I avoid third-party sellers on Amazon at all times. Not just for watches, either. Amazon itself can be trusted, but Amazon allows too many crooks to use their platform. It is not trustworthy.

Buy local if you can.

For watches, I prefer to avoid Amazon. There are lots of fakes on Amazon. Not *everything* has a fake version of it, but LOTS of things do, even things you wouldn’t expect (like hand lotions or facemasks). Ordering from a listing that has Amazon or the manufacturer as the seller is no guarantee that it won’t be a fake because of something Amazon does called Inventory Comingling (interesting to read about, if you’re curious). If it’s sold by and shipped from the original manufacturer, you’re more likely in the clear.

I think buying local is probably the way to go but sometimes Amazon and their prices make it beyond tempting.

If you do go through Amazon, avoid third party vendors and make sure it says “shipped by Amazon” … so many stories of fakes.

Buy local and try the watch on your wrist. So many times I was either surprised or disappointed when trying out a watch.

What’s the difference in price?

As a general rule, I will always try to buy local if I can - I appreciate the ability to browse in a shop and see the product before I buy it, walk out with it in my hand instantly, and I am happier that my money goes back into a local company rather than being whisked away and stored in Jeff Bezos back account.

At the same time, it is not always practical - the product range online is typically much better, and while I don’t necessarily mind paying a small surplus to buy locally, there is a limit to how much of a markup can be considered acceptable. There are also a few local shops where I have received such poor service or had other issues and I just don’t want to support them at all, so we’ll but elsewhere first (either locally if available, or online).