Is it true that watches will be confiscated by customs if you take them overseas?

Q: Is it true that if I take a watch overseas it will be confiscated by customs?

Most of the time, you won't face any penalties, but in some countries you may have to pay tax or your money may be confiscated.

A: Most of the time there is no problem, but in the worst case scenario it may be confiscated.

　Yusaku Maezawa recently flew into space. The hot topic among watch lovers was the news that one of his Richard Mille watches, which he had brought with him, was confiscated by Russian customs. Some say that this is only natural, considering it's a luxury item worth 100 million yen, but in fact, even watches that aren't that expensive can be caught by customs when entering or leaving a country. Most cases go unpunished, but it's also true that some people end up having to pay tax or, in the worst case scenario, have their watch confiscated.

　However, where you get caught ultimately depends on the customs of the country. I heard that Frankfurt Airport in Germany was strict at one time, but it seems to have been relaxed recently. Meanwhile, Russia has begun to impose strict restrictions on the transport of luxury goods. Maezawa's case can only be described as bad timing.

There is no problem if you wear it. The manufacturer issues a special document when transferring samples.

　Generally, there are no problems with the watch you are wearing. Also, there are generally no problems with the watch you bring as a replacement. However, if you are carrying multiple expensive watches, you may be mistakenly thinking that you are exporting and importing them duty-free, and you may be held up at customs overseas. There is one thing to be careful of when taking watches overseas. Incidentally, many watch manufacturers transport samples by hand, and when they do so, they issue a customs document called a Carnet to prevent any problems.