Hi! My husband will be in Tokyo in May. Thinking to ask him to bring back a Small Clash bracelet for me. Just wondering if it’s still cheaper to buy in Japan vs US and which store is helpful. (May also look into Bulgari Serpenti viper bracelet and VCA Alhambra if available.) Thank you for your thoughts on savings when buying in Japan!
-
The annual Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open for EVERYONE! Click or tap here to shop the sale!
Don't forget to swing by the NAS chat thread to share your hauls and post any questions related to the NAS!
Cartier In Japan
- Thread starter vivaciousbev1
- Start date
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
It’s still cheaper. I don’t think you’ll have any problem with Cartier, I visited many stores and stock was uniformly good and service friendly. I personally enjoyed the flagship and nearby standalone boutique in Ginza but I don’t think it really matters. VCA Alhambra bracelet is harder to get for sure, as in unpredictable depending on their stock but it’s not impossible. If your husband is loathe to shop he could head straight to Ginza Six mall which has all 3 shops in the mall and other interesting non-shopping stores for him to check out (like a nice bookstore on the top floor).
This is so helpful! I will definitely recommend Ginza Six. He’s on a guy’s trip so I am sure they would rather spend as little time shopping as possible. They were only going to check out Mikimoto as it’s a Japanese brand and likely cheaper but it sounds like other brands are also a better price vs US. My shopping list is growing!!
I recently purchased a Cartier panthere ring in Osaka, Japan. Just saw the credit card amount, the saving is quite minimal compared to the retail price in my country (Singapore). The savings is just 3.5%. But I will get some further rebates on the cc. I am not aware that the cc currency conversion rates are so unfavorable. This is the first time I purchased FJ overseas. I usually buy local. Probably will keep to buying in my home country going forward as the savings is not that material.
Was in Osaka last year and tiff & co seems to have relatively significant difference compared to SG’s. (My girl was trying the diamond ear studs). I didn’t step into Cartier though.
TBH, I feel good buying local. When I travel, the attachment to valuables is too much to handle.
TBH, I feel good buying local. When I travel, the attachment to valuables is too much to handle.
No, it is not difficult to get from my experience. I was in Osaka in April. The panthere half pave ring is available in both the main Cartier store at Shinsaibashi and the Takashimaya Cartier store. But only the Shinsaibashi store has the correct ring size (size 54). The SA from the Takashimaya store offered to transfer the size 54 ring from their workshop to the store if I pay in full.
Did you end up buying it from Shinsaibashi? Funnily enough I was going to buy the pave juc ring thick from Japan or VCA in 2023 (when I posted this thread). I went and saw the pave juc in the airport and decided against it. Bought preloved vca. Prices went up a few weeks after I came back from Japan. Walked into the Cartier store and fell in love with the panthere half pave ring (was also like you debating over full or half pave) and bought it in the USA for full increased price with tax! Kicking myself but I guess panthere sizing isn’t very common
Yes, I bought the half pave panthere ring from the Shinsaibashi store. Both Cartier stores are quite well stocked in terms of ring sizes. I tried both size 53 and 54 half pave panthere ring (53 in YG and 54 in WG) at the Takashimaya store. I want to get the ring in YG so I went to the Shinsaibashi store the next day to try my luck. Lucky me
but not so for my wallet.Lucky you! What made you want the full paver over half? I have the 53 in rg and only 3 in the whole of USA. I would have saved more at the time with the Japan to us conversion (plus before the increase!) but if I went to singapore (I am Singaporean) I know savings woulda been minimalYes, I bought the half pave panthere ring from the Shinsaibashi store. Both Cartier stores are quite well stocked in terms of ring sizes. I tried both size 53 and 54 half pave panthere ring (53 in YG and 54 in WG) at the Takashimaya store. I want to get the ring in YG so I went to the Shinsaibashi store the next day to try my luck. Lucky me
I'm also Singaporean!
When purchasing jewelry, I always gravitate toward the version with more diamonds—after all, the more sparkle, the better. I want to be absolutely certain that I’m choosing the piece I truly desire rather than compromising for a more affordable option. However, when it comes to the Panthère ring, I genuinely appreciate both versions. The half pavé stands out to me because of the striking contrast between the pavé head and the metal tail. In my opinion, the half pavé ring is also more suitable for work since it has a more subdued level of sparkle. I wear it on the index finger of my dominant hand, making it quite prominent.
Ahh I knew I would find a fellow Singaporean! I live in the us tho. For those who are looking preloved in Japan - it has rather good savings!
But thank you for the clarification. Someone asked me the same thing and like you I always prefer full pave but in this version I liked the contrast and the full pave looked like one eternity band and loses the design a bit. They’re also all shaped different (some thicker or thinner than others).
I also wanted to buy the bracelet in Japan…but not sure if they had the sizing available (at the time I went it was also near increase in 2024 so everything was out online!)