Vietnam watch markets

[Mystery Shopper 5,887]

As our dollar is strong compared to the green-back, Mrs M and I have decided to have a holiday next year in Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam. We will visit Singapore, Siem Riep, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Are there any watch markets worth visiting or isn't it worth the bother? I'm not after rubbish-like the rubbish found in Bali or 'beach' resorts- more higher end reps as are available on this wonderful forum.

Worth a look in any of these cities or not?

[prestigewatchco 2]

As our dollar is strong compared to the green-back, Mrs M and I have decided to have a holiday next year in Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam. We will visit Singapore, Siem Riep, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Are there any watch markets worth visiting or isn't it worth the bother? I'm not after rubbish-like the rubbish found in Bali or 'beach' resorts- more higher end reps as are available on this wonderful forum.

Worth a look in any of these cities or not?

 

Singapore waste of time doubt you will find anything much there it's such a strict place it's liable to have the death sentence for selling reps!

Cambodia nothing over $20 Phon Phen the Russian market may have the odd better quality but will be all the money if you happen to find any

Vietnam actually makes some of the best reps in the world well Rolex that is but I think finding them will be a major problem as 99% of them are exported rather than sold in the local market.

 

So I wouldn't think that any of the 3 countries will have anything you couldn't find anywhere else in a flee market.

Even Bangkok which in the region is by far the biggest seller of reps doesn't have a ready supply of forum quality watches

[KBH 7]

I remember an interesting post about a year ago of someone going to VN. It has quite a few pictures including some stores that sold high end Rolex reps as well as directions to get to the right places.. Most looked like regular jewelry stores. I'm 99% sure that it was on RWGfourm (RWGjr). There are a lot of very well made franken watches as well as old gens left there from the war days.

 

Try and dig around over there for the post and it will be well worth while if you can find it. In fact if you find it would you pm me with the link?

[Patron Saint of Heartache 0]

I remember an interesting post about a year ago of someone going to VN. It has quite a few pictures including some stores that sold high end Rolex reps as well as directions to get to the right places.. Most looked like regular jewelry stores. I'm 99% sure that it was on RWGfourm (RWGjr). There are a lot of very well made franken watches as well as old gens left there from the war days.

 

Try and dig around over there for the post and it will be well worth while if you can find it. In fact if you find it would you pm me with the link?

 

 

http://www.rwgforum.com/topic/85926-saigon...__1#entry560132

 

 

If anyone else knows a lil more, please chime in

[robbie888 0]

Hi Scott

Last year we visited Vietnam and I have been to the Ben Thanh market in Ho Chi Minh City. Most of the dealers there selling cheap crap, but inside the market there are two or three dealers selling decent reps, complete with the famous rep-catalogs. Mostly quartz and some (probably) 21J automatic watches (hidden in layers behind the counters). I did not find any real high-end watches with (clone) ETA or so movements. Bought a very decent TAG Caliber 36 quartz for a very good price (thanks to an even stronger EURO).

Enjoy the preparation of your vacation!

[Mystery Shopper 5,887]

Thanks guys, Ill have a look next month when I'm there. Pretty happy with the quality on this forum from our trusted dealers though so they will have to be good. Won't buy another of these.

[RolexAddict 1]

Singapore waste of time doubt you will find anything much there it's such a strict place it's liable to have the death sentence for selling reps!

Cambodia nothing over $20 Phon Phen the Russian market may have the odd better quality but will be all the money if you happen to find any

Vietnam actually makes some of the best reps in the world well Rolex that is but I think finding them will be a major problem as 99% of them are exported rather than sold in the local market.

 

So I wouldn't think that any of the 3 countries will have anything you couldn't find anywhere else in a flee market.

Even Bangkok which in the region is by far the biggest seller of reps doesn't have a ready supply of forum quality watches

 

In Singapore I got an animated discussion with a hotel employee and I treated him of fascist, they are like, worse than Swiss, I hate when some things and people are to much perfect and to much regular, these need to put a little more salt and peper in their life

I love the lifestyle in Thailand, hope local authorities will allow casinos in the future... that will be fun

 

I wasn't in the City of Angels since a long time but I was surprised by the tons of watch shops and TONS of reps in Phuket, but just basic models and low quality

 

Don't know what happen exactly in Vietnam but I have read they have some original Rolex tools, jigs and templates to reproduce almost everything like gens, cannot remember where I read this and dont know if its 100% true

[Mystery Shopper 5,887]

Recently returned from a visit to Singapore, Cambodia and Vietnam. I had posed the question about watch reps and pretty much decided not to hope for too much on this trip. Firstly, the trip started off well when we were upgraded to very nice suite within the hotel on Orchard Road.

We would meet in the boardroom for a family meeting (one of you is getting fired) to decide what we would do. Had a look at a few ADs on Orchard Road & in Zivo City- prices not too dissimilar to back home. Nice to look though.

Then onto Cambodia. From Astin Martins to Tuk Tuk. Surprisingly, it was Khmer New Year as we arrived. Many Cambodians on holiday at their national temples. Very hot during the day but so much to see. Visited Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm and others. Stunning. Khmer Rouge killing fields near Siem Riep are moving. Still notice a generation of people are missing.

At night, Siem Riep night markets and Pub Street are the way to go. Plenty of options for a meal and cold Angkor beer (50c / glass). Night markets had plenty of silk, T shirts, DVDs, table cloths etc and surprisingly some watches. All of the stalls encourage you to pick by what looks nice, they can't answer questions on movement etc. Noticed Rolex, Tag and B&R predominate. Most were USD 50 (starting price) and looked like quartz.

Night market

Then onto Hoi An in Vietnam. UNESCO world heritage listed. Pretty old streets, good food, plenty of shopping. Great tailors, silk, carvings, furniture and some watches. Had been warned to look out for good Rolex reps here but could not find any in Hoi An. Plenty on show, all of same quality. Didn't purchase.

Couple of days then in Saigon. Went out to the rubber plantations at Chu Chi. Saw the tunnel complex and it seems quite authentic as there is a functioning rifle range there. For a couple of dollars you could fire AKs and the like. Poor ice cream lady next to it must be going deaf. Tunnels not built for westerners- i felt reborn after emerging from the earth and much closer to my mum. Back in Ho Chi Minh City (locals still call it Saigon) we hit a few museums and night markets. Here I found a bloke who had higher quality watches especially Rolex. We had free drinks and nibbles for a couple of hours at our hotel, then would stagger out and hit the market. The 'gen sweep' watches were USD 150 and looked OK. I had a close look at a Rolex GMT and a IWC. Real deal back in the foyer of the Caravelle- Just as many ADs in Saigon as Singapore.

Finished off with a couple of days relaxing on Sentosa Island. In the lines at Universal Studios I noticed an Indian bloke with either a cosmograph or a daytona. I asked him after a while which was it. He replied 'neither, it is a first quality rep from Thailand!' Decent watches are available but hard to find in SE Asia. Easier to grab decent quality from here and some 'eye candy' watches for USD 30 each in Cambodia or Vietnam.

[mulder 0]

Excellent report and photos. Thanks for sharing. There was a news report here in Australia the other day by some one who had been to Vietnam 20 years ago and returned for a vist. One ofthe things he said was the number of rep watches and DVD stalls were to be found every where. May be he was exaggerating.

[omni 6]

Thanks Scott for leading us through your trip on the other "Guess This Location" thread, especially for me as I had to researched it all. What a great trip you had and for tying it to the interest in replica watches for all the members.

[Nisv 0]

Allright, thanks for sharing

[paule11 0]

Thanks

[Luthier 1]

 

That's quite good ass/legs combo...

[kan3 0]

Nice pics Scott and thx for sharing. And like luth said, nice ass(es) up in that pic lol.

[Mystery Shopper 5,887]

Beautiful women in Cambodia and Vietnam. They all say they are 26! Air hostesses on Vietnam Airlines were just stunning.

[gtwc 1]

Lovely pics and great travelogue!

Thanks for sharing.

[David543 0]

Thanks for sharing, really interesting.

[Member X 91]

Great pics, the massive temple complex looks amazing from the air and makes you realise just how much of an achievement it was than at first glance, because they had no man-made flight to check alignments and layouts!!