How To Safely Buy A Luxury Watch

We all know luxury watches are not cheap and we all understand they can make us an easy target for robberies.

One of the biggest concerns from watch collectors is when we actually go and buy a watch. For most this is perceived as the most risky part of owning a watch and the point where you are more likely to get robbed. We seem to feel like we have a huge neon sign above our heads saying “I have an expensive watch here, it even has its papers and hasn’t even had the stickers removed”

In reality there is no greater risk of being robbed when buying a watch than at any other time, I think that we just get extra worried as it’s a brand new item and we are extra protective over it.

Buying Online

Shopping online in general is increasing year by year and the same is true for watches. In regards to being robbed, there is zero chance online.

You can order your watch from the comfort of your home and you just wait until it shows up in the post. No one knows what you have ordered, even the delivery person handing it over has no idea what is in the box.

This doesn’t mean that shopping online is the answer to all our problems. In fact it can be far worse.

You may not get robbed, but there is a very high chance of being scammed out of your money. 

While a lot of sites are safe and trusted, you will always have the risk of dealing with a scammer who will send you a fake watch or even worse, nothing.

You need to do your due diligence when shopping online, but at least you don’t have the risk of being attacked for your watch!

Buying In Store

Buying your watch in store is going to insure you get a genuine watch and will allow you to inspect it and make sure you are satisfied with what you are about to buy.

But of course anyone who sees you walking out of the shop instantly knows you probably have a very expensive watch with you.

The reality is that no one has probably noticed you leaving the shop and even if you did, they have no way to know if you actually bought anything. Going to a shop is pretty safe 99.99999999% of the time, but there is always the chance that someone could be watching you.

You have to remember that most of these criminals want an easy win. This is why they try and spot people wearing an expensive watch and attack them. 

Seeing you walk out of a watch shop doesn’t mean you have a super expensive watch in your bag, it could be a £10 Casio in there. So there is no guarantee for the robber that they will get a good reward if they target you. This is why they prefer to see the watch on the wrist so they know what they are going to get when they make their move.                                  

Bring Someone With You

This is an easy thing to do. You don’t need some beefy security guard; just a friend will be enough. Having to deal with more than one person can be enough to put someone off robbing you. 

Let’s be honest, it’s probably not going to stop an armed gang, but I still feel you are safer in numbers. Even having an extra pair of eyes might make the difference and allow you to avoid some trouble.

Check Your Surroundings

When you are approaching the shop, stop and check out what is going on.  Pause for a minute and see who is hanging around or if any one doesn’t look right.

You are not going to be followed to the shop, since no one knows where you are going. If you feel uncomfortable you can just keep walking. Walk right past and come back in 5 or 10 minutes.

If the same people are lurking around just don’t go to the shop that day.

If you do go in, be more cautious about who is hanging around outside when you leave. This is more likely when you are going to be followed. So be aware of who is around you and what they are doing.

Call A Taxi

If you are worried about people hanging around or even following you, then simply call a taxi when you are in the shop. The shop assistant isn’t going to mind you waiting a few minutes in the shop.

Then leave the shop and jump straight into the taxi.

Even if you only get taken a few streets away, you are going to be away from anyone who seen you in the shop. Now you are just a person getting out a taxi. They have no idea you have a very expensive brand new watch with you. 

Bags

There are two schools of thoughts with bags from the shop. Either use them or don’t.

Use A Backpack

This would be the “don’t use the bag” method. When you get your new watch, decline a bag and put it in a backpack and no one will know it’s in there. You can go about your business and no one will know you have just been shopping.

Another option is to use an unbranded bag, which is a bit more inconspicuous compared to a bag with a huge watch brand name and logo plastered all over it.

Dummy Bag

This is where you use the bag, but it’s empty. You can remove the watch and put in a backpack or where ever else you want to keep it, then in the bag, you just have the empty box. This way if any one tries anything, you can hand it over, knowing your watch is perfectly safe and all the robber will get is a nice bag and an empty box.

Some people thing this method is pretty good, but at the same time, having a branded bag is just attracting the problem more than it is avoiding it.

Dress Down

Another common trick is to just dress down and look a little scruffy. Basically make yourself look like you wouldn’t be the type of person who could afford a luxury watch.

I am 50/50 on this. It does make sense, but at the same time, if someone sees you’ve just bought something in a high end shop, they are going to really care what you are wearing, they already know you have something of value.

Buying From Someone In Person

This is a sort of combination of both online and in store. You usually see someone selling a watch online and arrange to meet them in person.

For me this is super high risk and I would not even involve myself with this. I think meeting people from the internet can be okay in certain circumstances and I think meeting them in other circumstances can be extremely dangerous. I strongly believe meeting to buy a watch falls into the extremely dangerous category.

You really need to do as much due diligence as possible, which can be pretty hard when you are meeting a stranger where the only information you have about them is a facebook account.   

Don’t Bring Cash

Having someone you don’t know asking you to meet somewhere, with a large sum of cash, is a recipe for a disaster.

The reality is they are probably scared to meet you, since they will have to bring a very expensive watch with them to show you.

They can’t really get around this. They are going to need the watch with them, but the buyer can at least pay online there and then. Once the funds are received the watch can released.   

Bring Someone

This is an absolute must and you should probably tell a third person where you are going and why. Slightly over the top, but it takes 5 seconds to do and when there is large sums of money involved it is very worth it.

Public Place

I would arrange to meet in public, preferably inside.

You should never go round to some ones house, or meet in some excluded place like in a park. You are asking for trouble. I would want to meet in a crowded place, where there are plenty of people.

Being inside also means lots of camera coverage and it is less likely they can just get up and run away.

Buy Through Friends

I would suggest if you are going to buy in person from a stranger, buy from a friend of a friend. This takes some element of “stranger danger” away from it as hopefully you can trust them a little more.

However, I understand that this not always possible and the amount of friends who like watches are probably limited, let alone the friends of friends.

Conclusion

You should be just a vigilant when you buy a watch as when you wear one. There is always a risk of robbery and there are always ways to help reduce these.  No matter where you are buying from you should do you due diligence and make sure you can trust whoever you are buying from and make yourself as safe as possible. These watches can be big money and an easy target for some people. Keep your wits about you and trust your instincts and you will be fine.  

(You can read more about – Does Wearing A Luxury Watch Make You A Target? (And How To Avoid It))