Good evening everybody,

after saving for a while and, admittedly, with the lucky situation that some of the vintage Omegas I bought a couple of years ago went up in value, I am for the first time considering selling some of them to get a modern Omega, specifically a 233.30.41.21.01.001 Seamaster 300. Although, having written the ref now, I already miss the refs of the 50s-70s that I can actually make sense of.
Anyway, I’ve had an eye on the 300 for quite a while now. What I did notice is that somehow, the year doesn’t really seem to make a difference when it comes to the price. I can find models from both 2015 and 2020 on Chrono, both full sets, the ‘15 watch in great condition, the ‘20 factory-fresh... but for basically the same price. There might be 100-200€ in it, but that seems almost irrelevant if I compare 5 years of warranty and an unworn watch to one that’s “only” in great condition.

So, what am I missing? Surely, the ‘15 models can’t sell for the same money?

Also, the fact that the official price is ~5500€, according to the Omega website, yet the watch is sold by dealers on Chrono for under 4k seems sort of dodgy to me. Are discounts like that also possible when buying in a boutique / is there an advantage that’s possibly worth >1000€ to buying in store compared to from a dealer online?

I’m really curious about your feedback.

 

Buying from an OB gives you the full customer service, with champagne, gifts and invitations to posh events and product launches, etc. Generally no discount will be available, so it’s full RRP on most watches.
Buying from an AD gets you the same watch but discounts are freely available, depending on the watch. In my experience the service was very good, I got a magazine and some bits and bobs, but there was certainly no bubbly, and no follow up.
Buying elsewhere from a dealer or online can often mean that you are getting a grey market watch, so there will be no official warranty, just the warranty that the dealer offers. Definitely no bubbly, but generally a much larger discount.
That’s my understanding anyway

 

Thanks for your feedback, I do appreciate it.

I don't really fancy the bubbly or the events, that part I could live with. Without the warranty not so much, so I'd look for a dealer who states that the 5 year manufacturer warranty is valid.

Pricing of those modern watches is still a mystery to me, but I guess I'm willing to pay the price I know and since it's not about making a profit - it'd have to be an LE for that, I suppose - that's all that really matters.

 

Here are a couple of threads that will give you an idea of discounts - but bear in mind that some popular watches, like the Seamaster 300, may not be available with such a discount. Although with COVID hanging around I reckon most ADs would be grateful for any sale atm...

https://omegaforums.net/threads/grey-market-vs-ad.114176/

https://omegaforums.net/threads/discount-at-the-ad.113062/#post-1497814

 

Check out the sales forums here on OF. There are numerous trustworthy sellers of modern Omegas who likely either have or can obtain the model that you want at a discount and with the manufacturer’s warranty. I recently purchased a new Speedmaster Professional from an OF member at 30% off the retail price.

 

Thanks for the links @rob#1 , I should‘ve searched for „grey market“ I guess. Didn’t find anything in the search here initially.

I‘ll be near an AD next week and just pop in and have a chat, let’s see what’s possible. 10-15% seems to be realistic, so if COVID did indeed push that to around 20 I’d be in a ballpark where I would definitely consider purchasing it there instead of online.

@gbesq Thanks, I did actually - my issue is not that I don’t trust them, in fact my trust in this community is probably more than what would seem reasonable, given I don’t know anyone here personally and have only been around for so long (or short). But they are mostly located in the US, so I‘d have to factor in shipping to the EU and import taxes of round about 20%. The latter would spoil any possible bargain I could make here.

Anyway, let’s see what the AD says. If I do pull the trigger I’ll make sure to share my happiness with you guys.

 

Find a couple of ADs and make them compete, you will definitely get 15% off if not more.

With Omega the Ads actually do really care about making that sale so you and your needs will be prioritised. If that means you want a bracelet or strap or an extra discount they will listen and consider.

 

Which is exactly how it should be . As a customer I shouldn't have to beg or kiss butt to buy an expensive, frivolous item.

 

I know some who has given" a brand that shall not be named" AD a fully paid upfront deposit of approx $14,000 dollars practically begging them to get him a "steel" watch which he hasn't even tried on his hand.

they took the money and havent even called him in a year! Why do people do this to themselves I don't know.

 

A fool and their money are soon separated

However, this is the preferred customer for most companies. It's the perfect customer for any company peddling veblen goods, sadly.

 

I bought two Omegas from a grey market dealer in the EU (I'm in the USA) and I had no issues with a warranty repair on one of them. He generally has good prices, and if you PM me I will send you his contact info/web site.

 

You can get discounts, not as good as gray market in general
BUT
I have bought Boutique, AD, Gray and anything else you can think of.
If it is about the experience its hard to beat buying at a boutique, it may get you invites to special events and some cool stuff in the mail.
I think the Boutique experience is worth the premium for a first purchase or something you know you will have forever.

 

Fair enough, I’m sure the OB experience is fantastic. When I bought from an AD in another city the discount paid for the flights and accommodation - basically a free holiday

 

Just so you know Omega did the same thing here in the US for the Apollo 11 50th as well as the upcoming Ed White. Made us pay full deposits at their boutiques before we saw what they even look like. It is quite ridiculous, but then this "hobby" is more often than not, ridiculous...

 

I’m on the same boat right now, bought my first watch from the boutique full retail, got a bubbly bottle since covid can’t let us have champagne in the stores, and a few stuff for free like the omega pen and a tool pin case and extra pins for the nato. Paid full retail just to get “in” their list and get priority when getting services done on the watches. But I want to buy another watch so I did my shopping around and went to the AD. The pricing he told me made it seem like 20%, but he kind of got mad by telling me not to go back to the OB and tell them about the discount, I have heard some chatter of customers getting some discount off of MSRP, but since I used to be a salesman i don’t get intimated by those guys I know my place sometimes and never felt I should even try at Omega but the AD sales guy kind of gave me the vibe that they might because he was telling me how they all know each other since they all worked at Torneau before Breitling took over.

BUT I found the same watch on aafes shop exchange another legit AD with a 25% discount and NO sales tax, just when i was ready to buy it, it sold out... so now I’m stuck waiting until the price is right. AD did managed to get me a good discount from what i paid at the OB, but I don’t know if buying more watches from the OB places you in a higher list at which rate that could be another perk on getting exclusive limited editions watches...

 

If you foresee yourself purchasing more Omega watches, I would suggest building a relationship with an ADs because in the long term you are going to want discounts on your watches and priority in landing limited special editions.

Champaign and gifts are nice but at the end of the day they are disposable, the Omega Boutique priority list is not something I have much experience with but MY Ads generally are assigned limited editions stock and they do give their clients calls when they receive them or if you want a watch you can place an order and they will check for its availability with Omega ( deposit is up to their policy).

 

Be aware that there is speculation of an upcoming update of the 300 master co-axial => https://omegaforums.net/threads/300mc-update-imminent.116633/page-2#post-1549530

 

Uh let’s just say that if you are a veteran and can get into the aafes site, they have a huge Omega sale right now and got a huge batch in right now!

 

Watches are a very personal thing, just as much as the purchasing experience should be. If you're lucky to live near a boutique, the OB experience is a very good one – and it's great to start off your journey on the right foot. If you're not, I'd make friends with a good dealer who can ship to your location, and start a relationship. I've bought several Omegas from Topper's in Norcal – they're amazing folks.