Good Day,
In reagards to your findings on the pricing in e.u. I beg to differ at this moment in time. Most of my collection comes from London & Interlaken due to the reasons below as my experiences might differ from others in this forum.
1. Actual list pricing on the brochure to be the same as retail. No more, no less. Since there is a actual published price, it makes selection of watches simpler and more straight forward.
2. Gst / Vat refunds as you leave the country coupled with cash + card purchase
a. Add in some cash to the mix and you will be able to get cash discount prices.
b. Fill in the forms as you depart the country or last destination and get the refund either cash or card. An average of 11-17% depending on countries.
3. Better availability of watches in AD stores for some difficult to find models ( i.e Rolex hulk )
4. Better service attitude on watch selection and servicing options. ( i.e bucherer swiss retails almost certainly can offer servicing of rolexes in-store ). Oe can certainly get their Rolex checked up by an in house watch technician while trying out some watches at no additional costs.
The only drawback is customs in the airport where you will have to carry your watch and the box for officer to view. Imagine carrying 2 panerai watch boxes when you do your declaration to customs.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Cheers
Scoot