Never in my life could I have imagined so much conversation about this. The watch, itself is seemingly lost in this myriad of controversy.
The shipping boxes are a wonderful idea and having the watches sealed is as well, serving their intended purpose to protect their contents.
If someone buys the watch from someone other than the authorized dealer, it must be considered to be pre-owned and I suspect everyone here is very much aware of that fact. As such, whether the watch is sealed or not, the condition of the watch is a factor that the buyer must judge themselves. What is the difference between a sealed watch and one unsealed if they have never been worn but have found themselves in the secondary market? Maybe a sealed watch gives the buyer a sense of security but it has not in the least changed the fact that is pre-owned.
I would think this move may be directed to those AD's, who knowingly or not, feed the grey market. The plastic and the shipping box directive is not much of a deterrent. Maybe Patek should look much closer at their own dealers for the answer.
I understand their motives but I think there are other alternatives to address the real problem.