14:35 Correct me if I'm wrong because I've never purchased a watch abroad, but I believe that, technically, you would be liable to the 20% customs/vat on your return, if you did as legally required and declared the purchase on your return. I'm not naive enough to realise that you could wear it through customs on your wrist. I've heard of people posting back the watch box so that it reduces suspicion if your bags get searched
Yes the ‘have you got anything to declare Sir’ part applies here. Back in 2002 a friend of mine went to Qatar, because their plane was late Qatar airways gifted Him a datejust….silly sod left it at the airport because he was asked to fill out a tax form on entry and wasn’t prepared to do so 😂
Reading these comments has made me a bit happier that I'm American. We complain about the IRS all day and night, but praise be to the heavens that we don't have the VAT.
@@Talon173 Were there levels of compensation depending on how long the delay was?! 1hr - Ladies OP 2hrs - Mans OP 4hrs - Date Just 12hrs - Two tone Daytona 24hrs a Platona 1 weeks - eye of the tiger
I remember some years back in northern Italy I met a lovely old gentleman. We were wearing identical old Girard Perregaux watches. We were both surprised seeing each other wearing these unassuming little things. We bonded and have remained dear friends ever since. To this day he wears only this old watch. Little did I know at the time that this quite, wise, charming man with his worn out deck shoes and lovely old watch was a senior member of the Spanish royal family.
Great video, Ash. I was lucky enough to live in Dubai for ten years back when Rolex were available over the counter at the AD. I got my bluesy Sub and my wife a rose gold and stainless datejust with meteorite dial to mark the birth of our son. All by just walking into the AD in Mall of the Emirates, perusing for a while and saying "I'll take these, please." That was nearly 18 years ago and on his 18th birthday the sub will go to him. I agree that Dubai Mall is just amazing for watch lovers.
Good day Ash, Thank you for your experience and for sharing it with us. I could well imagine that you will get a Reverso sooner or later, it fits your wrist very well. The last time I was in Dubai, I only saw the inside of the airport, but it's funny that you mention Ra's al-Chaima: I spent a few sunny and quiet days there myself in February a few years ago to escape the cold in Hamburg. At that time, Ra's al-Chaima was a lot quieter than Dubai itself. Best regards!
Oak Lodge and watch talk instinlt put me in a deep state of cozy happiness..All I need now is my dogs, soup and a rainy day🤣🤣🤣. Wonderful that you and the fam had a such a great time👊. Every working man (person) deserves time away from the grind.
Funnily enough there was an interesting collection of watches in the queue for the MoonSwatch in 2022. For example In front of me a Daytona and behind me a SeaDweller. This was in Covent Garden, London.
Nice video. I’ve been thinking the reverso is the next watch I want to get but I’ve also seen some videos saying the price has jumped significantly in the past year or so.
Another Great video, being a truck driver in the United it's always a good idea to dress smarter than the warehouse manager. Lately I've been getting compliments on my rotation of watches ,My 1967 Accutron 214,"my dad's"a 1960s Waltham French made pocket watch and my 1969 Timex sprite. Having proper clean clothes polished shoes and boots and an attractive watch certainly commands respect at least for this Chap thanks again Ray
Sounds like a fun trip. I’m visiting Egypt and Jordan in December and just invested in a Casio World Timer at $14.50 on clearance. I have to say I love this thing 🤣
Fully sold out - surely that’s the aim of the manufacturer? As opposed to having a shop full of stock that’s not shifting. These shops have become pick-up points for sold out watches.
I think the issue you are getting at is why have multiple stores with empty cabinets. Why not one store with empty cabinets that is a pick up point. In Dubai (and say HK) you can have two Rolex stores about 100yds from one another. I get this seems pointless, but it could be that there are different owners behind each of these boutique stores - it isnt forced to be rolex which owns the stores, more often than not its other companies wanting to offer clients the full range of brands. and can do this via their network of boutique stores.
Rolex have been selling watches via stores for a little over 100 years. The shortage is - the last couple of years. The prices dropping indicate that watches will soon be back to what has been the norm for the majority of the time.
Misconception, everyday people walk in there and pick up their waitlisted (or wishlist) pieces. Nothing reaches the showroom floor, everything is already spoken for. But there are constant deliveries. The shop is rather a pickup point. In my Dubai watch group there are daily people picking up their watches they waited sometimes years for.
I accompanied my Dad to Dubai in 2011 on a business trip, a good few years before he retired and as someone who remembers that the NatWest Building in London was the biggest building in the UK (And I think the biggest in Europe for a short while or at least amongst the tallest) Seeing the Burj Khalifa with your own eyes is something else, it's nearly 5x the height of Natwest tower (Tower 42 now) Which I thought that was a really big building when near it. It blew my mind and found it hard to absorb what I was seeing. And BladeRunner, was also one of my first thoughts at night.
Get a reverso you won’t regret, just make sure you stick to the classic size of medium, the large/grande ones are just too big. Should be able to get a good discount or buy used.
Ash, I am South African, 77, and love watches. But I wear a $200 Seiko Solar which I love. If you want to get mugged, robbed and possibly killed, then wear a Rolex. There are Black gangs that especially in Johannesburg, target unsuspecting tourists wearing a Rolex, and some of these unfortunate tourists have been killed. Sad but true.🇿🇦🇿🇦
I've heard on watch forums that there is watch crime in Dubai and that it's not safe to wear Rolex in public because of muggings. I'm not sure what's true, but I've heard Monaco is the safest place to go. As others have noted, there's 20% import VAT to pay upon arrival in the UK, so the only advantage would be if your were to buy a model that you can't get in the UK or a more substantial discount. Failing to pay the VAT would be tax evasion and asside from prosecutions that have taken place (which also include watches going between the UK and Dubai for money laundering), you can have an insurance issue if you make a claim and are asked for proof of purchase but cannot show that you either bought the watch in the UK and so were not responsible for importing it, or paid the import VAT. One insurer told me that in their opinion the watch wouldn't 'legally exist' - regardless of anyone's opinion or sentiment on what's right and wrong, I don't think it's worth opening oneself up to these sorts of problems and it's better to be fully aware before making a purchase.
@@lloydmeadows3471 Perhaps it's the usual 'no where is safe' narrative and just isolated incidents of European gangs / other visitors with criminal intent.
It's more than 400 years after Galileo and the Arabs have yet to build their first world class research telescope. But they have built some really nice shopping malls. It's all about priorities.
Dear Ash, I do like what you are doing but your fascination with Rolex has worried me for some time. It was therefore refreshing to see that you do also recognise other really good watch manufactures. Jaeger make gorgeous watches that are stylish, reasonably affordable, that hold their value well and, importantly, are discrete. Personally i do not think that a Rolex is a real chap’s watch: it is very obvious, easy to recognise and too “mainstream”. Real chaps can be identified through their taste and discretion. They therefore wear something from a less (instantly) recognisable manufacture, such as a Calatrava or Nautilus, a Reverso or Master Perpetual (the most affordable super complication) or a Chronomaster El Primero, but importantly, is known to those who matter. Additional bonuses associated with these other top watch manufactures are a)you don’t have to put up with the ridiculousness that accompanies any Rolex purchase and b) your timepiece is not instantly recognisable to those who may wish to relieve you of it through violence.
Absolutely agree Simon. A top draw person, would be more likely to be seen swimming with a swatch or Casio. You’d never find them “parading” with vulgar fashion items like a Rolex, and drawing attention to themselves. Since the Rolex datejust two tone became “the” fake watch to buy in the late 70’s early 80’s - favoured by the likes of Dell Boy and every wannabe villain in the bar on a Friday evening, Rolex acquired a somewhat sullied image, and became a vulgar fashion accessory. We must also remember that Rolex was never a dress watch but a functional tool watch.
Thanks for sharing, Ash. My fam takes a similar winter break from NYC. Typically, Aruba, T&C, or FL Keys. My son has recently been asking about going to Dubai, largely b/c of the Atlantis waterpark, but the Mrs is less than thrilled at the prospect of this trip. Have you been to the Atlantis waterpark, and can you maybe share Rachel’s experience there as a western woman?
Western women have no fears in the UAE, they are not strict and ladies are free to dress (within respectable normality) as usual. The UAE is a very Western oriented country and not like some of the more devout Middle Eastern locations. I went to Atlantis on my visit this year. I would say it is a huge and sprawling waterpark with some spectacular rides, but it's not the best waterpark I have visited and I doubt we would go for a 2nd visit in the future. It was very busy and facilities were good, but I'm not a huge fan of waterparks, so perhaps my excitement was not as acute as someone who loves that sort of thing. The Middle East is a long way from NYC!
Thanks very much for your feedback. Truly appreciate it! You’re right; it IS a long trip from the ancestral hovel (as Nick Foulkes would say) Which means that it would probably be for 10-14 days. All the more reason for me to do every last bit of due diligence, particularly regarding the Mrs’ reservations, now. Thanks again!
So are you suggesting my Timex and Converse sneakers would not carry the same gravitas as an entry-level Rolex and Gucci loafers by the pool at the hotel? Hoping we become a post consumerism society sooner than later 😊
Hey, no money? simple. Sell your Rolex and buy a JLC. I did that two years ago and no regrets at all. You will then start to see how JLC are a proper watch manufacturer unlike Rolex who are just good at marketing and who haven't made any innovative watches for years.
Boy do I ever like JLC. Their price increase here in Canada was very concerning to me, even their entry models are really in a completely different and expensive price bracket now.
I sense you are several levels above it, but no one is diminished without flashing ID enhancing brands. Its not the essential person, but seemingly forgotten in a social media world. Stare at a tree in the wind and you will learn more
For me wearing or owning something just to show off shows bad character in other words not gentlemanly. Places of snobs don't attract me. Everybody his own but I don't like that exuberant display of wealth. Richness is NOT the source of happiness and doesn't make one a gentleman. I would rather spend a few days in that oak lodge than in Dubai or Monaco (been to both. Once and no more).
"if you are a westner obviously on appearance! You know they no slot of westners are there to spend money!" I wonder what non-westners are doing there?
Great video Ash. Made up you are appreciating the Royal Oak and got to see the boutique blue face RO. Stunning watch I’m sure!
Loved the video Ash. My watch path has a Reverso Duoface small seconds in my sights. But not before an Explorer is on my wrist. First things first!
14:35 Correct me if I'm wrong because I've never purchased a watch abroad, but I believe that, technically, you would be liable to the 20% customs/vat on your return, if you did as legally required and declared the purchase on your return. I'm not naive enough to realise that you could wear it through customs on your wrist. I've heard of people posting back the watch box so that it reduces suspicion if your bags get searched
I believe you are correct sir.
Yes the ‘have you got anything to declare Sir’ part applies here. Back in 2002 a friend of mine went to Qatar, because their plane was late Qatar airways gifted Him a datejust….silly sod left it at the airport because he was asked to fill out a tax form on entry and wasn’t prepared to do so 😂
Reading these comments has made me a bit happier that I'm American. We complain about the IRS all day and night, but praise be to the heavens that we don't have the VAT.
@@Talon173 Were there levels of compensation depending on how long the delay was?!
1hr - Ladies OP
2hrs - Mans OP
4hrs - Date Just
12hrs - Two tone Daytona
24hrs a Platona
1 weeks - eye of the tiger
@@TheChapsGuide I have found gentlemen don't talk about money matters in public as it maybe perceive as gauche 😉✈⌚👮🙈🙉🙊
I remember some years back in northern Italy I met a lovely old gentleman. We were wearing identical old Girard Perregaux watches. We were both surprised seeing each other wearing these unassuming little things. We bonded and have remained dear friends ever since. To this day he wears only this old watch. Little did I know at the time that this quite, wise, charming man with his worn out deck shoes and lovely old watch was a senior member of the Spanish royal family.
What an amazing story of how a nice watch was about to broker an enduring friendship. Thank you for sharing. Ash
I'm a great fan of JLC. Thank you for sharing your experience in Dubai.
Love all your videos sir
Very informative great job
You come across very honest and genuine !
Great video, Ash. I was lucky enough to live in Dubai for ten years back when Rolex were available over the counter at the AD. I got my bluesy Sub and my wife a rose gold and stainless datejust with meteorite dial to mark the birth of our son. All by just walking into the AD in Mall of the Emirates, perusing for a while and saying "I'll take these, please." That was nearly 18 years ago and on his 18th birthday the sub will go to him. I agree that Dubai Mall is just amazing for watch lovers.
Thank you for another great video mate. I enjoyed every second. Please keep it coming.
Great video and storytelling!!!
Good day Ash,
Thank you for your experience and for sharing it with us.
I could well imagine that you will get a Reverso sooner or later, it fits your wrist very well.
The last time I was in Dubai, I only saw the inside of the airport, but it's funny that you mention Ra's al-Chaima: I spent a few sunny and quiet days there myself in February a few years ago to escape the cold in Hamburg.
At that time, Ra's al-Chaima was a lot quieter than Dubai itself.
Best regards!
Oak Lodge and watch talk instinlt put me in a deep state of cozy happiness..All I need now is my dogs, soup and a rainy day🤣🤣🤣. Wonderful that you and the fam had a such a great time👊. Every working man (person) deserves time away from the grind.
Great experience, my friend. Money Will come for that beautiful Grail watch.
What a terrific sharing of your trip and Dubai’s watch game, Ash. Thank you as always.
You should be saving up for a trip to the watchmaking Mecca, Geneva and all the near by Manufactures:
AP
Blancpain
Breguet
JLC
Chopard
Also Zurich.
Funnily enough there was an interesting collection of watches in the queue for the MoonSwatch in 2022. For example In front of me a Daytona and behind me a SeaDweller. This was in Covent Garden, London.
Rolex in Dubai is like Ferrari in Monaco….common as muck. If you want to make an impression, drive a classic Aston or wear a JLC
Very cool video. You're a great storyteller!
Nice video. I’ve been thinking the reverso is the next watch I want to get but I’ve also seen some videos saying the price has jumped significantly in the past year or so.
Another Great video, being a truck driver in the United it's always a good idea to dress smarter than the warehouse manager. Lately I've been getting compliments on my rotation of watches ,My 1967 Accutron 214,"my dad's"a 1960s Waltham French made pocket watch and my 1969 Timex sprite. Having proper clean clothes polished shoes and boots and an attractive watch certainly commands respect at least for this Chap thanks again Ray
Sounds like a fun trip. I’m visiting Egypt and Jordan in December and just invested in a Casio World Timer at $14.50 on clearance. I have to say I love this thing 🤣
A superb travel watch.
One should not derive confidence from material objects.Its from within.
I love my 16013 Datejust. I'll never part from it and it still looks new to me.
How about adding the Cellini as a dress watch?
Will we ever get to see Mrs Chaps Guide?
Would love to see a video on how you look after and clean your watches.
Excellent!
Here in New York it's the same with respect to Rolex. Authorized dealer have nothing except empty display cases.
Imagine having a brand with multiple stores in some of the most expensive places on the planet and not have a single thing to display for sale 🤯🙃
Fully sold out - surely that’s the aim of the manufacturer? As opposed to having a shop full of stock that’s not shifting. These shops have become pick-up points for sold out watches.
@@jamieopulence That defeats the point of having a bricks and mortar shop. Rolex is just trolling everyone at this point.
I think the issue you are getting at is why have multiple stores with empty cabinets. Why not one store with empty cabinets that is a pick up point. In Dubai (and say HK) you can have two Rolex stores about 100yds from one another.
I get this seems pointless, but it could be that there are different owners behind each of these boutique stores - it isnt forced to be rolex which owns the stores, more often than not its other companies wanting to offer clients the full range of brands. and can do this via their network of boutique stores.
Rolex have been selling watches via stores for a little over 100 years. The shortage is - the last couple of years. The prices dropping indicate that watches will soon be back to what has been the norm for the majority of the time.
Misconception, everyday people walk in there and pick up their waitlisted (or wishlist) pieces. Nothing reaches the showroom floor, everything is already spoken for. But there are constant deliveries. The shop is rather a pickup point. In my Dubai watch group there are daily people picking up their watches they waited sometimes years for.
I accompanied my Dad to Dubai in 2011 on a business trip, a good few years before he retired and as someone who remembers that the NatWest Building in London was the biggest building in the UK (And I think the biggest in Europe for a short while or at least amongst the tallest) Seeing the Burj Khalifa with your own eyes is something else, it's nearly 5x the height of Natwest tower (Tower 42 now) Which I thought that was a really big building when near it. It blew my mind and found it hard to absorb what I was seeing. And BladeRunner, was also one of my first thoughts at night.
It was almost beyond comprehension that it was built by humans. Surely buildings cannot get much higher than that!!
thank you- nice story. ~ JDS/CT
reverso is technically one of the first sportswatches ever made
The JLC watches which you showed were exquisite, didn't you find the untanned circle of skin from your day watch off-putting?
Get a reverso you won’t regret, just make sure you stick to the classic size of medium, the large/grande ones are just too big. Should be able to get a good discount or buy used.
Great advice. I made a big mistake buying a large during covid without trying it on due to the circumstances, and sold it at a big loss.
Ash, I am South African, 77, and love watches. But I wear a $200 Seiko Solar which I love. If you want to get mugged, robbed and possibly killed, then wear a Rolex. There are Black gangs that especially in Johannesburg, target unsuspecting tourists wearing a Rolex, and some of these unfortunate tourists have been killed. Sad but true.🇿🇦🇿🇦
I am sorry to hear of your situation locally.
Love the vid😊
I love Dubai also
Stay safe
I've heard on watch forums that there is watch crime in Dubai and that it's not safe to wear Rolex in public because of muggings. I'm not sure what's true, but I've heard Monaco is the safest place to go.
As others have noted, there's 20% import VAT to pay upon arrival in the UK, so the only advantage would be if your were to buy a model that you can't get in the UK or a more substantial discount.
Failing to pay the VAT would be tax evasion and asside from prosecutions that have taken place (which also include watches going between the UK and Dubai for money laundering), you can have an insurance issue if you make a claim and are asked for proof of purchase but cannot show that you either bought the watch in the UK and so were not responsible for importing it, or paid the import VAT. One insurer told me that in their opinion the watch wouldn't 'legally exist' - regardless of anyone's opinion or sentiment on what's right and wrong, I don't think it's worth opening oneself up to these sorts of problems and it's better to be fully aware before making a purchase.
No muggings in Dubai - much safer to wear your watches there than in the UK or US.
@@lloydmeadows3471 Perhaps it's the usual 'no where is safe' narrative and just isolated incidents of European gangs / other visitors with criminal intent.
what about a swole o'clock watch
JLC are a step up in quality from the R marketing world , you won't regret it The Reverso is a classic and JLC simply do the best moon phases
It's more than 400 years after Galileo and the Arabs have yet to build their first world class research telescope. But they have built some really nice shopping malls. It's all about priorities.
I’m stunned that there are still Rolex AD. If I was Rolex I think I would shift the whole business to online only
Good stuff
Told you so… the Reverso is the way to go! 👍
You got that right!
Dear Ash,
I do like what you are doing but your fascination with Rolex has worried me for some time. It was therefore refreshing to see that you do also recognise other really good watch manufactures. Jaeger make gorgeous watches that are stylish, reasonably affordable, that hold their value well and, importantly, are discrete. Personally i do not think that a Rolex is a real chap’s watch: it is very obvious, easy to recognise and too “mainstream”. Real chaps can be identified through their taste and discretion. They therefore wear something from a less (instantly) recognisable manufacture, such as a Calatrava or Nautilus, a Reverso or Master Perpetual (the most affordable super complication) or a Chronomaster El Primero, but importantly, is known to those who matter. Additional bonuses associated with these other top watch manufactures are a)you don’t have to put up with the ridiculousness that accompanies any Rolex purchase and b) your timepiece is not instantly recognisable to those who may wish to relieve you of it through violence.
Absolutely agree Simon.
A top draw person, would be more likely to be seen swimming with a swatch or Casio.
You’d never find them “parading” with vulgar fashion items like a Rolex, and drawing attention to themselves.
Since the Rolex datejust two tone became “the” fake watch to buy in the late 70’s early 80’s - favoured by the likes of Dell Boy and every wannabe villain in the bar on a Friday evening, Rolex acquired a somewhat sullied image, and became a vulgar fashion accessory.
We must also remember that Rolex was never a dress watch but a functional tool watch.
I think your over killing this wearing of a Rolex. Their are many go watch’s in the world.🤔
Thanks for sharing, Ash. My fam takes a similar winter break from NYC. Typically, Aruba, T&C, or FL Keys. My son has recently been asking about going to Dubai, largely b/c of the Atlantis waterpark, but the Mrs is less than thrilled at the prospect of this trip. Have you been to the Atlantis waterpark, and can you maybe share Rachel’s experience there as a western woman?
Western women have no fears in the UAE, they are not strict and ladies are free to dress (within respectable normality) as usual. The UAE is a very Western oriented country and not like some of the more devout Middle Eastern locations. I went to Atlantis on my visit this year. I would say it is a huge and sprawling waterpark with some spectacular rides, but it's not the best waterpark I have visited and I doubt we would go for a 2nd visit in the future. It was very busy and facilities were good, but I'm not a huge fan of waterparks, so perhaps my excitement was not as acute as someone who loves that sort of thing. The Middle East is a long way from NYC!
Thanks very much for your feedback. Truly appreciate it! You’re right; it IS a long trip from the ancestral hovel (as Nick Foulkes would say) Which means that it would probably be for 10-14 days. All the more reason for me to do every last bit of due diligence, particularly regarding the Mrs’ reservations, now. Thanks again!
So are you suggesting my Timex and Converse sneakers would not carry the same gravitas as an entry-level Rolex and Gucci loafers by the pool at the hotel? Hoping we become a post consumerism society sooner than later 😊
Good late afternoon sirs.
Ash when you have pay for this holiday with an arm and a leg make it your left arm and I,m make you a cheeky offer on your watch's 👍
Deal!
Hi Ash, were you staying at Le Royal Meridian? amazing hotel
Yes I was - one of the best I have stayed at in a very long time!
@@TheChapsGuide Excellent !. we were there last year, and really want to go back again (hopefully enroute to the indian ocean this time!)
sales tax in the UK is 20%? No wonder we threw your tea in the harbor!!
Hey, no money? simple. Sell your Rolex and buy a JLC.
I did that two years ago and no regrets at all. You will then start to see how JLC are a proper watch manufacturer unlike Rolex who are just good at marketing and who haven't made any innovative watches for years.
I’m hearing your brother. It is definitely on the cards.
Boy do I ever like JLC. Their price increase here in Canada was very concerning to me, even their entry models are really in a completely different and expensive price bracket now.
I really struggle with Dubai, I hate the fact it’s built on slave labour .
I sense you are several levels above it, but no one is diminished without flashing ID enhancing brands. Its not the essential person, but seemingly forgotten in a social media world. Stare at a tree in the wind and you will learn more
Hi Ash, great story…….greetings from cold Sweden
No no i stick to my Gshock,s
I agree with you. Of the many watches I've owned, my gw-6900bc-1jf is one of my all time favourite watches and I wear it with pride.
For me wearing or owning something just to show off shows bad character in other words not gentlemanly. Places of snobs don't attract me. Everybody his own but I don't like that exuberant display of wealth. Richness is NOT the source of happiness and doesn't make one a gentleman. I would rather spend a few days in that oak lodge than in Dubai or Monaco (been to both. Once and no more).
"if you are a westner obviously on appearance!
You know they no slot of westners are there to spend money!"
I wonder what non-westners are doing there?
The woman in the pool must not have been a local, unless it was a muslim woman in a burka in the pool...
Correct sir, very few burkas observed in Dubai, it has become more of a western playground these days.
You'd have to pay me to go there, just makes you puke really. Is it near Yemen? S'pose they just cut the hands off shoplifters?
Like most of that Felx world -its mostly fake in every aspect of life
Dubai…the ultimate in vulgarity.