Every time I pass a Rolex shop and see people queuing outside hoping to buy a Rolex (a common occurrence in Tokyo, where I live), I roll my eyes and immediately think, you’ll come out empty-handed . It’s the reality, isn’t it? Not so fast. There are ways to get the Rollie you’ve been dreaming of , whether it’s a discontinued model or not.
But where do we start? To tackle all our burning questions about how to buy a Rolex, I caught up with Danny Shahid , the luxury watch expert behind Diamond Watches London in Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade, and Dillon Bhatt , watch and lifestyle expert and founder of LuxForte . Bhatt: Rolex is a staple brand. They do everything correctly, from product, to marketing and everything in between.
Due to this, the demand has increased exponentially over the past few years, and supply just couldn’t keep up. Whilst Rolex isn’t necessarily a completely handmade watch, the ideology that a Rolex can be your first watch or your 100th still stands true, thus it can appeal to all demographics — something that other brands just don’t have. Shahid: Clients are mostly after a stylish treat or an investment piece which will increase in value over time.
Like fashion, there are always circular phases in the watch scene and different Rolex models are hot each time. It’s these trends that tend to drive what my clients are looking to buy. If it’s for an investment, the client has usually heard from a mate or a blog about the appreciation of a m.
