If you were able to buy a sub, you'd buy it at around $13K and then immediately be able to sell it for around $18K or more. Rolex own the luxury category when it comes to conferring value on the brand and its products.
So if you can't even buy a Submariner, what the hell is the strategy? They have a much larger range of second and third-tier watches that they'll sell you then and there and once you have a "relationship" with them, they might hook you up with something worth far more on the used market the moment you buy it.
It's just a big fat hustle that relies on some specific psychological triggers. It relies on what Cialdini would call "social proof", meaning that others think it's cool so you think it's cool. It also relies on scarcity conferring value on something that would otherwise be valueless. It relies on our innate desire to hero-worship, as a species, which is where sponsorship comes in.
So back to the comment I'm replying to: No, thinking that a luxury brand is simply quality at a high price is far too simplistic a world-view. You can buy great quality at a very reasonable price, and if you don't have time you can employ a professional shopper. But it's not about that. It's about laziness and signaling.
None of this is about the product itself.