Airport Security and Travelling with / wearing a Replica watch

[code_66]

I'm a Canadian citizen, and in the last three years, I've traveled to:

- Paris
- Italy
- HK
- Vietnam
- Dubai

I've worn/carried both gen and reps with me, and not once did I have any issues. Only issue was forgetting to remove it during x ray, and that's literally it.

Usually I'll have my gen on wrist, and a couple reps in a watch roll in my carry on. I agree with other comments, not sure where all this fear mongering is coming from, but I can tell you from experience, I've never had issues with bringing watches with me.

Enjoy your watches and wear in good health everyone! Buy reps, save money for gen vacations lol

 

[OI812]

IMOP, in most instances (not all), if they're hassling you about your watches it's not the watches that brought about the scrutiny.

 

[g00n]

IMOP, in most instances (not all), if they're hassling you about your watches it's not the watches that brought about the scrutiny.

I guess some folk who travel just have a certain look…..

 

[OI812]

Apparently, based off how many times I've been pulled for extra screening, one of em is me. I

 

[Derawood]

It's a tricky situation since laws vary by country, and you don't want to risk losing your timepieces or getting hit with fines.
In my experience, it's best to err on the side of caution and declare any high-value items, even if they're replicas. Being transparent can help avoid any misunderstandings at security. Plus, investing in a good travel case could add an extra layer of protection for your collection.
If you're keen on more travel tips, I recently stumbled upon some hacks for saving money on business class flights. Might come in handy for your future journeys! Check it out here: https://travelbusinessclass.com/turkish-business-class

 

[xray7]

I’ve done a fair bit of travel in my life - have lived in a few countries and have visited more. I know plenty of people who travel extensively. Some wear gens, some wear reps… and hand on my heart, while I know of all sorts of staggering complications at ports of entry, I don’t know of anyone having a problem specifically wearing a rep engaged in travel, ever. Not one.

I do know of instances of HMRC hassling people about luxury watches based on where they were coming back from - that’s to do with UK tax residents ducking paying import duty and so on.

HMRC is a scarily well informed beast and knows exactly how much you, as an employee or business owner, got paid this month, and they are very interested in people who may be pocketing cash or using things like a watch bought for cash cheap in one country coming back to the UK to be sold off and funds landing in the seller’s bank account.

HMRC has better intel than you do, and they know just as well as you that there are certain places which business or pleasure may take you that could allow you to save thousands of pounds in tax, and they want HMRC’s fair share.

 

[DurbanPoison]

I travel quite often for work and holidays. Personally I’ve never had an issue with wearing just a watch on my wrist and going through customs and airports. The only time I ever got asked about my watch was by a customs officer at Geneva airport what the purpose of my visit was. I told him I was here for leisure and he noticed the watch I was wearing (a gen Rolex) and just gave me a compliment. I joked that it’s fake and he told me sternly not to make a joke otherwise they will confiscate it and I will get a hefty fine. My one and only brush.

 

[xray7]

I joked that it’s fake and he told me sternly not to make a joke otherwise they will confiscate it and I will get a hefty fine. My one and only brush.

There are very few categories of people with whom I won’t share a joke when they’re on duty/on the clock. Regulatory agencies, tax officers, and Customs officers are firmly within the exclusion group for me.

Customs get a bad rap but there are so many factors which they are necessarily considering when interacting with you and even the most innocuous joke could be interpreted as an attempt to distract.

Immigration, after a Customs referral, on the other hand, can assuredly take a joke. I once had Customs not want to board me at an airport pending a referral to Immigration - didn’t like my passport to fly out of the country I was leaving, refused to board me, punted me to Immigration and made me their problem.

By contrast, Immigration chap was hungover and shared my first name, we had a laugh, and I was on my way less than a minute later.

 

[Andrew_watchlist]

I have read, but not witnessed that the French take a very dim view of counterfeits if detected, when going to or from an airport. Its to do with protecting home grown IP. What I read said plan was to fine people the actual cost of the item. But like I said not seen it in practice.

 

[Foomanstu]

 

[Got20Mate]

I'd love to think the border controls were like this when it came to actually pulling people up reps rather than, you know, doing their job lol

 

[Hagus]

I’ve worn reps for about 15 years, flown twice a year, plus the odd ferry! Been from the UK to France/Spain/Italy/Holland/Switzerland!/greece/vietnam/india/dubai, been searched a bunch of times, I apparently looked like a wanted person in Dubai airport and was detained for about an hour! But nobody has ever looked at my watch.

Btw I wear mostly Rolex, odd Panerai and Tudor.

 

[Cubby]

Never had an issue going through airports. I have started to wear a replica because it’s easier to hand over and spare your life if needed in London. No one has ever noticed the replica from the original.

 

[xray7]

I have started to wear a replica because it’s easier to hand over and spare your life if needed in London.

I’m pleased to be shot of London.

I have a colleague who refuses to wear reps because as he said to me at a function without a trace of humour, “if I’m getting my arm chopped off for a watch it had better be genuine”.

 

[HaydenM]

I've travelled with reps for years and never had any issue whatsoever with them. Nowadays will have a GMT on my wrist and then a Gen Speedy and one or two reps in a watch roll. Most comment I've ever gotten was a compliment from TSA about my GMT.

 

[fnfalguy]

Can confirm, but I paid extra so when they xray it, the caseback doesn't have fake etched on it /s

 

[Cubby]

I’m pleased to be shot of London.

I have a colleague who refuses to wear reps because as he said to me at a function without a trace of humour, “if I’m getting my arm chopped off for a watch it had better be genuine”.

I get his point. I am doing my best to get out of London. Watch this space

 

[xray7]

I get his point. I am doing my best to get out of London. Watch this space

Essex is calling. Close to the sea, commutable…

 

[Cubby]

Essex is calling. Close to the sea, commutable…

Thank. I will keep that in mind

 

[kiasunkiasi]

How's the lume ?

I think probably pinkish, but need to twitch the "knobs"