takashi Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 About the price, you have to at least speak a bit of the language and don't act as a big tourist ready to get milked out (of your cash). Bargaining is very important in this place, get whatever you are familiar with in order not to get scammed and be firm but not ridiculous with your price. As a rule of thumb, that IWC GST Chrono Ti can be had for less than 200USD. Hublot Big Bang 250USD (this one is with double AR and non screw down crown). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 What I have done in the past, is to put a number of cheap quartz watches into a watch box, and declare them, when I leave my home country! Then I have a receipt from my customs that I am travelling with x watches. Once the new watches are obtained, either bin the old junk, or just leave them in the bottom of your suitcase. Put the new watches in the display/carry case, and re declare them on re entry. This concept also helps if you are questioned mid trip, as you have a receipt from your customs saying you departed with x watches! Over a number of trips, I have only ever once been questioned, and it was then on departure... I produced a photo of my watch box with quartz junk in it (not a close up),(explained as an "insurance" photo) and this was accepted, without even viewing the case or contents! Also, if you are entering a country, which has strict/er quarantine laws, and you are asked to declare whether you have been on a farm, or are carrying any "prohibited' items as far as quarantine is concerned, answer "Yes". You will then go under the control of quarantine customs, who are focussed on bits of straw, and dirty boots! Once they have inspected your shoes, or that wood carving from Taiwan/Bali, or wherever, you will get a green pass to freedom. Actually it is amazing that you can have 24 bottles of spirits (undeclared) or 6 cartons of cigarettes, or whatever.... as long as they have scraped your shoes clean, and/or checked the wood carving, you will not be asked to then go thru a second check! Works for me anyway! Offshore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2671 Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hi dd, Customs scans and starts digging through luggages when scheduled flights are from "high risk" areas such as China, Thailand...etc for cracks, weapons and replicas. What is your departing city in China? If you fly out from Hong Kong, it would be much safer than straight from Mainland China, just my 2 cents. I currently moved back to Hong Kong China and am Chinese. Went to GZ several times. Watch prices there are not much different than listed collectors on RWG, figure in the risk of bringing that along with ya. Before my first trip there, I was thinking there must be loaded with our toys and I could hand-pick my likings and QC the hell out of it. I was wrong to da max, at each booth downstairs or office upstairs, they have only one or two of every model for your scrutiny, leave it if they don't meet your standard, move onto the next one... If your going there for the time being, go after 2'o clock in the afternoon if you wanna shop. There usually NO watches of our kind in the morning or else everything is covered up under cardboard in the show cases. Shops in the area close before 7pm at the latest. So when you see something you like, buy it or you'll miss it forever because you are easily get lost and they switch around things faster than you can think of. Offices upstair have nicer showcases and the nicer ULTIMATE VERSIONS are usually displayed, remember they are not cheap as I thought. If you scored something, you may consider R&R your "harvest" if you are a Do-It-Yourselfer, at San Yi Watch City, 2nd floor, opposite to the public restroom at the corner, there's a watch maker that'll do the disassembly for you. You can have all the MAILABLE stuff mailed back to your place as parts at the Post Office or EMS Office right down the road from there in stages. Carry TM parts with you, due to the ala carte nature, they will be less likely to notice by Customs. Good luck and enjoy your trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadog13 Posted May 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 guys, I really appreciate every single advice given so far... as for my decision to buy this number of reps is mainly due to the fact that every single rep I buy from our collectors, I have to pay additionaly for WU taxes and generally I pay almost every time (9 of 10) custom taxes...thus a rep of 300$ listed from our collectors costs me 40$ plus of WU taxes and 100$ of customs duties...I end up paying something like 440$ a rep that you usually pay 300$ (maybe 315$)... so if I manage to get the same rep in GZ for 50$ less...you can imagine the savings...it's 200$ per rep...maybe even more for the super reps that are being charged 500+$ on the boards... I remember when I ordered from EL the 027...paid it somewhere near 600$ plus WU tax 40$ amd custom taxes were 180$...so you have the idea what I am speaking of...820$ total... I can always start to cry like a little baby if they wanna take the reps away from me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoman Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 What I have done in the past, is to put a number of cheap quartz watches into a watch box, and declare them, when I leave my home country! Then I have a receipt from my customs that I am travelling with x watches. Once the new watches are obtained, either bin the old junk, or just leave them in the bottom of your suitcase. Put the new watches in the display/carry case, and re declare them on re entry. This concept also helps if you are questioned mid trip, as you have a receipt from your customs saying you departed with x watches! Over a number of trips, I have only ever once been questioned, and it was then on departure... I produced a photo of my watch box with quartz junk in it (not a close up),(explained as an "insurance" photo) and this was accepted, without even viewing the case or contents! Also, if you are entering a country, which has strict/er quarantine laws, and you are asked to declare whether you have been on a farm, or are carrying any "prohibited' items as far as quarantine is concerned, answer "Yes". You will then go under the control of quarantine customs, who are focussed on bits of straw, and dirty boots! Once they have inspected your shoes, or that wood carving from Taiwan/Bali, or wherever, you will get a green pass to freedom. Actually it is amazing that you can have 24 bottles of spirits (undeclared) or 6 cartons of cigarettes, or whatever.... as long as they have scraped your shoes clean, and/or checked the wood carving, you will not be asked to then go thru a second check! Works for me anyway! Offshore your smart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavidoc Posted May 13, 2008 Report Share Posted May 13, 2008 I'm in China 3-4 months a year and have never had any issues with bringing copies back through customs. I don't do anything special. Watches, go in my watch case (in my carry on luggage). DVD's go in my DVD case (in my carry-on luggage). Breeze through pre-boarding search with no issues, land in Tokyo, no issues. Land in US, declare a $0 amount and state I was on business and pass through. My bag was searched once and I had my DVD case opened. That's why I have real movies in the first few pages. Also, for the most part as long as you don't have multiples of the same thing, a customs official will turn the other cheek. They are more concerned with those who sell large amounts. I always fly out of Guangzhou, not Hong Kong and always land in the US at Seattle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadog13 Posted May 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 well gang I am in GZ...and I have already scored the 6 reps I was talking about...I am in my hotel room and I am typing this msg... the reps are behind me all ticking like they should! now I just have to figure out what to do...how to smuggle them past the customs... I was thinking about the possibility to take them apart (disassemble) and the reassemble them back home...it should be easier to pass the customs in that case, what do you think? however, they are gorgeus...and the watch markets are simply amazing...the amount of people over there is just crazy...I saw today a lot of non chinese people...everybody buying...this and that...crap and superreps...but crap the most of the time... over and out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolfire Posted May 25, 2008 Report Share Posted May 25, 2008 well gang I am in GZ...and I have already scored the 6 reps I was talking about...I am in my hotel room and I am typing this msg... the reps are behind me all ticking like they should! now I just have to figure out what to do...how to smuggle them past the customs... I was thinking about the possibility to take them apart (disassemble) and the reassemble them back home...it should be easier to pass the customs in that case, what do you think? however, they are gorgeus...and the watch markets are simply amazing...the amount of people over there is just crazy...I saw today a lot of non chinese people...everybody buying...this and that...crap and superreps...but crap the most of the time... over and out! Great work, dude! So, what did you pay on the average? I suggest you just keep 'em safely in your carry-on luggage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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