...when I asked the dealer under which legal or corporate guidance they are holding my paper - after all it is a fully paid product, not a lease, and my property - he blamed it on Rolex policy.
I then called Rolex UK to confirm this and they denied instructing or allowing dealers to pursue this practice. It is also telling that all other Rolex ADs I know of in the UK did not hold back papers.
Again, if you are Rolex and don’t trust your AD then take away their concession. If as an AD, you don’t trust your buyer, then do a better job vetting them or don’t sell to them at all. It does not sit well with me to pay for something in full, in cash and not get everything I am entitled to.