Gray Market Watch

[SAFETYpin]

I have been looking at a lot of Seiko 5's lately and am almost ready to purchase but, what are the draw backs to gray market watches on ebay? And is the seller Watchhub's offerings mostly Gray market?

Watchhub's Seiko ebay store (http://stores.ebay.com/Watchub_Seiko_W0QQ_fsubZ8660487QQ_sidZ162630008QQ_ trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2em322)

[mretzloff]

The watch may not be real and some watchmakers do not honor the warranty if you purchase gray.

[Thebigspendur]

Seiko 5s are pretty inexpensive watches. I don't see any advantage to buying grey market. If you were buying a watch for 4 grand and could get it grey market for 3 grand that's another story. The few bucks you will save isn't worth not having a factory warranty and of course you have to watch for Chinese counterfeits.

[DS/B MCS]

Seiko 5s are pretty inexpensive watches. I don't see any advantage to buying grey market. If you were buying a watch for 4 grand and could get it grey market for 3 grand that's another story. The few bucks you will save isn't worth not having a factory warranty and of course you have to watch for Chinese counterfeits.

Gotta agree :biggrin:

[Aevum]

well, the problem comes from alot of seiko models, especial the cool ones are japan only, so if you want them, its gray market or nothing,

[MichaelG]

The downsides of buying a grey market watch are minor when you're talking about an inexpensive watch like a low-end Seiko. The downsides of buying a grey market expensive watch are greater.

Downsides to buying a grey market watch are:

1. Missing/polished off serial numbers. This is fairly common with some grey market dealers. The source for grey market watches is authorized retailers who unload excess inventory - a practice highly frowned upon by manufacturers. A missing serial number means the watch can't be traced back to a specific retailer. A missing serial number means that a manufacturer won't service the watch for any reason - they assume it's stolen. A watch with a missing serial number is worth less if you decide to sell it on. Lots of potential buyers won't touch one and even if a buyer's interested, it's a bargaining chip for him to offer a lot less than for a fully intact watch.

2. A grey market watch does not come with a manufacturer's warranty. Some grey market dealers offer their own warrantees but they're only as good as the grey market dealer - who's to say they'll be around? Or that their watchmakers are any good?

All of the above really dings the value of an expensive watch. A Rolex or Omega or other high(er) end watch.

The potential downsides for a really inexpensive watch is pretty much nil. So what if the manufacturer doesn't honor the warranty? It's only a $75 or $125 watch. Chances are it still has serial numbers - no one really cares. There aren't the retailer/manufacturer issues discussed above. I don't think Seiko cares if retailers unload a bunch of Seiko 5s they couldn't sell. Seiko also doesn't police their low-end supply chain like, say, Rolex or Omega does. There's very little chance of it being a fake - I don't think anyone's out there manufacturing fake Seiko 5s - fakes of $50 watches?

I'm a watch nut - I'd buy one of those Seikos. In fact, I've purchased Seiko Monsters on eBay. I'd say, go for it - with the usual caveats of buying from a seller with good feedback, etc.

I'd never buy an expensive grey market watch. I'd be worried about spending real money on a Panerai, Rolex, etc., that might have missing serial numbers, switched movements or was someone else's returned or damaged merchandise.





Seiko 5s are pretty inexpensive watches. I don't see any advantage to buying grey market. If you were buying a watch for 4 grand and could get it grey market for 3 grand that's another story. The few bucks you will save isn't worth not having a factory warranty and of course you have to watch for Chinese counterfeits.

[Joker]

Get an orient watch. They are the old Seiko movements.

[Aevum]

actually, orient use to be the biggest japanese independent manufacturer after seiko and citizen, it lost its place when casio started mass producing cheap quartz watches, but still hold quite a name for themselfs, they even make a 300M saturation diver that is very nice and costs around $900, they have their own movements, and manufacture in japan, singapour, thailand and brazil,

but seiko produces really nice watches, and the SKX007 is a classic thats quite affordable,

[MichaelG]

they're one of the great values in watches. Their lower end watches are terrific - the SKX007 is a classic and a great value, as is the Black and Orange "Monster" watches. They have in-house movements and are pretty much bullet-proof in terms of reliability.

Seiko is one of the great names in modern horology. Most Americans associate them with inexpensive to relatively inexpensive watches but they manufacture entire lines of high to very high end watches that they don't sell in the US.

In a car analogy, Seiko sells the equivalent of lower end Toyotas and Nissans here in the US, but they also manufacture and sell watches that are the equivalent of high-end Lexus and Infinity for the Asian markets.


Seiko produces really nice watches, and the SKX007 is a classic thats quite affordable,

[MichaelG]

Seiko owns a controlling interest in Orient. Orient manufactures their own mechanical movements with manufacturing facilities in Asia and Brazil.



Get an orient watch. They are the old Seiko movements.

[Aevum]

i hope to buy a 300M marinemaster one day, i just love that seiko watch, but the $2100 price tag is a bit stiff,

[SAFETYpin]

Well I pulled the trigger and purchased a Seiko 5 military SNK809K2, $70.00 after shipping on Ebay. Just waiting for it to get here now.

http://www.tungchoywatch.com/images/070601-11.JPG

[Aevum]

its a nice watch, but maybe spending 20 dollars more for the 42mm version would have been a good idea,

or you could always spend those 20 bucks on a leather strap,

[Thebigspendur]

i hope to buy a 300M marinemaster one day, i just love that seiko watch, but the $2100 price tag is a bit stiff,

You see if you had bought a few years ago you could have gotten one for $1200 BRAND NEW.

Also if you want a pilot there is the Seiko ANA

[lamina]

its a nice watch, but maybe spending 20 dollars more for the 42mm version would have been a good idea,

or you could always spend those 20 bucks on a leather strap,

There are bigger displays or 42 mm diameter case sizes? This one will be about what? 37 mm maybe?

[Aevum]

its EXACTLY the same watch, except the original is 38mm and the large model is 42mm
http://www.seiko5ers.com/Seiko%205%20Sports%20SNZG11K%20SNZG11K1%20SNZG11%2 0Nylon%20strap.htm

[SAFETYpin]

I think I will be ok with the smaller one, I like the face better anyways.

Larger one
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8576/snzg15nq8.jpg

Small one I purchased
http://www.tungchoywatch.com/images/070601-11.JPG

[Joker]

Congrats on the new watch. I think that face is one of the best looking there is.

[Areler67]

Seiko 5 military is a great watch : came from Singapore in only 3 days....
I'm so glad with my purchase....
I'll buy a military one for my wife at Christmas :001_cool:

[SAFETYpin]

Lucky, mine is coming from singapore but I still havent recieved it yet.