The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I've noticed recently a fair amount of Breitling stuff is coming up on ebay etc, I have had my fair share and sold it on but do people really pay the silly prices that are asked or are these sellers just hoping for a mug. I know most things find their level price, but most on ebay are just laughable or is it me being tight.

Al, I see your point but I think generally the market demand sets the price.

For example, I am looking for 2 items at the moment.

First is a#31 bezel protector for my Emergency Mission. Now there are a number of bezel protectors on e bay ATM for prices around £15 - £20 however, if a #31 was to come up I may pay more than that as it would appear to be not particularly common.

The other item is the octagonal clear plastic box that holds the tape measure in the Breitling Field Kit. Again a rare item it would appear and I don't know what I would pay for one of those. It would depend on the day but in the end all it' just a plastic box.

On the subject of the Breitling Fild Kit I did see one on ebay for bids starting at £1000 NOT dollars...Pounds Sterling . The field tool kit I bought was incomplete (and will remain so until I can locate that plastic box ) but even adding the money I have spent on the other 2 items that were missing, to the purchase price of the kit I bought, I am still nowhere near to £1000. And would not pay £1000 for a complete kit.

I hope that sheds some light and assists.............you tight git

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Have
B-1 Black Dial+UTC
Emergency Black+UTC

HAD
B1Vulcan+UTC
B2 Black+UTC
C.A. M1-Team SEB in the Volvo Ocean Race+UTC
Emergency Ti -Yellow+UTC
Mission -Black
Old Navitimer -RAFAT

Born in Scotland brought up in Yorkshire so it must be me that's tight.

It's easy enough to check the prices items have sold for on ebay.

I have received some swag here and there, and generally I give it away for free since it came to me for free, with the odd exception.

This is not really swag but someone has certainly got the wrong idea on value for money, even for a counterfeiter with a fake watch to add to the package this is a bit much

OOPS I forgot the ebay link and now it's gone. ( It was a genuine box with all papers starting at £495 }

You got a double-whammy there Al!

But yes, I'd personally never pay the stupid money that some items of swag go for. I've picked up a few of the pens in my time - most free from ADs - but I've also bought a couple, but I've never paid over the odds. But then I'm not really a collector of swag.... which is very handy as I'm UK based and BUK is notoriously stingey with handing out freebies!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

My love of watches came at a young age when my then stepfather was a VP of advertising with Tropicana in the late 60' and into the 70's but also had this cool side gig as a rep for this little watch company. You may have heard of them, Patek Philippe. And yes, he was just like the Sterling character on Mad Men, hence the drinking was the cause of his and my moms relationship.

But, let me tell ya bout the swag he used to give out. Fishing trips to Boca Grande, Fl. for tarpon fishing season. He paid out of HIS pocket. We went down also and he would take these mega rich watch collectors fishing during the day and show them the latest watches at night. We met some of the coolest people, some not but as a kid it was just like this is what the big boys do when you grow up.
He set up trips like that for customers all the time and they came and they bought. I don't really remember much swag from Patek growing up but he took care of his customers I will tell you that. And he paid most of it out of his pocket. But trust me, it paid off.

A side note, he went to Switzerland a lot. Asked one time why so many trips. He would go to the factory to get customer watches, wear them back as his own and saved the customer a ton because no fees imposed if they came in through regular channels. The three monkeys. LOL.

Swag today is a different animal all together. For the most part the best is kept for the best customers who spend the most. In my area, we had a former dealer that kept all their best swag for professional athletes in the area and purchasers of 5 or more watches annually. So that jacket he just got from the AD free might have cost him 20,30,40,50k. More maybe and guess what, he in most cases is not wearing that jacket, ever. The AD's will never give you that jacket for your Colt quartz purchase you saved 3 years for and had to beg the wife to let you have. Plain and simple. Never!!'

And yes, there really are people out there paying those prices for swag. Thinking it will go up in time, rare because they never gave them one or what the case. My favorite is the travel case. Paying $35 for an item you get for FREE when you send your watch in for service, they return your watch in it!
Do yourself a favor and take your swag money and put it towards a watch. A much better use of your hard earned money. Sure, I would love to have a jacket but I will never pay the entry fee to get one.

Wayne

That's quite different than what Patek does now. Govberg just got back from bringing 15 of their best Patek customers to Geneva for a week, all expenses paid for by Patek.

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Justin
Please contact me via PM for the contact details for Govberg Jewelers
Govberg is an AD for over 50 fine Swiss and German watch brands.
Visit them on the web at http://www.govbergwatches.com or call 800-528-8463

You know Justin your right about that. I remember very vividly that he had a select group of men from New York he did this for. I know that Patek paid their share but those fishing trips and such, nope he paid I know for a fact. And him making those little trips to get their watches for them, for sure. You could never get away with that today.
But you know, he had a full time gig too at Tropicana so he might have done some of the out of pocket stuff to boost his sales. And he sold the poo out of those Patek. They gave him a minute repeater as recognition one year. His son in France has it, he passed away in the early 80's. He was much older then my mom, Sterling Cooper I am telling you.