Hello,
I was wondering whether Swiss watches are a good buy in Switzerland, compared to elsewhere, eg UK. Any recommendations as to where I can get reasonable prices and good service?

One of the best places in Europe to shop for (genuine) watches is Samnaun. It's a tax free area on the way from Garmisch to St. Moritz. The whole town basically consists of shops (watches and booze) and a few restaurants. You can buy gas there at about US prices too

Bucherer.

I've been to the one in Lucerne and these guys are the real deal.

If you come from Austria, customs are only a few 100m in front of the village. When you return, don't go back that road, but use the road on the other side of the valley and then turn right (direction St.Moritz) to be on the "safe side" ;-).

I am wondering about this also....are prices for Swiss watches less in Switzerland, or does potential duties counteract any low prices? What about duty-free shops?

You'll save money, if you buy in a duty free zone. Swiss people go there too, only to buy those things.

I've bought a couple of watches in Switzerland and thought that I got a good deal, but I don't know about the duty free. You can also get a good deal and great selection on Swiss Army knives in Switzerland. You'll have to put those in checked luggage.

First: I'm a law obiding citzen and don't own a Rolex!
What is done is that you take the watch with you and the receipt and guarantee (manual and everything) will be mailed to your home address a few days later. So people don't leave any traces. (If there are question, you need a receipt for a Rolex.) Customs know about this but it seems they don't act.

i could be wrong but i believe that it matters what brand you are buying, i believe that rolex has set prices no matter where you buy, i found this out after buying a new rolex at Bucherer in Zurich, nice watch though!

My husband bought his Tag Heuer in Lucerne at a Bucherer's store. He had been pricing them in the US and in Austria before we arrived in Switzerland. When he purchased the watch, they did not charge him any VAT and filled out paperwork that we had to just drop off at the border crossing when we went into Germany. Very easy. He felt like he got a very good deal.

I was in Bucherer and they certainly have the selection. My brother was looking at a fairly expensive watch..don't remember the brand but in the 900.00 dollar U.S. range. He didn't buy and found the exact same watch at Costco for several hundred less. So, what I'm saying is, know what you are looking for and do your homework. And, of course, I always subscribe to " if you love it, if you want it, if the price is OK, then go for it, buy it, enjoy it, and don't worry about it".

>900.00
That's about the amout you'd save ;-). I know those people are crazy. You can keep telling them that a new car would be a better investment and the thing isn't even radio controlled ;-), but they don't listen...

Radio-controlled watches start at about $40 and are accurate to one second in three million years. High-end mechanical watches are off by about six seconds a day, making them approximately seven billion times less accurate than a cheap radio-controlled watch. They cost about 100 times more, too, so the price/performance ratio of a Rolex is about one trillion times worse than that of an inexpensive Casio.

>accurate to one second in three million years.
Not really ;-) ;-)
The time that's broadcasted is a combination of several clocks that show the planets official time. This time can't be wrong, since it's "the time" per definition.