I can’t comment on the closure as I haven’t worn one for an extended period yet. However, I have been doing a lot of research on the price of a plain regular JUC bracelet in Europe vs. US and it really depends on what the sales tax is in your state and whether you can buy in an airport.
It’s always better to buy duty free in the airport if you can, but I have no idea about how convenient that would be in Spanish airports. This can vary a lot between airports. I know that it is fairly convenient to buy in Heathrow, as they have personal shopper services for out of terminal clients, but CDG sometimes will not allow you to shop outside your terminal. Not sure what the airport prices are now, but I’m guessing it’s increasing by about the same percentage as the price increase.
Currently, the price before tax in the US is $6800, versus ~$7770 incl. VAT in Europe. After you get VAT back, you would be paying $6800-6900. Then if you declare it at customs on your way home, you may pay a duty of about 5.5%, resulting in a final price of around $7200+. If the tax rate in your state is close to that, I would just buy it in the US as the price is very comparable before tax now, and there is no guarantee you will not have to pay duty. If you opt for CC rather than cash for the VAT refund you may not even receive your refund, as sometimes those are lost or take months. All this being said, I’m buying it in France and claiming a VAT cash refund because my closest store is in NYC where sales tax is 9%.