Is It A Good Idea Of Having 2 Watches When Traveling Abroad?

[woody]

Well, I'll be traveling to Asia for 2 weeks, and am thinking about taking my 005 and 1680 with me. I have not travel out of the country for some time? how worry should I be with US customs, or Asian customs, as well. I plan to have one of the watches in the watch carrying case in my carry on luggage. What are the risks of taking two watches, instead of just wearing one on the wrist? can someone advise on this topic? all opinions and thoughts are welcomed as always......thanks in advance.

Edited December 15, 2006 by Woody

[NRG]

Good excuse for buying a nice GMT and minimising the risk!

[FxrAndy]

I always has a spare watch with me, even when i used to wear quartz. I have taveled a bit and have never had a problem with customs.

[Usil]

I travel a lot in Europe and some in Asia. Frankly, I don't want to take the risk. I have seen multiple lanes for customs and some are being very strict and some don't even look at you. Why take the chance? I usually just travel with my PO. But that is just my opinion.

Usil

[woody]

bumped for seeking additional feedback as I am leaving tomorrow morning......

[V]

I am travelling in Europe and I always have 2-3 Pams with me...

I don't know though many things of flying overseas

[narikaa]

Youre taking reps TO Asia

.

[chubbchubb]

I recently traveled from Europe to the US and back...and I always carry at least four to five watches in my carry-on luggage when I travel...

I guess when you don't worry...don't look worried....don't act worried... when it's just the most normal thing in the world... then most likely, nothing will happen.

On the other hand, I saw a nice display with confiscated fake watches and an accompanying customs text at the Munich airport some moths ago.... got me thinking....for a minute….

[bigmouth]

2 weeks ago I came back from Bangkok and customs picked me out to control. I was happy that I was so smart to travel with just a Seiko Monster on my wrist and did not buy a lot of fake stuff in BKK. In my suitcase there was just a (very cheap) rep Monaco Heuer they found. They looked at it, asked if I bought it there and let me go over the border with the watch.

I was very happy that i did not bring 3 or 4 fake watches already on the outward flight and back.

[bigmouth]

I guess when you don't worry...don't look worried....don't act worried... when it's just the most normal thing in the world... then most likely, nothing will happen.

Well they picked me out and I did not act or looked worried. Customs here are really waiting for flights out of Bangkok etc. I think they picked me out because I was one of the first that had his luggage from the luggage link and passed "nothing to declare" as one of the first, while they were waiting for people to control. Next time I'll wait till a lot of people are going through "nothing to declare" and i will join the mass.

[narikaa]

Next time I'll wait till a lot of people are going through "nothing to declare" and i will join the mass.

Baaaad idea,

Loiterers may as well carry a placard saying 'PICK ME'

.

[chubbchubb]

Well they picked me out and I did not act or looked worried. Customs here are really waiting for flights out of Bangkok etc. I think they picked me out because I was one of the first that had his luggage from the luggage link and passed "nothing to declare" as one of the first, while they were waiting for people to control. Next time I'll wait till a lot of people are going through "nothing to declare" and i will join the mass.

I agree... it is a whole different story when you fly in from the rep capitals of this world...

[jkerouac]

Take two or three high quality reps and look the part (like someone who could own two or three high-end watches) and you should be fine. Take a suitcase full of watches and/or parts and I might be a bit nervous.

[tonyp1]

All right this sounds like BS to me!!!! Theres noway some $7 to $10 dollar a hour customs agent is going to have the gull to ask me if my watch is counterfeit! I mean If im going through customs what are they going to say "excuse me sir could you hand your wrist watch over for closer inspection" I mean come on people.

[baltic]

I took a couple of watches with me to Australia & Hong Kong, one on wrist and one in carry-on this year. I wasn't stopped.

I think the only issue you could have if stopped is being tapped for taxes unless you could prove you had them before you went.

Do you have any 'papers' for them, or take a photo of them on today's newspaper?

[woody]

I took a couple of watches with me to Australia & Hong Kong, one on wrist and one in carry-on this year. I wasn't stopped.

I think the only issue you could have if stopped is being tapped for taxes unless you could prove you had them before you went.

Do you have any 'papers' for them, or take a photo of them on today's newspaper?

Thanks Baltic, you brought up a good point. On one hand, you have to worry about whether or not the customs will give you crap thinking you are bringing counterfeit goods into U.S., although based on the responses thus far, it seemed like that is not a big of a concern as I thought would be. But on the other hand, what if my watches looked too new or too shiny, and the custom agents think that I bought from abroad, and want to charge me taxes, unless I can provide documentation that I bought it before I left the U.S.? Has anybody dealt with the tax issue before? Taking a quick poll here, thanks again for the responses.

[woody]

Youre taking reps TO Asia

.

Hey Reg,

I had really thought about making a trip to the watch market in China, but time is too short for me to make it out there. I may see if I can possibly meet up with River though, to see if he can give me any "face to face" discount. It'd be nice if I can, we'll see.

[tag]

Customs are trained to read people, not watches.

Like someone said but in other words:

Do forget that you are wearing reps and you'll become invisible to them.

Try to avoid them and they'll notice you.

If they check on you, you'll be surprise they asking for papers. Nobody think of travlling with his/her watch papers, unless their watches are reps!

[Highflyingclive]

I go to Hong Kong and China two or three times a year. I usually only take two GMT watches with me - I need to leave room in the suitcase for all the contraband that i want to bring home.

[TJGladeRaider]

It's simple.

When I travel, I carry two and wear one - some (or all) will be reps.

Some of you may recall that I happened to be traveling home from Geneva when the terror plot at Heathrow broke. What ya bet I breezed thru without being searched?? LOL

Anyone want to know how to guarantee that you can get back in the Country with all the goodies you took out . . . send me $5.

Ooooops, I forgot I already posted about that. Geeeeeee, there goes my shot at wealth!

It's simple, take a picture of it all before you leave - sitting on your office desk with your name plate for example, or the dining room table with your kids around. Camera, Video, exotic pens, watches . . . I travel with a lot of tech stuff so I take a photo of the whole shebang before I leave and print a few copies to be stuck with travel papers, in my suitcase, in my laptop bag, etc.

Gen or rep is irrelevant if you brought it from home.

Just don't cop an attitude with people and all will go just fine.

Bill

[Pugwash]

All right this sounds like BS to me!!!! Theres noway some $7 to $10 dollar a hour customs agent is going to have the gull to ask me if my watch is counterfeit! I mean If im going through customs what are they going to say "excuse me sir could you hand your wrist watch over for closer inspection" I mean come on people.

They're not pulling you over for reps. They're pulling you over for trying to smuggle gen watches without paying the import duty. If they catch a rep, they may not know and you may be taxed on the gen value.

[Devedander]

Always thought that would be a good way to go.. however I have heard of people being asked to produce receipts etc... which seems a bit unreasonable even if it's a gen and you did bring it from home... who travels with receipts for all their expensive stuff?

[Pugwash]

Always thought that would be a good way to go.. however I have heard of people being asked to produce receipts etc... which seems a bit unreasonable even if it's a gen and you did bring it from home... who travels with receipts for all their expensive stuff?

If you owned an expensive gen, you'd know to fill in the form (carnet?) leaving your home country, putting the serial number on the form and declaring it. Yes, some gen watches come with a visa sized card to keep in your wallet for this occasion.

No-one does it, though.

[TJGladeRaider]

All right this sounds like BS to me!!!! Theres noway some $7 to $10 dollar a hour customs agent is going to have the gull to ask me if my watch is counterfeit! I mean If im going through customs what are they going to say "excuse me sir could you hand your wrist watch over for closer inspection" I mean come on people.

Did you really say that?

Unless this was intended to be a joke, you would probably do best not to travel abroad. There is no such thing as a $10/HR Customs Inspector. Those people make very good money.

Second, of course they would have the gall to ask you . . . they are US Customs Officials, they get their authority from Title 19 of the United States Code, and they can do with you pretty much whatever they want to without having a warrant, or probable cause.

Foook with these people and you will learn a Darwinian lesson.

Bill

[tonyp1]

Did you really say that?

Unless this was intended to be a joke, you would probably do best not to travel abroad. There is no such thing as a $10/HR Customs Inspector. Those people make very good money.

Second, of course they would have the gall to ask you . . . they are US Customs Officials, they get their authority from Title 19 of the United States Code, and they can do with you pretty much whatever they want to without having a warrant, or probable cause.

Foook with these people and you will learn a Darwinian lesson.

Bill

I'm going to Toronto next summer. I'm going to make sure I'm wearing my gen and if im asked about my watch I will demand to speak to a lawyer. I wonder does Rolex tell their customers not to wear their watches abroad as they might have them confiscated and taxed. If there making more than 10 dollars a hour thats BS too. I live in a state where the average starting salary for a college grad is $21k to $24 and the average income of a college grad is only $36000. Please don't tell me that we are going to start over paying government employees and under paying our educated work force?

Edited December 15, 2006 by tonyp1