TT should be easy, my TT Rootbeer GMT was only a year wait lol.
London Jewelers is my go to. Give them a shot.
Thats my next move, but ill wait on @212hackr dont want him to make moves and leave him hanging
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TT Rootbeer much more difficult than a TT 31 DJ
Just started to think about getting a luxury watch that I can eventually pass down to my son. I am pretty much set on getting a Rolex after my initial research. They have so many iconic models with heritage that also hold their value so well.
Any fellow hackers here following the Rolex market closely? What are my chances of getting a GMT/Sub/DJ from an AD with no purchase history? I would love to have a shot at a Panda, but from what I understand it is like trying to buy a GT3 so I am trying to find a desirable but realistic option. Oh and buying from an AD means paying retail, right?
A lot depends on exactly what you want. Steel GMTâs, Subâs, and DJâs are still going to be tough (in that order IME). Anything Rolesor or all gold is much easier.
And ADâs are no different than car dealers, different ways of doing business, etc. With some youâll have no chance at anything hard to get w/o prior history, with others you never know. Youâre paying retail at an AD.
I was in Switzerland last week and stopped in 3 ADâs and was actually shocked at what they had available, best Iâve seen in a while:
steel Explorer
steel Air-King
Rolesor Sub (âBluesyâ)
Rolesor Daytona (white dial)
steel Deepsea (âJames Cameronâ)
Not to mention the usual Rolesor DJâs, gold Subâs, Daytonaâs, Day-Dateâs etc.
If youâre not in a hurry just start shopping and enjoy the hunt.
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even buying in CHF and paying VAT, probably worth grabbing the daytona
Itâs not as bad as it was a few years ago. And it really depends on your AD, your local market, etc.
A stainless sub shouldnât be too hard. Special GMTâs like a Pepsi, Batman, Batgirl will be much harder to get. Black GMT will be easier.
Datejust should be no problem as those are the volume watches. But for most DJâs, it can make more sense to buy on the grey market as virtually all of them are worth less than their original retail price. Unless you buy one from an AD to establish purchase history with hopes to get something more rare.
And you are correct, Panda is unobtanium, unless you have bought a bunch of jewelry or know the owner of the store. Very hard to get.
If youâre in CO though, try the ADâs in ski towns. For example the AD in Vail (Betteridge) doesnât really have much local clientele as most of their customers are tourists. So thereâs usually less of a formal waitlist for certain pieces and you can sometimes get lucky.
And to answer your question, AD always charges retail (the price of the watch on the Rolex website). Pre-Covid they would sometimes negotiate on gold or more expensive pieces that were hard to sell.
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Thanks, very helpful! Yes, I am in Denver Metro area so Vail would be a 2-hour drive for me. Can I shop with ADs over the phone like shopping for cars or do I need to go in there in person to be taken seriously since I have no purchase history?
In my experience, you wonât be taken seriously over the phone. But it doesnât hurt to try. In person is best and usually to put you on a list they need to put a face to the name.
Isnât Switzerland like some of the other VAT countries where foreign tourists can get it back?
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Yep, 8.1%.
Some of the Buchererâs Iâve talked to offer the full 8.1% back, while most other shops outside the airport are ~6% back, with the rest going to Global Blue.
I bought my Speedmaster in ZĂźrich in 2024 and with the 6% back it saved $800 or so (on a $8k watch) over what my cost would have been here in NC.
Meanwhile with the current 
Fx rate I ran the math on the Bluesy and even with the full 8.1% back on a $19k watch Iâd âonlyâ be $300ish cheaper over there.
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Interesting, I bought an op31 for the wifey in Lucerne, did all the paperwork at Bucherer and at Zurich airport we showed the papers and that was it. Few weeks later CC statement showed a refund for VAT.