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Rolex is creating some of this drought themselves and the gray market dealers are doing the rest. I have been to a few of the Authorized Dealers in the past 4 or so months and they are DRY. Nothing for sale but women's models. I went today to see an AD in Manhattan and she had no professional steel sports models. She could only offer me a White Gold w/Diamonds Day-Date for $56K which is waaaaaay out of my price range-- and I hate diamonds on watches anyway. So do most watch enthusiasts and that is why diamond models are more available right now. The Rolex store will take your information, but they'll never call. Some of these watches are now waitlisted for 4+ years at this point. Taking your name and number is more of a formality than anything. Only the highest of high rollers are getting any $8500 Submariners or GMTs. You might get a call 18 month from now for a two-tone rose gold Yachmaster 2 for like $26K and you'd consider yourself lucky. Gray market dealers talk themselves up like they're providing a valuable service by buying up all the inventory and then fucking you on a 140% markup of retail.

Rolex is creating some of this drought themselves and the gray market dealers are doing the rest. I have been to a few of the Authorized Dealers in the past 4 or so months and they are DRY. Nothing for sale but women's models. I went today to see an AD in Manhattan and she had no professional steel sports models. She could only offer me a White Gold w/Diamonds Day-Date for $56K which is waaaaaay out of my price range-- and I hate diamonds on watches anyway. So do most watch enthusiasts and that is why diamond models are more available right now. The Rolex store will take your information, but they'll never call. Some of these watches are now waitlisted for 4+ years at this point. Taking your name and number is more of a formality than anything. Only the highest of high rollers are getting any $8500 Submariners or GMTs. You might get a call 18 month from now for a two-tone rose gold Yachmaster 2 for like $26K and you'd consider yourself lucky. Gray market dealers talk themselves up like they're providing a valuable service by buying up all the inventory and then fucking you on a 140% markup of retail.

(post is archived)

[–] • 1 pt

Maybe look into a Grand Seiko.

[–] • 1 pt

Yeah. GS is on my wishlist. I want that Snowflake. Iconic and beautiful.

[–] • 1 pt

Lol, I was going to say in my comment, the Snowflake.

I'm surprised you knew. I'm not much of a watch person like you, but when I saw a Snowflake online I was taken back about its gorgeous design.

[–] • 1 pt

It's a beauty. I have never held one, but the drawback to me of GS is that while the finishing and dials are on par with and sometimes even better than other brands at the price point like Rolex and Omega, the GS lacks the heft of a Rolie so that is a little bit of a turnoff to me. Also, I have heard some horror stories about their terrible, slow and shitty service centers in America. At RSC, you're treated like a king compared to some of these other brands.

[–] • 0 pt

When I went watch shopping on Amazon last year, I looked for the cheapest watch I could get that was slim, stylish, easy to read, with a metal wristband. I ended up with something called the Skmei. It looks like a thousand dollar watch, but I paid less than $20 for it. Keeps perfect time. I'm on my second battery. The wrist band is a little annoying, in that it's one of those mesh bands that you click closed around your wrist. They are a bitch to adjust and put on, although they work well enough once they are in place.

Black dial, silver hour markers, silver hands, black wrist band. It is a good-looking watch. I just don't see any reason to buy a Rolex. My sister has a gold Rolex -- it seems to always be in the shop, getting cleaned or adjusted or something. I'm willing to bet any amount of money that my $20 Skmei keeps more accurate time than her solid-gold Rolex.

[–] • 0 pt

I get what you're saying, but it is a personal preference. A Toyota will take you to the grocery store and so will a Porsche. If you just like cars for utility, then the Toyota is the right answer. I can definitely tell the difference between a $20 watch and a $1000 watch. Just like a car, you pay for the finish, the engine, the service, the marketing....everything. Your $20 watch is running on a quartz movement. The $1000 likely has an automatic movement. The quarts is actually more accurate---until the battery dies. The finish on a $20 watch is complete dog shit. I have some quartz shitters, too, though.