How unghosted.io measures Rolex waitlist times

This page describes how we collect, normalize, and present Rolex waitlist data on unghosted.io. The same principles apply across brands where noted.

Sources

Wait time data on unghosted.io comes from three places:

1. Community submissions through our submit form. No email required, anonymous by default.
2. Aggregated public Reddit megathreads where collectors share their AD experiences (typically r/RolexAuthorized).
3. Public forum posts on TRF (The Rolex Forum), r/Watches, and brand-specific subreddits like r/audemarspiguet, r/Tudor, r/VacheronConstantin, r/fpjourne, and r/ALangeSohne.

Every entry has a source field indicating where it came from, so the data behind any statistic can be traced back to its origin.

How we count

Every report represents one person's experience with one watch from one authorized dealer. We don't average across multiple watches per buyer. We don't synthesize numbers from market commentary or buying guides. Editorial content from third-party sources is excluded from waitlist statistics.

Why we show median, not mean

Wait times are right-skewed. A small number of extreme waits (years for VIP-only watches like the Daytona Le Mans or Patek Nautilus) pull averages upward in ways that mislead the typical buyer. The median is the middle value when reports are sorted by wait time, which describes the typical buyer's experience more honestly.

Sample size honesty

When a variant has fewer than 5 reports, we mark the data as “very small sample” and recommend treating it as directional only. When a variant has 5 to 9 reports, we mark it as “small sample” with similar caveats. We only show regional breakdowns when a variant has at least 10 reports and a region has at least 5 reports within it. These thresholds prevent statistical noise from being presented as meaningful trends.

Canonical references

Every Rolex watch on unghosted.io is identified by its canonical Rolex reference number (e.g., 126710BLNR for the Batman / Batgirl GMT-Master II). We do not accept free-text model names. This keeps our data consistent and comparable across submissions, and ensures that the same watch is never counted under multiple names.

The canonical picker is enforced for Rolex GMT-Master II, Cosmograph Daytona, Land-Dweller, and Submariner. Other Rolex families and other brands use a more flexible model field while their canonical lists are being established.

Updates

Data is updated continuously as new submissions arrive. Page summaries are generated on every page load, so the numbers reflect the current state of the database. We do not cache statistics for periods longer than a single request.

No email gate

Anyone can read all of our data without signing up, providing an email, or creating an account. We believe waitlist data should be public. No paywall, no signup wall, no email capture before viewing reports.

Limitations

unghosted.io reflects what people choose to submit. Self-selection means buyers who had positive AD experiences may report more often than those who didn't. Geographic distribution skews toward the US. Some Rolex families have small samples that are not yet statistically meaningful. We try to be transparent about this through sample-size caveats throughout the site.

Contact

Questions or corrections: hello@unghosted.io.