Sending wires is standard in the gray watch market.

The motto is "buy the seller first". Both of those guys are a+ guys with global reputations. They have a lot to lose by stiffing a customer. In a transaction, someone has to be the Guinea pig and that's on the buyer.

I wouldn't buy a watch off amazon outside of a skx007 or a luminox or others in excess of $1000. Both of these guys are peddaling 100% real watches and a lot of new watches come with your name on the warranty card.

In reply to schmendeler

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Wait, you wire him the money before you see the watch? That seems awfully trusting.

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In the gray market for watches, you buy the seller as much as the watch. Browse enough of the boards and you'll get an idea who is honest and not going to eff you over vs. those who tend to be shady. Many do offer FTF transactions at an AD if the buyer would like to do it that way, but once a reputation is established, it goes a long way. DavidSW is the best out there. I was close to buying a used 16610 (Submariner) from him until another seller I had been watching put up a New In Box 16610 (I don't like the new ceramics) for a price I thought was reasonable. I admit, it was scary as hell wiring money to him, but I felt like I did my homework on the seller and had several phone conversations and email exchanges that made me feel a bit more comfortable. Many also offer a 3 day grace period where you can send it back if you feel it's not as they described it, which does happen, but it's rare.

When the watch I bought arrived, I immediately took it to an AD and they verified it was authentic and pressure tested it. I peeled the stickers off of it and began to enjoy the watch I had wanted for so long. The seller called me the day after it arrived to make sure I was happy with the watch, and let me know that I could send it back if I wasn't, but I was thrilled as all get out and told him that wouldn't be necessary.

Do you guys know what grey market is? I feel like everyone is using it incorrectly, Thanh and DavidSw are not grey market dealers, they buy from AD's who give them huge discounts on complete fully warranteed sets. Jomashop, Ashford, World of Watches, etc etc are grey market shops, they buy from the manufacturer wholesale, but dont abide by their pricing standards, so they do not get the factory warranty or some other papers etc.

In reply to BustUpAChiffarobe I call anything not from an AD or used the grey market, regardless of who it comes from. DavidSW gives you the warranty and stuff, but you're still not buying from an AD. In the end, it really doesn't matter if you need warranty service.

Aside from the warranty, why do you say sellers like DavidSW not the grey market? They're not abiding by the pricing standards set by brands like Rolex. They're essentially the online retailers on a much smaller and more personal scale that happen to buy it from the AD rather than the manufacture.

In reply to BustUpAChiffarobe I was going to come on here and blab about how these watches aren't the end all be all, but damnit if I'm not liking that blue Zenith and that shirt.


What does that watch run?

Honest question for you watch junkies...I own a Citizen Skyhawk that retails for $600, but can be had for $335. It has an atomic control, dual band, never needs a battery, and looks great. I understand that the Rolex hands glide, and maybe some other brands do that as well, but my watch keeps perfect time.

What makes an Omega or some of these other $2000+ watches better than mine? I feel like I'd be taking a step down in function.

In reply to [removed post] what is the AD?

In reply to Texaggie7nine

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Checkmate.

I need to get my Tag repaired, but keep putting it off because I don't want to wait for it to be sent to NY

In reply to 94chem I'll admit, it's certainly not accuracy as there are several quartz watches out there that you can buy for a $200 that are more accurate than an AP, Omega, etc. Some watch guys love them because of the movements and the engineering that goes into them. For me, it's build quality. They use higher grade stainless than you'd find with Seiko or Citizen, and you can get many in precious metals (gold or platinum). Also, with a service every 7-10 years, a watch like an Omega can last you a lifetime. With a Citizen, once something goes wrong with it, it's cheaper to go buy new. That said, I have a couple of Seiko and Citizen watches that I love just as much as my higher end ones. They all have their place.

Also, look at it this way...why do some guys drive a Porsche when a base Corvette out performs it? How can some justify spending $250k on a Ferrari 458 when a Z06 or GT-R will run laps around it for half the price?

In reply to OnlyForNow

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what is the AD?

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Authorized Dealer. Essentially, a place that the manufacture allows to sell their product. That's why you don't see brands like Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Audemars Piguet in every jewelry store.

In reply to aTm2004

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I call anything not from an AD or used the grey market, regardless of who it comes from. DavidSW gives you the warranty and stuff, but you're still not buying from an AD. In the end, it really doesn't matter if you need warranty service.

Aside from the warranty, why do you say sellers like DavidSW not the grey market? They're not abiding by the pricing standards set by brands like Rolex. They're essentially the online retailers on a much smaller and more personal scale that happen to buy it from the AD rather than the manufacture.

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They're not considered grey market, because you actually are buying from an AD; the watch ships to you straight from the AD; with your name on the warranty, with the AD stamp on the warranty card, with the full kit. Guys like Thanh and DavidSw don't even see the watch; you go tell them what you want; they go to their network of out-of-state guys at the AD they've been funneling business to over the years in exchange for deep discounts; and they pretty much just broker the sale for 5% or so. You get the watch straight from the AD like you walked in there and bought it yourself; but you save the tax since it's out of state; and you get a huge discount due to the arrangement the guys have with the AD. If you need warranty service, you show up to an AD or boutique with your AD stamped card; and they have no clue you didn't buy it straight from the AD yourself; because your name is the only one associated with the transaction.

In reply to OnlyForNow

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I was going to come on here and blab about how these watches aren't the end all be all, but damnit if I'm not liking that blue Zenith and that shirt.


What does that watch run?

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Thanks man, I think it was about 5k from the AD; you definitely want the factory warranty on the El primero movement; as it's completely in-house and a normal high-end watch repair place won't be able to source parts or know how to fix it easily.

In reply to schmendeler I was waiting for that type of response.....

In reply to MrJonMan

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I was waiting for that type of response.....

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i couldn't resist. i'll admit that i don't have any watches that are any nicer.

In reply to BustUpAChiffarobe You're saying this watch is a brokered deal through the AD? I don't believe it is. Now, if I contacted him about a new ceramic Daytona that he doesn't have, that's different.

In reply to BustUpAChiffarobe

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Any jaeger hook ups?

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nosir, none. My hookups are in the lower-mid high-end range breitling/rolex/omega/zenith/tag. Youre getting into rarified air.

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yeah, seriously, but dang it jaegers are nice...

In reply to aTm2004

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You're saying this watch is a brokered deal through the AD? I don't believe it is. Now, if I contacted him about a new ceramic Daytona that he doesn't have, that's different.

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That one is likely a display model, grey market watches by definition do not come with AD warranty, and this one has the stamped AD card. Either that or he pre-emptively bought one from an AD at the lower price as he knew it was a hot seller.

Here's an awesome article about the grey market

http://www.awci.com/for-consumers/black-and-grey-market-watches-are-trouble-with-a-capital-t/

In reply to BustUpAChiffarobe I like that Seiko, but it looks massive. I guess the form is a factor of the technology contained within?

In reply to schmendeler

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I like that Seiko, but it looks massive. I guess the form is a factor of the technology contained within?

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it's really not that massive at all, I think it's 44mm. It's actually quite thin too; here is a write up from a great blog I frequent.

http://www.ablogtowatch.com/seiko-astron-gps-solar-chronograph-watch-baselworld-2014/

In reply to BustUpAChiffarobe

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You're saying this watch is a brokered deal through the AD? I don't believe it is. Now, if I contacted him about a new ceramic Daytona that he doesn't have, that's different.

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That one is likely a display model, grey market watches by definition do not come with AD warranty, and this one has the stamped AD card. Either that or he pre-emptively bought one from an AD at the lower price as he knew it was a hot seller.

Here's an awesome article about the grey market

http://www.awci.com/for-consumers/black-and-grey-market-watches-are-trouble-with-a-capital-t/

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That's probably exactly what he did. He was able to get a piece from the AD that he knew he could sell. I consider that grey market. Now, if I ask him if he has a new Pepsi and he says "no, but I can get you one," that wouldn't be grey market and he'd be brokering a deal with an AD.

In reply to BustUpAChiffarobe

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I like that Seiko, but it looks massive. I guess the form is a factor of the technology contained within?

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it's really not that massive at all, I think it's 44mm. It's actually quite thin too; here is a write up from a great blog I frequent.

http://www.ablogtowatch.com/seiko-astron-gps-solar-chronograph-watch-baselworld-2014/

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fair enough. good to know!

In reply to BustUpAChiffarobe

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Even the red or blue with the matte finish?

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just can get into it, feels completely alien to Omega and more breitlingish wanna be tactical

If I was going to pick an omega it would be the speedmaster chronograph moonphase master chronometre , looks amazing

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I have an older version of this watch. Moonphase is at the top of the dial

In reply to Kurt Gowdy

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http://davidsw.com

This guy is the man. I've bought five watches from him.

These gray market dealers only accept wires for the most part but all my transactions have been flawless. He was even able to track down a certain serial sub for me that took him several weeks. If the wire is received before 5pm, the watch is in Texas by 11am the next morning.

http://www.takuyawatches.com

Thanh can meet you in Houston and you can do a f2f deal with him if you prefer. He's a nice guy and I've done several deals with him - mostly trades.

Both of these guys only deal with authentic watches and have superb reputations.

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I too bought a watch or two from David. No problems

These are some online watch shops I frequently browse:

http://www.watchsteez.com/inventory.htm

http://www.lunaroyster.com/watches

http://www.jomashop.com/watches-for-men.html

Serious answer: Check out Sam's Club.

The one near me has Omega, Cartier, Breitling, and Tag, most 20-30% below retail. I would assume these are gray market.

Wifey is buying me a new watch for our 10yr anny. Was going to get the Drive de Cartier but I want the steel band instead. Any watches that look similar but have the steel band?

Tia

In reply to Mr. McGibblets

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Wifey is buying me a new watch for our 10yr anny. Was going to get the Drive de Cartier but I want the steel band instead. Any watches that look similar but have the steel band?

Tia

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That's a unique looking watch; the only thing close I've seen is the Longines Master Collection Retrograde with or without moonphase ( I prefer the moonphase)

http://shop.us.longines.com/l27394716-the-longines-master-collection-44mm-stainless-steel-automatic-with-moon-phase.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjw4827BRDJvpbVuKvx-rIBEiQA2_CzsLVShpzYKGLDNR9kqD2TDJ7NPaOYDVzzHkOwjtdhe-8aApWA8P8HAQ

for a simple, stainless, automatic fashion type watch, I've always liked the Bvlgari Bvlgari.



http://www.jomashop.com/bvlgari-watch-101381.html