Price of Japanese watch Market is very Close to What We are doing in Hong Kong

Japan was a hot spot for watch bargain centre in 2014 to 2015.

It is no longer as yen is appreciated and watch dealer had adjusted price in Japan.

Now New or used price of Japan and Hong Kong are similar.

HK Snob
Hong Kong Watch Fever
The picture was taken by Ben at Jackroad

Shopping Rolex Daytona in Quark Osaka Shinbaibashi Scent Centre

Whilst Japanese yen is still its low  comparing with HK Dollars,

It is not a bad idea for your shopping into the Rolex Shop in Japan.

This gentleman stopped into this Quark at Shinsaibashi Scent Building at Osaka today to get a good deal for his beloved Daytona Tow Tone. 

I don't think Tow tone Daytona (ref 116523) is not as good as stainless steel for younger people.

The price shown here is Yen 1,731,389 tax free for Daytona two tone with Diamond

Yen 1,249,909 for Daytona Two tone no diamond

After Conversion base on today HKD Yen Ex-rate (640)

The diamond one is HKD$110,808

The ordinary with no diamond  is HKD$96,000

Finally he used his Union Pay EPS card to pay at the Two Tone no diamond with HKD$96,000 Which is Good price. same as the gray dealer price of the same watch in HK.

Rolex Shop has to get the quota for the year, so it might be the best time for Shopping in Japan in these few days.

I don't think they will give such further discount  in January.

But if you pay by VISA card, the final price you pay will be somewhat 3% more...

HK Snob



Special Note when you purchase Rolex in Japan.

Whilst you are going to Japan for shopping, you might want to buy a Rolex for your own use or even for Collection.

Beware that you have to remind the sales executive not to remove the tape on your Brand New Rolex in advance.

As many of our friends were not aware , after the payment is settled, they remove the tape of the Watch faster than you can see....


So if that is for Collection, it has been automatically transformed from e Brand New into USED Rolex.

Please remind them and make sure they understand before you pay for that, same thing has happened colleague of mine bought a Deep Sea Black a Bucherer, even!

HK Snob

Kansai Airport Rolex AD

I just reached the Rolex AD just right after immigration at Kansai Airport,
again i saw only three Daytona Two Tone plus one YM II TT pink gold!

No other Rolex hot model at all.

So as i can see, don't know if that is a standard practice to hide the hot model or reserved for VIP.

Three Rolex AD, Isetan, Daimaru and Airport AD, NO
Submariner, Explorer II, GMT Master II, steel Daytona.

My question is, "Where Are they?"
Tell me if you know.

HK Snob

Watch shopping in Shinsaibashiruji of Osaka大阪心齋橋筋錶之旅

Landmark of Shinsaibashiruji : Glico LED billboard

Rolex AD at 4th floor of Daimaru main shop, there were only 4 Rolex Sport watches :

Daytona TT Yellow gold X2,
Daytona Yellow gold with Diamond Dial X1,
Rolex Milgauss Green Glass X1
Price of Daytona TT no diamond is Yen 162,200 + Tax,
Price of Daytona TT wiht diamond dial is Yen 181,100 + Tax

They have about 250 Rolex, mostly is Date Just Model and a few Day Date.

In the Watch section, they have a lot of Grand Seiko, FM, VC, RG, PP, Hublot, Bvgalri and Cartier.

I saw a PP Calatrava yellow gold price with Yen 280,000 + tax. That is about HKD$184,800. In HK, the price is HKD$153,100, after 10% discount at AD, that is about HKD$138,000!

Time Zone, having both new and used watches:

AP, PP, IWC, Rolex, FM, VC, Hulblot, and many Panerai.



Giogia is another one along the mall, Hulblot and Rolex, new watches only.

There are two shops here selling Rolexes and Panerai, Omega etc, mostly are used watches.

Another Daikokuya, they have used watches Rolex, VC, PP, AP, RG, Longines and Omega.

Price is so so only

Brand Off, a famous line for selling used Watches Rolex, FM, Cartier and Omega, same as shops in HK.

Rolex, Cartier, VC, FM and Omega, mostly used watch, they speak Mandarin also.

Softbank is a high end watch shop, they have a lot of Hi end stuff, price wise is not as seen as Cheap at all.

There are at least two Daikokuya in the mall, mainly selling Rolex, and The used watch price of Rolex is almost the same as in HK, and Some are cheaper by 3% and some are quite expensive, as a Black Daytona Ref 116520 is about HKD$82,000 after conversion by today Exrate 0.06475.

This is a Barkery Shop the name is "Dalloyau" pronounces as " 大籮友 " in Cantonese!

Standing in front is my new wife

This is a Good restaurant that serve one of the best Wagyu , and the price is quite reasonable. Though I could not buy any Rolex, al least I could enjoy such a kind of good Japanese Beef.

Summary

I had been working in Japan in 1987-1989, and my last time went there was a few years ago! Well, I see Japan quite differently today as comparing with 25 years ago.

The people is not seen to be so Happy or Rich as It was 25 years ago. From the way they dress and they way they spend money. Of course, I judge from the luxary goods they are selling and many shops selling used Luxury goods: bag, jewellery, watches ...etc.

The Mall is old it is almost no change in the past 25 years.

There was only People speaking Japanese, now I went to a Yakiniku restaurant Today, 3 out of 4 staff can speak Mandarin!

In the mall, 35% of people is Chinese and many of the rest 65% seems to be also Chinese!

Watch price is no longer attractive at all since last price increase of 4 to 10% in January 2015. 


I think 95% of the Rolex hot models like Submariner Ref 116610LN, Ref 116610LV, Explorer II, GMT Master Ref 116610LN and Ref 116710BLNR, Deepsea, Daytona Steel and Sea Dweller were snapped off by the foreign Chinese or Hong Kongers...

I went to Kyoto Isetan, Osaka Daimaru, I cannot find even one peice of the above watch.

And I had not purchased any watches at all, as I obviously can get easier and cheaper in HK for those models I mention here.

But It is a good chance to see a lot of watches there and to understand the trend of the major brands in the Japanese market.

The worst is I went with a girl who stopped me buying anything... this and that, she could buy herself but i could not...

Sometimes, I had intention to exercise my Wing Chun Kuen on her...but she is the talented master of Er Mei!
So I had better keep quiet :(

HK Snob

Rolex Watch Buy in Kyoto Isetan

Kyoto Tower

Isetan at Kyoto station

Rolex AD at 9/F of Isetan

Today, I went to this Rolex AD, I am about to look for any Rolex Sport Model, well, amongst the five trays fully loaded with Rolex, Only two Rolex Sport model I could find, they are:-

Daytona TT with diamond dial Ref 116523 List price Yen 195,000
Another one is Yacht Master II TT Pink gold Ref 116681 Yen 259,000

Base on Today Rate of Yen to HKD, the price in Japan is Higher than those We get from Rolex AD with 5% discount in Hong Kong.

The Choice is Poor, 50% is Lady Date just model and rest is Men models of all kind, I saw only one Yellow Gold Day Date, and some steel Date Just II.

After the price increase in January, you don't see the price is cheap anymore, and those hot models are all GONE!

I moved to Seiko to see the Rolls Royce of Japanese Watch Grand Seiko and Credor line.
I think price is astonishing high!

A 18Kt white gold quartz watch with two hand and leather with Date is Yen 200,000
A GS Diver Watch with a Black bezel, the price is Yen 600,000  ( a Price of a 18KT yellow gold Day Date with Diamond bezel)!

Of course, nothing worth buying there. 

HK Snob

New Price update of Rolex Japan

What is the aftermath of Europe, Japan Rolex price Adjustment?
Obviously we can see many people can't wait to snap watches at your nearby Rolex AD in Singapore and HK.

According to managers at top three HK Rolex AD.
The sales has been increased since last week by 20% to 30% especially on Hot Models.


The managers remind staff tighten up the discount release.

Parallel importers is holding up their watch bought in Dec. 2014 whilst price was still low. 

GMT MASTER II BLUE BLACK parallel watch price increased by HK$1,000.

We speculate that Rolex HK will increase price 8% average estimated around Chinese New Year.

Personal Opinion only.

HK Snob

Japan and Korea is still a bit better than HK for Rolex Purchase

Rolex AD in Tokyo

This is still good pricing if you shop Rolex in Tokyo, Osaka and Nakaoka, Sandai...

This is one colleague went to Japan to buy Rolex

Take for an Example

Ref 116610LN is selling Yen 829,800 base on 14 Jan Exchange Rate Yen100 is HKD$6.65

That is HKD$54,422 after 5% discount and 8% VAT waived.

In HK if you are buying in AD, Ref 116610LN is $63,900 after 5% doscount will be $60,705.

GMT Master Bought in Seoul Airport on 15 Jan 2015

This is another Colleague went to buy in Seoul Airport for GMT Master II Ref 116710BLNR

Price after discount using VISA is HK dollars 59,000

But the Rolex has to ask him to put his name on it,
I would advise him to put name "Nonsuch" on it...

HK Snob

Rolex AD at Daimaru, Hokkaido

Thanks for Singapore Snob Lau's input. :)

Japan Snob

If you Want to Buy Rolex with Less 25%, Go Japan!

Japan is a new Rolex Purchase Preferred Country for its good price!

Rolex used to have a fixed price over all countries as that would maintain a balance of sales over all countries.

On the other hand, Abenomics is working on Yen depreciation, as of Today’s Yen-HKD exchange Rate 1 Yen= 0.06579!

Friend of mine went to buy his favourite GMT master II Black Blue 116710BLNR

Price in HK is $67,300 how about in Japan!? We, he bought it at Yen 768,000 that is HKD$50,526.72!

Ref 11710BLNR list Price Yen 870,000 with Tax or Yen 800,000 without 8% tax.

That is about less 24% of the list price in Hong Kong!? No One can provide that kind of Discount for you… and likely this is the Cheapest GMT II in the world!?

How about 116701 LN?  It is Yen 710,000 that is HK$46,711!

Suggested place is Takashimaya Nagoya and Hokkaido, According to Lau a HKWF’s friend, due to high demand in Tokyo it is hard to find.

But in other cities, it is available for most of the People like to go for except but still the Daytona Black 116520 and Deepsea D-Blue 116660.

So if you go to Japan, don't forget to go and take a look!

Takashiyama, Daimaru department store or …

Quark (http://www.909.co.jp/)

Matsuda (http://www.jwmatsuda.com/)

Remarks

Takashimaya does 6.9% tax refund instead of 8% (with 1.1% processing fee), they do give 5% off for discount, to total you enjoy 11.9%!

HK Snob

HK Watch Fever

Japan Snob 

Japan could be a good place that you can get a Rolex at a reasonable price!

Japan could be a good place that you can get a Rolex at a reasonable price!

When you go Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Shimonoseki, Shinaoka for business, tour or visiting friends, you may also able to buy some of the best watches on Earth at a comparable good price.

Also there have never been hearing a single case of fraud deal in Japanese. They are honest and serious in business.

As Japanese Yen is depreciating, there is a pretty good chance to buy a BNIB, Slightly used Rolex at a good price.

Ref 116610LV used to be selling in HK at $66,100 at Rolex AD under very limited stock!

This is a watch we bought at Komehyo (pre-owned watch market)! It is actually no sign of being used at all. HKD$60,000!

When you visit Japan, check the price in HKD after conversion under the rate that you change your Yen, if that is lower than 95% of HK Rolex AD List price. That is a better deal in HK. Of course if you are VIP of Rolex AD with more discount, that will be another case.

When you pay by Credit card like VISA, there may be having additional 1-2% add on rate on your buying price. So you had  better pay in Cash.

HK Snob
Watch Fever