consider excessive.

Though representatives of the biggest luxury watchmakers, including Swatch Group and Richemont, refused to discuss their strategy with regard to the grey market, some manufacturers may find that it offers benefits.

"For every timepiece we sell, the manufacturer is getting the lion's share of the profit, and then all the search engine queries, image searches, social media brand posts, and tweets are free (advertising)," said Mr Darryl Randall, founder and owner of United States-based online platform SwissLuxury.com.

Another grey-market dealer said he will sometimes withdraw watches if asked by manufacturers and that brands regularly offer US dealers packages of 15 or 20 pieces at a discount. "As much as the brands dislike us, we have more or less the same goals they have - we also want to sell the goods and be able to make a profit," he said.

Swiss watch exports fell 8 per cent in the first two months this year, on top of a 10 per cent drop last year.

In the grey market, sales are often clinched in shabby stores or via online platforms. The US is the second-biggest market for Swiss watches, and a hub for grey-market pieces, with platforms such as Jomashop.com and Authentic-Watches.com.

Germany's Chrono24.com has sales offices in Hong Kong and New York, while many grey-market watches are also sold on Amazon and eBay, the unnamed watch-industry executive said. REUTERS

[Cutesperm]

Interesting. Reminds me of this old article.

..partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions.

http://www.ablogtowatch.com/watch-in...omparison/?amp

[Oceanklassik]

Back to some old industry practices of the past? Where you find Zenith movement in a ROLEX Daytona and JLC movement in a PAM190.... Not bad, it's like "buy-1-get-2" concept

[triton]

tudor and breitling alliance

collaboration between tudor and breitling, read it here

[triton]

most expensive rolex to be sold

most expensive rolex to be sold?

read all about it here

[Oceanklassik]

Go checked out few local ADs for this C Daytona.And yes they do sell at MSRP now....but, Always "no stock" anywhere....so it's as good as "none". They keep all the "stock" for other reason lol!!!

I think this "letter" from ROLEX came as a surprise/shock for the ADs here, and some might still not know how to overcome this. And in order not to be the "first victims" (to be penalized by ROLEX), they would standardize their replies to customers so that it is within ROLEX's "legal framework"

This is also just in case ROLEX send in their "test buyers" to catch those ADs who are disobedient. Let's see how this progresses over the next few months.

[jackondutch]

the male engagement ring is ? click here[can't post link] to find out

LOL! Interesting...

[Allanmodel]

Go checked out few local ADs for this C Daytona.And yes they do sell at MSRP now....but, Always "no stock" anywhere....so it's as good as "none". They keep all the "stock" for other reason lol!!!

[Oceanklassik]

will this article help you decide to buy between omega and rolex?

read it here

I have been about 40% Omega and 60% ROLEX all this while. After this article, my percentages have changed.....


ROLEX
omega

[Oceanklassik]

AD will ask u to buy a few platinium daydate with diamonds and rubies before they let u buy a steel daytona at retail price.

ehhh.. this sounds a bit like how Panerai boutique (S'pore) was doing. Not sure if they are still promoting this initiative. About a year or two ago, while I was looking at some watches at the ION Panerai boutique, a salesman offered me some form of 'membership' where if I were to buy one (or more) watch at retail price, I would be entitled priority to buy a base (PAM) model at a small discount, or retail price (I have forgotten the details).

I and walked out of the boutique

[Oceanklassik]

boycott AD that sell rolex above RRP? haha

Not for the wealthy-and-willing-to-spend people la

You are actually referring to ALL local ADs already

[geoteow]

AD will ask u to buy a few platinium daydate with diamonds and rubies before they let u buy a steel daytona at retail price.

[triton]

omega vs. rolex

will this article help you decide to buy between omega and rolex?

read it here