One guy puts his name on every possible Rolex wait list and never gets the call. Another walks in with no purchase history and leaves with a Daytona. Same store. Same watches.

The difference? Quid pro quo relationships.

Most people think allocations come down to a 'wait list', purchase history or how much you spend. Not at all.

Here's how the game is really played.

I know a director at a major luxury handbag store. He walks into Rolex and can get any watch he wants. Why? Because when the Rolex AD walks into his handbag store, he always gets the bag he wants for his wife. No wait.

I have another client who owns a chain of restaurants on Boston's north shore. He caters his local Rolex boutique every month. Always gets the call for the watches he wants.

Or you can refer several dozen engagement ring buyers like my man Pratik 'Tiki' Biswal.

This is why you can join dozens of lists...
...and still never get the call.

Someone else is building the relationship better and they'll get the call first.

So what do you do if you're not a restaurant owner or manage a handbag boutique?

Here's what I tell all my clients.

Put your name on the list and then buy the piece you want in the secondary market now. If you happen to get the call one day, just resell the piece for a profit. In the meantime, the watch you've always wanted has already been on your wrist without the wait.

What watch are you waiting on 'the call' for?