Gents,

Please dont freak as this is not exactly a topic under "finance & banking" thread.

I imagined that some of you guys might be interested/having taste for watches, thus this posting..

Does anyone know whether Swiss watches in UK are cheaper than Switzerland?

Today someone told me that a particular model of IWC was on display for 3,300 GBP at Watches of Switzerland in London (Heathrow) compared to Switzerland (>5,000 GBP). This sounds crazy to me!

I am leaving the UK shortly so thought I might as well buy one - and reclaim VAT too!

Yes it's true, I think everything is more expensive in Switzerland including Swiss watches and Swiss chocolate (100g of Lindt Excellence Milk costs £1.19 at Asda and CHF2.90 at Coop which is £1.91 - 160% of the price). Your best bet is to track down a specialist independent retailer in london who does the VAT-back forms and then negotiate hard.

Not strictly true, I bought my Breitling in Zurich airport. I got quotes from shops in UK and Switzerland and both major airports (Heathrow and Zurich). Even without paying UK Vat and having to pay Switzerland Vat I still saved a couple of hundred pounds. Sometime the exchange rate can also help, plus what currency you are getting paid in. The watch shop in Zurich airport were very helpful and said they have a large turn around of watches, so you don't have to worry about your watch being stuck in the shop for years (and with the battery running out!).

However that said a new watch strap was cheaper to order and have fitted in the UK than Switzerland