“Building a relationship with an AD”…really?!
I have heard and read numerous stories about folks visiting an AD many times over several months or longer to “build a relationship”. Often they purchase one or more watches or jewelry they may not want while they are on waitlist(s) for the in demand watch they are after. This is thought to increase the chances of receiving that watch sooner (or at all).
Perhaps I am cynical, but you are not building a relationship when you do this. You pre-pay the profit the retailer would earn by selling the GMT Master (or Royal Oak, or Nautilus, etc.) at secondary market value. Brands do not allow their ADs to do this. So by selling you that two-tone Sky Dweller or Datejust etc. they get their money a different way, for the minimal outlay of serving you a cup of coffee on your monthly “relationship building” visits. This is EXACTLY what happens when the new, hot sports car or SUV hits the dealer showroom and a $15,000 “market adjustment” is tacked onto the price, only it is plain to see in this case.
I am surprised it got to this point, and even more surprised how many customers participate. The luxury retailer’s business has historically been to compete for the opportunity to sell high-priced, non-essential goods while earning a very high margin. Limited supply and pandemic-hype around a select few watches have turned this upside down, but this will likely be temporary. I for one loo forward to the time when the AD wants to build a relationship with customers again, not the other way around!
Thanks for listening to my rant!!😉
Collecting for 20+ years, anything interesting across brands and price ranges.
Life is short and to be lived to the full. I invest my precious time in my friends and family.
No interest whatsoever in “building a relationship” with some random AD. And their absence and the absence of any of their products doesn’t leave any sense of a void for me - happily moved on by long ago.
I think it's all a joke. But if people didn't like it they really really don't have to do it. 🤷 But they do so I just ignore it and move on.
But in the recent past I've wondered the same thing.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Veblen goods.
I don’t get it either, I thought building a relationship is a two way street. It’s different with high end watches apparently. I’m good, not kissing anyone’s ass for a watch.
The whole AD thing in its current form is one if the things that I find ridiculous about the watch industry. I really love watches but in the grand scheme they are just fancy things and there are way more important things for me in life.
My A.D. kicked me to the curb. His loss.
It's irritating but I can understand why they do it. People want a watch, and they are willing to buy shit they don't want before they get the one they want. You know what they say about a fool and his money. Doesn't bother me if an ad doesn't want my money for a watch there's plenty of people out there who are all too happy to take it off me
I want to build a relationship with a plumber. You know, someone I actually need. So he shaves a little off my next bill. Not buy extra sh#t from some glorified jeweler so I can get an overpriced watch.
I want to build a relationship with a plumber. You know, someone I actually need. So he shaves a little off my next bill. Not buy extra sh#t from some glorified jeweler so I can get an overpriced watch.
Couldn’t agree more! Plumbers, contractors, perhaps a bar keeper!
Totally agree with your rant 👊
I prefer going with Trusted Sellers. If the price is OK with me, I just pay and get the watch. If not, I look elsewhere. Way less drama!
Save yourself the cost of buying unwanted watches - save yourself the time of schmoozing a salesperson who has zero impact on your life - just buy pre-owned at the (now very modest) markups and go live your life.
The whole relationship-building thing seems bazaar to me. I can understand paying a ton of money for a rare watch that has significant historical context like a 1953 Fifty Fathoms. What I can't see is buying a bunch of expensive stuff you don't want so the retailer will call you when they get a popular watch like a Rolex Sub so you can buy it for 20 times more than a very similar watch without the Rolex name on it.
There's a watch that I want that is in such high demand that you cannot expect to get one at MSRP in a short time frame, if at all. A few months ago I reached out to my nearest AD, who is 2 hours away. I have no purchase history. I cannot pop in every few weeks. I cannot afford to buy jewelry for my wife in hopes of getting in the good graces of this store. But I can drop this salesperson an email every few weeks and mention that I'm still interested. I am absolutely trying to build a relationship with her. Maybe I'm naïve, but I feel like by being personable and relatable she'll try to make it happen when the opportunity presents itself. If I'm wrong, I'm not out anything. If I don't get a chance to buy the watch, it wasn't meant to be and I'm okay with that.
It’s not as bad as people think. I would love to explain but there are already many threads about it.
In many markets like Hong Kong, it's widely accepted as the norm, not only do you need to be a regular customer you will be expected to spend the market value delta when you pick up the coveted piece.
Ask yourself this question; If a Pepsi trades for $10K more than retail, why would an AD give anyone free money? Unless you're already a whale with the AD, even VIPs need to spend the difference.
I actually prefer that approach because the expectations are clear; if you spend X you will go home with Y versus the never ending "relationship building" where there is never any guarantee and up to the SA and their manager to decide if they have milked you enough.
This approach also works way better as it's transactional and avoids the recent law suits about the promised Patek after "building a relationship for years.
The reality is when demand far outpaces supply, this is normal.
Those that say this will eventually all go away? Maybe? But keep in mind brands like Hermes have been playing this game for decades and I have my doubts it will ever go away because it plays on human nature. Humans will always be FOMO, want that they can't have, want exclusivity, want to be special and when something is hard to get? They want it more. Humans are very easy to market to and these luxury brands have it down perfectly.
Honestly the way the market is I feel like it dosent matter anymore just be genuine
My A.D. kicked me to the curb. His loss.
How, why?
I am just glad that my long term relationship with my AD of great importance started well before all this current watch crazyness, back when you could buy a Rolex literally "out of the case". These daze (sic) it seems almost impossible to build a relationship.
Oddly I am recognized around a certain shopping area here in Toronto, not to boast but when I finally walk into any ad or boutique, sales agents know that I have a valid credit card with $500 limit so they take me seriously. I always announce ahead of time that price matters a great deal to me,secondly they are going not going out to celebrate with drinks after selling me anything. I don’t get a tepid coffee but I do get service.
I visit ADs to check out watches. I try them on and only buy what I want. I've gotten to know salespeople over the years. I have never bought what I didn't want. In fact, I go elsewhere to buy other watches my AD doesn't sell. I have never bought jewelry. It's really isn't that big of a deal. I have all the watches I want and was patient for one watch they didn't have that I wanted. I'm happy.
Couldn’t agree more! Plumbers, contractors, perhaps a bar keeper!
Weird idea i know but Doctor? Lawyer?
Presumably aquistion of luxury items is a variation on the, presumably, evolved behaviour of saving storage of excess for hard times ahead.
I reckon a lot of behaviour thag can seem odx to many is just that: variations on evolved behaviour.
Makes sense when the species could easy starve
Less easily explained in our current environment.
And culture. In some cultures, display of wealth is important.
And values. Some people value "things" very highly and displaying their wealth or "success" is very important to them.
Apart from that, it appears utterly bizarre to me.
Totally agree with this post.
In fact, my experience is that the brand boutiques I deal with are actively building a relationship with me.
How are they doing it?
Well here are some examples...
1) Inviting me to lunch and to preview new models that will be released and offering me advance opportunities to purchase what I like
2) Inviting me to special in-store events and private dinners with senior executives of the brand
3) Inviting me to events like a fully paid trip to the Indy 500 (which I declined), a fully paid trip to Rennsport Reunion (which I declined), dinner and a private tour of the Petersen Museum (which I accepted - it was awesome), etc.
4) Creating a special club for serious collectors of the brand and getting invited to Watches & Wonders together with special dinners and visits to the manufacture
You can imagine that my spending will be highly correlated with the positive impressions I have of the brand and its people who are treating me like a valued customer.
I am not a masochist and thus I am not a Rolex owner (in fact the watches don't really do it for me at all - well maybe Paul's (@TheHoroSexual) John Player Daytona is an exception).
So, in conclusion, I don't bother with ADs and I don't play games. My time is too valuable and there is no watch on earth I want that much to be a part of the hype machine.
https://youtu.be/cBojbjoMttI?si=g9wkbj3hZoCcXpUH
this whole language feels so toxic to me "build relationship"... There is no relationship, they are sales guys, no one needs them, the world doesn't need them, humanity doesn't need them. They could be replaced by a hole in a wall with a credit card reader. One of the many reasons Rolex is dead to me as a brand.