The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Rolex! So dirty grandpa!!

You're just confusing being old with having taste.

(Speaking of which, what happened to the "No Fat Chicks" avatar?)

If having taste means loving the bi-focal crystal on a Rolex, or the hour hand that looks like a Benz emblem/peace sign, or that god awful text on the chapter ring, I can see why I'm not falling head over heals, breaking my hip and being unable to get up!

The no fat chicks was an old inside joke. My wife told me I should have taken down a long time ago. I guess it shouldn't have been up there more than a week! I just never thought about it again. But she saw it when I was posting the wtb purple socks, and she reminded me it was time to take it down.

And yes, I am fully expecting you to post the whipped pic here.

There are lots of younger people who like Rolex, too. I'm pushing 40, so I think I have one foot in both pools. Joking aside, one thing I like about Rolex (which I think is a draw for a lot of people) is that they keep the core appeal of their classic styles intact, while improving on them incrementally. IMO, the latest incarnations of the Submariner, Datejust and Yachtmaster are the best they've ever been. (I'd say that about the Explorer, too, but for the small hands.) In contrast, Breitling radically overhauls their designs every few years, and, IMO, their latest styles (with a few exceptions) pale in comparison to the peak they reached in the early to middle part of the last decade. At this point, though, I'm just recycling old points and arguments that have been made many times before, so no need to keep going on about it.

FWIW, I think your new avatar is very classy.

I understand completely. The incremental improvements are good when you really like the design.

Being 31 this year, I suppose I am falling into the younger demographic.

I can say that while I do not like all of Breitling's designs in the past few years, I like a far higher percentage of the Breitling collection than I do the Rolex Collection. And the piece I do like, I would never pay close to their asking price.

What we need to see is the COSC cert numbers, then we will know how well the new designs are doing in the global market.

From what I have seen, there has not been any signifigant indicators of increased demand for any of the older models in recent memory leading me to believe sales are as good as they have always been, or even better. One would have to consider, if sales are better than ever, how much can you contribute the styling to that gain?

I wouldn't be surprised to find out sales are doing very well. We would be able to conclude in part the styling is doing very well too.

Given another few years, perhaps what we know now as the Chronomat 44 will be their most popular Chronomat ever.

I have pretty much let go of my disdain for the new bezel. I still am off put by the willy nilly use of color sub dials, etc... Now I'm not saying I prefer the new bezel, just don't hate it anymore.

As for sales, I would be surprised to see they have gone up significantly if at all. I don't see the models flying out of the display like I used to. And price is a big one there too. Price has driven a lot of former Rolex haters to become Rolex owners since the price of a Chronomat exceeds the price of the new Sub and GMT. Each to his own, but those two Rolexes are extraordinary if you have owned them. But first you have to get over the old "everyone who wears a Rolex is trying to show off" prejudice.

Now I issue a public challenge to Justin - you sir are in possession of a sacred piece of breitlingsource lore. The time has come to fess up ... with pics!

_________________
SHARKMAN

Breitling may or may not be shooting themselves in the foot with their approach to design and redesign. To me, it isn't so much about how well their models sell; it's about the kinds of watches they produce, and whether they stay true to the concept I first found appealing about them. Right now, the Breitling lineup is very different from what first attracted me to the brand, and the changes aren't for the better - per my own preferences. How well those models sell is a moot point in terms of whether or not I like them. The are plenty of things that sell very well, about which I couldn't give two shits on a Sunday.

To wit.

This is my point. If someone else thinks there are more models they like now than they did before, then the designers are doing a good job as far as they are concerned!

I certainly had trouble adjusting, but now that the sticker shock has worn off, I am absolutely in love with many pieces. The SuperOcean 42 for example while having new font, the font reminds me of the font on the old Colt Ocean. It's like a redesign that makes it modern, but also reminds you of something old. So for me, they are getting better. I can't find one part of the Chronomat Evo I like better than the Chronomat 44.

While I agree that the sales in the US are likely slowing, I would believe they are selling more in the emerging markets; certainly exceeding what sales they lost in the USA.

My problem with Rolex is the styling. I love just about everything else about the company.

Now the important part. I'm working on an idea regading that lore Tom, details coming soon. I'll email you about it tonight, god willing!

I think that goes without saying. I'm only speaking from my own perspective, and how Breitling's changes have turned them into a watch manufacturer that interests me increasingly less as time goes on.

The growing market is Asia. North America just isn't that important to Swiss brands any longer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

_________________
SHARKMAN

..which is exactly why I'm a little confused about Breitling's focus. Asia is the reason Omega keeps pumping out 35mm Constellation Double Eagles and 36mm Seamaster Reduceds. Unless the market has done a complete 180, that market wears smaller watches.

If Breitling is doing good numbers, it would seem like it's the product of brand name and the desire for large watches. They have gone smaller with the 42mm Heritage and the 41mm Galactic, but a lot of the more-traditional-sized Breitling folks seem to be lukewarm to the offerings. For the most part, we're looking at 44mm Chronomats (though only slightly larger than the Evos), 46 and 47 mm. Navitimers, and 46-48(?) mm Chronospaces. Are the T.W. Steel and Nixon crowd stepping up to Super Avengers? Who knows?

I actually like the shape of the shape of the new bezels, just not the number font or style. Trouble is, I'm not moved to buy one. I like the Colt chrono, too, a lot cheaper though a quartz, but same problem. I love the new Navitimer, but with the 01 movement at over 8 grand? Even with discounts, with tax, that's within a couple grand, maybe 2500, of my pre-owned AP. You can also get a new Rolex or a really nice pre-owned JLC or higher-end IWC. I'll find (and did find) a pre-owned Valjoux 7750 Navi for a fraction of that, which puts no money in Breitling's pockets. And for that price difference, I love my AP even more.

I want Breitling to do well. In this period of transition for them (as I see it), I'm just trying to figure out how they will.

_________________
Scott

AP Royal Oak 15400, silver
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Classic Cars
Vintage gold Corum
Rolex DJ 36 TT, oyster dial, oyster/smooth
Baume & Mercier Riviera 200m, silver dial/aquamarine bezel
Breitling Superocean 57, rose/stainless

I dunno whether I'm right in reading it this way but it feels to me like Rolex have a robust confidence in their designs. They think they've got fundamentally the right designs which they slowly tweak and improve over time. Breitling on the other hand seem to discard proven designs in the search for something new or popular. What might look progressive to someone else looks to me like a lack of design confidence, direction and heritage appreciation.

That's largely how I read it, too, rightly or wrongly. The point has also been made before that if Breitling is trying to lure a demographic that is more drawn toward trends and new styles, where will that leave Breitling when that demographic moves on to the next thing that draws their attention? Rolex knows their core market and continues to appeal to them. The (supposed) fact that a lot of that market might be in Asia now doesn't seem to make a huge difference in terms of the styles Rolex offers. Their design evolution still moves at the speed of tectonic plates.