I was asked on another forum to recommend some places to visit in New York. Here is the article for those interested....

The Watch Dealers of New York

Part One

Having spent the best part of a year in New York and with quite a bit of spare time on my hands I have been travelling around this big city in search of hidden watch gems. And I am pleased to say a few have surfaced. Here is a brief guide to my NY experience.

47th Street.

Running from 6th to 5th this is an old-fashioned throwback to the souks of North Africa and markets of Eastern Europe from decades ago. Street hustlers will yell, comely women will beckon you to enter, and salespeople will lie straight to your face. If Rolex is your thing, then this is the bling capital of the world, with diamond encrusted dials and all the gold you could desire. Tasteless? Well, each to their own but I think most forum members will be looking for something a little more...interesting. Most vendors will have new or lightly used examples of the big brands, at reasonable discounts if you are prepared to haggle. Haggle hard and long - they like it. Remember these are not Authorised Dealers so no warranties given or implied. You can find a bargain but prepare to do a lot of legwork. Look out for Aerial at Midtown Watches and Alex at Chronostore. I found them to be honest, knowledgable with genuine products. There are a LOT of fakes around and these sellers do not necessarily know the difference. I spent 20 minutes arguing with one vendor who was trying to sell me a Tudor Black Bay that was a fake. He refused to accept it, despite my having bought one from an AD in Antigua and knowing the difference. I believe he really did think it was the real thing. Most of the stallholders ( and their usual clients) do not realise the value of complete sets, papers or boxes. If you want full sets, and I think that is pretty important for newer models for the faking reason outlined above, then insist on seeing before purrchase! I was able to find some NOS Omega, complete sets with boxes and cards from a retired retail chain at a very attractive discount to list, and with a warranty that still applied from Omega. Omega is my thing so I focused on this brand - It is still regarded as a lesser marque compared to Rolex or Hublot and most dealers do not sell them. Do not bother with trade-ins or part-exs. The offers you get will be derisory. And womens watches have no interest to these vendors.

With regard to older watches, thre are slimmer pickings on the street. Most people that frequent this area do not "get" antique or vintage pieces and just see them as old and second-hand. A diamond-encrusted Breitling, Bulgari, Cartier, Hublot, JLC or Patek is more normal. This of course works to our advantage! But you will have to root around amongst the hundreds of dealers and arcade-style malls to find the true enthusiasts - they will not be in the shop windows on the street. They are there however, hidden in the back. I found older Speedmasters and Constellations and picked up a couple at very reasonable cost. Prices are not bad - ignore the first one quoted and know your market. These guys use the web too and will have a pretty good idea of value. A price comparison with a simliar model on the internet is a powerful bargaining tool - I often used Chrono24 for this purpose. And cash, as ever, is king as few accept or even want credit cards. You will have to walk the street several times but it is certainly worth a day - and quite an experience. Your other and better half may not feel the same way as it can be rather intimidating to the unititiated - just dont get into any conversations with the street walkers! It is not to everyone's taste but tick it off the list....

End of Part One

 

Part Two

The Main Dealers of New York

As I was not in the market for a new watch I did not spend a huge amount of time with the ADs but it is worth walking round the corner after you finish on 47th on to Madison and 5th and the area around the corner of Central Park - just to see the big animals of the watch jungle. Cartier are up by the Apple Store. Rolex, Breguet, JLC, Hublot, Panerai, Patek, Vacheron etc etc on the streets nearby etc. All the top brands will have boutique shops and the customer service runs from awful to stunning. And I mean running from not being allowed in the shop (wearing trainers!!) , to being offered champagne (and drinking it willingly!). And no, I am not telling you which one the latter was...that is the fun. Other good retailers to browse, ogle, and wander are Wempe and Tourneau. Dont expect to haggle or get discounts unless you are a regular customer or buying in bulk. Drop into Bergdorf Goodman mans shop opposite Cartier just to faint at the prices of vintage and modern pieces. Check out Saks and Tiffanys - your female companion will like this part! Macys has a large watch hall - cheaper fashion brands mainly but a couple of higher end brands. Macys ALWAYS has a sale on so you can sometimes get a holiday bargain. Many dealers will furnish you with catalogues and other freebies, particularly if you are wearing their brand at the time of entry and you seem knowedgable and a genuine potential buyer, and look reasonably smart too.

The shopping outlets and malls have ADs like TAG, Movado, Tissot, Breitling often with huge discounts to list. Woodbury Commons Outlet had the TAG Heuer Silverstone massively reduced at Christmas. It is a slog to get there unless you have a car. Cheap clothes too can make it worth the car rental...( Can you tell I have done this run a few times in my attempt to justify it?!)

End of Part Two

 

The Real Watchmen of New York

In my hunting I finally found some genuine vintage dealers with honesty, integrity and an interesting range of stock. You have to get to know these men - their knowledge is impressive.

Antique Centre on 25th and 6th.
Spread over 3 floors but focus on the ground floor and make your way to George, right in front of the main entrance. Some lovely examples of Patek, Rolex and Vacheron from the 1950s and 1960s. Not cheap but always interesting. Round the corner is Eli with an odd collection of watches and clocks. I found a lovely early Le Coultre Atmos here. Take your time, chat, make friends. They will help you.
There are other antique centres but I found them incredibly expensive with no vintage specialists.

Chinatown.
Lots of dealers - bit like a lower-league 47th street with diamond dealers, pawnbrokers, jewellers and watch vendors. John is in one of the jewellers exchanges near the Brooklyn Bridge, on the corner of Bowery and Canal Street. There are a couple of other dealers nearby but I found him the most impressive with a wide ever-changing stock covering everything from Zippo lighters, via old coins and banknotes, to Patek and older Rolex subs. I got some Omega models from him. Everything is original, unrestored, uncleaned, exactly as he bought it. Send John my regards when you see him. He is worth a trip to New York on his own, IMHO!

Smaller Jewellers and Pawnbrokers.
In the less affluent areas of midtown and the lower east side ( where I lived) I found a few interesting examples but it is hard work. I did buy a 1969 Omega Speedmaster, totally original and unrestored, so that was a huge result, and it can be done, but you need a lot of time...and luck. Beware the franken watches, tarted up for resale to unsuspecting punters who fancy a MadMen look on the cheap.

In summary, enjoy the ride. New York is quite an experience and let us all know how you get on. PM me if you need more information. I have not given specific addresses, websites or names as I think you have to make a bit of an effort to find these places. I have at least given you all a head start!!

 

Fantastic report , thanks for the reading

 

Thanks for posting!

 

Great share.

 

Thanks for that. Very interesting. I've never been to the US and always assumed that everything in NY would be madly overpriced.
Maybe one day.

 

Thanks for sharing!
Marked for future reference - obasac

 

Especially at the airports JFK LGA

 

great post,thank you.

 

Disimpan

 

Intriguing. I'm going to have to go find John and take a look. Great post!

 

Perfect timing, considering I'm spending 2 days in NYC next month.

Will definitely spend some time watch shopping, thanks to this guide, much appreciated Norfolk!

 

To supplement Norfolk's great write up, here is a helpful map of NYC watch shops that the folks at Hodinkee put together:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewe....739974,-73.988457&spn=0.169084,0.200844&z=12

If you enjoy looking for a "diamond in the rough," Plaza Watch on 57th is a good spot. The Hodinkee comment is spot on - they have a huge selection of watches (including vintage) in a relatively small space. However, the people who work there are not very knowledgeable and you should be ready to haggle to get a decent price.

 

Kyle, I agree with your assessment of the staff and the prices. However, I was able to find a few rare pieces there and paid close to reasonable price after some considerable back and forth. I would not recommend this place to folks that are not looking for the "diamond in the rough" experience (there is plenty of "rough" here).

 

I did go to 57 Plaza and did not include them in my review for several reasons:
I did not have a great experience there. I looked for a vintage Omega for my wife but the prices were a multiple of 10 of what I would normally expect to pay. They then tried to sell my wife a diamond ring. When I said I collected older pieces they suddenly gave me a lot of attention. The lure...a 1969 Speedmaster with wrong hands and replacement bezel on a leather strap, starting at US$10,000. When I pointed out the various problems they initally denied them, then suddenly dropped the price to £5k. I demurred. They then asked me what I would offer. When I said it was not worth half that, they refused to open the door to let us leave which created a lot of tension to say the least ( my wife was 8 months pregnant as the time). You really have to know your stuff to be brave enough to enter this place and I did not like the attitude of essentially trying to "con" unsuspecting punters who wander over from the local hotels in search of a vintage piece. There was no expert knowledge or sense of wanting to share the watch collectors bond we all share on this forum. I was just another foreign punter. Hence no write up. I am sure others have had a better experience.

And thanks everyone for the kind words regarding the article. Good luck hunting in NYC. Bargains can be had if you search long and hard....