Would you try to bargain on a watch price

fret_wimp2

Im wondering, if you went into any jeweller shop in ireland and saw a nice watch for <500 euros, would you just accept it that thats the price, or would you ask them if they can better it?

Some places its ok to bargain other shops its not, and im not sure what the story is with watches!

Bigus

You can bargain on anything, try and locate a few shops with the same watch first though. Be firm not embarrassed, and try and get the boss or the head salesman.

Marcusm

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

Im wondering, if you went into any jeweller shop in ireland and saw a nice watch for <500 euros, would you just accept it that thats the price, or would you ask them if they can better it?

Some places its ok to bargain other shops its not, and im not sure what the story is with watches!

There are very healthy margins on watches and, except for certain brands/boutiques, I would be hard pushed to buy without a discount of 10-25% depending on circumstances. I like watches and have too many so I will sometimes take a discount in kind (eg buy a watch with an SS band and insist on a croc strap plus clasp or a free service on another watch) than a cash discount to maximise my value.

My best bargains have been on IWC (not that easy) - 37% on a Portugese and better on a Big Pilot.

yermano

like Marcusm said there is a lot of profit margin on watches. bought my dad an omega deville prestige a few years back for his 70th and after a few days of walking in to the shop and haggling for a few minutes on each occasion i got a 20% discount.

try to get at least 10% off marked price but make your first offer 20% less and then go for split the difference that way your happy and they still make a sale.

enjoy and happy hunting
bob.

MrSparkle

Marcusm wrote: »

There are very healthy margins on watches and, except for certain brands/boutiques, I would be hard pushed to buy without a discount of 10-25% depending on circumstances. I like watches and have too many so I will sometimes take a discount in kind (eg buy a watch with an SS band and insist on a croc strap plus clasp or a free service on another watch) than a cash discount to maximise my value.

My best bargains have been on IWC (not that easy) - 37% on a Portugese and better on a Big Pilot.

Those discounts are fantastic, how did you manage that? Getting that size discount on IWC aswell is very impressive.

Blackpitts

MrSparkle wrote: »

Those discounts are fantastic, how did you manage that? Getting that size discount on IWC aswell is very impressive.

all u need is a balaclava and a gun

... or paying in cash/part exchange a watch, in my experience

Marcusm

MrSparkle wrote: »

Those discounts are fantastic, how did you manage that? Getting that size discount on IWC aswell is very impressive.

The Portugese was from an AD in Hong Kong when I lived there for 6 months; even better when you consider no VAT/sales tax. Was definitely a bargain.

the Big Pilot I got from a grey market dealer in New York - that year he sold maybe 25 watches to me and guys I worked with. 8 steel Daytonas all at premiums, quite a few AP ROOs, 4 Patek Philippes and numerous others. Unfortunately he eventually went into chapter 11 holding 65k of cash belonging to one of my colleagues - he never got the watch even though he was holding it for collection. Bit of a mess for him but my mate made bigger profits on the other watches he'd bought from him.

I paid under USD7k unused watch which has been warranty repaired so no issues on that side. Retail at the time was prob USD12k and is now £10.5k.

MrSparkle

Blackpitts wrote: »

all u need is a balaclava and a gun

... or paying in cash/part exchange a watch, in my experience

I'll start planning for my next purchase so!

Marcusm wrote: »

The Portugese was from an AD in Hong Kong when I lived there for 6 months; even better when you consider no VAT/sales tax. Was definitely a bargain.
...

I paid under USD7k unused watch which has been warranty repaired so no issues on that side. Retail at the time was prob USD12k and is now £10.5k.

Very nice. Under 7k for a Big Pilot is really impressive. Ouch about not getting the watch even though they had it ready for collection, at least he made profits on other watches from them. That's quite an amount of watches to go through in one jewellers amongst colleagues!

You don't have any photos of your collection do you?

buck65

I would have thought 10% was a standard discount.

flutered

Blackpitts wrote: »

all u need is a balaclava and a gun

... or paying in cash/part exchange a watch, in my experience

i have never tried the part exchange thingy, do many places do it.