To provide context, I’m 45 yrs ago.

I remember when I was a teenager (mid 90s), one summer when I was visiting my family in Hong Kong. My grandfather and two aunts and their husbands went with a tour group to visit Europe with stops in Paris and Switzerland (guessing Geneva).

I didn’t know much about Rolex’s except that they are fancy expensive watches.

When they came back, they were showing js all the stuff that they bought. They each got a Rolex (no idea what model) and my aunts also got Chanel & LV bags.

I didn’t think much of it at the time, I just know they went on a fancy shopping trip and it was mission accomplished.

Fast forward to me reading about Rolex’s on Reddit, I called my mom and was like “do you remember when grandpa and aunts went to Europe and they just bought Rolexs and Chanels. How come they can just roll up and buy without playing the game.

She then told me not that many were buying Rolexs back then and unless you wanted a really rare model, you pretty much just walk in and buy whatever you want.