Hey gang,

I understand that there are forms that can be submitted to your local customs to register watches (and other jewelery) before taking it on a trip.

Does anyone here do that? Not so concerned with a single watch I'm wearing, but might be a little concerned if taking two or more.

Opinions?

Thanks!

 

I never have

 

Never have, but for int'l travel I depart with only one watch. Return is another story!

 

Nope, never.

However, I do have all the invoices and certificates in a secure cloud storage - might I need to justify my stuff I always can access some evidences and confirm I'm the owner as well as when and where did I buy it from.

 

Hmmm, invoices for vintage watches?

I guess the wruw thread might work..

 

If not invoice - can be a payment confirmation - whatever can confirm to customs you're the owner and this for a while already. The main issue would be if they control you on your trip back home with 3-4 watches or other stuff and assume you've just bought them and have to declare / pay import taxes and VAT... Sad situation if you have nothing helpful.

 

Are you not innocent until proven guilty?

 

I took out a " green card" on some watches a number of years ago, as we were headed by car, into the U S A for a collector convention. I ran into an overzealous U S border guard who informed me that, even with a green card, "fake watches" were not allowed in the U S! I told him they weren't "fakes"! He said I had two months to prove they weren't fakes! If I couldn't, they would be melted! Long story short, I told him I wasn't leaving without my watches. He sent me to an import broker on the U S side, and $750.00 later, I had my document. He still wouldn't let me enter the U S with "fake" watches! He gave me the option of getting my brokerage fee back, and taking my watches back to Canada! That all involved five hours!

On another occasion, different port of entry, I had the same watches and no green card. I told the border guy I had them. He asked me to park and bring them to the office. I did. They were fascinated by the watches, then told me I was okay to go. They wished us a good holiday.

So, it's pretty much pot luck. Since the occasion I mentioned, I NEVER tell them at the border that I am going to a watch convention. Mind you, I seldom take more than one watch, either!

On the way back into Canada one week later, AFTER we were safely back in Canada, late in the evening, I walked back to U S customs and laid my tale of woe on the duty border guard. She was very apologetic, but she indicated that, based on U S laws, they had an "impossible" job to do! I wrote a bunch of letters, to no avail.

 

You've obviously never dealt with customs

 

Innocent until proven guilty when dealing with tax/customs/revenue collectors? Not on this planet

 

Not according to most lawyers,law enforcement or court systems at least in the US. And as far as taxes whether they be state, local, import, export, or federal you are always guilty until you prove your innocence.

 

I often travel with about 3 watches, one on, two on a roller or case in my handbag. Once they stopped and looked and i just said I like watches and use them as accessories, so to have 3 watches for a 2 week vacation was not that much really, when you think about them as accessories. They looked at them, looked at me and waved me off. that's the only time I've been asked.

 

Omg, I got frustrated and angry just reading this - can't imagine your reaction at the time.

It drives me nuts that they rarely seem to catch the bad guys - only break the shoes of honest people like yourself who comply and are honest about things. I guarantee that same border guard waved a couple of drug smugglers right in that day and every day.

 

We drove 38 kms back into Canada. I went to a bank and rented a safety deposit box and left my watches to be collected on the way back home. We drove back to the same border crossing, and the same guard was on duty. I reminded him I was the guy with the watches. He asked if I had left them in Canada to which I replied that I had. He waved me through and wished me a good holiday! Go figure!

 

Just how many watches were you travelleing with?

 

Never been a Rolex or Breitling guy.
Up here the customs officials are not that educated. Stay away from the hip hop favourites. (And PP). The rest is down to discretion.

 

The US is a fun place isn't it? Land of the free and all that.

I've never heard of anyone getting stopped by customs in Australia for anything like that. Bringing in fruit or something made of wood will get you crash tackled to the ground though

 

I've travelled to France, Germany, UK in the last couple of years and never had any customs inspections arriving or coming back.

It's almost like domestic travel nowdays, just with passports.

And I don't travel light

 

I had about 40 watches at the time. Half and half Swiss and American wrist watches, and half American pocket watches. On crossing the border south of Vancouver, B C, the border guys were fascinated with the watches after I volunteered the information that I had them. They sent me on my way with best wishes. But at the border crossing into Montana a year or so later, with my watches dutifully listed, when I volunteered the information that I had them, that was when I had the trouble! Some punk minion was the cause of my grief. I am almost certain that he phoned some senior customs person somewhere for advice. That was when he instructed me to bring the watches back into Canada.