[I_Am_Nous]

There was (is?) a huge problem with Rolex watches being listed online for scalping prices by authorized dealers so that they would be sold before they were ever even really in the store. It was really hard to just buy a Rolex officially.

[Marsymars]

I'm not really following. Scalping prices = market value. The "problem" is that authorized dealers were selling watches at market value rather than at some other price at retail?

[I_Am_Nous]

Stuff like this:

https://atelierdegriff.com/2021/02/14/breaking-major-rolex-a...

[turquoisevar]

> The allegations made in this case are just about as juicy as they get and puts the spotlight dead center on the terrible practice of Authorized Dealers directly selling popular watch models into the grey market. This practice of course artificially increases the rather silly prices customers have to pay on the grey market in order to avoid decades long waiting lists.

I had to chuckle at this.

You’d think they’d be talking about loafs of bread in the USSR, the way they describe it.

[I_Am_Nous]

It really is an issue that's hard to feel empathy for. "Poor rich people, they can't buy a status symbol on a whim anymore" but grey market also means increased risk of counterfeit watches.

[Marsymars]

There's a bunch of stuff alleged there, but I'm still not clear on what you think the "problem" is?

As this piece about the dismissal of the first case notes: https://nationaljeweler.com/articles/10782-former-employees-...

"[...] it is not illegal to violate Rolex policies or to sell watches on the gray market."

The other allegations (immigration fraud, income tax evasion, etc.) don't seem to be especially related to the market price of watches.

If the market value of watches is actually much higher than what they go for at retail, the "problem" of lack of availability is effectively being caused by watchmakers a) making too few watches and/or b) not setting the retail price of their watches high enough.

[I_Am_Nous]

It's against the Rolex Authorized Dealer terms. Authorized Dealers are supposed to sell the watches retail only. It not being illegal doesn't have much to do with it.