If you buy from either of those sources you will be paying a hefty premium on retail unless you opt for a vintage Rolex which have been better than money in the bank for the right watch which have risen dramatically !! Rolex sports watches have be going nuts for some time... either put your name down and hope you get one or you have missed the boat for the time being.
There are rumours that Rolex are keeping production low to create the long waiting lists. Now where have we seen that before? There is a second hand route though. I have seen some jewellers offer them and also online such as Watchfinder. Maybe worth a look?
There are rumours that Rolex are keeping production low to create the long waiting lists. Now where have we seen that before? There is a second hand route though. I have seen some jewellers offer them and also online such as Watchfinder. Maybe worth a look?
I had an interesting conversation with a Rolex representative in Geneva earlier this year. The waiting list is not a deliberate ploy, and production is limited only by the capacity of the production line (and Rolex's fastidious obsession with making every component in house - even mainsprings which most other brands' in-house calibres would buy in).
The longest waitlists are for the steel-bodied watches because the value of the movement is a much greater proportion of the value of the watch and they are making less margin on these, so they do 'manage' production volumes in line with overall volumes of higher margin precious metal models.
I do admire them for not chasing volume and not putting up prices of the most sought-after steel models (Daytona, Submariner) even though the market would bear the price hike.
Stuart "There's no skill substitute like cubic inches."
I have a similar story. A good acquaintance wanted to buy her husband a Submariner for his 60th birthday in February. Now she is on the waiting list... for years. I must warn against ever buying a Rolex on the Internet if the source is unknown. I wouldn't buy a "like new" Rolex from an not familiar jeweler who isn't a Rolex concessionaire. The imitations are so damn good that only professionals can tell them apart from a real watch.
You know it makes sense! 
