Buying the first Cartier watch

[byzina]

Hello everyone!
In three weeks I'm going to Milan and Florence. I want to buy there my first Cartier piece, Tank Solo in small size, and need some advice. Does anyone know how likely it can be that they will be out of stock? Can I get tax refund on watches (I've done it only on clothes before)?
And I also have some concerns about the service. I've read a couple of posts here that Cartier has quite expensive and not impeccable watch service. Is it better to do it in the store or in a good watch service center? How much do they charge for minor services, for example changing a battery?

 

[Storm Spirit]

You can get tax refunds on just about everything as long as you're not an EU resident and take the purchases with you, and that includes watches

As for stock, I would contact the store beforehand to make sure they have one. I would guess that they're likely to have the Tank in stock as it's popular, but one can never say for certain.

 

[byzina]

You can get tax refunds on just about everything as long as you're not an EU resident and take the purchases with you, and that includes watches

As for stock, I would contact the store beforehand to make sure they have one. I would guess that they're likely to have the Tank in stock as it's popular, but one can never say for certain.

Thank you!