Rolex - Singapore or Heathrow

[RC]

Want to buy a Lady Oyster for my wife to celebrate our anniversary in a few months. Will be in Singapore where I bought my Ball for a significant discount compared to retail price in the UK. Wondering if I am better off waiting for Singapore or Terminal 1? Anyone had the same choice to make?

[Nobby Diesel]

All you are going to save at LHR is the VAT, off of list price.
There are no "deals" to be had.
I would have thought that you would do better outside the airport in Singapore.
The other factor to consider, is that you are taking a punt on Mappin & Webb, actually having the specific model and colour that you are after.

[phumy]

I pass through LHR T3 on a regular basis and watch the prices as i go through, as said by the previous poster, you wont get much more than the VAT off the RRP. I was in Singapore in September and got myself a very good deal on a Breitling Superocean Heritage with the woven strap for nearly 40% off the RRP. It cost me £1700 instead of £2750 as seen in the shops in UK.

[RC]

As expected the saving is greater than VAT so Singapore it is!

[JRM]

I agree I got about 35% off UK prices for my IWC in Singapore

[J888SXY]

When I was in Singapore at the end of November I was offered Explorer 1 at £2600. I actually bought two years old secondhand at £1900.

[RC]

J888SXY said:

When I was in Singapore at the end of November I was offered Explorer 1 at £2600. I actually bought two years old secondhand at £1900.

What would it cost in the UK new?

[fergus]

phumy said:

I was in Singapore in September and got myself a very good deal on a Breitling Superocean Heritage with the woven strap for nearly 40% off the RRP. It cost me £1700 instead of £2750 as seen in the shops in UK.

Out of interest, if I were to trade in a watch sourced outside the UK, but with correct official papers and box, etc, would the price offered by a UK watch dealer reflect this, or does the watch just trade like a homogenised commodity regardless of where it's sourced?

e.g. to use the example above, would the secondhand value reflect the lower initial purchase price?

[J888SXY]

They're £3150 list but I've nver seen a secondhand one for much less than £2500 over here.

RC said:

J888SXY said:

When I was in Singapore at the end of November I was offered Explorer 1 at £2600. I actually bought two years old secondhand at £1900.

What would it cost in the UK new?

[RJD223]

I guess if you're unlucky on the way back, and get stopped by customs, you'll end up having to pay UK VAT at 17.5% on whatever you paid for it plus a fine for not declaring it?

That'd be the kind of thing that happened to me!!

[J888SXY]

You're right if new but not sure about secondhand. Anyone know?

RJD223 said:

I guess if you're unlucky on the way back, and get stopped by customs, you'll end up having to pay UK VAT at 17.5% on whatever you paid for it plus a fine for not declaring it?

That'd be the kind of thing that happened to me!!

[Twit]

RJD223 said:

I guess if you're unlucky on the way back, and get stopped by customs, you'll end up having to pay UK VAT at 17.5% on whatever you paid for it plus a fine for not declaring it?

That'd be the kind of thing that happened to me!!

Easiest way round that is to wear the watch home and get the supplying dealer to send the box and tags in the post, post the papers to yourself in the post from where you bought it yourself; job done! But you would be very unlucky to get caught, I just came through Heathrow from Sydney and there wasnt a soul anywhere in customs!

[RC]

wearing the watch might give it away.. its supposed to be a gift for my wife who will be with me... but yes its an easy route around the customs issue!

[phumy]

I normaly buy myself a new watch once a year, overseas, and always wear them coming back through customs, i have been stopped once for a full search, they looked at the watch and asked if it was mine, to which i told them it was, nothing was said.

However i do work overseas and am not subject to UK tax, but they didnt ask or know anything about that...

[dmw1982]

Hi...anyone know the answer to this.

I want to buy a rolex submariner at heathrow duty free, and wondered whether I could get away with the following...

Buy a one way cheap air ticket to an EU country
Check in and get air side to collect / buy watch
Miss flight
Exit Terminal
Go Home

...is this legal / possible??

Views much appreciated

Thanks.

[aeropilot]

dmw1982 said:

Hi...anyone know the answer to this.

I want to buy a rolex submariner at heathrow duty free, and wondered whether I could get away with the following...

Buy a one way cheap air ticket to an EU country
Check in and get air side to collect / buy watch
Miss flight
Exit Terminal
Go Home

...is this legal / possible??

For a start duty free is only for flights to non-EU countries.

As mentioned in an earlier post, you would have to know that Mappin & Webb would have a Sub in stock, and there's no guarrantee they will, unless you can pre-order with them for collection at LHR?

Not sure if there's not a back check as to whether a flight was boarded or not, because you have to present your boarding card at purchase and that boarding card wouldn't get 'tagged' at the gate. You'd have to explain why you'd missed the flight when trying to exit through customs, so there could be a duty-free check then....?

Edited by aeropilot on Wednesday 17th March 22:14

[phumy]

dmw1982 said:

Hi...anyone know the answer to this.

I want to buy a rolex submariner at heathrow duty free, and wondered whether I could get away with the following...

Buy a one way cheap air ticket to an EU country
Check in and get air side to collect / buy watch
Miss flight
Exit Terminal
Go Home

...is this legal / possible??

Views much appreciated

Thanks.

Haha good try, no as mentioned above it doesnt work like that, you can contact M&W at T3 and ask them to put a watch on hold, but they wont hold for too long, you can not order either, they have what ever thay can get and that what is for sale.....

[Vipers]

RJD223 said:

I guess if you're unlucky on the way back, and get stopped by customs, you'll end up having to pay UK VAT at 17.5% on whatever you paid for it plus a fine for not declaring it?

That'd be the kind of thing that happened to me!!

Do what my pal did, ditch the box, put the watch in your pants.

phumy said:

I normaly buy myself a new watch once a year

If you bought a good one in the first place, you wouldn't have to

Edited by Vipers on Thursday 18th March 07:16

[phumy]

Vipers said:

RJD223 said:

I guess if you're unlucky on the way back, and get stopped by customs, you'll end up having to pay UK VAT at 17.5% on whatever you paid for it plus a fine for not declaring it?

That'd be the kind of thing that happened to me!!

Do what my pal did, ditch the box, put the watch in your pants.

phumy said:

I normaly buy myself a new watch once a year

If you bought a good one in the first place, you wouldn't have to

Edited by Vipers on Thursday 18th March 07:16

Perhaps i should have said: I normally buy myself a good new watch every year, because i can, however i didnt want to come across in the wrong manner

[Vipers]

phumy said:

Perhaps i should have said: I normally buy myself a good new watch every year, because i can, however i didnt want to come across in the wrong manner

I guessed that, but couldn't resist.....