Buying in Italy

[Vvillie]

I’m currently in Italy and looking to buy my first Rolex - DateJust 41. It appears that the prices quoted in ADs are higher than what is listed online. Is this common?

[Terrakot]

No, the prices should be MSRP, also you can get 10% discount

[Maugust100]

Going to Italy next week and looking for a SkyDweller, Stainless with a Blue Dial. I start out in Florence, then to Gubbio, Perugia and end up in Rome. Any AD’s you can recommend? I know this is a difficult watch to locate in the US, any thoughts about finding it in Italy? Thanks

[GM_FFX]

Did anyone have any success with the tax free process in Italy?

[Terrakot]

Originally Posted by Maugust100

Going to Italy next week and looking for a SkyDweller, Stainless with a Blue Dial. I start out in Florence, then to Gubbio, Perugia and end up in Rome. Any AD’s you can recommend? I know this is a difficult watch to locate in the US, any thoughts about finding it in Italy? Thanks

In Rome, try Hausmann on Via Babuino and De Pascalis on Via Veneto. Diego Cataldi near Vatican sometimes have not bad stock
But I doubt that SS SkyD will be in stock
Try AD’s in small cities, like Perugia. I remember in Perugia was a good choice

[Quamby]

I'm flying to Geneva to go to ski in Chamonix in January 2019. If I manage to buy a watch in Geneva, do I have to declare the purchase when I go through customs upon entering France (Chamonix)?

The second leg of my ski trip will be going to Milan, Venice, then the Dolomites. I would appreciate any suggestion on where to go in those cities for Rolex shopping.

Thanks in advance

[Terrakot]

Originally Posted by GM_FFX

Did anyone have any success with the tax free process in Italy?

It’s easy: AD will fulfill the required form of tax-refund service company like Global Blue(you have to show your passport) and in airport you will stamp it at Global blue office before departure. Money will be refunded on your card (around 15-16% )

[Vvillie]

Originally Posted by GM_FFX

Did anyone have any success with the tax free process in Italy?

No luck with watches but did do a bit of shopping. Tax documents were sorted in store and I claimed back at the airport. Refund was done direct to my credit card.

[Tanner]

.

[Stew7]

Originally Posted by GM_FFX

Did anyone have any success with the tax free process in Italy?

Yes, I bought a SubC in Venice back in 2015 and claimed the VAT refund at the Venice airport before returning to the US. I received the refund a couple weeks later on my credit card. I'm not sure if that has changed.

I did have to shown the watch at the counter with receipt at Global Blue.

[T01]

Considering you're looking for a Platinum Daytona you shouldn't have a hard time finding an AD to discount. Though I have a good relationship with them, my AD has offered me that watch for less than they sell for BNIB through the grays. They're motivated to move them, even a thin margin on that reference is a solid profit, plus it get's the watch off their books.

[GM_FFX]

Originally Posted by Terrakot

It’s easy: AD will fulfill the required form of tax-refund service company like Global Blue(you have to show your passport) and in airport you will stamp it at Global blue office before departure. Money will be refunded on your card (around 15-16% )

Thanks, do you know if Haussman offers any discount on Patek or Jaeger-leCoultre watches?

[T-Bro]

In June of last year, we took a family trip to Italy and went to Rome, Florence, and rented a villa for a week in Vinci.

Since none of the dealers here in CO had any idea when I could get my hands on the new SD43, I emailed several Rolex dealers in Italy about the watch. Most gave me the same old song that they already had long waiting lists and would not likely have any.

Got shot down in Rome and was almost laughed at on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. My hopes were starting to fade when we took a day trip to Lucca. I had been told that they were scheduled to get 2 SeaDwellers in 2017, one in June and the other in October. My family toured around the city and enjoyed riding rental bikes around the path that had been constructed on the top of the city wall. As we had made plans to rendevous back at our rental van at 4PM, I took my sons with me at 3:25 to Chiocetti to look for the watch. I was sad to see that the store had closed for mid day siesta, but the metal shutters were only 3/4 shut. To kill a little time, i offered the boys a chance at another gelato. That occupied a little time and as we began to walk back to our van, I found the shop had reopened.

I walked in and mentioned that I had emailed them about the SD. The kind gentleman who owned the shop said "it just arrived today". I had my VISA card out before he finished his sentence. I paid the $10,500 Euros listed on the ROLEX website and left to meet the rest of my family. I was so stoked to have found this elusive beauty that I did not ask for a discount or for any ROLEX trinkets to accompany my purchase.

I had the owner fill out the Global Blue paperwork and filed it at the Florence airport. Within a week, i got around $1500 back on my credit card. Paid the duty due when I arrived back in Denver and still wound up paying less than if I had purchased it domestically. Now I have the only Rolex that I have ever wanted and have a great story that my boys will remember all their lives and will appreciate it even more when I leave it to one of them one day.

Best regards,

Todd

[Yodel]

Might be a stupid question but is there any chance of me getting a hulk in Italy? I’m travelling to 5 different cities so will visit a variety of AD’s!

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Quamby

I'm flying to Geneva to go to ski in Chamonix in January 2019. If I manage to buy a watch in Geneva, do I have to declare the purchase when I go through customs upon entering France (Chamonix)?

The second leg of my ski trip will be going to Milan, Venice, then the Dolomites. I would appreciate any suggestion on where to go in those cities for Rolex shopping.

Thanks in advance

I believe so, Swi not in the EU for VAT purposes.

Originally Posted by Yodel

Might be a stupid question but is there any chance of me getting a hulk in Italy? I’m travelling to 5 different cities so will visit a variety of AD’s!

Like the guy above, plan to visit smaller town ADs nearby, you might get lucky.

[pinmeuphere]

Was in Venice a couple weeks ago, the AD in St. Marks Square had a platinum Daytona with diamond markers if that is of interest to you.

[Royalex]

Originally Posted by T-Bro

In June of last year, we took a family trip to Italy and went to Rome, Florence, and rented a villa for a week in Vinci.

Since none of the dealers here in CO had any idea when I could get my hands on the new SD43, I emailed several Rolex dealers in Italy about the watch. Most gave me the same old song that they already had long waiting lists and would not likely have any.

Got shot down in Rome and was almost laughed at on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. My hopes were starting to fade when we took a day trip to Lucca. I had been told that they were scheduled to get 2 SeaDwellers in 2017, one in June and the other in October. My family toured around the city and enjoyed riding rental bikes around the path that had been constructed on the top of the city wall. As we had made plans to rendevous back at our rental van at 4PM, I took my sons with me at 3:25 to Chiocetti to look for the watch. I was sad to see that the store had closed for mid day siesta, but the metal shutters were only 3/4 shut. To kill a little time, i offered the boys a chance at another gelato. That occupied a little time and as we began to walk back to our van, I found the shop had reopened.

I walked in and mentioned that I had emailed them about the SD. The kind gentleman who owned the shop said "it just arrived today". I had my VISA card out before he finished his sentence. I paid the $10,500 Euros listed on the ROLEX website and left to meet the rest of my family. I was so stoked to have found this elusive beauty that I did not ask for a discount or for any ROLEX trinkets to accompany my purchase.

I had the owner fill out the Global Blue paperwork and filed it at the Florence airport. Within a week, i got around $1500 back on my credit card. Paid the duty due when I arrived back in Denver and still wound up paying less than if I had purchased it domestically. Now I have the only Rolex that I have ever wanted and have a great story that my boys will remember all their lives and will appreciate it even more when I leave it to one of them one day.

Best regards,

Todd

Great story.

[CK9366]

Go turin, Italy Rolex Ad. Very rare tourism very there , u will find surprise SS model !

[cybercreep]

Originally Posted by Amex4711

Call Andrea (he is a man) at Cassetti Gioielli Rolex Boutique in Florence and ask him

Hello Amex, unfortunately I was there, tried on the 114060 and the 114300 Rhodium which I like but I think exactly Andrea was the guy wearing the Rhodium 114300 who smilingly said NO discounts are offered.

So.. please further elaborate on that. Must I say I have a recommendation from someone ?

How should I proceed. Please advise.

Thank you.

[eestepan]

Originally Posted by Skyrider01

Actually, you would care about the VAT refund as that will affect your final purchase price. For example, in Switzerland, the VAT is about 7%. So on a $10,000 watch, you will get back $700. In Italy, the VAT refund is 15%, so on that same $10,000, you will get back $1500, effectively reducing your out of pocket expense by $800.

Keep in mind that in the US prices do not include tax. In Europe, the MSRP includes the tax. So on a $10,000 watch, assuming 6% US sales tax and 15% Italian VAT, you are paying $8500 in Italy vs $10,600 in the US, not factoring the exchange rate.

So without the AD's even providing you with a discount, you should come out ahead with today's exchange rates.

As far as if the DSSD is in stock, you will have to check with the individual ADs, and same goes for the discounts. I was not shopping for a DSSD while in Italy, so I do not remember if the ADs I visited had any.

In Switzerland prices are in CHF and as a national production product, prices are not altered by import/export cost, so they may be more attractive than anywhere else. The thing is that watches are more difficult to get, specially those "desirable". I learned about this in my visit to Basel for the Baselworld fair of 2018.

That being said currency exchange has also to be taken into account to determine final value, and more important, you'll get more VAT return if you don't claim your refund at the airport, instead stamp your invoice at customs, take it to USA or non EU country and then send to back by post to the AD (if the dealer does not an agreement with vat refund company) for a full refund of VAT. In airports you'll receive only a portion of the VAT as the companies retain a fee for the service. In Belgium VAT is 21% and if you collect it in airport you'll receive +/- 13% back which is a big difference for a +10k watch for example.