GUIDES · MAR 2026
Buying your first serious watch in the UAE
Grey market or authorized dealer? Dubai retail or import? The UAE is one of the best places on earth to buy a watch — if you know the rules.
The UAE advantage
No import duty on personal watches, VAT refundable for tourists, and one of the deepest secondary markets outside Hong Kong. Prices here are frequently below European retail even before tax.
Five questions before you pay
Is the warranty card dated and stamped? Do the serials match card, case and papers? Has it been polished? Is the movement running within spec on a timegrapher? And will the seller put the condition description in writing? A no to any of these is a discount conversation — or an exit.
Where we fit
We authenticate before money moves, in either direction. A pre-purchase inspection costs a fraction of a mistake.
WRITTEN FROM THE TRADING DESK · WATCHGURUAE
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