3/26/22 Rolex Is Turning Into A Trash Brand?

     I hate to say it, I love the watches, but these crap of only being able to find their watches in the secondary markets makes the regular person almost not want the hassle.  I don't know how true it is, but the idea that you have to become a favorable customer by buying a couple of other inferior watches is infuriating.  I mean I honestly wouldn't mind buying a couple of Panerai watches or Cartier watches to become a customer who gets preferential treatment, but there is only a certain amount of money I can dedicate to this hobby in a year.  I will eventually buy some of those watches, I have my eyes on some of them, but I won't be forced to do it just to please the masters running the store.

    The worst part is that criminal shitheads have figured out these watches are worth more sold used than new, so there seems to be an increase in being held up or watches getting stolen from good hard-working people.  This makes me want to wear the watches out every day even less, so then I have to think about "why do I want the watch in the first place?"  I think they are beautiful pieces of art, what makes humans the great animals that we are, in that we can piece together something so complex and have it come to life.  But I am not going to wear them just anywhere, seeing how easy an idiot with a gun can take them away.

    Some examples of watches being worth more on the used markets are the Oyster Perpetual 41, which is supposed to sell for about $6150.

Assholes have figured out some people will spend crazy money to get one of these, so on the secondary markets (don't want to say "used" because some are never even worn, per the description), the same watch will sell for $33,000 to $36,000.  There isn't even any gold on these particular watches, the only thing driving the price up is because "everyone wants one", and they can't be found at Rolex stores.

     I don't know how this problem can be solved.  Rolex is apparently making enough money to be happy, everything they make gets sold, and the people that flip them are happy to go in, buy as many watches as it takes, knowing they will make a tidy profit.  The ones that get screwed are the people that actually want to buy the nice watch for their personal collection.  I won't ever buy something this inflated in price.  But then again, that is why I am now looking at Omega and really considering Panerai as my next watch purchase, maybe in a few years, Rolex cools down as the hot brand.