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The Carrera Club

789K views 2K replies 863 participants last post by  mxxxxxm30 
#1 ·
Well, insipired by the "Monaco Club", I decided to post up a Carrera topic :)
I know there are a lot of Carrera topics out there, but the search option didnt find one distinctive "Club" topic, so here goes ....

Breaking things off with a 2007 Carrera Chronograph (CV2014)


My daily wearer, very comfy with the rubber strap :)
I also have a CV2010 bracelet for it, and also just ordered a bradystrap for a bit of change towards the summer b-)
 
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#742 ·
Absolutely loving those 1153 Carreras. They had a blue one identical to this in the 50 years of the Carrera display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year - looked stunning in its little display case under lights.

On the S vs N question, is the white sub-dial and tachy scale the N, and silver tachy with black sub-dials the S.
 
#745 ·
Hi
I am brand newto WUS and this is my first post. Apologies in advance if I have chosen theincorrect thread, but I hope that some of you can offer some advice or send mein the right direction at least! I also apologise if my post is a bit longwinded......

We want to buy our son a Carrera Calibre 16 CV2014.BA0794 for his 21st birthday(in March 2014) - that is the model he has his heart set on, so debating thepros and cons of the model isn't the issue. Where and how to buy the watch isthe issue.


My husband andI were recently in the US on holidays and were told my a rep at a TAG storethat this specific model is no longer stocked in US TAG stores and that wewould need to source it from an AD. We did track it down in Chicagoat Macy's(albeit with the rubber band not the steel bracelet) but due to some confusionon our parts we weren't 100% convinced it was the right watch so wepassed.......

The best deal I can now find is (on line) from Authentic Watches in California (not an AD)for $2995 US ($3190 AUD). The next best deal is another on line seller(TimePiece store) for $3430 US ($3655 AUD) - the advantage of this offer isaccess to Australian based warranty repair service.

The cheapest I can find the watch retail in Australiais $4135 AUD, then itsfull list of $4550 AUD from TAG in Sydney.

So there is a reasonable amount of money to be saved if we are prepared toaccept the risk associated with buying on line from Authentic Watches (i.e.needing to post the watch back to them for any warranty repairs should thewatch malfunction). I've read a lot of reviews on Authentic Watches frommultiple sources and it's mainly positive; authenticity doesn't seem to be anissue but dissatisfaction with after sales service and warranty repairsgenerates some pretty aggressive complaints. Also there appears to be an upwardtrend in complaints over the past 12 months compared to an almost impeccablerecord prior to that (but that could be attributed to many things). However Iwas interested to see that Authentic Watches are only relatively new sellers(this year) on Chrono24 and that struck me as odd????

I have tried searching WUS for more threads on Authentic Watches but not hadmuch luck in terms of anything recent (but that could be lack of searchingskill on my part etc).

So finally to my questions:

1. Do you think the savings are worth the risk of buying from a non AD in the US?
2. Should I wait a bit longer and hope for further price reductions given thatthis model is on the way out in the US (of course I may miss out altogetherwith this strategy)?
3. Do I have to pay import duty if I buy the watch from Authentic Watches?(sorry if that's a naive question but I've never bought anything like this online before let alone from overseas)?

I would appreciate any advice you can offer from your experience as buyers ofthese beautiful watches.

Thanks
Sharon - a cautious mum!

 
#763 ·
Hi
I am brand newto WUS and this is my first post. Apologies in advance if I have chosen theincorrect thread, but I hope that some of you can offer some advice or send mein the right direction at least! I also apologise if my post is a bit longwinded......

We want to buy our son a Carrera Calibre 16 CV2014.BA0794 for his 21st birthday(in March 2014) - that is the model he has his heart set on, so debating thepros and cons of the model isn't the issue. Where and how to buy the watch isthe issue.


My husband andI were recently in the US on holidays and were told my a rep at a TAG storethat this specific model is no longer stocked in US TAG stores and that wewould need to source it from an AD. We did track it down in Chicagoat Macy's(albeit with the rubber band not the steel bracelet) but due to some confusionon our parts we weren't 100% convinced it was the right watch so wepassed.......

The best deal I can now find is (on line) from Authentic Watches in California (not an AD)for $2995 US ($3190 AUD). The next best deal is another on line seller(TimePiece store) for $3430 US ($3655 AUD) - the advantage of this offer isaccess to Australian based warranty repair service.

The cheapest I can find the watch retail in Australiais $4135 AUD, then itsfull list of $4550 AUD from TAG in Sydney.

So there is a reasonable amount of money to be saved if we are prepared toaccept the risk associated with buying on line from Authentic Watches (i.e.needing to post the watch back to them for any warranty repairs should thewatch malfunction). I've read a lot of reviews on Authentic Watches frommultiple sources and it's mainly positive; authenticity doesn't seem to be anissue but dissatisfaction with after sales service and warranty repairsgenerates some pretty aggressive complaints. Also there appears to be an upwardtrend in complaints over the past 12 months compared to an almost impeccablerecord prior to that (but that could be attributed to many things). However Iwas interested to see that Authentic Watches are only relatively new sellers(this year) on Chrono24 and that struck me as odd????

I have tried searching WUS for more threads on Authentic Watches but not hadmuch luck in terms of anything recent (but that could be lack of searchingskill on my part etc).

So finally to my questions:

1. Do you think the savings are worth the risk of buying from a non AD in the US?
2. Should I wait a bit longer and hope for further price reductions given thatthis model is on the way out in the US (of course I may miss out altogetherwith this strategy)?
3. Do I have to pay import duty if I buy the watch from Authentic Watches?(sorry if that's a naive question but I've never bought anything like this online before let alone from overseas)?

I would appreciate any advice you can offer from your experience as buyers ofthese beautiful watches.

Thanks
Sharon - a cautious mum!
Where are you in Australia? Kogan has them now for $3429 AUD with free shipping. They are an Australian based company that is probably direct sourcing from overseas and drop-shipping, so they aren't an AD. Keep in mind that Tag Heuer has only one service centre in Australia that I am aware of, (In Sydney), and all the AD's will typically send watches back there for service and warranty work anyway. Typically this is at your own cost, albeit most AD's will not charge you for shipping and will aim to provide better service in this regard. (Mine offers free cleaning and re-sizing as often as I like - so I tend to let them rather than do it myself). TAG Heuer will honour the warranty on any genuine watch with genuine paperwork. Australian Consumer laws demand this. They don't have to give you the same service they give an AD though... If your concerns about service and warranty still apply and you prefer an AD, I've found it's not unusual to be able to buy Tag Heuer watches at least 20% below list. You just need to ask. I've found ANTON Jewellers in Melbourne will happily price match what you can buy from overseas, even matching Duty Free pricing on one piece I've bought from them recently. I'd be surprised if others won't do the same. Personally, I would happily pay a few hundred more to buy from an AD anyway because I like service.
 
#746 ·
I would suggest calling Ace Jewelers. They sponsor this forum and may be able to answer your questions on price and import duties.

My personal opinion is they will give you a decent discount (not online price, but decent).

Your question basically boils down to is the warranty worth the price savings you get online. Some think it is but others like to buy from legit ADs. Its a personal question only you can answer.

Typically, in the US, discounts range from 0-30%, with most offering 15-20% off.

Good luck with your search. Its a great watch you have chosen.
 
#747 ·
Hi CautiosMum... I have purchased watches from both AD and online retailers... I have purchased from Jomashop this year, and 2010, Authenticwatches back in 2006, and thewatechery. fortunately I had good experiences all the those times.

I would always first recommend purchasing directly from an AD for peace of mind, I have to admint I was very nervous up till the point I received my watch, all was good from there after, as I never had any issues at all.

My recommendation is... you have to weigh in the savings and tax difference, I mean, for $400 difference on a $3,000 dls watch I would not hesitate and buy direct from an AD, but for $2,400 savings on my TAG Monaco, I definitely took the risk.... and would do it again.

FYI, I am pretty sure you will have to pay tax if you mail it home.... I live in Mexico 2hr away from USA, so I ship them to an address in USA, and I drive up to the border, and wear the watch back home..... I save 16% tax....
 
#753 ·
What have I got in common with the man wearing a tea cosy on his head ?



Yes you guessed it - A Carrera.

The cal 11 was the first automatic chronograph to market.
I recently bagged this 70's cal 12 version . Poor thing had lost some of it's lettering over the years
but the rest is still looking pretty good.









The pictures fail to show just how bright the 70's Day - Glow orange second hand is - striking against the steel blue dial.
Recently tested the fully wound auto movement and it has a 44 hour power reserve whilst sitting on the table.
The winding crown is on the left side, so right handers need to hold the watch upside down like a fruit bat to wind it comfortably :)
Mind you if it's worn regularly you don't need to wind it because it's automatic.

 
#767 ·
To all 1887 owner, I'm having a big issue that even Tag's repair center didn't even bother to check and repair during warranty.

Launch your chronograph for a few hours. Try to reset it and check the hour bottom-dial goes back to 0. Mine goes back only by half an hour. I had to do start/stop/reset several times. And after doing that, both button are now locked, I can see the blue column wheel blocked !!

I sent it to warranty back to Swizertland, and it's still doing the same !!!! RIDICULOUS !!!
 
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