Hi all,

I am brand new to the forums and quite new to watches so please bear with me! After some time and much research I have settled on a speedmaster pro as my first significant/meaningful purchase (none of the fancy limited editions, just the good ‘ol moonwatch). My dilemma is that I live in Hawaii and there are only a couple Omega boutiques and there are no authorized dealers here. Thus, my only options are to pay MSRP (with possibly some slight wiggle room in price) at a boutique, or buy online from a ‘grey market’ site like Jomashop. So my questions are:

1.....From what I have learned from research, there usually aren’t issues with authenticity when purchasing via sites like Jomashop, however the drawback is that I wouldn’t get a warranty that is in line with what I would get from a boutique/authorized dealer. Considering this is my first “big” purchase I think the peace of mind of a good warranty would be worth a few extra bucks. Thoughts? Would you folks recommend a site like Jomashop or would an AD be safer?

2.....I will be traveling to Australia and New Zealand in about 2 weeks so I might make it a point to visit some ADs down there. Do any of you have any suggestions for shops/dealers there? The cities I will be in are Brisbane, Sydney, Christchurch, and Auckland.

3.....What should I expect to pay if I were to shop at an authorized dealer in Australia or New Zealand? Feel free to send me a direct message so that this info isn’t made public here... I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. I just want to know what type of range/discount I should be aiming for when negotiating. Since I am a rookie I do not want to get taken advantage of. (Ultimately, I think I’d like to buy a new piece tho.)

Any other tips/suggestions would be great! This is a birthday gift to myself and I am excited… just want to make sure I do it “right”. Thank you!

 

Great choice! I'm assuming you're planning to roll with the hesalite crystal, and not the "sapphire sandwich" model?

Jomashop isn't a bad option, I have bought two watches from them with no problems. I insure my watches comprehensively though, so the warranty isn't as much of a concern for me. If you want/need a warranty, over to you if you want to peruse ADs and see what kind of discount they'll offer first. At that point it's up to you what you think their warranty is worth vs. Joma's. Based on what you wrote above, I'd at least check out an AD first.

 

Hey there, I'm also in Hawaii and i agree it's slim pickings here. I recently got my speedy pro from Chi-town watches. It was only a couple hundred more dollars than jomashop and it comes with fully stamped warranty cards so I can take it to omega because I have the full omega warranty. The site is not a gray market like jomashop. In fact I had purchased originally from jomashop only for them to tell me after the fact it was backordered for 6 weeks. Chitown watches had it in stock and it was at my door 2 days later. Loving my speedy.

 

Contact @Kringkily via PM he has helped out many. He is in the US. ( check out all the buyers reviews in the for sale review forum )

https://omegaforums.net/threads/kringkily-great-seller.60656/

Being a Aussie I would not expect you to find anything in Aus or NZ cheaper than in the US. I was in Guam a few weeks ago and every watch in the shop was cheaper than Aus prices. ( Maui Jim sunglasses were $80 cheaper in Guam than best deal I could find in Aus )

 

I'd like to by from an AD, but you can do SO much better with trusted sellers on the forums.

If you spend some time looking at pre-owned/mint Speedmasters you can save 50% of more off retail. Full warranty, all accessories, BNIB. I poked around for a couple weeks when the Speedmaster Bug bit me. I found a Moonwatch Chronograph 44.25mm Speedy with a dented bezel. I paid $3600 for it and spent $185 to replace the bezel at Omega. Retail for this watch is $8600 at an Omega Boutique. It came with everything, including both the leather strap and deployment clasp as well as the metal bracelet. How do you pass up deals like that?

 

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What kind of insurance are you referring to? It covers wear and tear or malfunction? not just theft or loss? So if your new watch starts losing time, you file an insurance claim to have it repaired?

 

That is quite the bold strap choice for a speedy, my friend. Haha. Cheers. Wish I were where you are.

 

Thank you, I get more compliments for the strap that no one notices the watch in the wild. Natos are the way to go it's been humid in honolulu lately.

 

No, that would be insurance fraud. I see your point- the warranty is still a consideration.

 

i can vouch for chitown watches as well, love my MkII i got from them. Warranty card stamped from the AD and everything.