Beware: Swiss Customs Targeting Baselworld 2019 Attendees

[rockmastermike]

Harshes my mellow and kinda kills the fun of tavelling with watches:

https://www.fratellowatches.com/beware- ... attendees/

[JP Chestnut]

Every county should start hammering people who hand carry watches across borders. Some watches are a perfect way to illegally move money around the globe.

[JP Chestnut]

Definitely. I'm also not comfortable with hammering some watch dork by claiming his personal collection was imported for commercial use. However, thinking back to the "Wolf of Wall Street" movie, It would be a lot easier to smuggle five one million dollar Pateks than it would be to tape $5,000,000 cash onto your body.

I really wonder how much of the pricing insanity is being driven by money laundering.

[Ryeguy]

I read the article and, while i'm sympathetic, ultimately I think the author was naive to consider his "prop" watches (he admits he wanted to have his antique Breitling photographed next to some new models) not as commercial items. Also, as a journalist, he is clearly using his photographs for commercial purposes. In my opinion, he was lucky over the previous years and now is upset he finally was caught.

As for the GTG watches and accessories, I think his goose was cooked when the journalist aspect was uncovered. Once it was determined his purpose for attending the trade show / visiting Switzerland was business, all activity could be considered connected to his business (i.e. posting GTG photographs on his website).

I've traveled to Switzerland numerous times (Geneva mostly) and never found customs to be challenging. The worst I've experienced was actually Canada years ago when I was visiting a company in Maine but staying in a hotel across the border in Canada. I ended up leaving my work laptop and paperwork at the Maine business rather than the hassle of taking them across the border to the hotel.

The way I look at it, countries have the right to create and enforce laws as they seem fit. If you don't like it, don't go.

[toxicavenger]

[JP Chestnut]

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'm leery of any man who wears non-wedding rings.

[Ryeguy]

Those comments are fantastic.

[JBZ]

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'm leery of any man who wears non-wedding rings.

You should Google "Wei Koh Rolex Passion Report". There was a whole "dust-up" at Basel relating to Koh calling out RPR for revealing the Rolex/Tudor new releases a day early.

[BBK357]

My hometown is 5 minutes (literally) from the Swiss border. One of my sisters lives there.
It is a known fact that the Swiss are the biggest assholes in the planet.

Wait a sec. I thought that award went to Americans ?!?

[BBK357]

I skimmed through the article. What a mess. I guess the smart choice is to wear a Seiko and leave your expensive watches behind.


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[HapaHapa]

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'm leery of any man who wears non-wedding rings.

Are the Masonic rings ok (no I don't wear one)?

[JP Chestnut]

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'm leery of any man who wears non-wedding rings.

You should Google "Wei Koh Rolex Passion Report". There was a whole "dust-up" at Basel relating to Koh calling out RPR for revealing the Rolex/Tudor new releases a day early.

They should fight it out. It would look like the time I saw two gangs of... uh... feminine seeming men... get into a fist fight in San Francisco.

[JP Chestnut]

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'm leery of any man who wears non-wedding rings.

Are the Masonic rings ok (no I don't wear one)?

I was mostly joking.

[HapaHapa]

My opinion is this Fratello guy is very naive. Look at it from border guards' perspective. Here's this guy with a bag of expensive looking watches going to a "big watch collector convention". He's going to take pictures of them next to the new models? Hahaha.
What the hell kind of fool does this guy think I am?
I bet this dude is going to sell them. I just read in the newspaper about that Rolex watch that sold for $100k.....

[HapaHapa]

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'm leery of any man who wears non-wedding rings.

Are the Masonic rings ok (no I don't wear one)?

I was mostly joking.

Oh. Crap. Sorry.

[Ryeguy]

I skimmed through the article. What a mess. I guess the smart choice is to wear a Seiko and leave your expensive watches behind.


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I think it is less of a "mess" and more of a case of a novice journalist getting an expensive education.

I'm far from an expert on international trade, so take it for what its worth, but wasn't this guy visiting the Basel show for the purpose of writing his article for Fratello? He was more than a run of the mill tourist.

Since he was technically performing work in Switzerland (as a journalist) and the watches he brought with him were for his work effort (props for his photographs), I can see how Swiss Customs would declare those as non-personal items and therefore charge him VAT. There is a thing called an ATA Carnet that allows you to temporarily import and export items for prop purposes, but this guy didn't fill out the form because he (as a non-professional photographer / journalist) didn't know he needed one and Fratello didn't clue him in.

Again, I'm sympathetic to his issues, but I'm also aware of the requirements I need to adhere to when I travel internationally for business. He obviously didn't.

[Ryeguy]

Just to add to my statement above, one thing this guy's story has me thinking about is how many watches I'm going to bring to Ireland in June. I was thinking of a meet-up with some Irish fellow watch nerds and bringing a couple for the GTG, but hearing this guy's tale of woe has given me second thoughts.

[JP Chestnut]

Just to add to my statement above, one thing this guy's story has me thinking about is how many watches I'm going to bring to Ireland in June. I was thinking of a meet-up with some Irish fellow watch nerds and bringing a couple for the GTG, but hearing this guy's tale of woe has given me second thoughts.

I hate traveling extra stuff. Especially small and easily lost expensive stuff

[Ryeguy]

Just to add to my statement above, one thing this guy's story has me thinking about is how many watches I'm going to bring to Ireland in June. I was thinking of a meet-up with some Irish fellow watch nerds and bringing a couple for the GTG, but hearing this guy's tale of woe has given me second thoughts.

I hate traveling extra stuff. Especially small and easily lost expensive stuff

Customs aside, another good point.

[rockmastermike]

I get don't claim them as commercial and other valid points in here but what's the point of owning nice things if I can't enjoy them. And by enjoy them I mean, besides enjoying the at home, take them on a trip and take pictures....here's my X in the Vatican, here's my Z by the Eiffel Tower, here's my Y by Big Ben.....you know what I mean.

[Ryeguy]

^^^ Well, I think it has to do with appearances and what a Customs Agent would consider a “average” person doing.

I could see someone taking a dress watch, an exercise watch, and maybe even a diver on a vacation. I’m not certain I could see someone taking 5 or 6 luxury watches on vacation.

As Jacob pointed out earlier, it’s probably equally likely (if not more likely) the watches are being imported to bypass tax or for some other value transportation purpose.

I think I mentioned in some other thread about visiting a watch shop in Dublin, OH which had a significant selection of Rolex sport models in precious metals. When I asked about how the community supported such an inventory of high dollar watches, the associate stated they sold mostly to Chinese college students who would wear them home during class breaks to circumvent Chinese luxury item taxes.

[R@cerx]

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'm leery of any man who wears non-wedding rings.

Are the Masonic rings ok (no I don't wear one)?

I was mostly joking.

Mostly?

[JP Chestnut]

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'm leery of any man who wears non-wedding rings.

Are the Masonic rings ok (no I don't wear one)?

I was mostly joking.

Mostly?

Rings are #1

[R@cerx]

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'm leery of any man who wears non-wedding rings.

Are the Masonic rings ok (no I don't wear one)?

I was mostly joking.

Mostly?

Rings are #1

Back at ya.

[bnabod]

My hometown is 5 minutes (literally) from the Swiss border. One of my sisters lives there.
It is a known fact that the Swiss are the biggest assholes in the planet.

Not a fan myself I have had many unpleasant encounters there . Maybe the rarified mountain air ?