stonewallgrey

I would love to look for a nice Swiss watch next spring on my trip to the Berner Oberland area. Does anyone have a suggestion where I could find a good buy? I would even be interested in a good used watch, at a good price. Your suggestions will be appreciated.

kleeblatt

Swatches cost SFr. 70 and up, depending on the model. You might want to check for sales at Manor.

swandav2000

Hi stonewallgrey,

I do have to say that I don't think you'll find any particular "bargains" buying a watch in Switzerland; I've heard people get better deals just buying from discount brokers on the internet. I've also heard that watch prices are "set" throughout the country. While I don't know if that is literally true, I can say that one time I looked at one particular watch in Villeneuve, Montreux, Gstaad, Zurich, & Brig, and it was the exact same price everywhere.

To me, buying a watch in Switzerland has two advantages: you'll have a wider selection from the stores, and you'll have a souvenir of your trip when you get home. I don't think you'll have a bargain though.

Of course, I've never looked for a used watch -- have you tried to google it to find stores in Switzerland?

Good luck!

s

kappa

Are you talking about expensive brand watches? Then you can't expect more than usual detaxe discounts besides they might offer you a bit of discount if you pay cash. I'm talking about watches that cost more than thousand dollars here. Speaking of second hand (brand) watches, I know some shops here in Geneva that buy and sell such with limited garantee. I suppose there should be such second hand shops in big cities such as Zurich but don't know about small towns, villages in Berner Oberland.

Otherwise there are lots of non brand watches from less than 50 dollars and up at big tores such as Manor/Placette as metioned above.

brookwood

I think it takes major connections to find a watch on the order of a Rolex at a discount. There are several prestigious Swiss watches that are sold through franchised stores only. I have seen some for $20,000 and more in shop windows.

You can pay less of course for other brands. I have no idea how good they are.

WallyKringen

The upper-echelon quality brands don't sell in all stores, only at certain accredited retailers. Even Tissot, a very good but not luxury brand (you get identical models from US suppliers for varying prices in the $200-400 range) is not in every retail shop in Switzerland, and where you do find the identical model, it's bound to cost more. Heavy discounting is just not the norm in Switzerland.

So - as swandav says - Switzerland for bargains? Not likely. Bigger selection? Not likely, either.

For a bit of research, go to www.gelbeseiten.ch (yellow pages) then pick category Uhren (watches) and select websites from retailers in different cities. You'll quickly get a sense of how specialized many are, offering just a dozen or so of name brands.

There are other stores, though, that offer lower-end selections, incl. the never-ending Swatches, a brand that saved the Swiss watch industry a couple of decades ago. It allowed the industry to survive by selling to the masses worldwide while ramping up the luxury end again after decades of slipping into trouble.

I'd say know exactly what you want and price it carefully, you may end up buying it here on the internet or at a local mall!

As to buying used in Switzerland - what if it stops working? Even with a warranty from the retailer - what a hassle!

WK

tomboy

I think "bargain" is not a word found in the Swiss lexicon.

FainaAgain

Do they sell knock-offs in the streets


(hey, don't flame me! I am not serious!)

kleeblatt

Another possibility: Ricardo. This is the Swiss equivalent of Ebay. It's used widely in Switzerland and has a very good reputation. You might want to look in there.

Website: www.ricardo.ch