Has Rolex gone too far?

I visited a couple of authorised Rolex dealers today to check on the situation regarding a white dial Oyster Perpetual 39.

The end result was expected, but still disappointing. Having just visited a Watchfinder store where I spotted a GMT Master II (2019) for £17,500 I was still fresh in the mindset that the Rolex market had lost its mind.

The first AD advised me that the wait list for a Perpetual 39 was between 6 weeks and 6 months, but the reality was that the latter was most likely. She offered to put me on a list, but I politely declined because I am reaching the stage where the idea of moving up to a Rolex is starting to feel wrong.

Taking the papers for a year leaves a sour taste to me and having to go on a list to pay £1,000's to a company only adds to the sense that they believe I am lucky to potentially be one of their customers.

Seriously Rolex. This is simply not right and we have no idea what the sales numbers are so we presume that the steel models are deliberately constrained to keep up the demand.

The second AD advised that they would not be getting any more white Perpetuals this year because they had already received their allotment. This is an Oyster Perpetual, not a GMT Master or a Submariner or any of the other models that people actually want to buy.

In any other industry this would be viewed as a disaster, but for Rolex many seem to perceive it as a positive thing. To me, however, it pushes the bar to a place that means people like me, who have finally decided that a lifetime of work deserves to be rewarded with a Rolex, are barred from such an indulgence.

Yes, Rolex has gone way too far and they are in danger of damaging the entire industry because they, at this time, are by far the most important part and the leader in almost every area.

The problem is that many people will not settle for anything other than what they desire and at this moment I may as well stick with my Tudor and be happy with it. My view on Rolex has reached the point where I don't want to give them any of my money because they are souring not only brand perception, but with it the products themselves which may not live up to the long waits people need to go through to own them.