Buying swiss watches..

[tchan03]

HI I never bought a luxury Swiss watch but i am thinking about buying one for my wife. Now my budget is around 3-4k.

Forgive me if these are very dumb questions:

1. Is it weird to buy a Rolex brand watch for women? (i am talking about real one, not replica or fake! )

2 Watches like Rolex, are they kinda like a house or gold , in such a way that value will remain the same or even increase over time ?

3. How much % bargain you likely to get from Rolex retailer?

Thanks
TC

 

[Duchie]

No, it's not dumb to buy a Rolex for a lady. My DH gave me one when our youngest was born that I wear every day, and I helped my brother shop for one for his wife a few years ago at Christmas. At that time they had a smaller ladies version and a mid-sized version (bigger than ladies, smaller than gents). I liked the ladies size the best, especially if your wife has petite arms.

I'm not sure about them as an investment. Some models do have gold in them so I would guess the value would be comparable.

When I was helping my brother, the jewelers who sold them didn't really come off of the price at all. But that was before the economy took a tumble, so I don't know if it would be different now.

 

[rie'smom]

My mom has the ladie's gold Rolex and loves it.

 

[tchan03]

What other brands (for female) would you say , are in the same class as Rolex watches?

Cartier?

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I much prefer Cartier over Rolex. A nice swiss brand that is in your price range is Baume and Mercier. Another nice swiss brand that I really like is Blancpain but they are significantly more than you are looking to spend.

There are some brands that will never discount in their own boutiques, ever. You may be able to get a discount on them however in a store like Tourneau.

 

[suejai]

Here is a link to a website that will give you a lot of information about high end watches.

http://www.chronocentric.com/watches/brands.shtml

 

[Huggles]

I have a beautiful TagHeuer watch which my DH gave me several years ago for Xmas. I love it but with higher end watches you have to remember that they should be serviced every couple of years and that can be expensive (sometimes several hundred dollars each time). My watch is waterproof too, so any time the battery requires replacing, it has to be pressure tested again which means sending it away.

Be sure to buy from a jeweller who is recognised by the watch company themselves ( I know, it sounds a bit obvious) as there have been jewellers selling 'Rolex' etc who are not retailing products supplied officially and this can lead to warranty difficulties.

I did a wonderful course some years ago on recognising fake watches and other consumer goods and some of the fakes can be VERY VERY good.

BTW, I know my watch is the real thing

 

[Disney-Kim]

duplicate...sorry

 

[Disney-Kim]

I have a Michele watch with diamonds and a Philip Stein (an Oprah/Madonna favorite) watch with diamonds. I absolutely love them both and get compliments on them all the time. They are both a lot less than your range....more like 2-2500.
They are feminine and I can get differnt bands for them...lizard, croc, and satin. I find the Rolex a little less feminine than I would prefer.
I am not sure if they are Swiss made but they are beautiful and I LOVE them both. They are both very high quality and I think will hold value...although maybe not as much as a Rolex.
here are links to the websites.
Michele
http://www.michele.com/webapp/wcs/s...fier=S-Michele.Womens.Watches&view=department

Philip Stein
http://www.philipstein.com/