Buying a watch in Norway

[jlovda]

I really feel cheated. I purchased an Explorer II in Norway in Sept. of 2018 for about $7,100 after rebate. The exchange rate was about 7.2. My wife and I are planning another trip in May and I was toying with the idea of getting another watch. The exchange is now about 9.2, an amazing 25% drop!! Yet Rolex readjusted the new price list and if I bought the same Explorer II now I would pay almost exactly the same price as 20 months earlier. Norwegians are getting killed. Looks like I will be looking at other brands or just a different souvenir.

[mg Barcelona]

you did OK when you bought, think yourself lucky. Sometime there is a good time to buy and sometimes not. I remember looking at Daytona's in Japan in 2001 and there was no way I was paying those prices.

[Rori]

I would care about availability not discount. If the model you’re after is available there and not in your country then that would be a great incentive to buy it.

Originally Posted by jlovda

I really feel cheated. I purchased an Explorer II in Norway in Sept. of 2018 for about $7,100 after rebate. The exchange rate was about 7.2. My wife and I are planning another trip in May and I was toying with the idea of getting another watch. The exchange is now about 9.2, an amazing 25% drop!! Yet Rolex readjusted the new price list and if I bought the same Explorer II now I would pay almost exactly the same price as 20 months earlier. Norwegians are getting killed. Looks like I will be looking at other brands or just a different souvenir.

[garbanzo]

That is exactly what Rolex does - currency rates are deciding factor when hiking prices. Weak currency under normal circumstances translates to inflation, so we shouldn’t feel terribly sorry for norwegians.

[garyk]

Originally Posted by mg Barcelona

you did OK when you bought, think yourself lucky. Sometime there is a good time to buy and sometimes not. I remember looking at Daytona's in Japan in 2001 and there was no way I was paying those prices.

Ha, we were in Barcelona recently (wonderful city and people) and I realized the exchange rate was not favorable at this time even if you could somehow find a hard to get Rolex.

[joli160]

Originally Posted by jlovda

Norwegians are getting killed

The richest country in the world per capita according to the world bank.

[Loevhagen]

I live in Norway and foreigners get a 20% discount as they do not pay the 25% VAT on Rolex watches. Anyway, there's almost no SS Rolex available here either...

[Loevhagen]

Originally Posted by joli160

The richest country in the world per capita according to the world bank.

The Pension Fund of Norway is 10 600 000 000 000 NOK. That's 1200 trillion dollars. For 5 million people.

[mg Barcelona]

Originally Posted by garyk

Ha, we were in Barcelona recently (wonderful city and people) and I realized the exchange rate was not favorable at this time even if you could somehow find a hard to get Rolex.

pleased you enjoyed BCN. it's not a bad old place. This reminds me of being in SF when Bear Sterns went down in 2008 and the exchange rate was fantastic and the the windows were full. It can all be against you or for you and you are never quite sure until later.

[exador]

Originally Posted by joli160

The richest country in the world per capita according to the world bank.

And one of the worst places in the world to buy a hamburger...

[winst]

They are nearly the equivalent of $8700 of your US dollars at the moment in the UK so I don’t think you have to much to complain about!

[jlovda]

Originally Posted by Loevhagen

I live in Norway and foreigners get a 20% discount as they do not pay the 25% VAT on Rolex watches. Anyway, there's almost no SS Rolex available here either...

I bought the watch at Bjerke in Bergen. Very nice lady manager. Had a nice conversation. I will stop in again. On my last visit the only two SS sport watches on display were the black Exp II (which I bought) and a Milgauss. Ironically, the bigger Oslo store had nothing but PM models. My wife has her eye on a big 50 cm NyForm troll.

[joli160]

Originally Posted by Loevhagen

The Pension Fund of Norway is 10 600 000 000 000 NOK. That's 1200 trillion dollars. For 5 million people.

I envy you with a government who is actually doing something for their citizens.

[BumbleB]

Originally Posted by joli160

I envy you with a government who is actually doing something for their citizens.

Your government is not too bad either... All in the eye of the beholder...


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[Loevhagen]

Originally Posted by exador

And one of the worst places in the world to buy a hamburger...

At least the health service and schools are free for everyone. If we served free hamburgers in the schools - well, THAT would be way too expensive.



Maybe I'll actually may need to buy a hamburger at M today.

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by garbanzo

That is exactly what Rolex does - currency rates are deciding factor when hiking prices. Weak currency under normal circumstances translates to inflation, so we shouldn’t feel terribly sorry for norwegians.

This is exactly what every company engaged in worldwide trade does, currency hedging and adjustments to protect margins.

[brandrea]

It’s really not a significant amount of money on an item of that value IMHO. I do not mean to minimize the point of your thread, but a few hundred either way wouldn’t make me feel cheated.

Much more important that you actually found the watch at all

[NorwegianSailor]

As a local i would say that the problem is not to buy a Rolex in Norway, rather buying a Rolex in Oslo. The sole AD in Oslo, Urmaker Bjerke (with two stores), is quite known for having a bad reputation locally. If you would like to buy a Rolex sports modell, you will have to give them a written application, if you would like to be put on a undisclosed waiting line. After that you can expect to be declined if you do not have a long standing customer relationship, or other ties to the store, if given an answer to you request at all. There are also alot of reports of poor customer service and derogatory attitude from the shop employees there, on all the online watch forums in Norway. I guess their business plan is to sell high volumes of less desired Rolex lines/ high end watches to tourists, in a fast and effortless way. This results in watch enthusiasts from Oslo often buying Rolex, and other brands, out of town or abroad as a moral principle. I would personally say that the situation is quite sad, and i hope that there will be more rival AD's locally in Oslo in the long term. I should also add that the other Norwegian AD's (outside Oslo), Lervik, Askeland and Hakon Lian, has a quite good reputation.