Comments:
I’ve been thinking that for well over 20 years.
Not happened yet.
Who knows what the future looks like.
M.
Who knows what the future looks like.
M.
I totally understand your feeling. That's why I rarely buy from ADs. There are so many other superb watches, my friend. [nt]
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Thank you Nicolas!
I have some vintage, but have recently added more 5-digit sports because I cannot buy new. It has been fun. Time may tell that this may be for the better! 😁
Believe me, I have no problem with that situation. I have such a long list of watches to find. ;) [nt]
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that is my strategy as well
I usually have 4-5 watches on order which take some time for delivery so I do not care whether it takes one year or more for a watch to arrive - there is always something nice approaching. like a revolving model i guess
I agree 100%
Sadly they don’t care. They don’t care about loyalty, passion or you or me, or anyone else for that matter. The almighty buck is all that matters. And unfortunately, if you read certain other forums...instead of discussing the hobby and passion...they have ruined the hobby from at least one if not more brands by spewing non-stop nonsense about value, driving up prices, over and over again to the point it is nauseating.
Most of the so called “AD” know little to nothing about these watches...as you astutely pointed out. It is too bad these people cannot be reigned in, and despite the fact there used to be, and possibly still are, “rules” against such discussions, like the rest of the internet are allowed to run rampant.
Sad state indeed, but luckily, we have this site for which I am very grateful!
Apologies if I brought much negativity!
Like many here have said, there are other watches to buy. And I have found positivity myself in collecting older watches.
Yes, it is easy to agree that there are lots of problems with the current situation. It's a bit crazy when you think how things were not that many years ago, and where we are now... [nt]
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The pursuit is much of the fun, they say....
Sometimes. If the pursuit is time spent setting aside money, researching history, specifications or finding the correct specimen this can be very fun. All of the build up leading to a purchase really can heighten the entire experience. When it's educating sales staff on new products (it was the other way around in the good ol' days) and getting treated as you did by people from locations you have significant history with that's a mood killer.
Hopefully your new path will be more satisfying.
This is the way of things now in our hype driven society
Like lemmings everyone moves from one hot thing to the next and like locusts we descend on a brand, consuming it until we move on to the next green field with the brands getting overwhelmed by success. I gave up on Rolex long ago after pointlessly unpleasant experiences trying to spend some money. The same happened when I bought (my first) new car: mark ups, waiting list shenanigans, imaginary lists, luxury became scarcity became bend over and like it.
As other people have posted, on the flip side it has never been better to be off trend. I'll probably never buy a new watch or car again, not when the hype spotlight is so strong on so few that everything else is left in that much darker a shadow.
As other people have posted, on the flip side it has never been better to be off trend. I'll probably never buy a new watch or car again, not when the hype spotlight is so strong on so few that everything else is left in that much darker a shadow.
Yes, I was trying to make the same point below but you have framed it better. Cars, watches, clothing, handbags...all seen as consumable fashion these days and all subject to the same dynamic. [nt]
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I blame social media. If you've seen the Social Dilemma on Netflix, they don't address brands and consumption directly but it explains the hype infrastructure well. [nt]
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Since your AD 'salespeople' did not know what you were talking about...
my thought is that few to none came in to this AD, and it's better to tell you they were 'allocated' than to admit they got none, which would make them see 'lame'.
As we know, generally with very few exceptions, salespeople do not know anything beyond the most superficial cursory facts about watches.
This is a heightened version of the market that has been like this for --really forever (15 yrs....)
Shrug. Find a a gray dealer you trust, trade your old relationship with 'lame' AD for gray seller. Gray guys know vastly more than AD's. They get what you want. And market price is market price.
AD's are sort of like college and the public school system, they are being exposed daily as 'unnecessary' and 'antiquated' and 'full of BS' ( with a few exceptions of course) and I believe, soon, the whole system will change.
BUT it will be direct sales from the manufacture. Give it 10 yrs max. Will that be good? Dunno.
"Heightened version of the market" - very true!
I still want to avoid buying grey. Much has been written about "How we can all win during COVID-19 if everyone wears a mask" - Prisoners' Dilemma. I think we can say the same about the grey situation now. If everyone stop buying new from grey dealers, we can all win and go back to normal. Unfortunately most people want to get it, and want it now. Hence we are were we are.😞
Imagine everybody decides to buy from the AD and from the Grey Market. A 2 or 3 years watches diet and I can bet all the ADs will be very sweet with us. [nt]
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Yes! A 2-3 year diet for all of us would break the vicious cycle! [nt]
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And we would rediscover the joy of the vintage world. Or other brands. OR even better, dealing with collectors only. [nt]
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I understand your point very very well 😔
I must reckon that I'm almost there as well.
I also understand the AD's position, so I'm not blaming on them. They're simply trying to survive.
I've loved watches during my entire life, so I'm afraid that it will never change.
But the watch market has changed a lot lately with the proliferation of "gray" watch dealers. Evolution will continue for a while in my opinion, until we get to a degree of stability.
During the present stage, I feel that I don't need ADs anymore:
- Hyped pieces are only available for the VVIPs.
- Non-hyped pieces are cheaper somewhere else.
The future doesn't look much better, as the watch world is becoming a stock market, instead of a hobby.
I also understand the AD's position, so I'm not blaming on them. They're simply trying to survive.
I've loved watches during my entire life, so I'm afraid that it will never change.
But the watch market has changed a lot lately with the proliferation of "gray" watch dealers. Evolution will continue for a while in my opinion, until we get to a degree of stability.
During the present stage, I feel that I don't need ADs anymore:
- Hyped pieces are only available for the VVIPs.
- Non-hyped pieces are cheaper somewhere else.
The future doesn't look much better, as the watch world is becoming a stock market, instead of a hobby.
I like my ADs and bear no hard feeling.
I think they are suffering as much if not more. My experience with direct has not been good too. Boutiques are probably the first to start with "Preferred Clients", online sale of special edition are not friendly to all regions, etc.
I empathize completely. Good for you for finding a new direction. [nt]
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I think many will acknowledge the same.
For me, this situation arose in the mid-late 2000’s when I was primarily a Panerai collector. I chased for a while, but not for long. It was a waste of time and energy and was irritating at best.
So I went a different direction, which to be honest would likely have happened anyway as my collecting evolved and knowledge built.
These days it seems like the entire market is like Panerai was in that period. It’s frustrating as a collector, there are modern watches which I would like to own that are close on impossible to get from my AD. But my strategy is ask for what I want, and if I get it I get it. If I don’t I’m not losing any sleep. There are countless other possibilities.
Sometimes the watch does come in. I’ve had something arrive recently for which I was waiting on for over two years. A regular watch, nothing special. When the AD calls I need to decide if it’s still what I what. In some respects the cooling off period is helpful, impulse buys are almost a thing of the past (certainly for Rolex).
Btw, your 5-digit strategy is perfectly good. Lots and lots of good stuff to think about there.
Yes Panerai days! Did that bubble burst!
I still like PAMs and I have recently bought a few LEs for a song.