Buying watches at Amazon.com?

[old bear]

I've been thinking about buying a Tag Heuer watch. My local Tag dealer is asking $2,800.00, they will discount to $2,200.00 + tax, for the model I want.

Amazon will sell same watch for $1,500.00 with free shipping and a two year warranty through Amazon. As of right now Amazon is not collecting any sales tax, which would be an additional savings of $120.00.

So is there any real downside to buying from Amazon Vs. local dealer. THANKS ALL!!

 

[Duke426]

If Tag is anything like Omega they will not honor the manufacturer warranty on watches purchased over the internet.

I am debating the same situation with an Omega Seamaster.

As I am not savy enough about these watches to determine real from high quality fakes, I am leaning toward purchasing from a local authorized dealer for the peace of mind in more ways than one.

 

[VPNAVY]

If you search Amazon on watch warranty - you will find their policy.

 

[m1gunner]

Tag Heuer has a rather restrictive warranty, and it is only 2 year to the original purchaser. It is what I call a "quibble" warranty in that the repair station will look for any reason to refuse service. And you have to buy from one of their official dealers, and have him sign and date the warranty card, which you have to present at time of warranty service.

If the price was close to the same, I would rather deal with Amazon, for a discount of over $800, there is no doubt where I would buy the watch.

 

[KJM]

Tag Heuer has a rather restrictive warranty, and it is only 2 year to the original purchaser. It is what I call a "quibble" warranty in that the repair station will look for any reason to refuse service. And you have to buy from one of their official dealers, and have him sign and date the warranty card, which you have to present at time of warranty service.

If the price was close to the same, I would rather deal with Amazon, for a discount of over $800, there is no doubt where I would buy the watch.

If that is how a company selling 2200.00 watches treats their customers, I would not buy one from anyone.

 

[m1gunner]

If you search Amazon on watch warranty - you will find their policy.

Tag also has their warranty policies posted on their web site.

 

[COL Jagdog]

I have a Rolex Submariner I am willing to sell cheap -- I call it a "submariner" because it has spent so much time under water, usually as a weight for one of my duck decoys ever since I bought it from a
certified Rolex street dealer on Canal Street in New Orleans -- he swore that it was a real, authentic Rolex, specially priced to me, his newest, bestest friend, for the princely sum of $49.99, cash only.
Rolex must have a new marketing strategy because there were officially certified Rolex street dealers on every street corner for 8 blocks -- heck, even Starbucks doesn't that kind of market saturation.

And next time, I am going to splurge and buy a Diamonique -- a 4-carat stone that sparkles and is harder than a real diamond for only $29.95 and earn some real brownie points with my wife. Lol

 

[Texas Star]

My daughter and I both wear TAG-Heuer watches and have had no issues re warranties. Just as well, for it seems that we are long out of their warranty period. I don't much like most of their recent ads, which seem excessively PC-oriented.

My son has been very satisfied with his Omega Seamaster, but it is genuine. Fakes of any brand are just that...fakes.

You do want to be sure what you're getting. And that it carries a US warranty. This certainly appies to "gray market" goods in cameras and binoculars, too. I don't think that Zeiss, USA honors binocular warranties if the instrument didn't come through them. Still,they cleaned an old 8X30B monocular that I sent in, although it had to have arrived here before they had a regular Zeiss outlet in the USA. Cost was very modest, in view of the work.

I have never had a warranty problem with a modern Carl Zeiss product, so can't say how they deal with that, although every experience that I've had with them was superior, with great concern for the consumer and pride in their excellent products. I wish that all companies had their high standards.

 

[WC145]

I'd buy from Amazon for that kind of savings. I've got the Amazon "Prime" deal and I buy all kinds of stuff from them, it's easier than driving an hour to the nearest town of any size plus I get free 2nd day shipping on amost everything, well worth the $79 membership fee.

 

[mc5aw]

Anytime you buy a "name brand" item online you run the risk of getting a knock-off. An Amazon listed vendor recently sold a forgery of an expensive hunting knife that I read about on another forum. It was a big hassle to get settled as the vendor was overseas. I've found that unless the item is an obvious over-run or discontinued item, a too-good-to-be-true price usually is just that. Caveat emptor.

 

[JJEH]

Tag Heuer makes nice watches. An item like this I would buy from a local dealer. Just look up on their website where they are located. Always think about the aftersales service tho.

 

[H Richard]

I've had a Tag for about 7 yrs now, and I have had no reason to need a warranty, as it just keeps perfect time. It is built as solid and rugged as any Rolex. I had a Rolex for 30+ yrs, and it was worn out, but my local dealer traded me the Tag even up. I had just priced the Rolex needed over $1000 in work and a new bracelet as the links wore worn paper thin, another $750, so after 30 yrs use the Rolex was still worth a $1500 Tag.

 

[Moonman]

Retired, Don't care about time anymore but when I do really need to, a Timex works just fine. OOPS! I just remembered my cell phone does the same thing.

 

[Texas Star]

Retired, Don't care about time anymore but when I do really need to, a Timex works just fine. OOPS! I just remembered my cell phone does the same thing.

Yeah, but your cell phone probably gets irritating sales calls, and a watch won't. And I just plain like my TAG-Heuer.

It's much easier to just glance at a watch and see the time without digging out my cell phone and trying not to drop it on a sidewalk or store floor.

 

[JJEH]

Had a Maurice Lacroix when I used to train people. I loved it but it was big and heavy. I sold it and refused wearing a watch for a couple years. Now if I really have to wear one I have a Skagen sitting in the closet. They are light, slim, look nice and I can afford them

 

[CJ]

Another alternative is Costco. They actually do have high-end watches and jewelry, but I have no idea if they have anything of interest to you. If I can find a product at Costco for similar pricing to the competition, I'll go that route as Costco's return policy is second to none for my peace of mind with high dollar purchases.

 

[BuckeyeChuck]

If that is how a company selling 2200.00 watches treats their customers, I would not buy one from anyone.

You may not be familiar with the world of watches. If you think there are gun snobs, you ain't seen nothin' yet until you've beein in a group of genuine watch geeks. A high-end watch is not a timepiece. It is jewelry, and the value of the piece is tied to the perception of its craftsmanship and greatly influenced by the history of the watchmaker.

$2200 is a lot of money by average U.S. standards, let alone the rest of the world's wealth and income. But $2200 is a low-end watch in the gamut of high-end watches. (I would dispute that TAG is actually a high-end watchmaker. It just looks that way compared to Citizen or Seiko, who looks like a high-end watch maker compared to Timex.) Nearly all of the mid- and high-end watch manufacturers have warranties similar to TAG's, which is that if you don't buy the watch from an authorized dealer, they will not honor warranty. And a lot of them use the authorized dealers to determine when a warranty claim is due to uncommon use or manufacturer defect.

I've spent a lot of time on the Internet reading about cars, airliners, Austrian economics, libertarian thought, guns, and watches. Snobs abound in all those areas, but I'm not sure that any of them raise noses quite as high as the watch lovers. (GASP!) Didn't you know that no self-respecting person would EVER wear a quartz watch?

Retired, Don't care about time anymore but when I do really need to, a Timex works just fine. OOPS! I just remembered my cell phone does the same thing.

Why is it that when watch lovers want to talk about watches, there's always the curmedgeon who has to point out that watches shouldn't be something to love?

And why is it that said curmudgeon cannot see the irony of using one of the most high-tech devices he owns to support his argument that time keeping should be cheap and simple?

 

[Moonman]

BuckeyeChuck,

Why in all my days I never, Oh, my cell cost $29.95, no plan, pay as you go air time.

I think the Cell and Timex cost about the same. Both work very well.

 

[HAWKEYE10]

Hmmmm! I will have to check and see if Amazon sells Timex. Don

 

[Texas Star]

I have a couple of Seikos, and while they are good consumer watches, the TAG is much better made of heavier materials.

So was a Rolex that I had before I sold it and bought the TAG, after I realized how frequent and how expensive Rolex cleaning was.

Both brands inspire more pride of ownership and general artistic satisfaction than cheaper watches do. And a watch is all the jewelry that I wear.

I do sort of enjoy the high-tech thrill of checking time and date on the cell phone. But it isn't the same as the satisfaction of wearing a good watch.

 

[Smith357]

When you buy gray market watches you take your chances. I bought a Hamilton Khaki Automatic via Amazon and got a smoking deal that is until the watch stopped working. Hamilton would not honor the warranty and getting it fixed would cost more than I spent on the watch to begin with. At least it has the correct time twice a day.

 

[Texas Star]

When you buy gray market watches you take your chances. I bought a Hamilton Khaki Automatic via Amazon and got a smoking deal that is until the watch stopped working. Hamilton would not honor the warranty and getting it fixed would cost more than I spent on the watch to begin with. At least it has the correct time twice a day.

I think L.L. Bean has had that Hamilton for pretty good prices, under a hundred? Been awhile since I saw it in their catalogs.

The Swiss Army Brand line has some good watches that seem a little more styish than similar Citizen and Seiko products. I don't know who actually makes them, but they are Swiss and use the standard good quartz (ETA?) movements. I'm almost certain that they aren't made by Victorinox, the knife maker. Swiss Army Brands is a US company which also imports the Victorinox knives, luggage, etc. The Swiss Army watches impress me a little more than those with the Wenger brand, which, again, I seriously doubt were made by the Wenger cutlery firm.

 

[Smith357]

I think L.L. Bean has had that Hamilton for pretty good prices, under a hundred? Been awhile since I saw it in their catalogs.

The Swiss Army Brand line has some good watches that seem a little more styish than similar Citizen and Seiko products. I don't know who actually makes them, but they are Swiss and use the standard good quartz (ETA?) movements. I'm almost certain that they aren't made by Victorinox, the knife maker. Swiss Army Brands is a US company which also imports the Victorinox knives, luggage, etc. The Swiss Army watches impress me a little more than those with the Wenger brand, which, again, I seriously doubt were made by the Wenger cutlery firm.

I really like my Victorinox Swiss Army Watches and have quite a few of them, I have always thought they were a pretty good bang for the buck in a Swiss watch.

VSA Ambassador w/ ETA 2836 Automatic movement

VSA Solar Compass w/ ETA 2804 Mechanical

VSA Ti Ground Force w/ ETA 2824-2 Automatic

VSA Maverick Diver ETA 255.141 Quartz

VSA Ratchet Field on NATO Garrison with ETA 256 Quartz

For the OP take a look at what World of Watches has to offer in the Tag line, they are a Tag authorized dealer and have pretty good prices with excellent service. I have bought from them and have always been satisfied.

http://www.worldofwatches.com/Tag-H...e_id=1&rid=XE02NsIDyE4-pHmn8CCHurw1w2_aVwlMDA

 

[mkk41]

A watch is for telling time , not impressing people obsessed with 'bling'! I wore a $200 Swiss-made Wenger darn near every day for almost 12 years. Working in a machine shop by day , and on motorcycles at night. Swan and showered with it often too. That watch took a beating and kept perfect time. Battery every 2 years or so. Finally shattered the crystal , and didn;t think twice before finding and ordering another (slightly nicer) Wenger I liked on Ebay.

And I'm sending my old one back for a new crystal!

 

[o3rugby1]

Do NOT buy a Tag from ANYONE other than a Tag dealer (new). same as a Rolex or Omega. They will NOT honor warranty or service.

 

[VictorLouis]

BuckeyeChuck is right, LOL. Dabbled in this world in better times(pardon the pun).

Because of how klutzy I am, I've knocked or jarred a couple of past automatics off-kilter. Couple hundred in repair or resetting is just NOT FUN, whether the piece was $500, or $2500. Thus, for daily wear, I settled on this 'boutique' piece:

Bathys Hawaii

The big date is easy on the over-40 eyes, and the luminosity is 2nd-to-none. LOL, only one 'watch geek' has ever recognized it.

That said, Tag and Omega both make some outstanding pieces with quartz movements. So, you can get the LOOK, w/o the heartache I went through.

 

[msinc]

Do NOT buy a Tag from ANYONE other than a Tag dealer (new). same as a Rolex or Omega. They will NOT honor warranty or service.

+1...This is almost always true. The old saying, "if it looks to good to be true than it probably is." comes to mind here. Ever wonder why those name brand expensive watches could be sold so much cheaper??? It's not because they "sell a higher volume and get better prices." Many times the watch manufacturer removes "very neatly" the serial number just so they dont have to warranty the watch. Generally speaking, all high end watches have a serial number on both the outside and inside of the case. On Omegas it is very micro small but it's there on the back {or not if they removed it} Rolex has it between the lugs, so you have to remove the bracelet to see it. My wife has a Tag but I never bother to look, got it from the MIL not me. Now, all that said...if the serial number was removed by the factory to sell at a place like amazon it wouldn't necessarily stop me from buying it. It is still a Tag and still a very nice watch that is not very likely to need a warranty anyway.