Hong Kong Shopping - watches

[bogie113]

Has anyone ever bought a "less then authentic" :rolleyes: watch [for a friend, of course] in Hong Kong.

 

If so, were they still working by the time you got home. Any input about where they can be found would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

Marsha

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I hear they also sell fake Bentley hood ornaments that you can put on your Honda Civic...

[Spikesgirl]

While we never bought a 'fake' watch, we did bring home about a dozen Chair Mao watches (he waves at you - it's really irreverent. Of those, a little more than a year later and nearly all of them are 'dead'. They are the winding kind and they never ran after the first winding up and run down.

 

I remeber seeing these Rollies being offered openly at the Stanley market with just about anything else. If you don't see them there, your next best (even better) chance is in Shanghai

 

Be careful about bring 'less-than-genuine' items back- the nice people at the airport were checking things out pretty closely.

 

Charlie

[Margate Cruiser]

The flower market . There you can buy almost anything. The LV pockt books are great but only buy A grade. there not cheap but i dare you you cant tell them apart.

[jdc]

you will be approached constantly on the street with offers to buy fake Rolexs and other watches....quality is pretty much junk. If you want a broad selection the night market is the place to go. That being said...the good stuff is difficult to find for the average person walking the street.

 

now if you're headed for Bangkok..........

[DrHemlock]

Why buy a fake piece of junk that may well be confiscated at the airport (either theirs or ours since they're illegal both places) when you can buy a real watch for a better price in Hong Kong than anyplace else I know of?

 

There are many legit shops on Kowloon side where you can buy an excellent watch for much less than the same item in the US would cost. I bought mine there twenty years ago and, as expected, it still runs fine and is my everyday watch.

 

I can't specify a particular shop as it's been too long to remember, but ask the concierge at your hotel for some shop names. Or, just walk around off the main drag and do some comparison shopping. Before you travel, have a look at home at the type of watch you're likely to want, and its price, so you'll know whether you're getting a good deal when you're over there.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

You will have to pay duty on a Rolex, etc. purchased overseas. But even after the duty we saved over $5,000 on two higher-end Rolexes at the "Goldfingers" on St. Maarten, compared to SoCal prices.

 

Regent should tap into this market, we spent 3x the cost of the cruise (C cabin) on the watches :eek: And there were three other couples from the Mariner buying Rolexes at the same time, at just that one shop. Maybe they can give the cruise away free as a come-on to buy watches on board :rolleyes:

[Sea Daze]

The flower market . There you can buy almost anything. The LV pockt books are great but only buy A grade. there not cheap but i dare you you cant tell them apart.

 

Oh, but you can...from a mile away.

[bogie113]

JDC

 

Actually we will be in Bangkok :D Is there something you can share???

 

Marsha

[Donaldm]

On the Mariner in Shanghai today we have been assaulted about every ten steps by someone wanting to sell us a fake watch. One passenger got them down to $1. I understand the warranty is one minute or until the seller disappears into the crowd - whichever happens first.

[petlover]

I've bought quite a few knock off watches on several trips, though not in Hong Kong. (bought them in Shanghai, Beijing & to a lesser degree in Vietnam) . My husbands' Rolex he bought in Shanghai at the huge market (not from the street vendor) lasted 2 years. We were back in Shanghai 2 years later and he was able to buy the exact same watch again. I think both times he paid around $6. You do have to examine them closely etc. but I can honestly say we've had very good luck. Only once did I have bad luck with a Gucci ladies watch. It worked fine (still does) but the metal band won't stay closed.

 

As for any knock offs we've bought (watches, sunglasses, purses, Polo shirts) we've never had a bit of problem getting them through customs. We just throw them all in the suitcase amongst clothes etc. We've never been asked to open any of our suitcases. Last WC we got off the Voyager with 13 suitcases....no problem!

 

If I were to buy something fake in Hong Kong, I think the night market would be your best bet but the deals there are not nearly as good as Shanghai.