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

woody

By woody
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tonyp1 Rookie

tonyp1

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Damn, of all the people to question on matters like this, Bill is not the one. I'd go see your lawyer right now.

All im trying to say here is this outrageous and If Rolex thinks their customer are going to want to deal with this then WOW! I see at least one GMT MASTER every time I go to the airport whether its a business man or a pilot they never seem to get stopped.

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Pugwash Newbie

Pugwash

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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. :D

Here's the form for US travellers: US Custom's Form 4457, Certificate of Registration (PDF)

Here's the advice given by US customs:

Register Items Before You Leave the United States

If your laptop computer was made in Japan - for instance - you might have to pay duty on it each time you bring it back into the United States, unless you could prove that you owned it before you left on your trip. Documents that fully describe the item - for example, sales receipts, insurance policies, or jeweler's appraisals - are acceptable forms of proof. To make things easier, you can register certain items with Customs before you depart - including watches, cameras, laptop computers, firearms, and tape recorders - as long as they have serial numbers or other unique, permanent markings. Take the items to the nearest Customs Office and request a Certificate of Registration (Customs Form 4457). It shows Customs that you had the items with you before leaving the U.S. and all items listed on it will be allowed duty-free entry. Customs inspectors must see the item you are registering in order to certify the certificate of registration. You can register items with Customs at the international airport from which you're departing. Keep the certificate for future trips.

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Devedander Newbie

Devedander

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All im trying to say here is this outrageous and If Rolex thinks their customer are going to want to deal with this then WOW! I see at least one GMT MASTER every time I go to the airport whether its a business man or a pilot they never seem to get stopped.

I fail to see what this has to do with Rolex... do you think Rolex has the power to make special deals with governemt agencies? You don't go getting angry at Bic because they take yoru lighter every time you fly do you?

In fact do you think Rolex DOESN'T want customs checking this kind of thing? They are probably the biggest proponents of this kind of thing.

I fail to see the chain of logic you are using here...

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tonyp1 Rookie

tonyp1

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I fail to see what this has to do with Rolex... do you think Rolex has the power to make special deals with governemt agencies? You don't go getting angry at Bic because they take yoru lighter every time you fly do you?

In fact do you think Rolex DOESN'T want customs checking this kind of thing? They are probably the biggest proponents of this kind of thing.

I fail to see the chain of logic you are using here...

Now why would anyone ever want to pay 5, 7, 12k for a watch and then get hassled every time they go on holiday? Why would rolex want their customers hassled. I think your giving these customs agents too much credit. They cant tell a 60 dollar fake from the real thing.

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Devedander Newbie

Devedander

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Well please excuse me for my ignorance. It seems just when I thought the government had ran out of ways to nickle and dime people im proven wrong again.

Not trying to insult you, just saying, it doesn't make sense. Now if you have a problem with how the gov works, that's a whole nother bag of worms and there are a lot of things I don't like about that, but it's another topic and completely different than anything Rolex has control over ;)

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Devedander Newbie

Devedander

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Now why would anyone ever want to pay 5, 7, 12k for a watch and then get hassled every time they go on holiday? Why would rolex want their customers hassled. I think your giving these customs agents too much credit. They cant tell a 60 dollar fake from the real thing.

Why would you want to pay thousands to make yourself a target for theft?

Why would you want to waste lots of money on something that does the exact same thing as another product 1/100 the cost?

Why would you want to buy a car that you have to keep paying for gas for, insurance and registration?

Sometimes it's not a want kind of thing, it's a just have to deal with it kind of thing.

And those people buying gens realize that the value (and whatever inferred importance or whatnot) that comes with buying a gen is protected by this kind of hassle...

In fact if it is a gen, you have little to worry about other than filling out a form or xeroxing a receipt and who's to say you don't want the hassle? I bet most people who buy a Rolex are just dying for any excuse to have attention drawn to it...

In the end, what part of travelling internationally ISN'T a hassle? This is just one more on the list and it's one of those "you may not want it, but it's something you get yourself into by buying it" situations...

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tonyp1 Rookie

tonyp1

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Not trying to insult you, just saying, it doesn't make sense. Now if you have a problem with how the gov works, that's a whole nother bag of worms and there are a lot of things I don't like about that, but it's another topic and completely different than anything Rolex has control over ;)
Edited by tonyp1
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Pugwash Newbie

Pugwash

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I think your giving these customs agents too much credit. They cant tell a 60 dollar fake from the real thing.

Am I going to have to get you documentation to prove you wrong again? :D

French customs agents are trained in spotting fake Lacoste shirts, LV and Hermes bags, etc., this is pretty much public knowledge. (example: BBC article or Star article)

Is it that hard for you to imagine they can't tell Faulex from Rolex?

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Pugwash Newbie

Pugwash

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Sorry. Not at ya Puggy. More directed to tonyp1. Try demanding to see a lawyer at Toronto customs and see what happens. Customs are notoriously good at getting back at ya if you think you will be able to get past them by calling your lawyer (or your 'mum') :)

Gotcha. I was trying to see which one you were replying to. :D

Yeah, try messing with customs in any country and you're going to get intimate enough with a pair of rubber gloves that you'll have to marry them in some countries.

You'd be amazed at the amount of power customs guys have. If you annoy them too much, they will pull a gun on you and you wake up dressed in orange listening to some disgruntled Muslims in the Gitmo cell next to you.

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tonyp1 Rookie

tonyp1

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Sorry. Not at ya Puggy. More directed to tonyp1. Try demanding to see a lawyer at Toronto customs and see what happens. Customs are notoriously good at getting back at ya if you think you will be able to get past them by calling your lawyer (or your 'mum') :)

Im sorry but this thread has now become a load of dog [censored]. First it was your fakes are gonna get confiscated by the big bad homeland security/customs officals. Now its your gens are gonna confiscated too along with your laptop, LV bag and what ever designer goods you may have. :yawn:

Edited by tonyp1
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TJGladeRaider Newbie

TJGladeRaider

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Damn, of all the people to question on matters like this, Bill is not the one. I'd go see your lawyer right now.

LOL

I like to try and share information with those who want and need it to the extent that my meager experiences with reps makes that possible. The fact that I spenty my career as a federal agent, and know a little more about this subject than Tony, does not oblige me to clear up all the misconceptions that afflict his mind.

I do find his comparison of US Customs to the, "educated workforce" to be annoyonig, but I that's OK - his problems may annoy me but when he tries his "gimme a lawyer"" nonsense in actual practice, the pain he suffers will be his own.

Like someone smarter than I once said, "It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble, it's what you do know that just ain't so." I'll leave it to the US Customs people to educate Tony.

I'll share one short anecdote with those why might benefit from it.

Once upon a time, during a drug interdiction operation in SW Florida, I boarded about a forty foot Trojan sport boat some fifteen or so miles offshore having been vectored there by BLOCC (Blue Lightening Operations Control Center). The owner/operator of the vessel was an arrogant, nasty mouthed individual who "knew his rights" and ordered me, and my partner, off the boat saying, "My Brother's a Lawyer, you aren't going anywhere on my boat [expletives deleted.]"

As I started to go below decks, he grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me rather violently around. I am sure it was a bit fuzzy for him as he hit the deck, and the flex cuffs bit into his wrists, but the pain of his split lips had him conscious enough to comprehend as he heard me say, "My Brother is a doctor, you wanna tell me where you hurt."

I could have arrested him, but I thought it better to let him go talk to his brother about suing me. Either way, he'd get the same education, and letting his brother explain things cost me a lot less paperwork.

Although we had different jobs, and different job titles, just like the guy who checks your bags and asks you questions, I dealt with hundreds and hundreds of people without so much as ever offending anyone - I had a job to do and I did it. On the other hand, there were those occasional fookwits who could not accept that and had to see who had the biggest penis.

I can only say, based upon my experience, and personal observations, people who go along with the program come out way ahead.

Conversely, as my partner of many years used to say, "If you have to be stupid, you better be tough."

Bill

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woody Newbie

woody

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Thanks to everyone that replied. I saw that the topic at hand got a bit off tangent, but that is all good. I think I just may bring 1 additional watch abroad with me. And I will try to look the part, while being cooperative, I think that may be the main thing perhaps, and I think I may even snap a picture with either of my watches next to my license plate. might as well be prepared, am I right? does anybody actually have nightmare stories with customs agents by the way?

thanks bill for your stories and insight, much appreciated.

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TJGladeRaider Newbie

TJGladeRaider

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"The fact that I spenty my career as a federal agent"

Great theres a F'n fed on this board. Let me guess hes a moderator too.

I been here a long time dude.

I know many of our best known members, who they are and where they are.

I have the names, addresses and phone numbers of many of our best known dealers.

I guess it must just be the end of the world any day now . . . but, wait . . . nope, I am not a moderator.

Bill

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