taking a vacation for a Rolex , cheapest?

[w0318]

hey all , i am new to this place
just want to say you guys have a nice setup here!

Currently i am in a situation that allows me to pretty much choose a destination to buy me a rolex. i cant go to asia and buy a rolex.

does anoyne know where is the cheapest or best bargaining place?
like where in the carribeans? or even europe?

i am not sure if you guys can post that info here but i really need some help, i dont want to go to a country with a over priced, snobby dealer. feel free to PM me or
AIM wing0318

[President]

Welcome!

[Hotrod64]

Hi w0318!

Not sure. Geneva or Basel maybe? Or... San Juan, Nassau, St. Thomas or Vegas?

Could you not find any deals there in New York? Or is it more about the trip than the price of the watch? That's cool too!

What about Wempe in NYC? Are they overpriced or snobby there?

[w0318]

i am in the concrete jungle of NYC , Manhattan.

i will ask around here but they charge the massive tax. my wife wants to hop on a trip so we figure the tax money i save can cover a nice cheap deal to the carribeans.
i remeber seeing a explorer II down in st thomas with an asking price of 3200 usd , but that was 4 years ago i think.


i have to look into Wempe, never been there before. theres a trillion AD's here or so they claim, but i really dont want to put on a suit to buy a watch. And the reality in NYC is that, most dealers are assh@ts period. you name it, watches, cars, etc. perhaps its due to the massive rent they probably pay.


i have a few jeweler friends i asked to get me a price.

in the carribeans i can shop in shorts and tank top

So if you recently traveled and got a great deal i would love to hear from you all.

[Tfish]

The price that I was quoted in St Thomas was not competitive with what I got in Canada.
Even after I paid the 14% PST and GST I was only $200 CDN higher than St Thomas.
For $200 CDN I'm legal (all taxes paid and documented.

[w0318]

fish thx mucho, where in canada? also the st thomas price was that the initial price or the haggled price?

nko , any specifics in aruba? i will hit google with aruba and rolex.

or does anyone have any good references in NYC?

[montecristo]

Originally Posted by w0318

i am in the concrete jungle of NYC , Manhattan.

i will ask around here but they charge the massive tax. my wife wants to hop on a trip so we figure the tax money i save can cover a nice cheap deal to the carribeans.
i remeber seeing a explorer II down in st thomas with an asking price of 3200 usd , but that was 4 years ago i think.


i have to look into Wempe, never been there before. theres a trillion AD's here or so they claim, but i really dont want to put on a suit to buy a watch. And the reality in NYC is that, most dealers are assh@ts period. you name it, watches, cars, etc. perhaps its due to the massive rent they probably pay.


i have a few jeweler friends i asked to get me a price.

in the carribeans i can shop in shorts and tank top

So if you recently traveled and got a great deal i would love to hear from you all.

When you say trillion I think you meant only a few AD in the city. I am in NYC and I have had good experience with Wempe. Not sure where you got the impression that most dealers are asshats, I never had much problem with shopping in NYC, may it be cars or watches.

You can easily buy your watch in NYC and not have to pay any sales tax if you have an out of state address.

[montecristo]

Originally Posted by Hotrod64

Hi w0318!

Not sure. Geneva or Basel maybe? Or... San Juan, Nassau, St. Thomas or Vegas?

Could you not find any deals there in New York? Or is it more about the trip than the price of the watch? That's cool too!

What about Wempe in NYC? Are they overpriced or snobby there?

Believe it or not, you are not going to be able to get much discount over at geneva or basel, vegas is also known for MSRP prices.

Wempe has been around for a very long time, very accommodating staff and have no problem letting me bring my German Shepard with me into the store a few years ago. Pricing would be a bit on the high side if you don't negotiate but flexible for returning customers, usually 10-15% off is no problem.

[astcell]

I hear New Zealand won't have your baa-a-king up the wrong tree.

[nko51]

How about Aruba! Some good deals there!

[HDHNTER]

Originally Posted by nko51

How about Aruba! Some good deals there!

Yep, bought my TT Blue Sub in Aruba at Gandelman Jewelers back in early Feb. Paid $6696 out the door. Pleasure to deal with them. Nice selection as well.

[Obsession]

I had chance to go to Geneva 2 times in both 2005 and 2006 but I had no money to buy a Rolex and I just looked to 3 authorized Rolex dealers in Geneva and I saw that prices are cheaper than in Turkey I saw a GMT MASTER II gold-steel red faced with jubilee bracelet it was 8000 SFRwritten near the watch which is 9600 SFR in Turkey.
What do you my friends think about the price?

[mikey]

I think it would be pretty cool to take a trip to the Rolex factory to buy a Rolex.

[Obsession]

to the factory in Geneva? I think just it s possible to buy from ADs in Geneva.

[OysterDavid]

Originally Posted by aykun325

to the factory in Geneva? I think just it s possible to buy from ADs in Geneva.

There are no factory tours, nor is there a factory store in Geneva. And for that matter, there's no factory outlet for slightly scratched or dinged or returned merchandise. (We Rolex WIS's can only dream of Rolex watches at factory discount outlets).

As for buying a Rolex in Switzerland, at least for US buyers, because of current exchange rates, the final price is often more than what a Rolex can be obtained for in the US and other places like Asia and Carabbean.

About the only advantage currently to buying in Switzerland is the selection. The Bucherer chain and the other few retailers in the homeland have an outstanding selection of makes and models and dial and bracelet and metal choices.

I'm not in a position to figure out if buying in Turkey as opposed to Switzerland is a better deal because of currency fluctuations.

[Obsession]

Originally Posted by OysterDavid

There are no factory tours, nor is there a factory store in Geneva. And for that matter, there's no factory outlet for slightly scratched or dinged or returned merchandise. (We Rolex WIS's can only dream of Rolex watches at factory discount outlets).

As for buying a Rolex in Switzerland, at least for US buyers, because of current exchange rates, the final price is often more than what a Rolex can be obtained for in the US and other places like Asia and Carabbean.

About the only advantage currently to buying in Switzerland is the selection. The Bucherer chain and the other few retailers in the homeland have an outstanding selection of makes and models and dial and bracelet and metal choices.

I'm not in a position to figure out if buying in Turkey as opposed to Switzerland is a better deal because of currency fluctuations.

Thank you in Turkey in AD of Rolex prices are same as in USA except the tax you pay for, so here it is a little bit cheaper. Btw I found a powerseller that sold 320 watches till today he is just selling only ROLEX from New York and he sells in Ebay and I contacted and asked to his satisfied customers who left positive feedbacks and they are all satisfied. I dont know if it is good idea to buy a Rolex 16613 blue gold-steel submariner from Ebay for 6300 USD instead of 7800USD but the watch is really authentic new with all papers referances and box. What is your idea about buying a Rolex from Ebay from New York from also a seller about selling 2-3 years without any negative feedback or dissappointment?

[montecristo]

6300 for a blue sub from a non-ad is high, even alanfurman charges 50 dollar less and they are considered one of the more expensive gray dealer.

If negotiated properly, you can probably get from the TT blue sub from an AD for less or at least the same price, I have seen it went for much less.

[OysterDavid]

The Carabbean area will probably be your best bet for a no haggle deal. Those islands can import the Rolex watch duty free and then offer a price lower than the list price in the USA. From what I've read from those buying in the Carabbean, there's not much haggling that goes on...their attitude is the price is better than a lot of places...love it or leave it.

But, you know...by staying off 5th Avenue in 'The City', you might just be able to come pretty close with some serious interest, a willingness to buy and some bargaining. And if you want to avoid the dreaded sales tax in NYC, then you could always take a trip to New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Connecticut and ask that the watch be shipped to your home, thereby avoiding sales tax.

If it were time for a vacation, and I was predisposed to traveling to the Carabbean, and it was time for a new Rolex, then I'd probably do some comparison shopping close to home to have a reference point and then take my trip, knowing what price to beat. If I were just planning a holiday to buy a Rolex at the lowest possible price, then I'd travel to Hong Kong.

And don't forget that you are officially subject to duty when re-entering the USA. You'll have a family exemption, but there will still likely be an import tax to pay if you're completely honest with your customs declaration. And if you choose to tell the customs people otherwise?...well, some get away with it and others don't. I'm the type to pay rather than get taken out of line and confined to one of those tiny examination rooms for a baggage and body cavity search.

[montecristo]

I meant 6000

[OysterDavid]

For easy price comparisons, check out Alanfurman.com for gray dealer prices, and then continue surfing the internet using your favorite search engine and browse both new and used Rolex vendors. None of these will be official AD's that will give aftersale handholding, but you'll be in a much stronger position to know a good price when you see one.

A little bit of web searching will yield big dividends in knowledge.