You walk into an Authorized Rolex Dealer, browse the watches, and decide what you want to buy. You ask the salesperson for the watch, and they tell you they don’t have it. You then go to every authorized dealer in town and keep getting the same response. You go back a month later, and they still tell you they don’t have the watch. So, what’s going on?
Why is it so Hard to Buy a Rolex at an Authorized Dealer?
The Rolex brand produces luxury products and works hard to maintain its prestige. It would not be as exclusive and coveted if they sold a Rolex to everyone who wanted one. Official Rolex Jewelers limit the sale of the watches to uphold the brand’s cachet.
Although I successfully purchased a Rolex from an Authorized Dealer, I did have some difficulty at first. The truth about buying a Rolex is a little pretentious yet understandable. They simply may not be telling you the truth when they say they do not have the watch, and I have seen this firsthand.
What is an Official Rolex Jeweler?
Rolex authorizes certain retailers to sell their watches. These are called “Official Rolex Jewelers” or commonly referred to as “Authorized Rolex Dealers.” If you go to the Rolex website, you will see that they have a list of their official retailers, which you can see here: Official Rolex Jewelers. I want to point out that where I live in New York City, there are only nine Authorized Dealers, and this is New York. So, for a city of this size, that is very little.
Only Buy a Rolex from an Authorized Retailer
If you are going to buy a Rolex, please only get one from an authorized dealer. You don’t want to run the risk of getting a fake watch. I really hope you take this seriously. It isn’t worth it, and quite frankly, why would you want to buy one from somewhere else anyway? The whole point is that a Rolex is hard to get. It wouldn’t be such a luxury brand if it wasn’t hard to get. If it is easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing.
How I Got My First Rolex
New York has many shopping areas, but none are as high-end and luxurious as Madison Avenue from 57th St and up. That is where I go shopping to get my suits, shoes, and other luxury goods.
When I was younger, I was never a watch guy, but a few years ago, I decided I wanted to get a watch, and it would be a Rolex. I went into many different authorized dealers in NYC, and everyone told me the same thing: “We don’t have the watch.” At that time, there were barely any watches on display, so it was reasonable that it was due to supply chain disruption. After going to several Official Rolex Jewelers in NYC, I gave up and decided not to bother.
About a year later, I was picking up a pair of custom shoes I had ordered at a luxury shoe store on Madison Avenue, which was very close to an Authorized Rolex Dealer. The store’s manager, Freddy, is a buddy of mine, and while I was there, I showed him a picture of a Rolex to get his opinion. He said, “Let’s go down the street and take a look.” For a little context, Freddy has been selling luxury goods at different high-end brands on Madison Avenue for almost twenty years. He knows many people working at the other stores in the neighborhood.
We walked into the store and saw the watch on display. I asked the salesperson if I could see the watch. He took it out of the case, put it on my wrist, and then took it back and put it back in the case. I told him I would take it, and he said. “Sorry, sir, this is a display model only. All the watches here are for display purposes only. We don’t have any available for sale.” he asked me to write down my contact information to put me on the dreaded Rolex waitlist. While I was filling out the waitlist card, Freddy walked away to call the manager. Five minutes later, I was buying the watch. And not the display model. Someone went into the back and brought me a brand-new one. That is the truth about how you buy a Rolex. If they do not know you, it can be a little tricky.
Getting a Rolex at an Authorized Dealer
It is difficult to get a Rolex at an authorized dealer, but that is kind of the point of the watch. If everyone had a Rolex, then it wouldn’t be special. If you really want one, be prepared for some hurdles, but please only buy them from authorized dealers. That is the right way to get a Rolex. You should earn it.
