Highest ROLEX Density on Planet Earth! | Tokyo Japan Rolex Tour [PART 1]

#rolexwatches #Tokyo #japan
Hello ROLEX watch fans this is Watch Fan Henry and I recently (December 2023) had a very enjoyable holiday in Tokyo, Japan. For those of you that are unaware, there is a sacred ground for ROLEX watch fans deep in the heart of Tokyo, that has to have the world’s highest density of ROLEX watches. Please enjoy my Part 1video tour of this place, to get a taste of what I’m talking about, and I look forward to your comments. This video will be continued in the part 2 release which I’ll be uploading shortly on my Watch Fan Henry channel here on KZbin. Thanks for watching and happy ROLEX collecting!

[@markmcnamara6743]

Great video. What a crazy place ⌚️

[@WatchFanHenry]

It really is! For ROLEX watch fans it is unbelievable!!! You can spend every day looking at watches, if you want to! The abundance of supply is unbelievable.

[@structurescience]

That was great!

[@WatchFanHenry]

Thank you🙏🙏

[@ashish3859]

All the more reason to visit Japan now 😄

[@WatchFanHenry]

The food and sushi are awesome, I absolutely LOVE Japan 🇯🇵

[@thomasstratford6227]

So amazing! Watch shop after watch shop, all with tons of Rolex watches!! Guess what large nation is just a tad West of Japan? Next up? All those genuine Rolex watches in Istanbul!

[@ferdinand2506]

Great info mate. I am going to Japan now!!!!

[@WatchFanHenry]

You will not be disappointed!!!! I got addicted to Japan on a first visit in 2010 and have tried to go there every year since. BTW I love all things Japanese, including the food! And very kind and well mannered people.

[@2GoodLookin]

Have the prices dropped in 3 months?

[@hmstv5556]

Welcome to Ｎakano❣️

[@WatchFanHenry]

Yes, I was at Nakano Broadway. I just love that area. The watch shops are fantastic as are all the other shops as well.

[@DeivisonServatSporteman]

Hey Henry. Thanks for making this video and sharing your journey! I will be in Japan in 15 days, what should I ask to be sure I'm doing a good purchase at Kame Kichi store? Thank you!

[@WatchFanHenry]

You know they really don’t speak too much English in the store. You just have to look at the watch. Try it on .. view the paperwork and see if you like it and the price works for your budget. The watch I bought came with its original box and original paperwork and tag, so that was what sold me on the watch and the fact that I know that this company has been in business for a long time and I’ve purchased from them before .. that was sufficient for me. I think you want to ask for a watch that comes with some form of its original paperwork .. and you can ask if they polished the watch. You can ask when the watch was last serviced or if they serviced the watch. You can ask if the watch was sold on the Japanese market. These would be things that come to my mind to ask. I hope this helps.

[@AshutoshMandelia]

Please guide me as to whether you found stores stocking other brands like omega, breitling etc. New or used. Also do these places accept cards? Thanks much in advance.

[@WatchFanHenry]

Great question thank you for asking it. Yes almost all the Tokyo luxury watch shops are stocking all the luxury watch brand not just Rolex .. so you’ll find plenty of fabulous selection when you visit Tokyo. All the watch shops except all major credit cards with no problem. Well I can only speak for my own experience, and I’ve never had a problem using my credit card to purchase a watch. I hope this helps, and thanks again for watching my video and commenting.

[@evans2005]

Hey Henry. Thanks for making this video and sharing your journey. I'm going to Japan next month and interested in finding a Rolex watch. What are your top 5 stores there on Nakano Broadway with the best price and quality Rolexes?

[@WatchFanHenry]

Hi Evan, to be honest, at Nakano Broadway I really only have one top 1 store (Kame Kichi) and I’ve bought two watches from that one store .. two for two visits. I found that this shop had better prices for the entry-level watches that I was buying (Submariner and Air-King) as compared to other shops. So they won my business two times in a row.

[@amirul7810]

Hi Henry. Love watching your video, your honest opinion. Can you please help me? I have been dreaming of getting my 1st Rolex. I'm going to Tokyo and Osaka. Can you pls recommend places where I can get reasonable prices rolex?

[@Greektourguide]

Air King with purple tags are the newer reference with the 05, crown guards and updated movement

[@WatchFanHenry]

Great observation thank you for pointing this out!

[@mrparlanejxtra]

It was on our news yesterday that in Soho England, there are "watch-jackers" taking Rolex watches/timepieces off people's wrists in the streets at night.

[@WatchFanHenry]

In the UK ROLEX watch crime is a pandemic, I made a video on UK Watch Crime

[@fbernacke]

I just came across your channel and think it's awesome!! Can you trust these places with 100% certainty you are buying genuine watches and not fakes or frankenwatches? Thanks again for the awesome videos. You seem like a really great guy.

[@WatchFanHenry]

Personally, I can .. because I’ve been travelling to Japan for the last 15 years. So I have a great level of comfort in the Japanese and Japanese businesses, and I personally feel that a long established Rolex shop in Tokyo can be trusted. I’ve put my money where my mouth is on two occasions. But I deal with shops that I know that have been in business for many years and have great reputations. 100% confidence is not something I can say exists but personally I think I can say .. over 90%. I’ll be uploading a video next week on my favourite vintage Rolex watch shop in Tokyo .. and I know the man who runs the shop and I’ve purchased from him so I know that I’m not going to be buying a Frankenwatch from him, for example. I think one could have a watch checked easily in Tokyo and would recommend it for anyone that has concerns. But there are a number of long established Rolex dealers advertise regularly in Japanese Rolex magazines, and I can’t imagine them not standing by their products.

[@WatchFanHenry]

I appreciate your kind words. Thank you very much as well.. this is all learning process for me too.

[@themrgumbatron]

You should visit a few of the dedicated malls in Hong Kong where grey market watch and jewellery dealers set up shop..

[@WatchFanHenry]

How are the prices on ROLEX watches in HK? Would love to hear the details.

[@jact12]

HK prices tend to be cheaper than almost anywhere in the world

[@themrgumbatron]

All about supply and demand. There is an over supply of luxury watches on the secondary market here in HK, which indeed means lower market prices in general across most models.

[@MichaelRimmer-qx8jp]

@@themrgumbatronis there the tax free option for foreigners like in Japan?

[@themrgumbatron]

⁠Hong Kong is tax free for all. 💵💰

[@alexius8111]

aren't prices too cheap to be true and as a novice i can never tell the difference from original and fake. Any suggestions to buying genuine timepieces when in Tokyo from these shops ?

[@WatchFanHenry]

Great question thank you very much. I would say the best advice would be to stick with the biggest of these shops that have been in business for decades, with repeat customers going back many years. That would apply if you’re buying a late model Rolex watch. If you’re buying a lower value $2000-$4000 vintage watch, I don’t think it’s such a worry because I don’t believe the counterfeit Rolex watch makers have expanded into replicas of 40 year old lower value watches. It’s just not a thing that I’m aware of but if you stick to the shops that are the most well-known, I don’t think he would have a problem as I’ve not heard of this being an issue. I welcome comments from other viewers on this excellent question as well, and will look forward to reading other views.

[@johnalden6584]

I lived in Japan 🇯🇵 for 10 years. The Japanese pawn shops called sitsiya are rife with brand name watches. Good to check them out.

[@WatchFanHenry]

Yes John I did see the luxury secondhand stores all over the city (I think this is what you might be referring to ) and I went into some of them to check the Rolex prices. But I noticed the prices were considerably higher than the specialist Rooex watch shops, so I really didn’t focus on the luxury brand, secondhand shops for that reason. The Rolex dealers in Nankano Broadway had much better prices than the luxury secondhand shops. This is just my opinion of course.

[@johnalden6584]

Thank you for replying! Your video is very informative & interesting. More power to you and your blog !

[@themrgumbatron]

I visited Nakano Broadway again last week, overall rather underwhelming in terms of inventory and also pricing, even with the week Japanese Yen currently. Where else do people shop for pre-owned luxury timepieces in Tokyo? Specifically neo vintage & vintage pierces over modern references.

[@WatchFanHenry]

Great question thank you for asking this. Quark operates a chain of high-end luxury vintage watch shops across Tokyo and I believe other Japanese cities as well. They would be the retailer with the biggest selection of better vintage and higher end pieces. But their prices are also quite high as they tend to be located in retail areas where there are no other watch shops so they’re not competing with foot traffic and other nearby retailers. Also, there are some other smaller watch focused areas as well which I’ve not visited .. but I did see them when I did a Google search so they will be next on my list of places to visit. As I have not visited them, I cannot vouch for them.

[@themrgumbatron]

I’ve visited a few Quarks in the past and share similar sentiments.Thank you for your sharing and insights.

[@kenw2365]

I was at That mall , recently and it is a great place for watch lovers

[@WatchFanHenry]

Very hard to beat I would say.

[@clk25120]

No shortage of rolex, just shortages at retail prices

[@WatchFanHenry]

The truth!!!

[@thematthewlai]

Are these cash-only places?

[@WatchFanHenry]

I did not ask about cash only as I was only thinking of credit card purchase for myself. I did see one seller with reduced cash prices and I think I pointed it out in the video. But it’s my belief that the Japanese do not negotiate whether you pay cash or credit card .. most retailers are going to have the same price and I didn’t want to get into that with the shop that I like to deal with (because I’m happy with their price and in the past I’ve just paid with credit card)… and I’m happy to get the points.

[@A1steak]

This is nothing compared to Hong Kong

[@WatchFanHenry]

Good to know as I was last in HK in the mid 90s.

[@AshutoshMandelia]

Agree. I have always bought a watch from Hong Kong but off lately haven't been there since covid.

[@nondescriptnyc]

I am familiar with both, and there is something to be said about shopping for higher-priced items in high-trust societies like Japan…

[@A1steak]

@@nondescriptnycHong Kong is higher trust, way wealthier than Japan. The worst place to shop watches is in places like NYC, full of pest and scammers in the US

[@nondescriptnyc]

@@A1steak Good for you! My experience has been different, especially with gray market vendors that seem to prey on non-locals.