Can someone recommend a web merchant vendor or two who sells authentic Omega or Rolex watches? I am in the market for one of those high end watches and I want to make sure I only pay a competitive market price.
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High end watches
- Thread starter YS2003
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Sorry, but HELL NO. Ebay is full of fake high-end watches. There are legit ones out there, but unless you know your watches well enough to spot amazingly good fakes (quick quiz: which normal Rolexes have display backs? Which, if any, Rolexes have writing on the watch back? Can a watch say Tudor and Rolex on the same face? If so, which ones? What is the proper degree of magnification from a Rolex Cyclops? Are there any current Rolexes that should not have a Cyclops? Will every Rolex have a sapphire crystal? (etc etc etc) Those are EASY questions which won't even field out most of the good fakes. The lists go on and on.
A good general rule of thumb is buy the seller, not just the watch--go with an entity you KNOW you trust, etc. Most Ebay sellers don't fit that mold. Also, your question of finding competitive prices on Rolexes suggests to me that you're not knowledgeable in the high-end watch world (not a criticism, just an observation)--which heightens my concern at the idea of trying to "get a deal" on Ebay or similar. In truth, you basically just don't get bargains on new Rolexes--they sell every one they make, and very tightly control prices. Outside of authorized/scheduled rare sales, you simply won't get noticiable discounts on them...period. Doesn't matter if you buy them in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, or Switzerland.
Omega has a bit more price flexibility, but you're still not going to get screaming deals.
If you can really afford to buy a good watch, pay a little extra for the piece of mind that comes from getting it from a reputable local dealer.
Join watchuseek.com it's a watch talk forum. They have a forum dealer on their who sells with a good discount. He also has a real store and from the talk on there he is a trustworthy guy, licensed by the watch companies.
But I haven't ordered anything from him, but he comes recommended. Avoid eBay.
But I haven't ordered anything from him, but he comes recommended. Avoid eBay.
I have a Rolex that my dad gave me for my birthday. I really would not ever buy something like that online unless you have already seen it and held it, just to make sure it's what you want. But I would find a store and deal with only that store. Ever. Period. THIS store is THE only store in Virginia that is allowed to even handle my Rolex. Period. These people at this store are the epitome of professional and their store is exactly what you'd expect. Tip top. So my advice is to not order online, but find a store to deal with. And I'm not talking about Kay's or Zale's, either. If they sell Seiko or something like that, then they are not high end and they don't deal exclusively in high end watches.
I couldn't agree more. Ebay is possibly the worst place to look for an item like this...too many scammers out there if you're not well informed on the specific features of the watch model which you are seeking. Case in point, I made the mistake of purchasing a Breitling Navitimer from a "reputable" retailer in Germany on eBay some time ago. I was in the market for a Breitling and the seller had 100% feedback with hundreds of prior sales. Furthermore, I felt comfortable pursuing the item because there were several bidders already. I was ecstatic when I won the auction for ~$1,500 USD (these watches are almost twice that amount when purchased new). I guess it didn't surprise me all that much, because the watch was labeled as "slightly used" after all.
Needless to say, after waiting almost 2 weeks for the watch it finally arrived and looked even better than I had expected. I wore it for days straight and got numerous compliments, until I checked the time one evening and the watch had stopped an hour or two before. I shrugged it off until it happened again, then I immediately took it to a jeweler to have it authenticated (despite the papers and serial number present with purchase). The jeweler immediately determined that there were several fake components that made up the movement, even though the face and bracelet were real. I was furious and demanded a refund but got no response
. I reported him to eBay and even notified other members who did business with the seller in the past - warning them that their watches may be replicas as well. After weeks of not hearing from the seller and no indication that he was going to give me my money back, I took the matter into my own hands and used one of my father's police sources in Germany where his "store" was located. It was on a whim and I was desperate at this point. The german officer paid him a visit with copies of our online conversations (where he repeatedly confirmed that the watch was authentic). That same day he wrote me back and offered me a full refund, which I accepted. If it was not for this random friend of a friend of a friend that my dad had, I would have never got my money back and would have been out around $1200 USD. You never know who you can trust and I definitely learned my lesson!
I apologize for the long post, but to the OP - try Bernardwatches.com. They have some of the best prices that I've seen and offer a wide variety of brands and rare models. I can personally vouch for this source, as I got an Omega Seamaster from them (long before the eBay mess) and it arrived in excellent condition and was authenticated. The site was actually recommended to me by a friend of mine who is a jeweler and a big watch enthusiast and works on servicing high end watches as a second hobby (he's actually the person who verified that my Breitling was a replica having owed several himself). I'd give that a shot. If nothing else, it will give you something to compare to other online retailers.
First of all, you're not going to get a Rolex at a much better price than the recommended price. You'd probably have better luck at buying an Omega a bit cheaper.
Secondly, look for a watch retailer that's having a sale to get more business due to slow sales. Check to ensure that they're an authorized dealer (don't trust what it says on their site). Surely the luxury watch market isn't so hot right now. The economy may not make a huge dent in Rolex sales, but they would probably affect Omega sales enough that someone would offer you 30% off. I think the market for Rolexez is different from that of brands like Omega, Oris, etc, even when the price of low-end Rolexes overlap that of Omega and others.
Secondly, look for a watch retailer that's having a sale to get more business due to slow sales. Check to ensure that they're an authorized dealer (don't trust what it says on their site). Surely the luxury watch market isn't so hot right now. The economy may not make a huge dent in Rolex sales, but they would probably affect Omega sales enough that someone would offer you 30% off. I think the market for Rolexez is different from that of brands like Omega, Oris, etc, even when the price of low-end Rolexes overlap that of Omega and others.
Thanks for good advice. I will check up that forum to understand more on watches. I am now getting into high end watches now as I tend to move onto the next things (ie. cars, real estate, high end fountain pens, and etc).
I second this, these guys helped me with a watch purchase before. Great community there.