Buying Swiss Watch - HK or NY?

[wile_e]

Hi all, I'm looking at buying a swiss watch (no fakes) and will be travelling to both Hong Kong and New York (in that order). The brands I have in mind at the moment are IWC, Panerai and Zenith (although I'm open to others). I'd love to hear people's experiences in either of these cities and where I'd get the best prices.

Thoughts on stores and bargaining tactics appreciated too!

Cheers,
W
ps: I've also posed this question on FlyerTalk, in case this seems familiar...

 

[blu]

I found exactly what I was searching for (in Asia & US), with a sale price of about 80% off.
They stock the brands you mention.

Ashford's NYC : Luxury Watches | Movado, Ebel, Tag Heuer, Concord, Bulova, Breitling, Seiko, ESQ, Cartier, Corum, Kenneth Cole, Citizen, Bulgari, Chopard - Ashford.com

 

[jamesatfish]

I've never been to Hong Kong so can't comment there, but have bought two very nice watches over the last few years from Tourneau in NYC. They have a flagship store on 54th St with about 4 levels of watches covering pretty much every brand I've ever heard of, and some that I haven't.

Don't pay sticker price though - on both occasions I negotiated about 10% off the marked price and they seemed more than happy to discount when asked.

Be sure to check out their changing exhibition space on the basement level - when I first visited they had a room full of Porsche Design mega-expensive gizmos (including the then-new Carrera GT supercar) and a few months ago it was an interesting collection of smoking / cigar paraphernalia.

 

[winfred]

Watches are much cheaper in HK due to no import duty and high volume.

For most of the ultra premium brands such as Piaget, Patek Phillipe & Rolex, the sole agent impose price limits on retailers and they are all different. From memory Rolex retailers cannot offer more than 16% discount.

For other brands such as Frank Muller, Cartier, discount up to 40% can be negotiated.

Stick to the bigger stores and pitch the best price offered by one with another shop and do it a few times to get their best price.

Happy hunting.

 

[Febs]

Not sure about HK, but it's pretty hard to beat US prices at the moment, with the dollar being so good (and things generally being quite cheap there anyway).

Priced up an IWC Portuguese (the basic one - Portuguese Chronograph, IW371438) at around $6,400AUD (without any bargaining as I wasn't looking at buying one then) recently in the US.

Travelling through HKG next week, will see if I can do a comparison.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[ArseneV]

Hey guys,

I'll be in HK in early December.
Let me know if you find any good shops in town or if the HK Airport Duty Free is worth it.

Thanks!

 

[winfred]

Hey guys,

I'll be in HK in early December.
Let me know if you find any good shops in town or if the HK Airport Duty Free is worth it.

Thanks!

Don't bother with Duty Free unless you are buying a casio or swatch.

Febs, the HKD is pegged to the USD so HK prices will also be good as a result of FX rate.

 

[jamesD]

I'm in the market for an Omega Planet Ocean & will be going to the US early next year but was considering still buying in Oz due to potential warranty limitations - is this an issue with anyone else?

 

[winfred]

I'm in the market for an Omega Planet Ocean & will be going to the US early next year but was considering still buying in Oz due to potential warranty limitations - is this an issue with anyone else?

Check on Omega's website for warranty issues. They should have international warranty so buying in the US should not be a problem.

 

[jamesD]

Check on Omega's website for warranty issues. They should have international warranty so buying in the US should not be a problem.

Thanks winfred - yes, you are correct on the international warranty - just has to be purchased from an authorised dealer whether online or shopfront.

 

[Sprucegoose]

/CODE]

pretty hard to beat US prices at the moment, with the dollar being so good (and things generally being quite cheap there anyway).

.

Cheers,
- Febs.

Febs the HKG is pegged to the USD, so it will come done to individual bargaining skills and I would back myself in the big noodle!!!

 

[Febs]

/CODE]

Febs the HKG is pegged to the USD, so it will come done to individual bargaining skills and I would back myself in the big noodle!!!

The currencies may be linked, but are the RRPs too? e.g. when the AUD was at parity with the USD a few weeks ago, the watches we're talking about were certainly still a LOT more expensive in Australia!

 

[wile_e]

Thanks all for your responses. Still a little undecided, but will do a bit of shopping in HK. According to a mate, apparently I have a friend who has a friend who knows someone etc... :mrgreen:

Travelling through HKG next week, will see if I can do a comparison.

Febs that would be much appreciated if you could compare. The Portugese Chrono is high on my list (and I LOVE the Portuguese Yatch Club)

 

[Febs]

Febs that would be much appreciated if you could compare. The Portugese Chrono is high on my list (and I LOVE the Portuguese Yatch Club)

Not a problem. I went for a wander and found the IWC boutique. 56,000HKD for the Auto Chrono and 98,000 for the Yacht Club. So a fair bit more than US prices at the moment.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Thanks all for your responses. Still a little undecided, but will do a bit of shopping in HK. According to a mate, apparently I have a friend who has a friend who knows someone etc... :mrgreen:



Febs that would be much appreciated if you could compare. The Portugese Chrono is high on my list (and I LOVE the Portuguese Yatch Club)

If your at your best in honkers and you can break them, that will be the best outcome. Can you get high emotional and walk away from a piece you covert the most while at the same time hold an eye of beauty over it for just that split second, where no one will catch a glimpse of the emotion while vying never to return while the weird mix of emotional swelling up inside accumulates unabated???

 

[winfred]

Not a problem. I went for a wander and found the IWC boutique. 56,000HKD for the Auto Chrono and 98,000 for the Yacht Club. So a fair bit more than US prices at the moment.

Cheers,
- Febs.

If you bargain well, expect to pay 65-70% of RRP in HK.

Remember never to buy watches from the brand's own retail outlet. For example, never buy Cartier from a Cartier boutique or Frank Muller from a Frank Muller boutique as you will be paying RRP. Go to one of the reputable jewellery/watch retailer such as Emperor, Zurich, Chow Tai cough, etc and bargain hard.

 

[Ric]

If you bargain well, expect to pay 65-70% of RRP in HK.

Remember never to buy watches from the brand's own retail outlet. For example, never buy Cartier from a Cartier boutique or Frank Muller from a Frank Muller boutique as you will be paying RRP. Go to one of the reputable jewellery/watch retailer such as Emperor, Zurich, Chow Tai cough, etc and bargain hard.

+1 and I would aim for 65% off RRP. I buy most off my watches in KUL though.

 

[Sprucegoose]

If you bargain well, expect to pay 65-70% of RRP in HK.

Remember never to buy watches from the brand's own retail outlet. For example, never buy Cartier from a Cartier boutique or Frank Muller from a Frank Muller boutique as you will be paying RRP. Go to one of the reputable jewellery/watch retailer such as Emperor, Zurich, Chow Tai cough, etc and bargain hard.

If you have a few days use them all to bargain. This is war.

 

[JetLagged]

Ah, you want copy watch....... shoes .... new suit .... oops, am I in Nathan Road?

Yes, everyone in HK has a friend who has a friend who is the uncle of ........ even the taxi driver!

 

[Febs]

If you bargain well, expect to pay 65-70% of RRP in HK.

Remember never to buy watches from the brand's own retail outlet. For example, never buy Cartier from a Cartier boutique or Frank Muller from a Frank Muller boutique as you will be paying RRP. Go to one of the reputable jewellery/watch retailer such as Emperor, Zurich, Chow Tai cough, etc and bargain hard.

Sure, and I'm sure it's no different in the US. I was just comparing RRP to RRP, as I'm not in the market at the moment. Bargaining is up to the OP.

Cheers,
- Febs.