Discontinued Models?

[bucky17]

Just wondering - when watches are discontinued what is the timeline that they are actually stopped being produced and distributed. As example, the White Gold Daytona with the Blue Dial was discontinued this year however I have seen people receiving these watches as recent as this week. Same with older reference watches.

Can you still try to request these watches from your ADs or can they not take interests in it because they have no idea if they’ll receive any more.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by bucky17

Just wondering - when watches are discontinued what is the timeline that they are actually stopped being produced and distributed. As example, the White Gold Daytona with the Blue Dial was discontinued this year however I have seen people receiving these watches as recent as this week. Same with older reference watches.

Can you still try to request these watches from your ADs or can they not take interests in it because they have no idea if they’ll receive any more.

That’s a question for your AD.

Kat


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[MovieGuy]

It can be anywhere from months to years depending on the model. I worked for an AD for almost 20 years and saw it often.

[ArtNouveau]

Since Rolex SA will never tell us, I’d say it depends. Anecdotally it seems like certain models are made in batches and we can only guess how many are still in the distribution pipeline when discontinuation is announced.
A number of people here have received 11 series Daytonas since the updates were announced. The 12 series are just now trickling in 8 months after their debut.
On the other hand I received my coral red OP41 just a few weeks before its discontinuation was announced. My SA said they didn’t see it coming, mine was the last of a dozen they had received during its 18 month run.

[Tools]

Rolex doesn't stop, then hold onto, already manufactured watches. They ship out everything based on their already scheduled shipping dates.

It is almost a certainty that when Rolex makes an announcement, they have already stopped production, likely for several months. The boxes of already made, now discontinued, models are still going to be shipped, stored, and sold throughout the world, which takes time.

We see complaints here from some who buy a new watch, then find out that it was discontinued a year ago. Rolex doesn't make watches by model-year, so those watches are still considered new just like the one next to it in the case.

[skipstar]

People are still receiving the 116500 both black and white but I also assume those have been in the safe for a while so I guess me like everyone else has no clue;)

[illiguy]

Originally Posted by skipstar

People are still receiving the 116500 both black and white but I also assume those have been in the safe for a while so I guess me like everyone else has no clue;)

Agree with this. I think between discontinuation announcement and new model release, it seems to be at least 6 months.

However, ADs probably will sell out of safe NOS models for in demand watches like Daytonas. With new warranty cards and random serials, it’s anyone’s guess on when some of the NOS models sold and dated at point of sale were actually produced.

If on newer style warranty card, you can deduce produced no earlier than late 2020.

[garyk]

Originally Posted by illiguy

Agree with this. I think between discontinuation announcement and new model release, it seems to be at least 6 months.

However, ADs probably will sell out of safe NOS models for in demand watches like Daytonas. With new warranty cards and random serials, it’s anyone’s guess on when some of the NOS models sold and dated at point of sale were actually produced.

If on newer style warranty card, you can deduce produced no earlier than late 2020.

Funny thing, when I did marketing for a Rolex AD years ago, the safe had a swinging door and watches were in the safe long enough to wait for their new owners to come in and pick them up. I thing the watches held back in the safe is a myth?!

[illiguy]

Originally Posted by garyk

Funny thing, when I did marketing for a Rolex AD years ago, the safe had a swinging door and watches were in the safe long enough to wait for their new owners to come in and pick them up. I thing the watches held back in the safe is a myth?!

Seems like it’s vary by AD

[Tools]

Originally Posted by garyk

Funny thing, when I did marketing for a Rolex AD years ago, the safe had a swinging door and watches were in the safe long enough to wait for their new owners to come in and pick them up. I thing the watches held back in the safe is a myth?!

I agree. A business that lets stock sit in the safe in back is not making money, and every day that goes by without income sees costs increases that are difficult to recover.

Some dealers do have regular customers, but they both know what they want and what they will buy.

[ArtNouveau]

Originally Posted by Tools

I agree. A business that lets stock sit in the safe in back is not making money, and every day that goes by without income sees costs increases that are difficult to recover.

Some dealers do have regular customers, but they both know what they want and what they will buy.

I cringe every time I see this myth perpetuated. My AD, a Rolex only Boutique, moves a LOT of watches. They don’t need to play “games” as people describe here, they have probably thousands of loyal clients. I bet 90% of their watches are presold, most picked up within a day or two of their arrival. I picked up my first three the day they arrived, the last two were shipped to me the next business day.

[njlam]

When interest rates were near zero, it cost dealers very little to hold inventory.
With interest rates at 5%, the cost of holding inventory is much higher. I bet the practice of holding watches in the safe is a thing of the past.

[garyk]

Originally Posted by njlam

When interest rates were near zero, it cost dealers very little to hold inventory.
With interest rates at 5%, the cost of holding inventory is much higher. I bet the practice of holding watches in the safe is a thing of the past.

Or, never happened in the first place or if it did in a very small way...I have friends at an AD, I will see them at a holiday event soon, I'll ask them to show me the "Vault"...

[Rolexnabzy]

About 2 weeks ago....I was informed by my good friend that his AD would have a new Daytona 116508 'John Mayer' for sale at the end of May.....I assumed for whatever reason this watch was being brought out of the 'vault' for sale...fast forward to today and he tells me that Management had been informed that they will 'soon receive' the watch.....

So this peaked my interest and I wondered how was that possible as it had been discontinued for over a year, to which he informed me that receiving a discontinued watch around 6 months to one year after discontinuation was very possible especially if it had been requested before discontinuation......although he would not be able to tell me date of manufacture.....

Checked with my Saudi friend for any similar stories and he told me that they had received the same watch just 2 months back....

So I guess the moral of the story is.... don't give up on your discontinued dream for at least a year or so