u/GoddessOfKlutz

March 2019 hits differently. Rolex at retail, readily available at Lucerne, no waitlists, no games. I wish those days would come back.

I recently came across old screenshots showing retail prices from that period, and the contrast is striking. Today, the Submariner No-Date retails at ₱595K, the Submariner Date at ₱669,500, and the “Starbucks” Submariner Date at ₱702K, yet all are effectively unattainable at retail, even with cash in hand, due to tightly controlled supply.

Back then, the experience was entirely different. You could walk into any Lucerne boutique and walk out the same day wearing the Rolex you had just purchased. Now, even with multiple purchase history built over decades and direct connections to the Yao family, waitlists remain the norm, including for those seeking priority access. At most, timelines can be slightly expedited if the pieces are framed as urgently needed for a tinghun or wedding. Otherwise, for those who want immediate acquisition, the only practical route today is the grey market.