A HARSH TRUTH OF THE WATCH INDUSTRY
Some watch brands have higher demand than supply, but some of the big brands take it way too far. They will actually force you to buy other stuff before you can even be considered for the watch you want. I'm specifically talking about Rolex, Patek, and AP.
Imagine walking into a clothing store and wanting to buy a leather jacket. But the salesman says "Oh no, first you have to buy a couple shirts, a pair of pants, and a belt. And also, keep visiting me and become my friend. Then I'll consider you for the jacket in a couple years."
Understandably, your reaction would be to just walk out of the store. But that's basically how some of these brands operate.
Rolex is notorious for this. You can't just go into a Rolex authorized dealer (AD) and buy a Daytona, the most in-demand Rolex. They'll put you on a "journey" where they'll have you buy watches they can't sell so that you can be considered for the watch you do want to buy.
I've always referred to the AP Code 11.59 as the watch that people buy just to be considered for a Royal Oak. That's what I'm referring to. It's the same with the Aquanaut.
The brand's defense to this? They don't want people immediately flipping these watches on the secondary market and making a huge profit, which I suppose is sort of understandable (as if they care about what happens on Chrono24. I guess.)
But the lamest excuse is that they're "out of stock." In many cases, they're probably lying.
Quick story: a German man went into a Rolex AD to try and buy a popular Rolex. Of course, the AD said "they're not in stock, let's get you on the journey." So the guy hires a Johnny Depp impersonator with fake paparazzi and fake security. He calls the dealer ahead of time saying that there's a celebrity coming. Guess what happens? "Johnny Depp" buys that exact watch from them right away.
Where does my opinion stand on this? Well if it isn't clear by now. I hate it. I don't care how prestigious your brand is, no grown adult deserves to be treated like this. As long as they have the money, and the watch is ACTUALLY in stock, then they should buy that watch. Simple as.
So if you want a Rolex, AP, or Patek? My advice is to go to the secondary market. You'll pay more, yeah, but at least your dignity will still be intact.
(The picture is AI generated, but it's only a slight exaggeration of reality.)
People literally stopped buying Àṣọ Ẹbí for a while, due to the influence of this movie. People literally started wearing white that they have at home to events.
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