Yet Another Overseas Purchasing Question (UK to US)

[railmonster2914]

Hello all. I'm looking to purchase my very first Rolex (214270-0003 Mk. 2 Explorer) from a London-based seller on C24. The seller has 151 "trusted checkouts" so I'm fairly confident he's legit.

The reason I want to purchase the watch from the seller, is that it is fully-stickered, which is rare these days for a Rolex. I asked the seller for pictures which he/she willingly provided, and the watch is indeed stickered. I asked the seller if the stickers will not be removed if I buy the watch - the question was more for him as a dealer, though he interpreted my question differently. The seller said that there's no guarantee that the stickers wouldn't be removed because, in his/her own words, "the watch will be stopped and checked at customs that they will not prove any of the stickers". The seller claims to have heard that this has happened in the past.

So I did some homework regarding potential issues having shipped Rolexes from the UK to the US and found some scary post on WUS back in 2010 regarding Rolex USA having sole rights to import Rolexes stateside and that watches imported into the country outside their scope were subject to confiscation and some firm scolding from them regarding their sole rights to import.

I did some more research and it turns out those restrictions have been relaxed (thread is here on TRF but couldn't link to it because it's my first post). Does anybody have a link proving that the restrictions are not there anymore? The links on the aforementioned thread are dead. The seller admits he's not a fan of shipping expensive watches out of the country and that it's my call if I want to take a risk or not.

Also, does UK customs typically open packages with expensive watches in them prior to shipping to the US?

Now, I've bought some watches from the UK before (Christopher Ward Sandhurst) and have never had any issues, although it's a relatively less expensive watch.

The Mk. 2 Explorer that I'm planning to buy is less than US $9k in cost and yes, I'm definitely willing to pay taxes.

Any help or clarification regarding my questions above would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

P.S. Sorry if this is the umpteenth time something like this has been posted here, I did see similar posts but none addressed the part about UK customs opening outbound packages. Cheers!

[reposado]

I’d honestly just source one from the US and save yourself the worry.

[996marty]

Interesting the value you put on a sticker. Surely a good watch can be bought and enjoyed closer to home?
If it’s something that will get lots of wrist time why bother about the sticker?

[Chefinspecteur]

Why not get a cheap flight ticket and pick it up personally? Could safe you a lot of worries.

[railmonster2914]

Originally Posted by 996marty

Interesting the value you put on a sticker. Surely a good watch can be bought and enjoyed closer to home?
If it’s something that will get lots of wrist time why bother about the sticker?

You'd be surprised to know that non-stickered examples here in the US are more expensive new/unworn from C24 sellers and gray dealers alike, so why not go for an example that is "virgin" and cheaper? I also don't buy preowned and I don't desk dive. :)

I've also heard of instances where people buy the watches brand new from ADs, the ADs peel the sticker off and resize the bracelet (not sure what the point is but if they're trying to prevent people from being able to flip the watch, it doesn't work), the buyers wear the watch lightly, reattach the extra links and flip the watch as unworn.

Trust me, I'd rather go to my AD and buy it from them directly. Speaking of which, I recently bought a Tudor Ranger from my local AD and right after, I informed my sales rep of my interest in the 214270 even though discontinued. He let me try some watches on (didn't like the way the 224270 fit on my wrist) and even gave me a hardbound catalog. He even sent me an unsolicited update via text message that he's still on the lookout for my preferred Rolex and that he had me down for a 40 and 39 mm. Not sure if it means anything or if I should trust it, but I don't feel like waiting any longer either.

So my reasoning may not be "reasonable" at all, but gotta stay true to myself. :)

[1William]

Too many chances for issues buying and importing a watch. There are so many watches available from our Trusted Sellers here that it would not cross my mind to look overseas. It is not just about the price it is about service and lack of concern should an issue arise. As far as buying pre-owned, every watch purchased from a non AD is pre-owned. The question is if it is represented as unworn or not.

[Gearjockey]

I go to LHR all the time. I would gladly pick it up for you!

[rmwill]

Sounds like your seller is prepping you for a switch to a nonstickered version and plans to blame US Customs for it. That said, the obsession over stickers on a common reference is not adding up. My AD removes the stickers from any watch that I have received.

[Rolexken]

Originally Posted by Chefinspecteur

Why not get a cheap flight ticket and pick it up personally? Could safe you a lot of worries.

Yes.

[brandrea]

I bet you can find a similar watch from a US based trusted seller for a similar price.

You still have to pay import duty and tax.

[dardeca]

I haven't purchased from the UK, but I have bought from a dealer in Italy. I had zero issues with it coming through customs into the US. The watch was marked for its full value (approx. $20k) and I paid about $500 in import fees directly to Fedex (who was the shipping company used). The box was unopened by customs and the process was super easy. While the watch was in transit, Fedex sent me an invoice for the custom fees and I paid it online without issue.

Wouldn't think UK is different from Italy in terms of how customs views imports. I think if you use a reputable shipping agent (Fedex, UPS, DHL), there should be no issues.

I do know that US customs is a little weird on how they value watches...there is a separate value for the movement, the case, the bracelet/strap. So the shipper needs to make sure they assign value to each of those components or the watch could get delayed. I'd ask if they've shipped to the US before and have them explain the process to make sure they know what they are doing.

[railmonster2914]

Originally Posted by dardeca

I haven't purchased from the UK, but I have bought from a dealer in Italy. I had zero issues with it coming through customs into the US. The watch was marked for its full value (approx. $20k) and I paid about $500 in import fees directly to Fedex (who was the shipping company used). The box was unopened by customs and the process was super easy. While the watch was in transit, Fedex sent me an invoice for the custom fees and I paid it online without issue.

Wouldn't think UK is different from Italy in terms of how customs views imports. I think if you use a reputable shipping agent (Fedex, UPS, DHL), there should be no issues.

I do know that US customs is a little weird on how they value watches...there is a separate value for the movement, the case, the bracelet/strap. So the shipper needs to make sure they assign value to each of those components or the watch could get delayed. I'd ask if they've shipped to the US before and have them explain the process to make sure they know what they are doing.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I've gone through the seller's feedback on C24 and most people are happy with their purchases, with a couple of those 5 star ratings being from US buyers.

In my experience, Fedex and UPS seem to get you the watches right away and send you an invoice right after, while DHL will hold the watch until you pay the duties.

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by railmonster2914

Hello all. I'm looking to purchase my very first Rolex (214270-0003 Mk. 2 Explorer) from a London-based seller on C24. The seller has 151 "trusted checkouts" so I'm fairly confident he's legit.

The reason I want to purchase the watch from the seller, is that it is fully-stickered, which is rare these days for a Rolex. I asked the seller for pictures which he/she willingly provided, and the watch is indeed stickered. I asked the seller if the stickers will not be removed if I buy the watch - the question was more for him as a dealer, though he interpreted my question differently. The seller said that there's no guarantee that the stickers wouldn't be removed because, in his/her own words, "the watch will be stopped and checked at customs that they will not prove any of the stickers". The seller claims to have heard that this has happened in the past.

So I did some homework regarding potential issues having shipped Rolexes from the UK to the US and found some scary post on WUS back in 2010 regarding Rolex USA having sole rights to import Rolexes stateside and that watches imported into the country outside their scope were subject to confiscation and some firm scolding from them regarding their sole rights to import.

I did some more research and it turns out those restrictions have been relaxed (thread is here on TRF but couldn't link to it because it's my first post). Does anybody have a link proving that the restrictions are not there anymore? The links on the aforementioned thread are dead. The seller admits he's not a fan of shipping expensive watches out of the country and that it's my call if I want to take a risk or not.

Also, does UK customs typically open packages with expensive watches in them prior to shipping to the US?

Now, I've bought some watches from the UK before (Christopher Ward Sandhurst) and have never had any issues, although it's a relatively less expensive watch.

The Mk. 2 Explorer that I'm planning to buy is less than US $9k in cost and yes, I'm definitely willing to pay taxes.

Any help or clarification regarding my questions above would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

P.S. Sorry if this is the umpteenth time something like this has been posted here, I did see similar posts but none addressed the part about UK customs opening outbound packages. Cheers!

UK customs won't care on export and is unlikely to open the package unless its full of class As.

[Surge_23]

If you picked it up, what would the tax implications be? Would you have to pay the VAT on it in Europe? Do you need to declare the value when returning to the USA and pay tax on it? Source one locally sounds like a safer option to me.