When Buying Watches it's Best Not to Waste Time.(Originated from The Orange County Register, Calif.)

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, September, 1996 by Smith, Elliot Blair

Sep. 16--What's the difference between a Blancpain and Breitling? A Breguet, Piaget and Vacheron?

When shopping for a fine Swiss watch, there are better questions to ask, such as: What do I like? And what's the difference between a real and a counterfeit?

Or as Madison, Ala., jeweler Sherman Brock, says: "What's the difference between a Montblanc ink pen for $150 and a plastic Bic for 19 cents? Both write fine. What motivates a person to pay the difference? If I figured this out I wouldn't be standing behind a counter working."

Before attempting to address such questions, here's a word to the wise: Any new watch, including a Rolex, will lose at least half its value the moment you buy it.

Figure dealer markups at about 100 percent and remember...

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