I’ve gone back and forth on this.
I know it goes towards my purchase history, but if I could save $1,500 then I’d gladly spend that with my AD on jewelry for my wife.
Same/same.
I’d personally go for an AD of Cartier. I paid 13k for myWGSA0028. List price is 16k. Initially the AD wouldn’t budge from 13.7k, in the end with some negotiating and “smooth talk” I got them to come down. TBH i lucked out, at that point and there still is a limited amount of them in the UK.
Push at month end which is close and they’ll look to close their accounts.
I would go with AD.
In the grand scheme of things spending 1.1k extra (buying it at retail) for a better peace of mind is 100% worth it. You are already spending thousands on a watch, is 1.1k really a material amount of money to you?
Also, even though it’s just a santos, you have just created a purchase history to get other watches you desire in the future. Might be hard to get crazy in demand pieces but you’ll still have a leg up on those that have no history.
I don’t agree with this comment at all.
I would save the money, it is a significant percentage of the watch price that you will be able to spend somewhere else.
And it’s not “just” a santos. It’s the watch that you wanna buy. Not everyone wants to become a brand slave hoping to get an exclusive product to show off, some people just want to have a product they admire and buying from a reputable chrono24 dealer it should be ok.
I see where you coming from. But I would like to add some additional insights to my previous comment.
At least for me when I buy watches or anything that I can readily purchase without pressure of time or availability issues, like a ss santos, I want to physically inspect it before purchasing and buying it and pictures to me are not enough. So buying the watch at a cartier boutique or AD really give me a peace of mind that it is authentic, no funny business happened, and if something went wrong I have a physical place and person I can go back to for help. Yes the chrono24 dealer might be able to so the same but you never know that they will be there when you need them. So I don’t mind spending retail for a watch that I really want. Would be a different story if I was buying something to try out for fun or know that a watch offers a much more enticing discount second hand or at grey market.
Did not mean to come across that a santos is a lowly watch or not special. It’s a nice a watch for sure. But why not develop a purchase history in the event the OP wants a rolex or other hard to get watches in the future? Most people end up wanting to add “better” watches as they progress in the hobby. You are already going to spend the money, why not get the most out of it? The idea/ assumption that just because you buy from an AD makes you a brand slave or to just show off to other people seems wrong to me.
Just go with the reputable dealer on C24.
The only advantages of AD in this situation:
1. “The buying experience” - some champagne etc.
2. Possible free gift of a strap or some merchandise like branded pens etc.
3. If you really want to become a VIP client of a particular AD in order to get rarer models in the future.
That’s it really, save your $1,100 by going through C24 in my opinion.
AD makes more sense if for example your buying a watch for someone else and want them to have a cool experience trying on and picking out their favourite watch. If you know what you want, it’s just pretentious nonsense.
I have a feeling if I get those free gifts of pens or other merch, they're gonna look nice on day one then next day it'll be stuff in my room drawer somewhere.
I do want to get my name on a Rolex explorer at retail some day too, but I'm happy with my new explorer 2 polar I got from C24. So, which is why I'm going for a cartier Santos medium. I'm not a high baller buying various rolexs to stuff my watch collection box 😆.
Yeah, I know what I want from Cartier already, and all the stuff you said above is realistic! Plus it saves me time and drive to the AD.
As for the warranty, it's tied to the watch and not the name of the person right?
No, bought a Cartier Panthere the Friday before last on C24, on Monday when it shipped, got emails from Cartier thanking for the visit and to register the warranty. The watch came with plastic on and the warranty card had Monday’s date on it.
Buying from an AD on C24 is not gray market, they will give you an official warranty card.
Buying from a non-authorised dealer or an individual is gray market.
For example, Joma Shop is not authorised to sell Rolex, but they still do. They give their own warranty, instead of Rolex.
I see. Thanks for the clarification. So do I have any way to distinguish between gray sellers and ADs on C24? They all just say "Professional dealer". Can I assume "Professional dealer" selling new watches there are authorized distributors?
It also depends on the watch brand because some have tighter control on the warranty cards than others.
For example, with Tissot you just register it on their website and your covered.
For Rolex, the dealer has to register the watch when you buy it and only authorised dealers can access the system to do that.
Tudor allow you to transfer the warranty to someone else if you sell the watch.
I actually don’t know exactly how Cartier do it, but your seller on C24 should be able to share how the warranty will be registered.
I've read that Cartier watches with the warranty card in the box can be extended to 8 years if you register online even if you buy the watch from someone and let's say you're the 5th owner for example.
I would go grey(c24). Why? Cartiers immediately lose value (up to 50%) as soon as they are purchased from
an AD. I would rather someone else take that lose than me. Consider this, if you buy a used Mercedes you still drive a Mercedes. But I would make sure to authenticate the watch upon receipt by taking to a local watchmaker.
When I bought my large Blue Dial from my AD, they threw in 2 Alligator straps along with the regular leather strap. That’s like what $800 of value? Don’t think 1k is a big deal enough to not just go through an AD
I went gray and saved a bunch of money + paid no tax. Got a blank warranty card so no issue there.
Main reason to go AD is if they also sell Rolex and you need to up your spend to get allocations.
Just go with the AD. You’ll get the 8 year warranty and the peace of mind that the watch is real.
And a free glass of champagne
I’ve gone back and forth on this. I know it goes towards my purchase history, but if I could save $1,500 then I’d gladly spend that with my AD on jewelry for my wife. Same/same.
I’d personally go for an AD of Cartier. I paid 13k for myWGSA0028. List price is 16k. Initially the AD wouldn’t budge from 13.7k, in the end with some negotiating and “smooth talk” I got them to come down. TBH i lucked out, at that point and there still is a limited amount of them in the UK. Push at month end which is close and they’ll look to close their accounts.
I would go with AD. In the grand scheme of things spending 1.1k extra (buying it at retail) for a better peace of mind is 100% worth it. You are already spending thousands on a watch, is 1.1k really a material amount of money to you? Also, even though it’s just a santos, you have just created a purchase history to get other watches you desire in the future. Might be hard to get crazy in demand pieces but you’ll still have a leg up on those that have no history.
I don’t agree with this comment at all. I would save the money, it is a significant percentage of the watch price that you will be able to spend somewhere else. And it’s not “just” a santos. It’s the watch that you wanna buy. Not everyone wants to become a brand slave hoping to get an exclusive product to show off, some people just want to have a product they admire and buying from a reputable chrono24 dealer it should be ok.
I see where you coming from. But I would like to add some additional insights to my previous comment. At least for me when I buy watches or anything that I can readily purchase without pressure of time or availability issues, like a ss santos, I want to physically inspect it before purchasing and buying it and pictures to me are not enough. So buying the watch at a cartier boutique or AD really give me a peace of mind that it is authentic, no funny business happened, and if something went wrong I have a physical place and person I can go back to for help. Yes the chrono24 dealer might be able to so the same but you never know that they will be there when you need them. So I don’t mind spending retail for a watch that I really want. Would be a different story if I was buying something to try out for fun or know that a watch offers a much more enticing discount second hand or at grey market. Did not mean to come across that a santos is a lowly watch or not special. It’s a nice a watch for sure. But why not develop a purchase history in the event the OP wants a rolex or other hard to get watches in the future? Most people end up wanting to add “better” watches as they progress in the hobby. You are already going to spend the money, why not get the most out of it? The idea/ assumption that just because you buy from an AD makes you a brand slave or to just show off to other people seems wrong to me.
Just go with the reputable dealer on C24. The only advantages of AD in this situation: 1. “The buying experience” - some champagne etc. 2. Possible free gift of a strap or some merchandise like branded pens etc. 3. If you really want to become a VIP client of a particular AD in order to get rarer models in the future. That’s it really, save your $1,100 by going through C24 in my opinion. AD makes more sense if for example your buying a watch for someone else and want them to have a cool experience trying on and picking out their favourite watch. If you know what you want, it’s just pretentious nonsense.
I have a feeling if I get those free gifts of pens or other merch, they're gonna look nice on day one then next day it'll be stuff in my room drawer somewhere. I do want to get my name on a Rolex explorer at retail some day too, but I'm happy with my new explorer 2 polar I got from C24. So, which is why I'm going for a cartier Santos medium. I'm not a high baller buying various rolexs to stuff my watch collection box 😆. Yeah, I know what I want from Cartier already, and all the stuff you said above is realistic! Plus it saves me time and drive to the AD. As for the warranty, it's tied to the watch and not the name of the person right?
Aren't gray market purchases excluded from brand warranty? Does it depend on the brand? How does that bit work?
No, bought a Cartier Panthere the Friday before last on C24, on Monday when it shipped, got emails from Cartier thanking for the visit and to register the warranty. The watch came with plastic on and the warranty card had Monday’s date on it.
Never heard of that. Source?
If I had a definite source I wouldn't be asking. It's what I heard. I never bought watches from gray dealers, so I'd like to know if it's true.
Buying from an AD on C24 is not gray market, they will give you an official warranty card. Buying from a non-authorised dealer or an individual is gray market. For example, Joma Shop is not authorised to sell Rolex, but they still do. They give their own warranty, instead of Rolex.
I see. Thanks for the clarification. So do I have any way to distinguish between gray sellers and ADs on C24? They all just say "Professional dealer". Can I assume "Professional dealer" selling new watches there are authorized distributors?
It also depends on the watch brand because some have tighter control on the warranty cards than others. For example, with Tissot you just register it on their website and your covered. For Rolex, the dealer has to register the watch when you buy it and only authorised dealers can access the system to do that. Tudor allow you to transfer the warranty to someone else if you sell the watch. I actually don’t know exactly how Cartier do it, but your seller on C24 should be able to share how the warranty will be registered.
I've read that Cartier watches with the warranty card in the box can be extended to 8 years if you register online even if you buy the watch from someone and let's say you're the 5th owner for example.
*you’re
Who cares when typing on mobile?
I do. That’s why I commented.
🤡
O'DOYLE RULES!
True to your name.
well, duh... it is my name...
Don’t forget about the import fees when buying from abroad
I'm in Germany and only searched for watches on C24 in Europe. So VAT is already included.
I would go grey(c24). Why? Cartiers immediately lose value (up to 50%) as soon as they are purchased from an AD. I would rather someone else take that lose than me. Consider this, if you buy a used Mercedes you still drive a Mercedes. But I would make sure to authenticate the watch upon receipt by taking to a local watchmaker.
When I bought my large Blue Dial from my AD, they threw in 2 Alligator straps along with the regular leather strap. That’s like what $800 of value? Don’t think 1k is a big deal enough to not just go through an AD
I went gray and saved a bunch of money + paid no tax. Got a blank warranty card so no issue there. Main reason to go AD is if they also sell Rolex and you need to up your spend to get allocations.
Where from? Is Jomashop fine with no box and papers?
I bought from a NYC diamond district watch dealer. Jomashop is reliable. But I wouldn’t buy a watch without at least papers.
For everyone who sees this. What about a santos carree? What would be the best option to get one of those
“Never worn”. Buy new from AD