WHL
[VC Moderator]
4922
I have gone grey on a couple of occasions....
One time was to get a high-end watch ($39K retail value) that had been discontinued from production by a brand. The watch was certainly authentic, but the grey dealer made a hash of the box and papers. I wanted the watch, and so I didn't mind it too much. I could have gotten a proper box from the brand, though for a stiff fee.
Also, the watch crapped out after a year. Expect that you'll be on the hook for a servicing on the sooner side. It ain't cheap to service complicated watches.
This is all to say: BUYER BEWARE!!!
Bill
Would you ever...
buy a highly complicated watch from a grey market dealer? Since there is almost no possibility of getting the watch from an AD... Cheers, GG mods, if this topic is unsuitable / against the forum rules, please delete it...
Would a boutique be an option?
I personally wouldn't go "gray market" for anything above 5-10K. At that price, I want to make the purchase an memorable experience. Tien
the problem is...
the was has been discontinued...and it is not possible to get it from boutique / ADs anymore... and it's over 10k... sigh.. maybe i should just look for another piece... cheers
Yes, but only if you investigate
the seller, references, and can feel as close to 100 percent comfortable as possible. I have spent what was for me a sizable amount on the internet/grey market and received exactly what I ordered. I did it for the same reason as you stated, it was the onl...
yes..
" Just try not to let the desire to acquire the watch interfere with making a sound decision." and this is definitely the hardest part... thanks mate.
Glory, for me the definition of grey means, some shady guy..
..who walks around asking strangers to purchase his watches for sale or while you are walking at some touristry place and one guy comes and pull you aside and show you a watch, that is grey. But there are number of reputable pre-owned shops in SG that i c...
I have gone grey on a couple of occasions....
One time was to get a high-end watch ($39K retail value) that had been discontinued from production by a brand. The watch was certainly authentic, but the grey dealer made a hash of the box and papers. I wanted the watch, and so I didn't mind it too much....
My concern with a high complication...
...from a gray dealer is that service costs become your problem if something happens soon after purchase. You just never know how the watch was treated prior to your acquisition, and the price for fixing these complex machines can cut into whatever saving...
I will go in a heart beat if I know the dealer..
grey doesn t mean "shady",many watch shops are grey dealers for some brands....Also if the greay dealer is respectable we all know that a brand new watch could be tens of thousands cheaper......boutiques can t compete even if the experience(sometimes)is b...
You all are probably aware of this
A lot of gray market dealers are getting their watches from authorized dealers. The watches are likely pieces that were not moving and needed to be cleared so the AD could get more current models. Almost all of my watches have come with the warranty card ...
Absobloodylutely YES
i support 2 ADs, but sometimes they just cant get anything done. there are also occassions that the grey dealer get their wares from the ADs, even Brands!!! as good as new. my last 4 pateks, all from greys, all sealed and unnamed, filled in after i pay fo...
many Grey market dealers are excellent people to deal with from my experience
i've bought several new watches from grey market dealers without a problem, but the values have been far lower. if you trust them and trust the reliability of the watch, which is important as you wont get a manufacturers warranty, then i see no problem es...
Grey is okay...
More recently (last 4 years), I've been buying watches 'grey' then wearing them for awhile, test them a bit, then wind up (no pun intended) selling them, usually losing a bit on the money side but enjoying the 'wear' (I know, sounds like some girlfriends ...
For me it can be the only way
I use one AD religiously and they have given me very gracious deals. But my first time I asked for a patek 5970 they laughed at me. Then I begged to see a 5070p. Again they said no way Then one day I found a gray dealer by chance with a store front and ta...
Yes, I would and already did it
I consent all those who advocated a thoughtful and careful purchase from a grey dealer. I never did buy excessively expensive watches (i.e. more than 5 kEUR), but have made very good experiences on these occasions. When you know the dealer well or have re...
Where do they get them? I've always wondered
We all know there are tons of grey market dealers out there, and frankly, I have yet to come across one that is outright dishonest. First, if the watch is new, any experienced collector can tell, and I guess new is all we're really talking about. If it's ...