Rolex Watches @ Airports anyone..?
 

Has anyone seen any good deals at any of the international airports on Rolex and other Luxury Watches..? Was in Seoul and Amsterdam recently and full retail at both airports...

In case you aren't aware, there is a massive worldwide shortage of many Rolex models. Some selling for more than 50% MSRP on the gray market. Good luck finding a deal from a dealer. Maybe a slight discount on a PM model.

I see many of the solid gold rolexes new forsale and i think it is just the less costly SS models with odd bezel colors that are commanding a premium..? Not sure..

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With the serious shortage of rolexes worldwide, i did manage to buy 2 of them last week and this is the one of them. It is a Rolex Daytona Chronograpgh in Solid Rose Gold with a Chocolate Dial.

I'm a bit of a watch guy... I've had intermittent success negotiating with duty free dealers -- especially those outside of the airport. Also, the more expensive the watch, the more negotiating can happen. Finally, if nothing else you save sales tax.

You can do a quick search of jomashop to get a feel for the grey market price,

Finally, you can probably get another 3-5% off sometimes if you pay by wire. The ones I've been at will take a hold on your credit card until the wire clears.

The short answer is no. I've never seen much benefit buying a high-end watch at an airport. What you save in taxes on the original purchase you will in most cases end up paying when you return home. In the absence of a significant savings I'd rather deal with a local authorized dealer where I can get after purchase service if required.

The airport in Seoul SK had quite a nice selection of Rolex, Lange, Audemars Piguet and Patek, but as everyone is saying, there was nothing special about the pricing and none of them really wanted to make a deal..

If you pass through BKK and become a King Power Duty-free member, you should be able to get at least a 5% plus 1% cash back, depending on the membership tier.

Years ago, I bought a Rolex in Calgary, Alberta, Canada simply because Alberta has no sales tax whereas in my home town of Toronto, sales tax is currently 13 %. Looking for a similar situation might be the best way to get the highest 'discount'. Rolex and most of the other high priced watch companies take a dim view of retailers who are willing to deviate from the MSRP.

As a bit of a watch lover, I have always enjoyed buying new watches. The problem I found with owning a Rolex is that it then becomes difficult to justify every buying another watch. So I gave mine to my son and went back to buying lower priced watches more frequently without feeling guilty when doing so.

And on another note, it could be argued that anyone looking to save a few percent on a Rolex can't afford one in the first place. LOL

See, that's the entire problem right there. High end watch retail (in my experience at least) is all about the relationship. I know if I drop in to my regular watch place, or give my regular sales associate a call, I will always, no exceptions, get a better deal than at the airport. Airport dealers know you are just passing through and there is no incentive for them to treat you nice(r) in the hopes you become a repeat customer.

Although if you travel through Europe regularly I've found prices in Germany - and possibly the Netherlands - to be very competitive as you can get a sizable chunk of VAT back. Avoid Switzerland though, even though its the 'birthplace' of Rolex, AP etc. High retail prices combined with low VAT makes it a non-starter for me.

Become friendly with an independent AD, not a mall chain like Ben Bridge or BBB.

Deals and discounts can be found once you build a relationship.

Nowhere close to being true.

I usually go down to Canal Street

I also agree with you on this. Just because one would like a discount when buying does not indicate they can not afford it..:)

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Since I posted this thread I ended up buying 2 new solid gold rolexes and one of them here with a wrist shot is my SKYDWELLER with SILVER DIAL in Solid Yellow Gold. Yes it is quite a boat anchor but that was to be expected..