The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Went into Birks in Victoria, BC yesterday to look at a couple of Cartier Santos 100's. The lady in the store would not even let me hold the watch! How stuck up is that? She looked at me like I wasn't good enough or something... like the fact that I was wearing a Breitling Chronomat Evolution didn't matter. I had just bought my girlfriend another Burberry handbag from a neigbouring store, and the staff at that store were EXCELLENT. Let us handle the bags and everything without hassling us... but the Birks lady was horrible.

Ugh. I will never buy anything from Birks in Victoria. Ever. The service was attentive, but very stuck up.. when i went to take the watch to look at it she wouldn't let go of the watch, didn't even offer to let me try it on.

I wish I knew her name, but very disappointed. Anyway, i've NEVER EVER had that kind of treatment from a Breitling dealership.. ever. They've ALWAYS just handed me the watches and put them on for me... even the $20K Solid gold Motors... "Here you go!"

I have to say after that experience with the Cartier dealer Birks, I'll never shop at Birks again.

very rude of her. I am only 21 years old and a student so I dont even look like a potential breitlingbuyer but before I bought mine I was in the store here in our town. The owner was realy kind and he didnt just let me look at the ones in the window, he went back in his room to get all the models he had in store. I was able to try out all of them and he told me a lot about breitling. Have been there two times with my breitling to fit my bracelet and he does it all, and everytime I go to the store he tells me to come back any time if I have a problem. he dont even charge me (I really dont know if it like that for all you guys with Your ADs)

I am soon graduating with a bachelor exam in business and I will continue on to take a master degree and I can tell You that the way that lady was with You is NOT good at all if You want a business to make money and get in a relationship with a customer. I could garantue that she would not be like that if the company would find out how she was.

I've already mentioned that I can be very 'difficult' when people try to be funny with me...I'm like that in these so called 'posh' shops. If I feel I'm being looked down upon, I do my utmost to be as difficult as possible...and then go elsewhere to make my purchase. (Or pay for something that costs peanuts with a Credit Card!!)

I was in Toulouse today and couldn't help dropping into my AD to find out if he'd any news on my Avenger Skyland Blacksteel. While I was there, I asked the owner if I could take a look at the Chronomat Evo (blue dial) on a SS Pilot bracelet that he had in his display. I was wearing my (identical) Chrono blue dial on blue Croco deployant strap and wanted to see what it looked like with the SS bracelet.

I put the watch on and decided that in fact I rather like the Pilot bracelet, and that it is actually more comfortable (!) than my leather deployant.

I asked how long it would take to order a new Pilot bracelet and he simply said " Take this one - I'll order another one for the shop later" and proceeded to change the strap for me.

THAT is a shop I'll revisit - as he knows from a thoroughly reasonable and totally commercial attitude towards his customers.

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Navitimer World, Evo, Blacksteel, Avenger
Loads of Panerai
Submariner Date, GMT Master llc

Good call on the Pilot Bracelet! My favourite Breitling bracelet for sure The Speed bracelet is nice too and of course the Navi bracelet as well but the Pilot looks the best IMO.

Great dealer! They let you buy the strap off a different watch, unlike that dealer in South Florida that another guy had!

I spent many a Summer day in Victoria Canada.

It takes BIRKS to spoil the fun.

They even charge an extra couple of Dollars to package any item in to their famous Birks Blue Box.
YUK TO THEM!

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Keep Ticking!
Smiles on You ~ Don in Canada.

oh!!! I should have made an amendment to this post. They did something quite cool. I emailed a complaint via the website, and about 1-2 weeks later, I received a peice of snail mail from Birks directly regarding the issue. They had wrote me a personal letter from the manager of the Victoria downtown location indicating that they were very sorry for the incident, and that she had gone over the email with every staff in her store. They also provided me with a $50 gift certificate to spend at any Birks store I wanted. It was a very nice gesture.. now I have to find something that's under $50 so I can use it!

CONGRATULATIONS!
I suppose they would "begrudgingingly" sell you one of their Famous (EMPTY) Birks Boxes for just short of that amount.

The REAL Quality people in Victoria shop "just around the corner" from that snooty Organization.

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Keep Ticking!
Smiles on You ~ Don in Canada.

Everything to BIRK is $50. I recently went into a local Birk to take a look at at a Omega watch and the only discount they had was to buy the watch at full price and they would send me a $50 gift certificate on my birthday every year thereafter. I went down the hall to another store who offered me $800 off the posted price. Either way I ended up at the local Breitling dealer and purchased another Breitling instead.

I love going into those stupid posh shops that look at you like you are a freak.

I make sure i dress casual, real casual. Nothing too fancy. And the only shop i purchase from is the one that the attendant actually cares about selling a product than selling to a "Rich Guy" those are the people that work for their money, not the snotty people that look at what you wear before they give you the time of day.

I fell in love with an Omega Seamaster watch, and went to my local mall to shop around, went to a place called La Swiss, they had Breitling watches, and zenith and others too, but they didn't have any Omega's, but the guy there let me try any watch i wanted, was real cool. Too bad i had my heart set for an Omega watch, and went exploring my mall, until one shop actually had the one i was looking for, and i bought it.

I remember I was in another city on vacation and went to a store and nobody I mean nobody came up to me for 5 minutes, and there were 3 of them in the store and nobody else was there……..I did dress ok though, not shorts and running shoes, but I guess since I looked too young they did not bother. Their logic is that if you look 24 you automatically can’t afford a nice watch.

Yeah.. they do judge you by your age alot.. unfortunately I look younger to alot of people than I actually am.

I really like Vancouver because there are such a large number of younger people here that can afford nice things and are probably the main purveyors of stuff like Breitling watches that places like La Swiss are amazingly friendly and forthcoming to younger folk.

Yeah i was suprised by La Swiss, i look very young for my age also, and the guy there was handing me watches like they were candy not super expensive things lol. Somehow i can't imagine that happening at Birks, when you walk into Birks with shorts/runnings shoes and a shirt they will think you are there to clean their toillets lol

Sorry to hear about your incident with Birks in Victoria. I was born and raised in Vancouver, so I have dealt with Birks all of my life. I have never, ever (even when I was a child, and was looking for gifts for my parents), met anybody who was not the least bit friendly and humble. When I worked for the airlines, Mr Birks (JR) and his wife were customers, and they were just as humble as the staff at their stores.
If you are ever in Vancouver, go to the Birks on Granville at Hastings. I have met 3 people in that department, and they know a lot about watches. They also carry a line called Gevril, which is real unusual and interesting.
I am glad that you complained to Birks and that they resolved your issue in an appropriate manner.
Cheers,
Carl

Surprising attitude from that attendant

I find the Breitling dealerships usualy VERY attentive and extremely friendly. My AD actually offered to lend me his personal Navitimer for a day to try the size before deciding on the standard Vs. World models I couldnt take him up on that but it certinely bought him a degree of loyality from me. I will always buy from him if the price is a couple of percentages more at his shope Vs. online-other dealers.

Sorry to hear that Admin. Sort of like my experience at Little Switzerland Curacao, except I got to handle the watches!

~Brian

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Breitling Super Avenger
Fortis Flieger Chronograph
Rolex Submariner Date

You know its strange you would bring that up, a friend of mine almost flipped when he found out I payed 3800 for my Chrono Evo, he couldnt believe I would leave my Omega and Rolex at home to wear it nevermind paying that much. Something about the blue dial making it look like a toy?!


To me my Chrono Evo is the most visually stricking watch I have ever ownedm goes to show you.

I guess Breitlings just dont have that much recognision and are not as "impressive" to those not in the know.