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Rick Ross’ Extravagant Car Collection Reaches New Heights – Literally
Rick Ross’ Extravagant Car Collection Reaches New Heights – Literally

Rick Ross is one of the most successful rappers in the music industry and is the poster child for living lavishly.Kilos of jewels and watches; dozens of high-end spirit endorsements; mansions upon mansions… But the thing he’s perhaps best known for is his obsession with all things motoring. I mean, the man has a record label named Maybach Music Group… But just as his third album is Deeper Than Rap, his love of cars is deeper than that.Ross allegedly owns over 100 vehicles – including a few Maybachs, it has to be said – but he seems to have a real taste for Americana. His latest ride? A heavily modified Hummer H1 with some seriously jacked-up suspension, huge wheels, a camo paint job and Louis Vuitton monogram-print leather seats.

It’s a big car for an even bigger man. Ross is 1.8m tall, and the hulking Hummer seems even taller than that – close to 2m tall, by our estimation. For reference, that’s taller than a Mercedes-Benz G-Class or a Ford F-Series truck, or about two Lamborghini Miuras stacked on top of each other.RELATED: ‘Tall Poppy Proof’ Cars Fast Becoming Australian Men’s FavouritesThe wheels are enormous, too. The largest stock rims that ever came on a Hummer H1 from the factory were 22″, but these aftermarket numbers are much bigger, 24″ or larger. We’re surprised he could find off-road-capable tyres for them, frankly… But when you’ve got a 100+ strong car collection, you’ve probably got a very capable tyre guy.Ironically, this Hummer is probably one of the least flashy vehicles the Big Boss owns. We’d say his two-tone Rolls Royce Wraith, bright red Ferrari 458 Italia or his Chevrolet Impala ‘donk’ with Gucci upholstery are arguably more eye-catching rides (the man’s got a thing for designer upholstery, apparently).

He’s also clearly got a thing for the second-generation Chevrolet Bel Air. He’s got four, count ’em four, baby blue ones, as well as a bright red convertible example. We weren’t lying when we said he had a thing for American cars…

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The post Rick Ross' Extravagant Car Collection Reaches New Heights – Literally appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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‘Controversial’ No Time To Die Scene Leaves Bond Fans Feeling Confused & Scared
‘Controversial’ No Time To Die Scene Leaves Bond Fans Feeling Confused & Scared

What’s the ultimate test of your masculinity? While previous generations might have answered that question with ‘hunting’, ‘war’ or – worse – ‘American football’, in 2021 you might argue the ultimate test of masculinity is sitting on the back of a motorbike.Whether you think this is a travesty for the iconic 007 institution, or whether you think anyone complaining about it must be a narrow-minded fossil insecure in their own masculinity (or whether you kind of feel a pang of both), what’s beyond debate is that the following photo, recently posted to Instagram by various fan page accounts, is sure to spark quite the debate among James Bond fans.

Instagram account @bondvoyage007 posted the image in good humour, writing, “This is the next best thing when the bus is late in”@bondonian_life also posted the image, captioning it: “New James Bond and Nomi picture – No Time To Die- 2021.A commenter responded: “🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️.”The original photo, however, comes from Nicola Dove (@filmstillsacademy).@springhousebureau shared Dove’s image too, captioning it: “New set photo – #danielcraig and #lashanalynch riding a Royal Alloy GT125 Scooter in Port Antonio.Responses included “lol” and laughing emojis.The most aggrieved commenters to be found, however, are hanging out under @commander_james_bond_’s repost of the photo, making such remarks as: “Some men don’t like being taken for a ride,” “I don’t know why I think it’s funny,” and “Bond riding B*tch!”Others wrote: “LITERALLY taking a ‘backseat’ to his eventual / inevitable female replacement haha…” and “Where is James Bond in this picture ?”This isn’t the first time fans have been upset by James Bond being in a passenger seat.

On Twitter, one fan recently wrote: “It rubs me the wrong way that bond isn’t the one flying the plane. rubbed me the wrong way the moment I watched first trailer.”Who needs a movie? In 2021 all you need is popcorn and social media.Also: for those of you getting your panties in a twist over Bond not vigorously straddling every vehicle he comes across, consider the following Daniel Craig quote from a recent podcast.

“I get shot and then I get blown up. It feels like James Bond to me.”

Watch Daniel Craig hit back at ‘modern Bond’ haters in the video below

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The post ‘Controversial’ No Time To Die Scene Leaves Bond Fans Feeling Confused & Scared appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Jonah Hill Shows You How To Rock The ‘World’s Most Conspicuous Watch’
Jonah Hill Shows You How To Rock The ‘World’s Most Conspicuous Watch’

Jonah Hill isn’t just one of the most talented multi-hyphenates in showbiz, but he’s also an incredibly stylish guy with incredible taste in watches.Most of the 37-year-old funnyman’s pieces are classic, versatile, somewhat understated ones. He’s a big fan of Rolexes, owning a number of models including a Milgauss (tasteful) as well as both a stainless steel Daytona and a gold Daytona (a bit more baller). He also owns at least one Patek Philippe Nautilus – again, a desirable watch, but not overly ostentatious.All of this is to say that it was rather surprising when we woke up this morning and saw photos of him wearing one of the most conspicuous, complicated and uncharacteristic watches in the entire watch world: a titanium Richard Mille RM 052 Tourbillon Skull worth close to a million Aussie dollars. What gives?

Images: Netflix / Perfect Wrist
Well, it turns out he’s wearing the watch for a role, as is often the case with actors and their watches (if we had a dollar for every time a two-bit blog included screen prop watches as part of an actor’s collection in one of their listicles, well, we’d be able to afford a Richard Mille). It might actually be his watch, though – he is a notable watch collector after all – but it’s not clear.RELATED: Lionel Messi Arrives In Paris With A Rolex To Match His PaycheckWhat is clear is that his next movie is going to be a hit. Hill is playing the foppish and cynical White House Chief of Staff Jason Orlean in the upcoming Netflix black comedy Don’t Look Up, which features a star-studded cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep, trying to warn mankind about an approaching comet that will destroy Earth.As the name implies, the baseplate and bridges of the RM 052 take the form of a grade 5 titanium skull, with the upper and lower jaws of the skull appearing to hold the ruby of the tourbillon cage in its teeth. The signature tonneau case of the watch also features ‘speed holes’, which complement the (literally) skeletonised movement and serve to subtract even more weight.
Hill alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep in a still from the movie. Streep’s character seems to be wearing a Piaget dress watch, too – fancy watches all around it seems. Image: Netflix
It’s an eye-catching statement piece of a watch that’s proven to be very popular amongst the rich and famous. Post Malone, Neymar Jr. and Pharrell Williams are just some other celebrities who have one of these macabre timepieces in their collection.RELATED: John Legend’s ‘Beater’ Watch Costs More Than Your CarFrom what teaser footage we’ve seen so far, Hill’s character seems to be a caricature of the laziness and nepotism rife in the US public service, making such an extravagant watch perfect for such a character (especially considering the morbid theme of the timepiece, too).

Check out the rest of Jonah Hill’s watch collection

UPDATE: According to @celebritywatchspotter, the watch is a fake – fingers crossed it isn’t actually Jonah’s personal piece, then. Obviously, as a film prop, it doesn’t really matter if the watch is real or not, but it would actually be quite in character and fitting for Hill as Jason Orlean to be wearing a fake high-end watch. We’re not mad.Don’t Look Up is set to receive a limited theatrical release on December 10th prior to streaming on Netflix on Christmas Eve, December 24th.

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The post Why The Hell Is Jonah Hill Wearing A $1,000,000 Richard Mille Watch? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Australians Playing ‘Russian Roulette’ With Overseas Flight Bookings In 2022
Australians Playing ‘Russian Roulette’ With Overseas Flight Bookings In 2022

Australians are now considering putting a scantily loaded gun to their credit card, and scooping up ‘cheap’ overseas flights – all while the promise of jet setting internationally in 2022 remains unconfirmed (especially crucial details like when, and where, we’ll be able to go).Writer, traveller, columnist, and Flight Of Fancy podcast host Ben Groundwater took to Twitter yesterday to share with his followers that he was feeling the free-flowing suction of this “feeling lucky” mindset.He wrote: “Qatar Airways having a big sale for the next six days (for travel til Sept 2022) if you’re feeling lucky. I just plugged in SYD-BCN next July for fun and it’s $2500 return. Um… bargain?”Managing Editor for @TravellerAU, Craig Platt, responded, writing: “To think last year I booked Melbourne-Dublin, returning Geneva-Melbourne with them for just $1300 return.”Another Instagram user, A Saab, made the same point: “Wow and to think I booked with Qatar in December 2019 return to London for 1.1k.”

Platt then added: “Mind you, I paid about $2,000 return to London about 20 years ago.”Groundwater replied: “That sounds like the era we’ll be going back to! Interesting to see if that changes once travel is actually possible.”

Another Twitter user, Christian Schweitzer, weighed in too, opining: “I suspect we’ll see an increasingly shorter lead time between booking and actual travel because of traveller hesitancy, confusion of rules, regs and refunds or risk perception. This would have profound impact upon travel suppliers that previously enjoyed significant early demand.”Though that is a good point, there are still a number of Australians with itchy feet on Twitter who appear not to be so deterred, and who are talking about taking a leap of faith.It’s not just Groundwater contemplating whether to book a holiday for next year, in the hope that it doesn’t get cancelled, either.In response to another Tweet he put out this morning, many Australians threw their thoughts at the (Twitter) wall, explaining where their heads are at regarding booking a holiday for next year.

“Aiming for Japan & Taiwan as soon as able,” one Twitter user wrote. “Thinking that might be Q2 2022. Also hoping to go somewhere warm during July 2022 – Pac Islands or Malaysia. (This afternoon I’m going to the mailbox to check for mail… been saving that trip up for a few days.”“I really want to go to Japan spontaneously as soon as the borders reopen, so thinking next year,” another wrote. “It feels like the perfect travel location that’s possible on short notice – amazing food and cultural experience, shopping, the flight isn’t too long, everything!”

Others said they wouldn’t consider the risk of booking now, and needed more assurances.

“I want to know more about returning quarantine requirements before booking anything too,” one wrote. “Even 2 weeks home quarantine could be difficult for school etc.”Others were bolder, not exactly claiming they are up for booking their flights right now, but saying they are on the brink of it.

“I’ll book for December this year to UK if exit ban is removed,” one wrote. “Not fussed about return conditions though. Hopefully home quarantine at worst.”Then there are other Australia based travel lovers like Immanuel Debeer, who have already rolled the dice and gone overseas, and will take their chances on coming back.Closer to home, Guardian journalist Brigid Delaney today took to Twitter to ask: “Am I being too optimistic booking a family holiday in Port Fairy, vic in late January ? (Coming from nsw),” showcasing just how much uncertainly there is in the travel industry Down Under right now.

At the time of writing, Qantas flights from Sydney to Heathrow are going for $3,000 (return) around Christmas time…

Image Credit: DMARGE screenshot, Qantas booking page
… and $2,700 (return) in July 2022.
Image Credit: DMARGE screenshot, Qantas booking page
Considering those times of year are usually quite sought after, that’s not bad indeed. Certainly beats the extortionate prices seen during the various passenger cap squeezes we’ve seen over the last 12 months, where one-way flights from London to Sydney were allegedly being slung for as much as $43,000.It’s a shame, then, that booking a 2022 overseas flight right now is still a little bit of a Russian roulette like exercise, with your ability to actually complete it depending on a number of things, including our vaccination rate hitting 80%, our government sticking to its word, and authorities not being too trigger happy regarding whatever developments in the pandemic may come next year (and potentially putting things on the table, then taking them off again).

Anthony Dennis, Travel Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, in response to another Twitter thread discussing this topic this afternoon wrote: “Pollies are sowing what appears to me a lot of false hope with a paucity of detail.”Other Twitter users have shared some of the inconveniences that occur when you have to change the dates of your trip.

At least in the meantime, we can live vicariously, reading about such things as expats’ wildest Gojek experiences in Bali, and the embarrassing mistake every tourist makes in France.

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The post Australians Playing 'Russian Roulette' With Overseas Flight Bookings In 2022 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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‘Tall Poppy Proof’ Cars Fast Becoming Australian Men’s Favourites
‘Tall Poppy Proof’ Cars Fast Becoming Australian Men’s Favourites

We Australians love our utes. An essential tool in the working man’s arsenal and a quintessential piece of Australiana, the story goes that Ford Australia was motivated to produce a “coupé utility” after receiving a letter from a farmer’s wife asking for “a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays” in 1932. It’s been a vehicular love story ever since.Traditionally, utes were relatively small vehicles based on a passenger car chassis, like the Holden Commodore or the Ford Falcon, with the cargo tray integrated with the passenger body (as opposed to a pickup truck, where the cargo tray is separated from the passenger body). A few foreign brands also offered utes, such as the Subaru Brumby or the Proton Jumbuck, but it was mostly an Aussie affair.The end of local auto manufacturing and changing consumer tastes have seen these sorts of vehicles disappear from showroom floors, with the purpose-built pickup truck now king of the hill. These days, even dual-cab pickup trucks get called ‘utes’, even if that title is somewhat shaky.What is rock solid, however, is the sales figures these pickups command. The Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger have been Australia’s top two best selling vehicles for a long time, with other pickups like the Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara, Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 consistently ranking near the pointy end of sales figures, too.

A 2021 Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain. One of only two passenger vehicles Isuzu offers in the Australian market (the other being the MU-X SUV, which is based on the D-MAX), it’s currently one of the top ten best selling vehicles in the country. Image: Drive
The market’s now getting even hotter, with imported American full-sized pickup trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-Series, GMC Sierra and Dodge RAM also quickly gaining market share. Imported by third-party firms and converted to right-hand drive locally, these trucks dwarf virtually any vehicle on the road; they’re utes on steroids.We understand the attraction of a traditional dual-cab – for both tradies and families – but the growing popularity of these American cars is quite head-scratching. A Toyota Hilux is already a very big car, and surely does everything a ‘normal’ ute can do. So what gives?RELATED: Toyota Land Cruiser ‘Blood Pact’ Shows How Crazy Australia’s Car Market Has BecomeDMARGE spoke exclusively with Trent Nikolic, Managing Editor of Drive, who relates that while he doesn’t think American trucks will ever make their way here in enough volume for them to enjoy the “default family vehicle” status they enjoy in the US, he suggests that their growing popularity is because “nothing here really offers the same features.”

“There isn’t a vehicle you can buy that has a big petrol V8, is RWD, with a tray and the room that the trucks have inside. [The] Nissan Patrol is as close as you can get from the regular brigade. The other thing the US trucks do better than anything, is tow.”

The Dodge RAM 1500 Classic Warlock taking on the Aussie bush. Image: MoparInsiders
DMARGE also spoke with Mike Sinclair, Editor-in-Chief of Carsales, who concurs that their towing capacity is a major factor.“If you’ve owned two or three high-spec Hiluxes or Rangers and you’re ready for a change, where do you go… When you work out the current crop of utes rated to tow 3500kg actually struggle with the task, where do you go… When the taxman pays for most of the running costs of your ute and you can buy a full-sized pick-up for $90K (remember, [Ford Ranger] Raptors are $80-ish), why not.”

“We think the demand for these vehicles will continue to increase – especially so as lower-cost versions arrive.”

“Right now a ban on overseas holidays sees Aussie reconnecting with road trip style holidays (taking a boat, a caravan etc.) and this is supercharging the demand.”RELATED: I Jumped Onboard 2021’s Most Cliché Travel Trend. It Was A Complete DisasterThe off-road capabilities of these trucks is also a big factor, although we’d be surprised if they could out-rock-scramble the top-spec 4×4 variants of cars like the Hilux or D-MAX (there is such a thing as ‘too big’).

The cabin of a 2021 Ford F-150 King Ranch. The F-Series has been the best-selling truck (and vehicle) in the United States for decades. Image: Motor1
The other reason these vehicles are becoming so popular is that despite their agricultural origins, they’re actually rather luxurious, especially in higher specc’ed vehicles such as F-Series’ King Ranch or Limited trim levels or the Sierra Denali. It’s something that the current range of dual-cabs already do pretty well – take the Volkswagen Amarok Walkinshaw – but these ‘Yank tanks’ take it to the next level.Acres of leather; heated and ventilated seats; sunroofs and ambient lighting; adaptive cruise control and other advanced driver’s aids and of course, more cupholders than you can shake a stick at… They might have a luxury vehicle’s price tag but they’ve also got many of the features you’d expect from a luxury vehicle, whilst being much more practical and without carrying the sometimes negative cultural cache you’d get from driving a luxury car.It’s that last point that really appeals to Aussies. They’re immune to the ‘tall poppy syndrome’ that’s pervasive in our society. It’s why they’re so popular in their home country, too. Sure, driving an American truck in Australia can make you look like a bogan, but tall poppy syndrome dictates that it’s better to look like a bogan than a wanker. Pardon my French.RELATED: Australia’s ‘Bogan Car Bubble’ Won’t Last Forever, Expert WarnsFor that matter, it’s also part of the reason why smaller pickups like the Hilux and Ranger are so popular Down Under, and partly why they weaselled out car-based utes even before local manufacturing wound up. They’re the ultimate status symbol – tough, comfortable, can do everything – but they come with a sense of plausible deniability. Even if you’re not a tradie, you’re not going to get judged for driving a Ranger.
The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ doing what it does best – towing. Image: HSV
There’s only one problem with our love affair with pickups (aside from the fact that they don’t really fit in parking spaces, especially the big American ones). They might be more practical than the old car-based Aussie ute or many other cars on the road, but there’s something they can’t do as well: actually drive.“When [the] Commodore and Falcon died so did car-based utes. With V8 or turbo 6 high-performance powertrains, they were a unique Aussie phenomenon and won’t ever be seen again,” Sinclair explains.RELATED: Australia’s Most Beloved Car Engine Is Now An Endangered Species“I’m not for a moment suggesting they’d be selling at the rates of dual-cabs, however. This is a different buyer attracted by the (largely imagined) extra flexibility of a dual-cab as a family vehicle. The addition of more comfort, more tech and a nod to safety (airbags, automatic emergency braking, etc.) has all attracted family buyers.”

“Of course, the reality is these vehicles aren’t great to drive, aren’t all that safe (compared to a modern SUV) and are actually pretty expensive to buy and own.”

Nikolic agrees: “dual-cabs are still more truck-like than car-like to drive and inside the cabin.” The same is true for this new suite of big American trucks: they might be great off-road and haul like nobody’s business, but when it comes to driving manners, they can’t escape the fact that they are trucks, not cars.

A 2021 Toyota Hilux, Australia’s #1 best-selling vehicle. There’s not much a Hilux can’t do, but it seems their throne is increasingly under fire from ‘Yank tanks’. Image: Pat Callinan’s 4×4 Adventures
“Will I ever be able to buy a car-based utility again? The answer is probably no, but there’s a hole in the market for sure,” Nikolic relates.

“In short though, not enough Australians were buying Australian-built cars to sustain the industry. So it’s simply a fact that the manufacturers stopped building the utes, rather than buyers didn’t want them.”

RELATED: Land Rover’s Newest Defender Labelled ‘Pointless’ By World’s Top Motoring JournalistAs fuel prices continue to rise and Australia’s electric vehicle charging network continues to grow, the next big threat on the horizon will be electric utes, like the Ford, Tesla Cybertruck and the Ford F-150 Lightning. But that’s a whole other kettle of fish…

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The post ‘Tradie Approved’ Cars Fast Becoming Unlikely Status Symbols For Australian Men appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Chris Hemsworth’s Bodyweight ‘Extraction’ Workout Will Have You Begging For Mercy
Chris Hemsworth’s Bodyweight ‘Extraction’ Workout Will Have You Begging For Mercy

Watch the workout in the video above

Keeping up with Chris Hemsworth’s series of workouts can often be more troublesome than keeping up with the Joneses. One minute he’s using a rowing machine or curling a weighted barbell, while the next he’s pushing a weighted sled – with the weight being provided by his personal trainer Luke Zocchi.

But his latest workout is one that anyone can do, as it predominantly involves using your own bodyweight. Note that we didn’t say it was easy, but just that you don’t need any equipment to attempt it for yourself.

The latest workout to come from the Australian poster boy is in preparation for his reprisal role in the smash Netflix movie Extraction. Chris Hemsworth‘s previous outing as former SASR fighter turned black ops mercenary Tyler Rake received close to 100 million views in its first month of release, making it the most-watched original film to come from the video streaming giant. It should come as no surprise to learn then, that Netflix will be hoping to cash in once again.

Naturally, a black ops mercenary needs to be physically fit, quick and agile, and Chris says that is the exact planned outcome for his latest workout he posted to Instagram:

“Transitioning from heavy weight training to a lot more body weight functional movements concentrating on agility, strength and speed.”

Chris breaks down what is included in his workout (and what purpose each movement serves), and we know we said it didn’t involve any equipment, but it does, in fact, include the use of a punching bag for boxing. Still: no weights.

  • 3 minute boxing round (cardio)
  • 50 squats (lower body)
  • 40 sit thrus (mobility)
  • 20 reps for each (core) exercise: bicycle kicks with punches; tuck crunches; isolated bicycle kicks; sit-up with air punch; Russian twists
  • 25 push ups (upper body)

Rest 2 minutes. 4 sets in total.

You can go as fast or as slow as you like with each movement, the important thing is to get all the required reps in. And if you have to increase your rest time in order to complete the sets effectively, then do. As Chris says himself of the workout,

“Give this little work out a go and let the lungs scream for mercy!”

Check out Chris Hemsworth’s other insane workouts in the video below

The post Chris Hemsworth’s Bodyweight ‘Extraction’ Workout Will Have You Begging For Mercy appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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Italian Luxury Brand Creates One Of A Kind Floating Skatepark In Venice
Italian Luxury Brand Creates One Of A Kind Floating Skatepark In Venice

Venice is the place to be right now.The who’s who of the entertainment industry are in town for the 78th Annual Venice International Film Festival, the weather is exceptionally sunny and pleasant, COVID’s on the decline… Oh, and there’s a giant floating skatepark in the middle of the lagoon.That’s right – the centuries-old historical marvel that is the City of Masks is now rocking a new, younger face, thanks to the enterprising efforts of the Italian fashion disruptor Golden Goose. The in-demand luxury footwear label, in collaboration with American Olympic bronze medallist Cory Juneau and cult Italian skateboarding shop Bastard, has built a full-size wooden skate bowl on a pontoon, which they’ve floated out into the Canal Grande.

See the Golden Goose floating skatepark in action

It’s a truly amazing project, which brilliantly juxtaposes Venice’s cultured, historic character with the youthfulness of modern skate culture. It’s yet another example of the growing interrelation between the worlds of luxury fashion and skateboarding.RELATED: Olympic Athletes Are Now Wearing Luxury Brands When They CompeteGolden Goose made waves earlier this year when they revealed Juneau as their first endorsed athlete, the 22-year-old competing at the Tokyo Olympics with his own signature pair of $600 Golden Goose skate sneakers on his feet. This skatepark project is the culmination of a broader collaboration between Juneau and the brand titled ‘Venice to Venice‘ – referencing Venice Beach, the Californian skating mecca where Juneau cut his teeth.It’s not clear whether the floating skatepark will be a permanent installation that members of the Venetian skating public will be able to use, or whether the bowl will find a new home somewhere on dry ground. Regardless, it’s a very fun activation that makes us wish we were in La Serenissima pronto. Will Emirates let you check a skateboard in first class?

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The post Italian Luxury Brand Creates One Of A Kind Floating Skatepark In Venice appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

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‘Disgusting’: The Real Reason You Can’t Buy A Rolex Revealed
‘Disgusting’: The Real Reason You Can’t Buy A Rolex Revealed

Few watch or luxury brands command the same sort of attention and demand as Rolex does. They’re a universally recognised status symbol – they are to watches what Ferraris are to cars or Dom Pérignon is to champagne.What’s interesting about Rolex is that at retail, their watches are reasonably affordable, as far as high-end watches go, and especially compared to other brands that enjoy a similar cultural cache such as Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe or Hublot.But the retail or ‘list’ price of a new Rolex doesn’t tell the full story. Rolex has always been a popular brand but in recent years, it’s become particularly challenging for the average consumer to purchase one of their watches at retail, particularly their popular stainless steel ‘Professional’ sports models.Even if you’ve built up a relationship with an authorised dealer (AD) – which usually means dropping hundreds of thousands on watches over a long time period – waiting lists for ‘Pepsis‘ or ‘Hermits‘ can still be years long. And that’s when you’re in Rolex’s good books…It’s not a mystery why there’s such exclusivity: there’s just nowhere near enough supply to keep up with demand in today’s market, and Rolex hasn’t been able (or willing) to ramp up production to meet it. Undoubtedly COVID-19 has had an impact on Rolex (as well as the rest of the watch industry) but this is a problem that’s been brewing for many years.

A conspicuously empty display case at Rolex’s Rome–Fiumicino International Airport boutique in 2019. As the photographer put it, “7 watches for sale. 54 blank spots. We all know what’s going on but this just looks sad.” Image: WatchProSite
But there’s another reason Rolex has become so unattainable – the proliferation of grey market dealers who dominate the market, buy up stock and sell it on at a substantial premium.The grey market or ‘flipping’ watches is, sadly, incredibly common in today’s luxury watch landscape. While brands allegedly try and combat the practice, blacklisting ADs or customers who engage in the practice, the scale of the issue suggests that more than a few ADs are in on the take, potentially backdooring popular models to these dealers.RELATED: Patek Philippe Auction Proves The Watch Aftermarket Has Lost Its Damn MindAs for the watch community at large, people are divided. Some enthusiasts hate how rife the problem has become, suggesting that it prices ‘average consumers’ out of the market (as much as someone who can spend four or five figures on a watch is an average consumer) and degrades their hobby; making it about flexing instead of appreciating watches for what they are.Others simply call it the cost of business – don’t hate the player, hate the game – and indeed a number of consumers probably like the fact that Rolexes (and other watches) becoming so difficult and expensive to acquire increases the prestige of owning one, making them even more desirable.If you need more evidence to see just how divided the watch community is (and a good case study of the problem), take this post shared by watch blogger @horologymania last week of their visit to Watch Trading Co., a grey market dealer based in Miami with a presence in New York and Hong Kong. The dealer shows off cases of hard-to-get stainless steel models like Daytonas, GMT-Masters and Submariners – or, as one commenter has put it, a “treasure trove” of Rolexes.

While there’s some praise in the comments section for the lavish scenes – indeed, it’s hard not to be impressed by such a display of desirable watches – a majority of fans were angered by the post.“I will never buy grey. I don’t believe second hand/grey watches are worth list. Rolexes are nice, not worth making a middle man rich,” one commented. “I’ve retired from the watch game until this gets reigned in,” another said, tagging Rolex in their comment. “Grey market dealers have killed Rolex for the normal person,” another bemoaned.Another was even more brutal: “Single-handedly guilty of hoarding and price gouging. You guys should be banned from all Rolex ADs.”RELATED: ‘Avoid Like The Plague’: Watch Fans Reveal The One Place They Would Never Buy A Rolex@horologymania countered by suggesting that it’s not just these large-scale grey market dealers who are supposedly price gouging, saying “the ‘normal’ [customer] sells his Daytona for 20k profit the moment he leaves the AD.” They also provide some insight into how these grey market dealers are able to get their hands on so many watches:

“The AD will sell it above the list (which is illegal but they still do it) or they will sell [a] bunch [of] other undesirable garbage next to the Daytonas.”

They also suggest that the overall profit margin on grey market watches for the grey market dealers isn’t as high as people might assume, instead alleging that the AD takes the lion’s share: “if a Daytona costs 36k [on the grey market], then [an AD] will sell it probably at 34.5-35k to [the grey market dealer]”.

A Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ‘Panda Ceramic’ (ref. 116500LN-0001) and ‘Reverse Panda Ceramic’ (ref. 116500LN-0002). First introduced in 2016, they’re two of the most in-demand pieces in Rolex’s current model range. Image: Everest Bands
It’s a bit of a ‘chicken or the egg’ scenario. Who’s really at fault here: the ADs doing the wrong thing, or the grey market dealers fuelling the problem? Would the ADs be so brazen if there wasn’t such insane demand for their watches (or if they thought they couldn’t get away with it), or if there was more stock?RELATED: Canada, China or Colombia? Where To Score Rolex’s Hard To Find ModelsIt’s also worth pointing out that there’s a big difference between reputable second-hand dealers selling genuinely second-hand watches (or, at the very worst, new unworn watches that normal customers sell onto them, as per @horologymania’s suggestion) and grey market dealers who have undeclared relationships with ADs who are funnelling them new stock before it ever hits a boutique display shelf.We don’t mean to imply that Watch Trading Co. is necessarily doing anything untoward, either, but the sheer number of virtually new watches they have in stock seems suspicious. Watch Trading Co. has a clearly separated ‘pre-owned’ section on their site but as of publishing, they have no watches for sale under that category.Indeed, all the watches they currently have for sale (including some OMEGAs, too) seem completely new and unworn. That’s a lot of individuals passing their new watches onto them…
A brand-new, unworn 2021 Rolex Explorer II (ref. 226570-0001) for sale on Watch Trading Co.’s website. The US list price for this watch is US$8,550, meaning they’re charging a 150% markup. Image: screenshot
Aside from the price-gouging aspect, the other big issue with buying from the grey market is that you miss out on the factory warranty you’d get from buying through an AD – which probably doesn’t bother most customers, but is certainly a disadvantage.The other disadvantage of buying from a grey market dealer is that they don’t offer the same sort of luxurious buying experience you’d get from a real boutique. There’s no celebratory champagne or smooth jazz – just a bitter taste in one’s mouth (again, this isn’t probably a big deal for most customers, but it’s another part of the luxury watch buying experience customers are missing out on).All in all, it’s totally anti-consumer, even if the grey market dealers aren’t doing anything illegal per se. But what’s the solution? Some watch fans have offered up a radical solution: let ADs mark up their watches however they see fit, free of the strict price controls of the brand, and let the free market adjust itself.RELATED: The Radical Solution To Fix Rolex’s Biggest ProblemThe other alternative, of course, is to simply vote with your wallet. Choose less ‘hyped’ models, like the Rolex Air-King, or maybe even other brands where you can walk into a boutique and leave with a watch on the same day, all while paying list price (or even maybe snagging a discount).But for some, the allure of a Rolex will be all-consuming. To them we say good luck – but just be aware of what you’re buying into.

Check out the dial finishing on Rolex’s 2021 models [Watch Below]

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Expats Share Their Wildest Ride Hailing Experiences In Bali
Expats Share Their Wildest Ride Hailing Experiences In Bali

Bali is a place where tourists go to escape ‘nanny state nonsense’, loll in the sun, and fall off motorbikes.Some get enchanted by The Island Of Gods, however, and decide not to go home to Putin (or Morrison’s) various brands of mollycoddling.These guys get to learn a little more about Bali, including, among other things, that Gojek – a ride hailing/food delivery service – is so much more than just a ride hailing/food delivery service.Gojek is an on-demand multi-service platform and digital payment technology group based in Jakarta.

To many expats in Bali, however, that translates to ‘Uber/UberEats on steroids’. At least – that’s how it appears in a series of Video Stories recently posted by Canggu-based meme account ‘The Canggu Pole‘ on Instagram.The Canggu Pole asked its followers for their “funniest or craziest” Gojek stories and boy did people deliver (watch the video series in the clip below).Though it looks like a few of them could do with watching The White Lotus (see: Everything ‘The White Lotus’ Taught Us About Travel Etiquette), the stories make for an interesting read.

Bali Expats Share Wild Gojek Experiences

The stories suggested tourists have been using Gojek in lieu of calling a locksmith, snake removalist and more.“Locked my keys inside my bike ordered a gojek to help me lift up the seat so I could reach em,” one follower responded.“I ordered gojek to get rid of geckos… and even got featured in gojek24jam” another said.

“Gojek man did a snake extraction from my house when dropping off food.”

Further admissions included “I drank arak till 4am with him outside my villa and he didn’t make me pay for the ride” and “we got the Gojek driver a lap dance from a stripper.”

“Asked me if I had big boobs I said no and he cancelled the trip.”

“Ordered food late on NYE and invited the driver to party with us. He stayed for hours!” another Instagram user shared.

“Go Jek stopped at the mosque to pray before dropping off my food.”

Another recounted a time when their Gojek driver “came to my villa with empty hands” as he “forgot to pick up food.”There you have it – a little insight into expat life in Bali.

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