Glasgow-based Laings says it is receiving record levels of inquiries for the new watches launched by Rolex this week.
Stuart McDowell, retail director for the luxury watch and jewellery business, says that the calls started the second customers saw the watches.
“All our authorised stores phones have been inundated,” he tells WatchPro. “With our online chat and digital presence, we are also experiencing more requests coming through these channels than ever before. Even my mobile started late last night and has not stopped.”
Rolex unofficially made this a Submariner year with a slew of new dive watches in a slightly larger 41mm case. But it was the entry level Oyster Perpetual that Mr McDowell admired most.
“It has to be the fresh dials on the 36mm Oyster Perpetual,” he says when asked about the stand out pieces from this week’s launches. “I know my wife will be asking for the Oyster Perpetual 36 with a turquoise blue dial on an Oyster bracelet,” he adds.
Adding an Oysterflex strap to the Sky-Dweller was also a smart move, “Hopefully giving the watch a more practical appeal,” Mr McDowell suggests.
Laings customers seem to be more drawn to the headline act, the new Submariners, and particularly the black dial with green ceramic bezel ‘Kermit’.
“The Submariner, being one of the pillars in the professional collection, has created the most demand, especially the LV version,” Mr McDowell reveals.
“Some customers are concerned over the increase in case size, however with the thinning of the lugs, I’m sure this will wear similar, if not smaller, than the 40mm and will prove to be popular,” he adds.
Laings is giving nothing away on the allocations it will receive this year, and whether there could be more steel professional watches available, which might cool prices on the secondary market.
It dont matter how many calls the autharised dealership gets, they will get told the same answer as the rest of us , come in buy a load of stuff you dont want and perhaps when you have spent a few grand with us we might think about selling you a watch that’s sort of what you were looking for three years ago, this sales tactic of creating an artificial scarcity has done more for the grey market than Santa claus ever could.
What I’m hoping is that those on an existing Rolex sub waiting list aren’t tossed into the bin and expected to join a new waiting list by having to contact their AD again.
Interesting, loving the Sub, Black & Blue. I’m a GMT person myself and happy to have the discontinued GMT steel which is the best. A big demand watch now.
Good point. But given how bogus waiting lists are (you do not rise up on lists over time, only by spending more with the retailer), I don’t suppose it will make much difference.
Fingers crossed AD’s will honour the waiting list queue, if it’s all about the spend oh well… (Laings said I didn’t spend enough when I visited their AD in Southampton earlier in 2020. So I’ve spent at another AD.) The alternative is I’d tap up a mate who is a big spender there.
I’d prob look at an Omega again to go with several Tudor watches we have. The AD I have been using have been brilliant, so fingers crossed.
In my experience laings have been hugely helpful with sourcing watches i wanted, and never pushed anything i didn’t want. Certainly these new watches will add extra pressure on those waiting lists.
Hi Rob,
Just had an email from my AD, they’ve transferred me over to the new waiting list and I’m very near the top. Indication is I could be receiving from the first allocation. So hats off to them and will just cement my relationship with them.
I’m not sure what normal practice is.
Regards,
Mike
cannot agree more with WILLIAM HOWIE…same goes to grey market putting their hands on those new models (buying power) selling them to the highest bidder…