Why it’s so hard to get a Daytona, a Submariner or a Royal Oak

You walk into an authorised dealer, ask about a Rolex Daytona and the answer is polite but firm: there aren’t any. There’s no date either. Instead, they offer to put your name on a ‘list’. If this has happened to you, you’re not alone. Some luxury watches are, quite literally, easier to desire than to buy. Here’s why it happens, and what your options are if you really want one.

The hardest luxury watches to get

There are plenty of coveted pieces, but four names come up in every conversation:

• Rolex Cosmograph Daytona: the brand’s most coveted chronograph, especially in steel.
• Rolex Submariner: the dive watch par excellence, an icon since the 1950s.
• Audemars Piguet Royal Oak: the steel luxury sports watch, with its octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet.
• Patek Philippe Nautilus: the other great benchmark of the steel sports watch in haute horlogerie. You can see some of these pieces in our Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe collections.

Why there are so few

Limited production versus global demand

These houses make watches using processes that demand time, specialist craftsmanship and rigorous quality control. They can’t, and don’t want to, multiply their production from one year to the next. Meanwhile, demand has grown all over the world. The result is simple: there are more buyers than watches.

Authorised dealers and allocations

Authorised dealers receive allocations of each model. They don’t choose how many Daytonas they sell; they sell the ones they’re sent. And with so few units available, they prioritise. In practice, many dealers take a client’s purchase history into account: whether you’ve bought from the boutique before, whether you’re a regular client or whether you have a relationship with the brand. It isn’t a written rule, and every boutique works in its own way, but it’s what many buyers report.

Informal ‘waiting lists’

The famous waiting lists are rarely formal lists with an assigned number. They’re usually expressions of interest. Putting your name down guarantees nothing: not a timeframe, not a model, not even a phone call. That’s why some people wait a very long time while others get the call sooner than expected.

Discontinuations drive up demand

When a reference is discontinued, demand concentrates on the pieces that already exist. The best-known case is the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711, discontinued in 2021. Its withdrawal drove interest in the model, and in other Nautilus references, even higher. Whenever a change to a collection is rumoured, the market feels it.

The secondary market

When the official channel can’t deliver, the secondary market comes into play: new or pre-owned watches sold outside the authorised dealer network. For the most sought-after models, secondary market prices tend to sit above the official retail price. By how much depends on the model, the reference, the condition, how complete the set is and the timing. These prices fluctuate: they rise and fall with demand, brand releases and the economic climate. Nobody can promise you what a watch will be worth tomorrow.

How to buy a luxury watch safely on the secondary market

Buying outside an authorised dealer is perfectly legitimate, but it calls for care. These are the steps you should never skip.

Box and papers

A watch with its original box and warranty card or certificate (the ‘papers’) offers greater traceability. Check that the details on the paperwork match the watch.

Serial number and reference

Make sure the watch’s serial number and reference match the paperwork. Be wary of numbers that have been tampered with, are illegible or don’t add up.

Inspection by a watchmaker

Have an expert examine the watch: the movement, components, condition and authenticity of every part. A watch can be genuine as a whole and still contain non-original parts.

A trustworthy seller

• Visible company and tax details, and direct contact.
• Real photos and videos of the specific watch.
• Protected payment and insured shipping.
• A willingness to answer all your questions. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t buy. There will always be another watch.

How Private Plug can help

We work with a network of contacts that allows us to source watches that seem impossible to find. Through Private orders, you tell us what you’re looking for, in which configuration and on what terms, and we take care of finding it. Pricing is always on request, because it depends on each piece and on the moment. Everything we sell is 100% authentic and inspected before delivery. Watches travel with free insured shipping and are hand-delivered against signature. See what we have available right now in Watches and find out about our authentication process on our Authenticity page.

Important notice

This article is for information purposes only. It does not constitute financial or investment advice. Secondary market prices fluctuate, and a model’s past performance does not guarantee its future value. Buy a watch because you love wearing it.