Where to purchase luxury watches?

After you have decided what watch to purchase, the big question is where to find it. If this is your first “real watch” it could seem very difficult to find a reliable source who you can trust with your hard-earned money. But there are several different ways to go about buying your watch.

The first and easily safest choice is to purchase at an Authorized dealer, these boutiques are trusted by the manufacturer and are guaranteed to sell genuine watches. With every purchase at an Authorized dealer you get a full warranty, and can always turn to them if there is any issue with your watch (within the warranty period). There is usually a full list of Authorized dealers on the watch manufacturers website (e.g. rolex.com)

Another way to purchase your watch is from grey market retailers, these retailers purchase their watches through different sources (not direct from the manufacturer) and are therefore not trusted by the watch manufacturers. Because of this, the original warranty from the manufacturer is not valid, but the grey market retailers usually offer their own warranty. Most of the time these retailers can offer a lower price than the authorized dealers.

Lastly, there is the second-hand market. Here you can find both new and used watches, and often to reasonable prices. But it is important to be cautious about the risks to avoid being scammed, so it is necessary to do some research. There are websites like Chrono24, where you will find both private and business sellers. And where you can also check their ratings before the purchase. There are also forums, where watch enthusiasts buy/sell watches and where you can get some great help with any questions you may have regarding your watch.