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Research Details
Oak Park Fine Jewelers: Time to Become an Official Rolex Jeweler?
Abstract
Oak Park Fine Jewelers, a 50-year-old family-owned business, had been offered a rare opportunity by luxury watchmaker Rolex to become an official Rolex jeweler operating in the greater Chicago market. Historically, Rolex negotiated agreements with jewelers to be officially authorized to sell Rolex timepieces. By carefully selecting each jeweler, Rolex was able to cultivate partnerships with jewelers that delivered a first-rate customer experience commensurate with the high-end nature of its brand. Official jewelers typically had only a small supply of Rolex watches on hand and had to wait for Rolex to allocate inventory, which could take months, or even years. As a result of constrained inventory and high levels of demand, there was a very active market for used Rolex watches. Aftermarket dealers might even sell in-demand models for higher prices than an official Rolex jeweler would charge--yet the secondary market continued to grow. Oak Park Fine Jewelers had to analyze the official Rolex agreement and decide whether this partnership ultimately was in its best interests.
Type
Case
Author(s)
Jim Lecinski, Jacob Mehlman
Date Published
08/20/2024
Citations
Lecinski, Jim, and Jacob Mehlman. Oak Park Fine Jewelers: Time to Become an Official Rolex Jeweler?. Case KE1330.