Travelling with a replica

[mikeyp]

Guys guys guys I travel throughout Europe daily it feels like I'm never off a frekin plane and TBH I've never even thought about the possibility that they would check or even be in the slightest bit interested, and BTW that includes several trips to Switzerland which until I found this site and RWG all I relied on were the €50 euro reps from the local markets which when you compare them to the reps you guys play with aren't even in the same ballpark, Sonia doubt they'd bat a eyelid to this stuff

Just my 2p


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[ck6459]

I have travelled in France, Italy and Germany without wearing my rep, but so far I have yet to see anyone getting flagged for inspection of their belonging. Some people bring in LV, Prada or some fake branded sunglasses and the custom didn't even care. I think as long as you don't play with your watch or showing them to the custom people, they won't even notice what you are wearing. Anyway, there are so many people wearing these branded watches, I don't think they will have time to assess every watch, they have other things to worry about. The law is written as a guide of what not to do. As long as you din't get caught, everything you do is legal :lolcina:.

Let me ask you guys something: and if you buy a rep without knowing it is a rep, how they could prove you knew what it is ?

We know many gen buyers don't have a clue what to look at a watch to certify it is the real thing, they just have the money and no knowledge about details or watches history.

Even someone rich enough to afford a gen watch can be made of clown.

Have anyone had to justify to a law agent that didn't know was wearing a rep ?

:thinking:

They will ask for copies of the prove of purchase or warranty card and certificate. All genuine branded watches came with these documentation, so if you fail to give one, you will get fined.

That is my point !!
I think very unlikely you get any kind of problem wearing a rep during a vacation trip anywhere you go, but I felt scared after some comments done by some friends here in RWI.
At least, I didn´t get any negative feedback from anyone that ever had this kind of issue.
Thank you all to call me down

Actually I don't think the custom will even notice your watch if you wear a long sleeve shirt or a jacket. I seriously doubt that they will ask everyone to roll up their sleeve such that they can search for counterfeit watch. It is a great waste of their time anyway.
BTW, you can also take off you watch and put it in your pocket before crossing custom regardless which country you are entering, not like they will strip-search everyone for reps :thinking:.

Last year I went to France, and I was wearing my TagHeuer replica, and I did took it off while was walking into metal detector in Paris. Watch was with my belt and other coins in small plastic bucket allso going thru rengen, and nobody said anything!
And back then I had a horrible blue AR coting still on it.
But they didnt do anything!
maby I was lucky, maby they arnt watching!

Will you even need to remove your watch for metal detector? I always walk pass it with my watch and nothing happened so far. I think airport securities are more interested in what is in your bag then what is on your wrist.

 

[ck6459]

I guess in France I cannot wear my 2tone Rado voyager because it looks like a datejust, and I cant wear my invicta because it looks like a rolex sub.... Some people are just effing crazy.

I don't think they will confiscate your Rado or Invicta, these are established brands which is not exactly the same of fake. I think the law is mean to catch those people with unmarked fake branded products, I saw a Chinese made bag with LX instead of LV but they looks exactly the same in terms of cuttings and patterns.

 

[Pakz]

Will you even need to remove your watch for metal detector? I always walk pass it with my watch and nothing happened so far. I think airport securities are more interested in what is in your bag then what is on your wrist.

That happens sometimes, with big watches (like a fiddy, DSSD, Big Pilot) because they are a large chunk of metal and their detectors are getting more and more sensitive... Last time it was my shoes that tripped the detector, and they're not "very metallic"... (I was wearing Converse All Stars)

 

[ck6459]

Perhaps my watch is small enough to avoid the detector then, I always travel with my Seiko Criteria World Time which is about 46mm including crown but it is a lot thinner than my reps especially Tag Grand Carrera Calibre 36. But shoes, I always have the wrong idea that only leather shoes with metal sole will trigger the alarm, I always travel with my Converse Leather Chuck and never have no problem so far.

 

[Sofacleez]

Never, ever in all my trips throughout Europe and Asia has anyone in customs ever asked me about any of watches, gen or reps. Once however about 10 years ago, returning to the States from Japan - I had a customs guy ask me about my watch, a Rolex two tone DJ. He wanted to know if I bought it in Japan. Nope I told him bought it in Ridgewood NJ (true.) Besides I said, no deals in Japan on watches (also true.) He said welcome home. I guess he was more concerned that I bought it overseas and wasn't declaring it. That is IMHO way more likely than trying to pick out a rep.

 

[Wiz]

Never, ever in all my trips throughout Europe and Asia has anyone in customs ever asked me about any of watches, gen or reps. Once however about 10 years ago, returning to the States from Japan - I had a customs guy ask me about my watch, a Rolex two tone DJ. He wanted to know if I bought it in Japan. Nope I told him bought it in Ridgewood NJ (true.) Besides I said, no deals in Japan on watches (also true.) He said welcome home. I guess he was more concerned that I bought it overseas and wasn't declaring it. That is IMHO way more likely than trying to pick out a rep.

+1

Don't forget that the primary assignment of Customs is to collect taxes...

 

[Mambo]

If I return from for instance Turkey entering my country ( Holland ) , they do look whether you've purchased 'illegal' goods ... other then that no problems.
No more then 3 counterfeit items allowed ...

 

[ck6459]

If I return from for instance Turkey entering my country ( Holland ) , they do look whether you've purchased 'illegal' goods ... other then that no problems.
No more then 3 counterfeit items allowed ...

Will they actually count? Although every custom states that no counterfeit goods allowed, nobody really cares as long as it is not a large amount which can be use for business purpose. Just like drug possession, an amount for personal use puts you in prison for months, a larger amount get you a death sentence...

 

[Mambo]

Yes they will count ....

 

[fleadepot]

Recently passed through french border at Lyon airport with a rep explorer 1 on my wrist and a gen breit cosmonaute in my cabin luggage. No one made any comments or looked at me suspciously. Simillar trip to Germany with wise versa order of watches - same scenario

 

[Bonesey]

you guys are all far too paranoid

 

[tommy_boy]

I came back into the US from Canada with six reps in a travel case. They flagged me for a "random search". (Which means that it was a slow afternoon and they needed something to do.)

Maybe they looked at the reps, maybe they didn't. Not a word was said.

 

[slimslim]

yep don't be paranoid. i went from penang thru sin/hkg/ams/muc/gru to mvd with a BAD rep on my wrist the whole time. then i found this place.... bottom line don't worry about the reps. guards are trained to spot nervous behavior btw. so don't act nervous....

 

[Camaro95]

I came back into the US from Canada with six reps in a travel case. They flagged me for a "random search". (Which means that it was a slow afternoon and they needed something to do.)

Maybe they looked at the reps, maybe they didn't. Not a word was said.

Random, my ass. I always get randomly selected when I drive my car over the Bluewater Bridge. When I take someone else's vehicle never an issue. When I take the ferry, the US Customs officials are more than willing to just talk about the weather than ask actual customs questions.

 

[mbjoer]

8 pages so far, and no one with a first hand experience of customs causing real trouble when taking a watch into the country.
I think it is safe to assume that there is no risk even in Switzerland of you being asked to take your watch off and prove it is authentic (unless you are seriously asking for it, like wearing extremely bad fake clothing and bags).

But here is a first hand example of the opposite: When leaving Larnaca in Cyprus lately I had a lot of watches in my hand luggage. Really too many and mostly reps.

They were spotted in the security scanner. I was stopped.

Not because they thought they might be fake but because they thought I was carrying these to sell abroad. Had the been Gen and for sale I might have broken rules about currency export, or so they said.

They were all looked at, and nothing more happened. Mostly I guess because they would have found it hard to show that I had done anything wrong as I was travelling within the EU, but interesting that they even cared. Note that they did not question if they were fake.

Also a freind of mine was stopped in Stanstead airport a year ago and asked to show his cash. He is young, looked like a lot of money being well dressed and with a good rep. Thus someone with a potential big wallet.

Moral of the story: Keep discreet and you will be OK. When you look or act in an unusual way you may bring attention to yourself. Only then would the rules quoted in postings above come into force. Otherwise you will be fine.

I would have no hesitation to continue travelling with reps (in normal quantities...) in Europe or elsewhere

 

[ck6459]

Random, my ass. I always get randomly selected when I drive my car over the Bluewater Bridge. When I take someone else's vehicle never an issue. When I take the ferry, the US Customs officials are more than willing to just talk about the weather than ask actual customs questions.

Perhaps you look like a smuggler ^^ and I look like a terrorist that's why I get the gun powder or explosive test at Australia airport every time I travel...domestically and internationally.

 

[ck6459]

I think it is safe to assume that there is no risk even in Switzerland of you being asked to take your watch off and prove it is authentic (unless you are seriously asking for it, like wearing extremely bad fake clothing and bags).

Not because they thought they might be fake but because they thought I was carrying these to sell abroad. Had the been Gen and for sale I might have broken rules about currency export, or so they said.

Moral of the story: Keep discreet and you will be OK. When you look or act in an unusual way you may bring attention to yourself. Only then would the rules quoted in postings above come into force. Otherwise you will be fine.

I think wearing a bad rep is not normally a problem as the flaws won't be spotted by an amateur from long distance or even close-up. But a shiny rep like a gold rolex will attract heaps of attention and properly get you into trouble. I don't think I will carry all my reps everywhere I go, maybe just have a spare one in my hand luggage in case one dies off...ya and acting normal is the golden rule.