orangetravelcat

We're going to Nassau on March 1st and staying at the British Colonial Hilton. I'd like to buy my husband a Swiss watch while we're there if I can get a "good deal" - any suggestions on reputable shops?

orangetravelcat

I forgot to mention - we are going to Anguilla in May so will be taking a day trip over to St Martin - would we get better prices there?

Robert

I don't know how Nassau's shops compare to Anguila or St. Martin, but there are some nice shops I frequent whenever there. By the way, I love the old British Colonial (The "BC" as the Bahamians nicknamed her). Even though the multi-million dollar renovations haven't ruined her soul. Plenty of duty-free places on Bay Street, within a 4 minute walk from the "BC" to jewelry, perfume, crystal and china, cameras, and watches. A $40 Walmart watch with all the whistles and bells is pretty decadent to me, so you can imagine how impressed I was with the beautiful watches sold in the stores around Bay Street. I remember a store called Jeweler's Warehouse, which had a 50% off sale when we were there. SWISS watches were being sold and I almost bought a Wenger Watch made by the Swiss Army Company, along with Seiko and Citizens watches as well. Jewelers Warehouse is right across Bay Street from the old Straw Market (now a parking lot after the fire), just a couple minutes walk from the "BC." I'm not a watch expert, so I don't know if the Swiss Wenger Watch is luxurious for you, but it looked nice to this Walmart frequent-shopper. Most of the nicer shops are along Bay Street between the "BC" and Rawson Square and on some of the sidestreets off of Bay Street. The Jewelry Mart shp sells Movado, Bulova, and swiss watches as well. Definately hit Solomon's Mines, which has several shops in that area of Bay Street. Solomon's has MANY watches, including Swiss Army made, as well as Borel, Omega and Tag-Heuer. I've bought Spanish pieces of eight, uncovered from ancient ship wrecks at Solomon's. Your stay at the "BC" is great because of the location; you're only minutes away from this shopping meca along Bay Street, which extends from the BC to Rawson Square. Hope this helps. Robert

Robert

Oh, I forgot to mention Colombian Emeralds & Fine Jewelry...they have expensive watches including Swiss brands such as Jaeger~LeCoultre. Robert

orangetravelcat

Thanks, Robert - you are always a wealth of information on the Bahamas.

wantsomesun

Robert is and please pardon the pun, right on the money. Also remember you can bargin shop at just about all the stores on Bay St. I like the Jewelry Outlet store again, across from the BC, good prices there.

I'd do a web search on watches and/or jewelry before you go, so you know what the prices are. Lots of jewelry on ebay.com and other ebay stores, check there first.

There is also a lovely little china/gift store in Rawson Square that has great prices and a nice selection of china/crystal/gifts. We actually choose our china in that store and they shipped it home for us for ALOT less than we would have paid at a major department store.

All around the BC are some good restaurants, but the BEST in the carribean is Greycliff, very close to Government House. The food, service and ambience are excellent. It is pricy but worth it. The Lobster Bisque is.....well lets just say I wanted to lick the bowl.

You might enjoy the Ardastra Zoo and Gardens, on East Bay St, just hop the #10 bus and let the driver know you want to go to the Zoo. The jitney stops there every few minutes so you can hop the jitney back to town.

I just remembered there is a store called Little Switzerland in Nassau. I bought a watch there a few years ago and love it. Again, you can bargin there as well.

Have a great time and let us know if you have any other questions.

CaribbeanBlue

You may want to check out "John Bull" They have a wonderful selection of fine watches. Little Switzerland is a good choice also. They are all over the Caribbean and offer a wonderful value. Be very careful not to purchase off of "Grey Market" dealers. Watrch manufacturers only deal with certain companies which match their criteria. Others may sell watches that look like the original but are knockoffs.

I would stear clear of eBay as a barometer of watch quality and pricing. 99% of the watches being sold their are replicas, knock offs or so old they are not worth the watchmakers fee to have them fixed or adjusted.

I would encourage you to visit a few fine watch sellers prior to your cruise so that you will be familiar with quality and pricing. The savings in the Caribbean are not at "give away prices" but considering the lower price along with the duty free status it is well worth your time.

CaribbeanBlue

www.Carigem.org

Delreybird

I am also in the market for a new watch. We will have about a 4-hour layover at the Nassau airport enroute to Miami at the end of our vacation. Will that give us enough time to go into town to do some shopping? Alternatively, does anybody know if there is a duty-free shop with a good selection of watches at the airport?

wantsomesun

There is not much in the way of shopping at the Nassau Airport, but 4 hours should give you just enough time to take a taxi downtown, do a little shopping and head back to the airport.

Delreybird

Thanks. My next question is: Are the discounts on watches in Nassau worth the two-way taxi fare (about $40, from what I can determine)?