*I am not condoning the purchase of a "replica" Rolex. I am not a lawyer.
For years now Rolex has been a status symbol on par with Gucci, Prada, and Lamborghini. They want to be known as a premium brand. So they've made it damn near impossible for an average person to simply buy a Rolex watch through a dealer. This kind of business practice is leading the replica industry to capitalize on disgruntled customers who don't want to be put on waiting lists or grease the palms of dealers for the high honor, nay the privilege of paying tens of thousands of dollars for a luxury watch.

My favorite channel that is all about luxury watches:    / @nicoleonard  
@NicoLeonard
The U.S. government says: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/fakegoodsre...

My story with trying to buy a Rolex:
My father is a disabled veteran. After his honorable discharge from the military, my father purchased a Rolex Daytona. Years later he lost his Daytona while on an elk hunt. For years and years, we've searched the mountains for the fabled Daytona and heard the legends about how much it would be worth now. My father is now in his seventies and his health is declining faster than we could have imagined. After making some decent money in marketing I fantasized about purchasing a new Daytona for my father to replace the one he'd lost so many years ago.

When I visited the Rolex dealer they essentially laughed in my face about buying a Rolex. Apparently, there is a process where you are added to a waitlist or you can purchase some Tag Huer or Grand Seikos to build a relationship and get notified first when one becomes available.

I was frankly disgusted. Unless you have the money to grease the dealer's palms or a type of celebrity status simply buying a Rolex with your hard-earned money is not an option anymore.

Now I get it. Replicas aren't worth anything as an investment and authentic Rolex watches represent status much like a luxury car. But I'm more than a little okay with Rolex getting a clap back from the average Joes like me that run into a brick wall when purchasing.