# Panerai at Costco



## cameron202105 (May 23, 2012)

Out looking at watches at a few Costco's and wanted to share a few photos with you all.








Hope you enjoy! Sorry about the poor quality just a few quick shots with the trusty iPhone


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## MrJaz (Mar 8, 2013)

I'm surprised they aren't coming in bulk packages of 3 at Costco 

Nice to see this brand in a main stream store like this though


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## gpatton3132 (Apr 9, 2013)

And it looks like there's a Cartier box to the right of the Panerai in the 1st photo.

You can buy anything at Costco.


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## Scott S (Jan 29, 2013)

Second thread on this in the last month. My guess is that some AD's being pinched by Panerai quietly sell off their inventory that's not moving and it mysteriously ends up places like this. You will never see a mainstream or "desirable" model there, more likely the expensive complicated references that don't fly off dealers's shelves. 
Maybe it's just in my state, but it seems like several longtime jewellers who carried Panerai from the beginning have had their franchises yanked since a boutique opened in Dallas. We have two relatively strong dealers here in Houston and I don't see a boutique opening here...but who knows?


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## stilo (Aug 11, 2009)

Scott S said:


> Second thread on this in the last month. My guess is that some AD's being pinched by Panerai quietly sell off their inventory that's not moving and it mysteriously ends up places like this. You will never see a mainstream or "desirable" model there, more likely the expensive complicated references that don't fly off dealers's shelves.
> Maybe it's just in my state, but it seems like several longtime jewellers who carried Panerai from the beginning have had their franchises yanked since a boutique opened in Dallas. We have two relatively strong dealers here in Houston and I don't see a boutique opening here...but who knows?


That 351 in the top pic looks pretty mainstream to me.


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## Scott S (Jan 29, 2013)

stilo said:


> That 351 in the top pic looks pretty mainstream to me.


I consider the base Luminors and Radiomirs as "mainstream." Anything with complications, even GMT, probably sells in much smaller numbers.


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

At checkout, ask if there's a coupon for it.


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## noobfess (Feb 11, 2013)

cameron202105 said:


> Out looking at watches at a few Costco's and wanted to share a few photos with you all.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Buy one, trash it up, then return it. "costco policy"


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## Synequano (May 2, 2012)

320,233/270,317 most of them are the more expensive models..I saw 317 in almost every AD I went to in Europe..
Can I use coupon to get additional discount on the 317?


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## toxicavenger (May 23, 2009)

It is a "mall" watch, so of course Costco would carry it. I am sure it is grey market so you would have a hard time getting stuff fixed on it.


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

:roll: "Mall watch", Richard Mille, Moser, Patek and Cartier are sold in malls.


toxicavenger said:


> It is a "mall" watch, so of course Costco would carry it. I am sure it is grey market so you would have a hard time getting stuff fixed on it.


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## Rhyalus (Jun 5, 2010)

Are these prices any good?

R



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## MC36 (Apr 1, 2008)

The prices are good. The ironic thing is that I visited my AD last week on my quest for a PAM 359. My wife texted me and told me we were out of diapers and if I could stop by Costco on my way home. Low and behold in the case was a 359 @ $1100 off the sticker price of the AD I was in 5 mins ago. I almost passed out in aisle 5! I want to support my local AD, but damn that makes it really hard.


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## Synequano (May 2, 2012)

Hmmm,next time I'm looking for Pam in the US,I should go to costco instead of an AD or even a boutique..

Hmm,in my country Patek,Omega,Brequet,Blancpain,VC,B&R,Tag,Tudor and numerous other brands are sold in the mall along with Casio,Seiko,Ice watch,Toy watch..so the term mall watch is not related to the brand itself


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## Rhyalus (Jun 5, 2010)

Synequano said:


> Hmmm,next time I'm looking for Pam in the US,I should go to costco instead of an AD or even a boutique..
> 
> Hmm,in my country Patek,Omega,Brequet,Blancpain,VC,B&R,Tag,Tudor and numerous other brands are sold in the mall along with Casio,Seiko,Ice watch,Toy watch..so the term mall watch is not related to the brand itself


This is a major problem in the US. Nick Hayek was interviewed a while back (I think in Watchtime magazine) referring to the lack of proper marketing and selling of Swiss Watches in the USA.

I am not sure if the masses are cheap by nature, or unnaturally attracted to fashion watches. In most malls you find lower end watches, with an occasional store that sells Swiss Watches that are overpriced where the sales people know very little about the watches that they sell.

In the major cities you will find decent stores but you really have to look for them. Compared to the number of malls that exist around this country, the # of real watch stores is minuscule.

R


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## Scott S (Jan 29, 2013)

I think the term "mall watch" in the US is somewhat objective. In my city, Houston, the Galleria is THE most exclusive shopping center and it's a mall. Almost all other "high end" shopping is within a 5 mile or so radius of it. In the mall itself is a Tourneau, the Omega Boutique, and three other jewellers that carry some mid to high priced Swiss brands. I would hardly consider any of them "less than" due to their location
There are two other jewellers in town that carry lots of watch brands, one of them is just a couple blocks from the Galleria, the other is 30 miles north in the Woodlands. 
In NYC where I travel often, most of the watch stores and boutiques are in the same general area yet there are pockets of them in all parts of the city. I'm imagining things are similar in other cities. When I think "mall watch" I tend to think of the lower range non-WIS Swiss brands, and the fashion watches sold at kiosks and department stores.


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## Mize (Feb 28, 2008)

That 441 ceramic is badass. The Costco near my house has a PAM 24 right now for $6299. Costco has had the occasional Panerai for a couple years now.


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## Mize (Feb 28, 2008)

Pardon me, not a 441 in the 3rd photo.


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## David Woo (Feb 12, 2006)

last weekend at a costco near me: cartier, omega, panerai, TAG on display: free pack of tube socks with each purchase. JK


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## IvanDrago (Feb 7, 2012)

Kind of ironic, seeing as costco is supposedly a place to save money!


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

:-( I would be hoping for some Aussie Bites, but they don't have them anymore.


David Woo said:


> last weekend at a costco near me: cartier, omega, panerai, TAG on display: free pack of tube socks with each purchase. JK


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## handwound (Feb 11, 2006)

MC36 said:


> The prices are good. The ironic thing is that I visited my AD last week on my quest for a PAM 359. My wife texted me and told me we were out of diapers and if I could stop by Costco on my way home. Low and behold in the case was a 359 @ $1100 off the sticker price of the AD I was in 5 mins ago. I almost passed out in aisle 5! I want to support my local AD, but damn that makes it really hard.


I'm just glad to have a Panerai AD back in Charlotte! The guys at Windsor are great, but I wouldn't rule out buying a PAM from Costco, depending on the warranty situation.


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## Mize (Feb 28, 2008)

MC36 said:


> The prices are good. The ironic thing is that I visited my AD last week on my quest for a PAM 359. My wife texted me and told me we were out of diapers and if I could stop by Costco on my way home. Low and behold in the case was a 359 @ $1100 off the sticker price of the AD I was in 5 mins ago. I almost passed out in aisle 5! I want to support my local AD, but damn that makes it really hard.


Better go buy it while it's there. One of our forum mates took it upon himself to email Panerai US and complain about bringing down the brand and opened a thread on it. He actually received a response.


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## hidden by leaves (Mar 6, 2010)

noobfess said:


> Buy one, trash it up, then return it. "costco policy"


You sound like a real class act.


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## usc1 (Jun 25, 2007)

Costco has sold Rolex and pateks in the past. No brand is immune.


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## mark1958 (Nov 30, 2012)

Has anyone know of or had an experience where they needed to take a watch back after a couple of months because of malfunction?


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## toxicavenger (May 23, 2009)

mark1958 said:


> Has anyone know of or had an experience where they needed to take a watch back after a couple of months because of malfunction?


I think Omega sued them a while back for selling grey market watches. So unless I did not care about only dealing with Costco for issues then I would think twice about buying one.


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## toxicavenger (May 23, 2009)

If a brand isn't a household name or plastered in every Men Journal produced then I think it would be immune.


usc1 said:


> Costco has sold Rolex and pateks in the past. No brand is immune.


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## pdx7 (Apr 13, 2013)

Didnt Costco have PP online while back? They still might


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## noobfess (Feb 11, 2013)

hidden by leaves said:


> You sound like a real class act.


i was joking, didnt mean it.


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## steampowered (Sep 27, 2011)

Did a double-take and spotted this in the jewelry/watch case at the local Costco Warehouse store, 78759.


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

A Pam has been at mine for almost 8 months.


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## Synequano (May 2, 2012)

Not a bad price for 384,considering it retails for eur 11.000ish (same as 233 IIRC)
But I'd rather get the 292 though,more simple and more affordable


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## steampowered (Sep 27, 2011)

Watchbreath said:


> A Pam has been at mine for almost 8 months.


Let's see whose stays on the shelf longer!


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## stilo (Aug 11, 2009)

While some may see this as a bad thing, I think buying a Panerai at Costco is amazing. Think of it, they're probably the best grey market dealer out there and they're prices are cheaper than anywhere else, AND, they have the absolute best warranty in the business. Now, I probably would feel a bit weary about an in house movement piece but for an ETA equipped piece I'd be all over it!


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## JD_S (Jun 23, 2012)

Did you buy it?


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## handwound (Feb 11, 2006)

Thread merged with the other Costco thread.


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## Travelller (Apr 24, 2012)

MrJaz said:


> ...Nice to see this brand in a main stream store like this though


Nice? Are you kidding me? I can't think of a bigger insult to a house like OP, besides maybe buying a replica... :roll:


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## Carson (Apr 26, 2012)

This one is at my local Costco for $6200 (if I remembered correctly).


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## leopardprey (Nov 29, 2006)

I don't see what the big deal is. You want a Panerai watch, you buy it where you can find it. An AD, one of the OP Boutiques, a grey dealer, from a member of this or one of the dozen or other Panerai forums or Costco.

Even if sold at Costco, hmmm.... it is still a high priced Panerai watch. Who care where you actually buy it from. If I can get a Panerai BNIB with warranty card, with all boxes and papers for $1000 less than at an AD or Boutique, no brainer there. So you don't get the "boutique" experience. Well, I can have a couple nice dinners and a killer vacation with that $1000 saved, and have a "experience".

Does not cheapen the brand in the least. It is still a Panerai watch.

And as for Mall watches, I agree with some of the other posters. Most of the ADs, Boutiques, or high end watch shops I go to are all located in Malls. Central or Siam Paragon in Bangkok and a couple in KL. One of the best places to pre-owned Panerais is at a Mall in KL, Malaysia.

I remember the good ole days when Rolex was sold on the Army Base's PX, at a nice discount.


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## JMO (Jun 6, 2012)

Oh man the black ceramic is making me drool do want.

I also think the term "mall watch" is probably referring to the cookie cutter malls in small suburban cities where they all have the same crappy generic stores and the nicest "restaurant" in the area is a Chili's or Craporoni Grill.

The mall in my area has several high end watch stores including a newly opened Omega boutique, so the term "mall watch" has a different meaning here.


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## Travelller (Apr 24, 2012)

leopardprey said:


> Does not cheapen the brand in the least. It is still a Panerai watch.


Although we clearly have different *opinions* on the topic, it won't matter in the future as many watch brands, incl. OP are moving towards the exclusive Boutique model. I've spoke to a few of our premium ADs in Vienna and they are, for obvious reasons, [also] quite discouraged by the trend. I hate the idea of a place like COSTCO selling hi-end watches but do appreciate some modest competition among the ADs. The idea of only being able to buy a PAM in an OP Boutique is disconcerting... :-(

My "Grey Dealer" visits his friends at the local ADs (as well as Int'l connections) and gets pieces that the ADs determine are slow-moving or in the event they have excessive inventory of a model, etc. Perhaps COSTCO does the same; Take a "franchise" like Mayors (Florida, SE coast?); perhaps they also collect slow-moving models (or excessive inventory) and sell them to COSTCO. Although I have no factual info, I find it very difficult to believe that hi-end watch companies distribute their products to discounters like COSTCO directly. :think:

As for the idea of a Tool-watch co. like Rolex offering the military discounts on their product - well that's an entirely different story and I find that awesome b-)


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## leopardprey (Nov 29, 2006)

It would be nice to see Panerai also marketing to the military with discounts, getting back to their roots. Rolex use to sell at the PX, but stopped in the late 90s. Omega as far as I know, is still selling at the PX. Panerais advertisements are always military focused, and have seen myself many special operations personnel, mobile security/PSD contractors, etc. wearing Panerai. The first time I actually ever hear of Panerai, was from a team mate in Iraq back in 2004, who wore a white dial base model Panerai on his wrist during our whole tour. Then in 2006, had 2 team mates who bought Panerais while on R&R from Iraq and came back wearing them for rest of tour. Probably not a market for the LE or higher priced complications, but the base models, luminor marinas, submersibles, GMTs, etc.. are pure tool watch.


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## Synequano (May 2, 2012)

Well,it will be cool to see Panerai actually worn by real military men (not some aging action movie star trying to safe the world from terrorist while wearing $30k bronze watch,it's only in hollywood..)

While generally people thing Pams aren't that sturdy,I think the ETA based model should be able to survive a deployment or two,I'm saying specifically about ETA model because the movt are easier to service and the watches are generally thinner..

Back to topic,being sold in costco is like a double edged sword,one way to see it is the brand becoming less prestigious,boutique-y,however when you see it from the other perspective,those regular people who shop at costco becoming aware of the brand,and who knows,he might end up buying a Pam (or two..or three..)

Another thing to consider,sometimes going to the AD or boutique can be a scary experience,because the model is available in costco,people felt more comfortable to try on an expensive watch(es)


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## leopardprey (Nov 29, 2006)

Well, I think even if it is still at Costco, it is still considered a prestigious brand. No one buying a $5000 + watch will be thinking, "hey, this is a cheap watch cause I bought at Costco" LOL Any watch that cost over couple of thousand dollars and made in limited supplies, will be considered prestigious. Panerai is not AP or PP, where the initial price points are so high they get into the exclusive club. The majority of Panerai watches are still around the same price ranges as Rolex, IWC, and Omega. 

Of course the Boutiques are very nice, been to several in Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Malaysia. I use to stop by the one in Bangkok and sit in the leather chairs and read some of their Panerai books. And I use to even date one of the ladies who worked at the one in KL (yeah, I screwed that one up, I had the inside line for all the LE at discount. LOL) 

Synequano, I think you would be surprised at how many military/LE actually wear Panerai. Besides the examples I gave and my own, my brother also did a short tour in Iraq and one of his team mates had a Panerai as well. As for Panerais not being sturdy? What?! They are IMHO probably more sturdy than most other mechanical watches. The ETA movements, and even the newer in house movements are pretty robust. Solid cases, and the Luminor crown protector and good WR. I would like to see people wear their Panerais for more of adventure, action, LE, Military instead of treating it like some 'fashion' or safe queen watch. 

Anyway, I think if they continue to sell at Costco, with maybe a Panerai poster is a good thing.


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## Synequano (May 2, 2012)

Well,I'm not part of the army,but I do find Pam to be sturdy,used mine as a daily wear for several years before WUS,whether going to the beach,office or a wedding,and I don't remember clearly,but I think I used my 24 when I tried the military bootcamp

My 24 survived all that but there was a problem with the movement when I wore the watch normally (yes,the movement just died when I only use it to go to the mall and have dinner)


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