The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi Everybody,

I have been reading the various topics on this Forum for months now and have been looking at Breitlings for nearly 3 years.

I am very close to making that first purchase and until recently was going to go for the new Breitling for Bentley GMT.

However, with the current financial climate I am finding it difficult to justifying forking out £ 5K+ on such a watch.

During the last few weeks I have fancied going the route of buying two lesser priced Breitlings instead and I rather like the new Super Avenger, white dial with batons and bracelet and I was then going to buy a new Superocean Heritage Chrono, black dial on mesh bracelet in say Jan / Feb 2009. I have tried on a number of Breitlings and in many respects, I like them all, there is so much choice.

Just a few points against which I would welcome any comments from other Forum members on here,

1/ Is the purchase of the above two Breitling models a better choice that going for the Bentley GMT ?.

2/ I am visiting Canada for a wedding in Jan 09 and was going to buy whilst over there but the recent drop in the exchange rate for the £ v $CAD has now made this less attractive (even worse if buying from the US) and I have also had some concern about being had for VAT & Duty on any such purchase on my returm back to the UK.

3/ Through a lot of persistance I have now managed to negotiate a 20% discount off my intended Bretlings from a local AD here in the UK. Do I presume from all I have read on here that perhaps that is a pretty good deal for a first time buy ?.

4/ Does anybody on here think that the Breitling retail prices here in the UK will drop during the next few months in view of the current financial climate and the obvious severe slow down on sales of Breitling watches so far this year ?.

Any comments or observations would be greatly appreciated.

LightingMan

Get the one you really want. Many of us have settled for something other than what we really wanted, and ended up selling later on or just buying that one later on down the line.

From what I understand, 20% off in the UK is a fantastic deal.

I would tell Banks Lyon your quotation and ask them to beat it.

I can't believe you have waited 3 years....

Let me tell you something about possessions.... When you are dead... you are dead......

I think you would be much better off buying on the used market..... go and see a good vintage watch dealer.....

try Ian Blowers......
There are heaps of 2nd hand dealers in the UK.

Don't delay.... buy used and get the 1 you want!

Unless you’re eccentric and where more than one watch at a time, I’d suggest you just go for “the one” – especially as you’ve waited 3 years! That’s extreme commitment – when you pop that cherry, you want it to be sweet!

20% discount is pretty damn good – you’ll generally only get a discount of 25%+ if there is some kind of major clearance. Having said that, I reckon if you wait another 6-12 months, you will see some massive clearance sales on high end watches – a lot of London Finance Lads are in for a right old rogering, so the ADs will be forced to clear excess stock. Indeed, the second hand market may soon be seeing some fresh treats too.

In my experience with anything in life, you get what you pay for(get a good deal though). In other words if you settle for something because its cheaper, & it doesn't do the job, you will be cursed by it every time you look at it. As others have said, you will end up getting the one you want eventually anyway & lose money on the first one you had when you sell it. I wear an airwolf but would love the bentley GMT, I've worn one & it looks awesome. HOWEVER, the dilemma I have is I use all of my airwolf's feature everyday & would go nuts without a timer & whiz wheel. Therefore practically speaking I cannot justify a $10K watch which isn't up to the task.

Get the watch you need, or get the watch you want. Remember its probably going to be the most valuable item to you in time(sorry for the pun). Just think how much time you will spend wearing it, & how many times a day you will look at it. Over 20yrs it will pale in comparison to the money spent on clothes. Good luck

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LEARNING.......EVERY DAY

Bump,

I half expected some comments from the experienced Breitling UK regulars on here, ie Driver, Stefan, etc.

Would love to know your thoughts on the points raised if you have the time.

Regards

Gerry

Oops sorry Gerry, think I must've missed this thread first time round.

The comments from the other guys are all great points, but I'll add my 2 pence worth to your questions anyway -

1/ Is the purchase of the above two Breitling models a better choice that going for the Bentley GMT ?

It's all totally a matter of what YOU like the most. Look at this way, if you only really want the GMT, but can't quite afford/justify it at the moment, then my advice will be to sit tight and save up until you can afford it. A number of us on here (myself included) have bought second choice Breitlings in the past......... and then ended up selling them. The thing to remember is that these watches are totally and utterly LUXURY goods. They are not essentials in any way (although some of us may argue that! ), so if there is any chance that if you buy an SA or SOHC you'll secretly be hankering for the GMT, then don't "make do". Trust me, you will regret it. However, if you like the other equally and plan on having a collection over time, then go for one of the others and look ahead to buying the GMT later as well. Personally, I now have to 100% happy with any new watch I buy, and fortunately that's exactly how I feel about my current modest collection!


2/ I am visiting Canada for a wedding in Jan 09 and was going to buy whilst over there but the recent drop in the exchange rate for the £ v $CAD has now made this less attractive (even worse if buying from the US) and I have also had some concern about being had for VAT & Duty on any such purchase on my returm back to the UK.

The pound has tanked against the USD and CAD, so it's not overly attractive to buy there at the moment for anyone UK based. Additionally whether you physically buy there or online you will be liable for VAT and import duty. Rule of thumb is to budget for around 19 to 20% of the value (17.5% for VAT and the rest on import duty).


3/ Through a lot of persistance I have now managed to negotiate a 20% discount off my intended Bretlings from a local AD here in the UK. Do I presume from all I have read on here that perhaps that is a pretty good deal for a first time buy ?

20% discount in the UK is very good, especially if you don't have any "buying history" with them. Having said that, discounts are becoming a little easier here as the credit crunch starts to hit luxury good vendors. Even so, I'd gladly take 20% from a UK AD if it's offered.


4/ Does anybody on here think that the Breitling retail prices here in the UK will drop during the next few months in view of the current financial climate and the obvious severe slow down on sales of Breitling watches so far this year ?

I can't imagine that Breitling with drop prices at all. If anything, there will probably be an increase in the first half of next year as usual. The increase probably won't be as much as in previous years, but I'm sure they'll increase prices nonetheless. However, I think you'll probably find that AD's will be a little more receptive to discounting..... for a while at least.

Hope this helps.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Hi Driver,

Thank you for your prompt response and your very interesting observations which I will bear in mind before I finally make my initial purchase(s).

Thanks also to all the other members for their respective comments and support so far.

LightingMan