I read somewhere that some ADs are selling directly to the gray market and put people at the waiting list, taking advantage from the production shortness due to COVID to create a new operational model and send the message to people that this is the new normal, and by doing that their sales numbers will go up to a point where they can sell their inventories. For someone to be a RLX AD, they need to constantly buy new watches from RLX and if they don’t sell them, their inventories will get bigger and bigger getting thousands of dollars pilled in shelves. If they don’t sell, they are loosing money and if they don’t buy more from RLX
they will loose the AD classification. As result there’s a need to increase sales and demand.
Even this RLX program to buy used watches sounds like that they want to control the demand in a way that will allow the company to keep the lists while selling both new and used products. Don’t know if you are aware, but RLX is building a massive Data Analysis department (it’s my business area might give a try there
) that for sure will give them more control over the full supply chain and demand.Apart from this marketing message, I do believe that watches in precious metals and those highly collectable models have shorter production units per year but the steel basic ones I don’t believe that and here’s why. 2022 last week of the year I went to my local AD just to strap an Explorer I (my grail watch along with Speedy). They told me that they haven’t any in stock, not even one of those dummy units to try a 36mm case and see how it straps on the wrist. So I strap a date just to check the size and a sub. Was then told the waiting list was long, kind of between 2 to 4 years depending on the model but that was OK for me, so I got listed. 6 days later they called in and I was told that they have a Sub and an Explorer in the store waiting for me to check them.
So from years this shifts to days not even a week. I got the feeling they pull the watches from their stock and this was the process time for a normal order (this caught holiday season so maybe could be in less days
).All this sounds like pure marketing, creating the scarce feeling between customers and by that they are increasing the demand. This, along with some ADs pairing with the gray market, will increase the demand for new watches (7k or more for a normal OP???) and by doing so, the waiting lists are increasing but at the same time allows the company to understand the demand for new models. With the entry in the used market RLX can respond to the high demand from their watches and also increasing their customer base size keeping everyone happy.
Did I bought the watch? No. Was on my way to the AD really happy and thinking I was a lucky guy. Everyone complains about waiting lists but I didn’t had to wait. Suddenly I thought, “wait a second how the f%$&# did this drop from years to days? Not even weeks!!”. Got to the AD and strap both watches (sorry sub fans but the explorer is a cracker of a watch) and decided by the Explorer I, but was going to pull the trigger if the AD explain to me like a 3yrs old children how the hell do you go from years to days. Answer, he could not explain that. So a told that I felt scammed, totally out of confidence to buy the watch and wasn’t going to give my money. Even the comment that we can not control the supply chain is like a full of bs excuses. Asked for the complain book and wrote this down. If I’m blacklisted now, fine no problem. Am I buying the watch? Yes but at another dealer and a used one when prices drop below retail. If that doesn’t happen then no problem, I just don’t want the felling like I was scammed.
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