Buying guide?

Question

Hi, I am from Singapore and will be visiting Switzerland in mid Oct. The first thing that comes to my mind about Switerland is the scenery and of course Swiss watch.

In Singapore, we do carry lots of Swiss watches and they are duty free here. I just want to know if it is cheaper over there or there are so call 'best buy'. I am not a professional thus not willing to pay thousands of $ for a watch.

Any recommendation for low budget mechanical watch or clock that is within the S$1,000 range and where to find them?

Answer 1

watches in Switzerland are not really that much cheaper... the savings you get are from the return in VAT (7.5%) and a favorable exchange rate.  i don't know how the Singapore currency compares to the Swiss franc. but if watches are already duty free in Singapore, then the only part that you'll save is the VAT.  for US buyers, the savings can be 10-15% (assuming that you don't end up paying a customs fee - it just depends whether the customs agent will stop you or not).  so more likely than not, buying a watch there is not going to mean significant savings.  however, there is the sentimental value of buying a Swiss timepiece in Switzerland (and you can't put a price on that).  i don't think there really is a "best buy" model/brand in Switzerland... there are certain shops that are famous for selling watches (e.g., Beyer or Bucherer).  as far as a mechanical clock... the cuckoo clock is technically mechanical since it doesn't use batteries (of course, it is also really a German invention, not Swiss).  if you're looking for a really nice cuckoo clock, i would suggest going to Schweizer Heimatwerk (http://www.heimatwerk.ch/), which sells lots of fancy looking devices, all hand made in the country; there are 4 of these shops in Zurich.  other nice souvenirs at Schweizer Heimatwerk include hand carved wooden objects, cowbells of all sizes, etc.

Answer 2

First and foremost, buying a watch in Switzerland  at a reputable store will guarantee that the watch is genuine.  

Lots of fake watches in Asia.

Price varies , but a nice watch should not cost more than CHF500.

You still can buy brand name watches for less than CHF 150.00.

Have a good trip and good shopping.