Buying pre-owned in Japan

[tna23]

I'll be going to Japan in a few weeks and looking to pick up a pre-owned watch. I have a couple of questions, which I hope someone can answer:

1. Is it acceptable to negotiate on price?
2. Are fakes a problem in the Japanese used market?

Thanks in advance.



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[WatchSphinx]

(1) No, you do not negotiate in Japan. As a visitor, you do get the tax back though
(2) Fakes are not a major issue in Japan as long as you use reputable store. Assuming you are coming to Tokyo, there are tons of them in Ginza, Shinjuku, and Nakano.

[mongrelnomoad]

Originally Posted by WatchSphinx

(1) No, you do not negotiate in Japan. As a visitor, you do get the tax back though
(2) Fakes are not a major issue in Japan as long as you use reputable store. Assuming you are coming to Tokyo, there are tons of them in Ginza, Shinjuku, and Nakano.

This. Ask before you fall in love with a specific watch though, as not all stores are registered for tax-free status.

[tna23]

Originally Posted by WatchSphinx

(1) No, you do not negotiate in Japan. As a visitor, you do get the tax back though

(2) Fakes are not a major issue in Japan as long as you use reputable store. Assuming you are coming to Tokyo, there are tons of them in Ginza, Shinjuku, and Nakano.

Thanks, that's really helpful to know. Are there any particular stores that you would recommend?

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[Apheaven]

Originally Posted by WatchSphinx

(1) No, you do not negotiate in Japan. As a visitor, you do get the tax back though
(2) Fakes are not a major issue in Japan as long as you use reputable store. Assuming you are coming to Tokyo, there are tons of them in Ginza, Shinjuku, and Nakano.

Curious, why not negotiate?


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[mongrelnomoad]

Originally Posted by Apheaven

Curious, why not negotiate?


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Because you’ll get a scowl and immediately sour the relationship. It’s just not in the culture.

[mongrelnomoad]

There are literally hundreds of stores in the usual areas, with selections that will surprise any foreigner (except maybe someone from HKG).

Definitely head to Jack Road in Nakano (literally everything), Quark in Ginza (Rolex) and just pop into every Daikokuya pawn shop you see as you never know what you'll find.

[deuxani]

Watchnian, Okura, Allu, Ginza Raisin, those are my favourites. Some of them look even better than watch boutiques. And yes, you can buy tax free in almost all shops, so prices are even lower.





Important thing to do, check their websites to see in which stores they have the watch you seek in stock. On Chrono24 you can only see the location of the main store, but many watches are in different locations. Many of these stores have many locations in Tokyo and even more in the rest of Japan. Enjoy the watch shopping :)

[tna23]

Thanks all, I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

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[Jay (Eire)]

While the exchange rate may be favorable you’ll see pretty quickly that the local market is different than elsewhere. As you’d expect certain brands and models may seem cheap while others will be selling at a premium to what you see on here (USD market, mostly US dealers).

That said, I’ve never had a trip where I didn’t find at least one watch I would want to buy.

Happy hunting. And don’t forget to go to the Patek Exhibition and I would also recommend the Seiko Museum (Ginza) and Wako (2nd floor now has vintage for sale and display).