# Cheapest country to buy watches?



## LikeClockWork (Jun 7, 2016)

I have heard that due to exchange rates some watches can be found at good discounts in other countries, is this true? Anybody have examples? I have even heard of people going on foreign vacations with the intent around the trip being to shop for watches, I have also heard Japan is a great country to shop for watches. Just looking for some insight so I can learn something today


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## yankeexpress (Apr 7, 2013)

In my experience Hong Kong beats Japan easily. 

And The internet beats even HK


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## vintage_collectionneurs (Jul 11, 2016)

HK takes the lead in being the cheapest assuming you are after Swiss watches. HK is the number 1 market for Swiss watch exports so by far the bulk purchasing power should provide it with some discounts. I find that Japan is not that cheap right now given where the high yen.


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## vkalia (Oct 26, 2014)

I find Hong Kong to be quite expensive, honestly. So far, in Asia, Malaysia has the best prices i have found. Negotiations are common and dealers are very happy to offer significant discounts to move products.


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## MediumRB (May 7, 2015)

When exchange rates are more favorable, say 120 Yen to the US Dollar, then Japan is great for Japanese brands and even new Rolex if you go to the big camera/electronics stores and get duty free plus the credit card discount. For example, a new Junghans Max Bill automatic for ~$800 or a Rolex Milgauss GV for ~$6100.

HK or other Southeast Asia locales can provide good deals if you work on it. Otherwise, grey market internet is about the best there is.


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## Watch Fan in Beijing (Jul 15, 2009)

I'm not sure where people get the idea that Hong Kong is a good place for watch prices. Yes, the window shopping and the sheer variety is amazing, but prices have been traditionally high for the past decade and a half with the dealers reluctant to haggle because Mainlanders were coming in and paying list for everything. 

Now the situation is better for the buyer as the prices are indeed softening but that should be true for many places.


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## eliz (Apr 5, 2012)

Japan and Malaysia has to be near the top of the list.


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## Crate410 (Jun 14, 2011)

For new rolex watches specifically the middle east will get you good deals. No VAT, lone dealer status (long term monopolistic contracts that let them do whatever they want almost)

I just bought a brand new 114060. I paid exactly 6,044 dollars. Thats almost a grand and a half under retail.


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## obomomomo (Nov 4, 2014)

Agreed Malaysia is a good place for watches. You can expect roughly grey market prices for most brands from major retailers after some mild haggling. Singapore and HK probably has sheer variety but most major brands and models are well represented in multiple ADs in KL (hence the competitive pricing). Just remember when you take your watch out, to have your receipt ready and budget a little time get your 6% GST refund at the airport.


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## gzpermadi (Sep 8, 2015)

Do you live in Dubai? If yes you might want to wait until Duty Free anniversary in December where they will knock off 25% on top of going price (which is already 10-20% off from MSRP)


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## gzpermadi (Sep 8, 2015)

Just to give an example, attached is the normal price of an SMPc in Dubai Duty Free, in December you will get 25% discount on top of this price. This beats any GM price for sure, but the catch is you might get import tax in your country. Alternatively if you travel as couple you can wear the watch while your partner carry the empty box.

I am not sure about Rolex price though.



gzpermadi said:


> Do you live in Dubai? If yes you might want to wait until Duty Free anniversary in December where they will knock off 25% on top of going price (which is already 10-20% off from MSRP)


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## Crate410 (Jun 14, 2011)

Rivoli (the dealers of omega, oris, rado, longine....) do partake in the various Dubai festivals (DSS, DSF...) and ur right u end up with a brand new watch at 20-45% off.

Ahmed siddiue (rolex, tag, iwc, choppard...) do the same on everything except rolex.

I have my eye on a Seamaster 600 this year. That or a breitling SOH. Well see.

But ur absolutely right, during shopping festivals the prices here on a huge selection of watches drop like crazy and include the manufacturer warranty.


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## vexXed (Sep 15, 2015)

Watch Fan in Beijing said:


> I'm not sure where people get the idea that Hong Kong is a good place for watch prices. Yes, the window shopping and the sheer variety is amazing, but prices have been traditionally high for the past decade and a half with the dealers reluctant to haggle because Mainlanders were coming in and paying list for everything.
> 
> Now the situation is better for the buyer as the prices are indeed softening but that should be true for many places.


In terms of range and availability HK may be the best worldwide, and I agree with you that the prices here were not as good as people think. In the previous few years the AD and boutique staff wouldn't even acknowledge your existence unless you were a mainlander or spied something 'worthy' on your wrist. Sales have died down a lot though this year and perhaps we'll see another price reduction by the year's end like we saw in May last year for certain brands.


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## John MS (Mar 17, 2006)

LikeClockWork said:


> I have heard that due to exchange rates some watches can be found at good discounts in other countries, is this true? Anybody have examples? I have even heard of people going on foreign vacations with the intent around the trip being to shop for watches, I have also heard Japan is a great country to shop for watches. Just looking for some insight so I can learn something today


All foreign vacations must come to an end so remember to factor customs duty into the price you pay overseas. I've found better deals on and a wider variety of watches from shops at home and by browsing the internet. In my experience there are no countries where watches are somehow priced a lot less than in others. The business is just too competitive and international for that to happen.


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## maxixix (Dec 31, 2015)

Crate410 said:


> Rivoli (the dealers of omega, oris, rado, longine....) do partake in the various Dubai festivals (DSS, DSF...) and ur right u end up with a brand new watch at 20-45% off.
> 
> Ahmed siddiue (rolex, tag, iwc, choppard...) do the same on everything except rolex.
> 
> ...


Rivoli does 50% voucher cashback promo 2-4 times a year. They will charge you retail price and hand back 50% voucher to buy anything in store.

They have multiple shops GCC wide.

http://www.rivoligroup.com/media/promotion-2/


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## vkalia (Oct 26, 2014)

John MS said:


> All foreign vacations must come to an end so remember to factor customs duty into the price you pay overseas. I've found better deals on and a wider variety of watches from shops at home and by browsing the internet. In my experience there are no countries where watches are somehow priced a lot less than in others. The business is just too competitive and international for that to happen.


Blancpain FF Bathy for $6550 and a Tudor BB (the ETA version) for $2550 - NIB with warranty from an AD -- would that be "priced a lot lower"?

As for customs, yes, we all know about that but that is not the subject under discussion and different countries have different import laws, so let's leave it out, shall we? Its not really relevant to a discussion on which countries have the best prices.


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## Gunnar_917 (Feb 24, 2015)

Australia in my books has been the cheapest place to buy watches. Great deals to be had, if you know how to bargain. Problem is stock is limited. 

Japan, HK and Singapore are great places for watches. Discounts aren't the best but you can get rare stuff a lot easier because they're a big market.


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## John MS (Mar 17, 2006)

vkalia said:


> Blancpain FF Bathy for $6550 and a Tudor BB (the ETA version) for $2550 - NIB with warranty from an AD -- would that be "priced a lot lower"?
> 
> As for customs, yes, we all know about that but that is not the subject under discussion and different countries have different import laws, so let's leave it out, shall we? Its not really relevant to a discussion on which countries have the best prices.


It is pointless to talk about great deals to be found overseas if customs duty is not included in the price.


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## Crate410 (Jun 14, 2011)

maxixix said:


> Rivoli does 50% voucher cashback promo 2-4 times a year. They will charge you retail price and hand back 50% voucher to buy anything in store.
> 
> They have multiple shops GCC wide.
> 
> http://www.rivoligroup.com/media/promotion-2/


True but that means you have to make a full price purchase. That said you can usually find thise 50% off vouchers on dubizzle for a diacount as well.

Aside from that RIGHT NOW they are pulling an offer which is 20% off of ALL watches, 25% off if you buy two watches, and 30% if you buy 3. I was just at the omega at Yas Mall. Pretty good but I have maxed out my watch allowance for the year and the Mrs wouldnt take too kindly to yet another watch.

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## mrchan (Nov 3, 2013)

Gunnar_917 said:


> Australia in my books has been the cheapest place to buy watches. Great deals to be had, if you know how to bargain. Problem is stock is limited.
> 
> Japan, HK and Singapore are great places for watches. Discounts aren't the best but you can get rare stuff a lot easier because they're a big market.


OMG I live in Australia and it probably the absolute worst place to buy watches. Nothing in Australia is cheap. The seiko snk803 cheapies that can be purchased on eBay for 50$ is going for almost 300 here. 
You just simply couldn't be more wrong lol.

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## Likestheshiny (Nov 28, 2011)

> a Tudor BB (the ETA version) for $2550 - NIB with warranty from an AD -- would that be "priced a lot lower"?


Not especially. That's the going rate for a steel grey-market BB (well, the blue and red anyway), and it gets lower on sale. One of the online stores had the BB blue for $2200 a couple of weeks ago, for example. Jomashop very briefly eBayed a handful of reds for $2000, and I'm still annoyed I didn't see it in time.

If you're trying to use currency variation to find cheap watches, you need to act quickly before the market balances. There's a fellow in the Rolex forum here who struggled to find a Rolex GMT in London, and it's almost certainly because the abrupt drop in the pound amounted to a sudden and unexpected discount for foreign buyers who grabbed up much of the available product.


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## maxixix (Dec 31, 2015)

mrchan said:


> Gunnar_917 said:
> 
> 
> > Australia in my books has been the cheapest place to buy watches. Great deals to be had, if you know how to bargain. Problem is stock is limited.
> ...


I second that Australia is probably one of the most expensive places to shop for luxury items.


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## ChaserM (Oct 6, 2014)

John MS said:


> It is pointless to talk about great deals to be found overseas if customs duty is not included in the price.


It's pointless to talk about customs duties since forum is international and laws are different. Stick to your country import laws I will stick to mine and we will have different conclusions

Sent from


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## arcadelt (Apr 25, 2010)

John MS said:


> All foreign vacations must come to an end so remember to factor customs duty into the price you pay overseas. I've found better deals on and a wider variety of watches from shops at home and by browsing the internet. In my experience there are no countries where watches are somehow priced a lot less than in others. The business is just too competitive and international for that to happen.





ChaserM said:


> It's pointless to talk about customs duties since forum is international and laws are different. Stick to your country import laws I will stick to mine and we will have different conclusions





mrchan said:


> OMG I live in Australia and it probably the absolute worst place to buy watches. Nothing in Australia is cheap. The seiko snk803 cheapies that can be purchased on eBay for 50$ is going for almost 300 here.
> You just simply couldn't be more wrong lol.


Exchange rates and customs charges must absolutely be factored into the total cost of buying, otherwise the discussion is pointless. My current crop of watches were mostly bought when the Australian dollar was at or close to parity with the US dollar from late-2010 to early 2013. Now that I am selling some, there is benefit on the upside as the AUD is around 0.75 of a USD, with a little help from appreciation due to strong demand for some particular watches. Similarly, if someone from the US was to visit Australia, they might think it was cheap right now because their dollar can buy so much more - it's all relative. With respect to customs, one of the good things about buying on the internet from understanding sellers (private and grey market), means that sometimes you can skirt your way around duties and taxes, and you could probably do the same if you brought something in on your wrist after a trip abroad. It's just a matter of spending some time to understand how your country's system works.


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## ChaserM (Oct 6, 2014)

arcadelt said:


> Exchange rates and customs charges must absolutely be factored into the total cost of buying, otherwise the discussion is pointless. My current crop of watches were mostly bought when the Australian dollar was at or close to parity with the US dollar from late-2010 to early 2013. Now that I am selling some, there is benefit on the upside as the AUD is around 0.75 of a USD, with a little help from appreciation due to strong demand for some particular watches. Similarly, if someone from the US was to visit Australia, they might think it was cheap right now because their dollar can buy so much more - it's all relative. With respect to customs, one of the good things about buying on the internet from understanding sellers (private and grey market), means that sometimes you can skirt your way around duties and taxes, and you could probably do the same if you brought something in on your wrist after a trip abroad. It's just a matter of spending some time to understand how your country's system works.


You can and must factor in a lot of things. Maybe it's cheaper for you to buy watch on cruise ship with awful price and bad conversion rate just because your wife will give you a less of a hard time if you spend your money on watch during family vacation 
Considering that watch price consists from x+y+z+angry wife+q discussion is still interesting if subject is x- witch country has the cheapest watch prices 
Sadly I don't know the answer, but i would love to

Sent from


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## mrchan (Nov 3, 2013)

arcadelt said:


> Exchange rates and customs charges must absolutely be factored into the total cost of buying, otherwise the discussion is pointless. My current crop of watches were mostly bought when the Australian dollar was at or close to parity with the US dollar from late-2010 to early 2013. Now that I am selling some, there is benefit on the upside as the AUD is around 0.75 of a USD, with a little help from appreciation due to strong demand for some particular watches. Similarly, if someone from the US was to visit Australia, they might think it was cheap right now because their dollar can buy so much more - it's all relative. With respect to customs, one of the good things about buying on the internet from understanding sellers (private and grey market), means that sometimes you can skirt your way around duties and taxes, and you could probably do the same if you brought something in on your wrist after a trip abroad. It's just a matter of spending some time to understand how your country's system works.


Regardless, I've been to quite a few countries and checked out watch prices, Australia is amongst the most expensive countries I've ever seen sell anything. Another watch for example, is the seiko monster srp313 which I bought for ~170usd. At the shops it was more than 600AUD. Australia is expensive, there is simply no doubt about it.

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## Gunnar_917 (Feb 24, 2015)

mrchan said:


> OMG I live in Australia and it probably the absolute worst place to buy watches. Nothing in Australia is cheap. The seiko snk803 cheapies that can be purchased on eBay for 50$ is going for almost 300 here.
> You just simply couldn't be more wrong lol.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm talking about the higher end of the market.

Some examples of discounts I've received from an AD in Australia:


35% on JLC Memovox,
25% on a Speedie pro
30% (or just under) on a Mk XVII Pilot (when it was new as well).

All three were brand new, all bought at an AD in Sydney and all bought at separate times. I won't publish my final purchase price but you can work it out. With the exception of the Speedie the rates haven't changed terribly.

Before buying the JLC I price matched in the US, UK, SG HK and India and back when our dollar was trading at US$1.10 so my buying power was much higher than it is now. Nowhere could get anywhere close to the price I got here.

I've had similar pricing conversations on the other two watches with ADs in the US, HK and SG and am yet to find anywhere that can come close to what I paid for those watches.


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## Watch Fan in Beijing (Jul 15, 2009)

vexXed said:


> In terms of range and availability HK may be the best worldwide, and I agree with you that the prices here were not as good as people think. In the previous few years the AD and boutique staff wouldn't even acknowledge your existence unless you were a mainlander or spied something 'worthy' on your wrist. Sales have died down a lot though this year and perhaps we'll see another price reduction by the year's end like we saw in May last year for certain brands.


Yes, it should be good if you are in the market to buy a nice watch by the end of the year. Seems a number of dealers have gone out of business or are in the process of going out of business (or reducing their branches). And even the gray market/second hand dealers (like in Champaigne Court, TST) seem not so busy and are keeping the same stock in the window.


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## WatchingYou77 (Jan 31, 2016)

A few experiences below from this past 6-months. Regarding the duty fees upon returning to your home country, the USA has been fine for me. 

Japan: Great selection, and decent deals if the FX is good, but not now. Went looking for a couple of days last weekend, and you can find OK deals on Seiko, but that's about it.

China: Great selection in Shanghai and other cities, but terrible pricing and service.

Australia: Good pricing due to FX and ability to negotiate. I scored an excellent deal on a Tudor BBN. Limited availability on Rolex SS.

Korea: Good selection in duty free, but mediocre pricing. 

England: Personally, I had a great experience in selection and pricing due to favorable FX and VAT refund.

Scandinavia: Good pricing and FX in Norway plus great VAT refund. Limited stock of Rolex SS.

HK: Great selection, but mediocre pricing. Overrated.


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## arcadelt (Apr 25, 2010)

ChaserM said:


> You can and must factor in a lot of things. Maybe it's cheaper for you to buy watch on cruise ship with awful price and bad conversion rate just because your wife will give you a less of a hard time if you spend your money on watch during family vacation
> Considering that watch price consists from x+y+z+angry wife+q discussion is still interesting if subject is x- witch country has the cheapest watch prices
> Sadly I don't know the answer, but i would love to


Sadly, I don't think there is an answer. Even if everyone's circumstance were exactly the same, fluctuating exchange rates and stocking policies means that "the cheapest" is a moving target, so constant research is required. In my opinion, that's part of the fun of this hobby, but I understand for others that is the tedious part.


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## Crate410 (Jun 14, 2011)

ChaserM said:


> It's pointless to talk about customs duties since forum is international and laws are different. Stick to your country import laws I will stick to mine and we will have different conclusions
> 
> Sent from


I think the OP meant to understand what countries offer in terms of retail pricing and discounts and people have gone far from this point.

Sometimes we (watch folks) tend to get a bit too technical.

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## hahaha3111 (May 25, 2013)

HongKonger here and I prefer Japan XD


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## Gunnar_917 (Feb 24, 2015)

Going to add India as a recommendation. I saw a batman IN STOCK here and it was Rs540,000 - I'll let you convert that to your local currencies. Sadly I put a deposit on one in SG and (after I claim GST back) the Indian price was still AUD$500 cheaper than what I'm paying. 

The place also had a hulk in stock too


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