FabR
[Senior Patek Moderator]
26166
For sure Nico, but what’s (relatively) new is that they “succeeded allocating” them! ;-)) I understand that now, as a consequence of this, the random Rolex collector (myself included) can no longer walk into an AD and buy whatever they wish…
…but it makes no sense to me blaming a business *because* they are able to sell everything they produce!😄 EVERY single business would love to be in that position. Conversely, lots of brands, despite the huge rise in popularity of watches during the last couple of years, are still unable to allocate their models….we should be much more concerned about the lack of quality and/or desirability of these brands, rather than the fact Rolex (or Patek, or FPJ, etc.) are TOO popular and sought-after among collectors!😄
For as long as every Rolex is in demand, the brand (and its ADs) have to make choices among their best collectors as to who gets what. It’s not politically correct to admit it aloud (“Rolex doesn’t sell any watches” gets more likes than “I didn’t even qualify for one of their 1M watches this year!”), but it’s simple math my friend😄
A similar situation, though of course on a different level, is true for Patek. Here, the competition is actually stiffer, given an annual production over 15 times more limited than Rolex’s. It would be an interesting debate to have among experts or historians, but I like to indicate our latest W&W releases (March 30, 2022) as the unofficial turning point. After that, Patek also became all “sold out” (or “did they suddenly stop selling watches since they don’t sell them to me?,” or “desert lands,” depending on perspective!😂).
Before last March, it was still possible for the random collector to walk into a Patek AD and buy “something” (e.g., a Calatrava, or an annual calendar, etc.). Some folks did and now own a Patek with their beautiful name written on the certificate, others did not.
But after it became clear the broad variety of models we announced for W&W 2022 was NOT going to include any new Aquanaut or Nautilus, EVERYTHING displayed in a Patek window became the object of desire😄 The process was irreversible.
While some were typically whining about it (including many ADs all over the world who, believe me, had to change allocation practices overnight! ;-)), for me this was a struck of genius.
Will I be able to get every single Patek that I want in the future, as a result of this? Of course not! How about Rolex? Even less! (I got one Rolex by miracle last year from a joint Patek AD, and that was it! ;-) BUT I’m genuinely happy for every good collector who’s selected for the sought-after watches he or she desires, I will work even harder to compete for the watches that I love, AND I hold Patek (and Rolex) in even higher regard than before because of their enormous success in their field!😄
Cheers my friend.
More posts:
These are so beautiful to me..
I wonder do fellow Rolex collectors actually appreciate these art work when they visit the boutique? I for one love all the background graphic art created by Rolex.. I took some photos and would love to share with all fellow collectors.. Do share your cat...
Love these displays- often an unsung hero
but hey, isn’t it funny we’re going to Rolex to appreciate their displays and not the (non existent) watches that should be on display too!😂
I get it
Its not a watch shop, its a gallery If they remove that little brick in front of the art, it will look much nicer.
Rolex concept is so wierd
You can wonder how the AD feels when big nice boxes from Rolex arrive. The disappointment is total when it is only sign material as you have nothing to show in the stands. The development has now gone from bad to tragic.
completely agree
It went from being a curious situation to say the least, to something unfortunate, to see that they no longer have anything to offer, empty shelves and those who are lucky there are two or three watches but they are only on display because they are either...
For sure Nico, but what’s (relatively) new is that they “succeeded allocating” them! ;-)) I understand that now, as a consequence of this, the random Rolex collector (myself included) can no longer walk into an AD and buy whatever they wish…
…but it makes no sense to me blaming a business *because* they are able to sell everything they produce!😄 EVERY single business would love to be in that position. Conversely, lots of brands, despite the huge rise in popularity of watches during the last c...
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Does anyone know who makes these displays? All those displays are always amazing. I do wonder what the price of one is, likely more than a single datejust.
