How international shipping works when you buy a watch from Waltana

By Walty, Pre-owned Watch Specialist at Waltana, Lausanne

Buying a watch from abroad means trusting a courier with something that's often worth more than the cost of shipping it insured. For international buyers, the real question isn't "will it arrive" — it's "who's responsible if it doesn't, and what happens with customs along the way." Here's exactly how we handle it.

Who ships the watch, and how

Every watch we sell is physically in our stock in Switzerland before it's listed — we don't drop-ship or broker pieces we haven't inspected ourselves. Once a sale is confirmed, we hand the watch to a specialized courier equipped for high-value shipments, not a standard parcel service.

Each shipment is:

• Fully insured for its actual declared sale value, not a reduced or symbolic amount

• Packed discreetly, with no external branding indicating the contents

• Tracked door to door, with tracking details sent to you as soon as the label is generated

• Signature-required on delivery

What paperwork travels with your watch

Every international shipment includes a proper commercial invoice declaring the item, its accurate value, and its origin. This is what customs authorities in your country use to assess any import duties or taxes owed on arrival.

If you're purchasing tax-free as a non-Swiss resident, your invoice will reflect the export price (excl. Swiss VAT), and we'll provide any additional documentation your carrier or customs office requires to process the shipment cleanly.

How long it takes

Shipping timelines vary by destination and by how quickly your local customs office clears the parcel — something outside our control once the watch leaves Switzerland. As a general guide:

• Within Europe: typically a few business days

• North America, Middle East, Asia: slightly longer, largely dependent on customs processing at arrival

• Anywhere your shipment is held for customs review: we'll help you track down what's needed to release it

What happens if something goes wrong in transit

Because every shipment is insured at full declared value, a lost or damaged parcel doesn't leave you exposed. If anything looks off with the packaging on arrival, photograph it before opening and contact us immediately — this protects your claim and speeds up resolution.

We recommend that you:

• Double-check the shipping name and address you provide — errors here are the most common cause of delays

• Be available to sign for delivery, since high-value shipments typically aren't left unattended

• Keep an eye out for a customs notification if duties are due in your country, so the parcel doesn't sit unclaimed

Prefer to collect in person?

If you're planning a trip to Switzerland, you can also arrange to collect your watch at one of our pick-up points — Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Luzern, Lugano, Zürich, or Winterthur — and handle export documentation for a VAT refund directly, as outlined in our guide to VAT and customs when buying from Switzerland.

Questions before you buy?

Whether you're shipping to New York, Singapore, or Dubai, we can walk you through what to expect for your specific destination before you commit to a purchase. Get in touch at contact@waltana.ch, or browse our current stock at waltana.ch/shop.

Selling a watch instead? Learn more about our consignment service.