zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: Thanks for the insight, however the serial
: numbers are intact and I have taken the
: watches to an authorized dealer to inquire
: as to adjustung the bands and have
: reconfirmed authenticity. I assume given
: these factors buying authorized does not
: seen consumerly prudent.

I have always felt that buying gray market is NOT "consumerly prudent", as you put it. First of all, do not confuse your gray-market warranty with an Omega factory warranty. If you buy authorized, your watch wil be repaired by factory trained Omega technicians. If you buy gray market, their own in-house "perhaps competent" jeweler will attempt to fix your watch. Craig's post is just one of numerous complaints I have heard from people buying gray market and then having major problems with substandard warranty work. The money you save NOW could come back to bite you if you have to incur lots of time, money, and aggravation to get the gray market jeweler to fix your watch. Or, worse yet, he may never be able to fix it properly so you'll have to pay to send it back to Omega anyway.

Second, you bought your watches at an EXTREMELY high discount, even for a gray market dealer. Most gray market dealers will only discount in the 35% range. The authorized retailer I use discounts 33% off MSRP, so it's a no-brainer to pay the extra 2% and get an authorized watch with a factory warranty.

It really comes down to the price tag you put on peace of mind. When I buy from an authorized retailer, I know that my watch is authentic without having to waste my time verifying it, and I know that I am backed by the factory warranty. I would never trust an expensive watch like this to just any old jeweler and HOPE he knows how to fix it.

One last thing, I order COSC certificates from the Omega factory for all of my watches, which are free of charge if you request them. In order to obtain one, you must show proof that your watch was purchased from an authorized retailer. Thus, you cannot obtain a COSC certificate for a gray market watch. This may be of little consequence to you, but it does add somewhat to the resale value of the watch.

I, personally, am not a gambler, so I would never consider buying gray market. Nevertheless, if you get an amazing deal (as you did), and if you are willing to forego the factory warranty, you probably made the best choice for you, personally.