The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I admit that I did this. Before I felt comfortable trading watches online, I bought a fake 46mm B&R just to test so I could decide whether to buy the real thing or not, and doing so made me realize that I didn't want the real thing. I still have the fake collecting dust somewhere. I considered it a test drive. I did the same with an Alpha GMT (Rolex GMT clone) and quickly realized it was too small and moved on. With the Alpha, there wasn't any moral issue, but the reasoning was the same.

One thing I can say for sure, I get no pleasure at all from wearing a fake, it feels cheap and makes me feel like a turd. I don't care how others feel, but I know how I feel, and if I can't feel any pride wearing my watch, why bother.

If I see someone wearing a fake, I approach them the same way I would if they wore the real thing. A casual hi and "nice watch", with maybe a follow up question or comment. Then I'll say something like, "I'm really a Breitling nut... but I don't recognize that model?", or "thats an unusual model" or something like that. This is enough to make the fake wearer uncomfortable and hopefully he will re-consider wearing it again. I know this works because it happened to my brother-in-law when he was at a business lunch wearing a fake PAM. His client said to him "is that a 111?" My B-I-L didn't have a clue what he was referring to, then the guy said "your watch, is that a 111?". My B-I-L quickly said yes, put his hand on his lap out of sight and quickly changed the subject. He was so embarassed that he never wore a fake again, and has since bought several authentic watches with my help, including a SA batons.

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As a mechanical engineer, I take pride in the things that I design and work on. And I definitely believe that it is VERY important to have laws protecting the investment that goes into the design, marketing, research, manufacturing, etc. of products. And luckily, the general society agrees with this belief, and that's why we (U.S.) have a myriad of laws governing patents, trademarks, counterfeits, copywrite, royalties, etc. etc.. etc.
In my opinion, a person who willingly wears a fake Breitling, is making the public statement that they really don't care about the very unethical/illegal practice of counterfeitting; and that is not something to be proud of.
And, I am SHOCKED that there exists enough replies on this topic to imply that a significant amount of forum members either support or actually own counterfeit Breitlings. Wow.
Maybe someone can start one of those voting threads, to see what percentage is FOR or AGAINST counterfeits?

Like i said, I'm not proud of my fake, and I don't support it, but I admit I did it as a test drive. Mine never left the house. But having said that, there will always be fakes, and in fact there are probably more fakes than real watches out there, I know this to be true for Rolex. We all have to find our moral center, and find what makes us happy. If wearing a fake and portraying themselves as something they are not makes them happy, thats their choice and clearly there is something else missing from their lives. Maybe they are missing ethics, morals, judgement, or maybe it goes much deeper than that.

Nothing can replace the sense of pride I feel when I put on my Rolex or Breitling, and it just makes me feel good, even if it stays under my cuff all day. I know its there.

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I agree it's not the right thing to call someone out on a fake.... unless they start to talk the talk, and that's a different story. If you wear a fake you should go the avenue of the con artist selller and say it was a gift and you know nothing about it.

So for that reason I side with the poster and think the guy with the fake watch wasn't really that bad because he did eventually come clean (well yes he had to), he just learned a good lesson is all.

Its one of those things, I agree you need to pay to play. If not then you leave yourself to potential ridicule.
Its our small way to fight the fakes.

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Breitling Bentley 6.75

Yeah, I'm definitely on the more "proactive" side of discouraging, condemning, frowning-upon, and definitely not supporting the counterfeit industry. With rampant disregard of copyright laws, you're one step closer to a third-world country.

Calling someone out in public makes you more of a d-bag than the person who is wearing the fake watch. End of story. 99% of the public doesn't care what kind of watch either of you were wearing.

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Mmmmm

But I bet that same 99% would care if they lost their job, by outsourcing to China.

For anyone to actually think that the counterfeit market has no effect OR actually has a positive effect (i.e. "makes the real watches more valuable") on the watch industry............I'd say........well, I wouldn't even waist my time with that person.

I guess we should expect Breitling to SUPPORT the counterfeit industry; to help their sales. I can't believe they even bother to warn us about the fake Breitlings sold online.

Rolex replicas have been around for 30 years. Has Rolex suffered sales because of the replica industry? Do you really think that the same person looking for a $50 Rolex on Canal St. is taking away marketshare from Rolex by opting for a fake over the real deal? Rolex faces more of a market share threat from Tudor than it does from replica watches.

Now, is there a moral conundrum to owning replica goods? Absolutely. But do I honestly think it infringes on devaluing the brand of the real-deal? No way.

I don't understand how people compare replicas to the stealing of IP. Stealing the IP of a company, replicating the design and selling it for the same price if not higher is a DIRECT threat. A $100 replica is not competition to a $10000 watch.

As watch connoisseurs, our effort should be focused on busting scammers trying to sell replicas as the real deal to unknowing folks. Not trying to call-out some guy for rocking a fake watch that he knows is fake.

Calling out someone for wearing a fake watch is no different than calling out someone for wearing a shirt you don't like.

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Mmmmm

If a counterfeit of the exact make/model of the Breitling you own becomes the world's most popular watch, would you really value your watch as much? If you frequently see people......every week......wearing a counterfeit of your exact watch.....and everyone assumes yours is counterfeit, as well....you wouldn't care....at all? Ha! That model would likely be discontinued by Breitling......and I guarantee their sales of that model would plummet, along with the value of your watch.

A very significant percentage of the value/price of a Breitling, is an non-tangible value.....called "brand perception" or "brand recognition". It allows manufacturers of high-end products to charge what is called a "premium", over what would be a more representative price for the product, by the image they've created for their products. Counterfeits absolutely eat-away at "brand recognition", and lower the potential "premium", that a manufacturer can charge. In effect, counterfeits can (and often do) actually DE-VALUE products that were already sold. They also see a decline of "brand loyalty".
All of this is commonly taught in Marketing.
Also, very often, something that is rare can obtain a higher value. Counterfeits affect the rarity of Breitling how?

And for Mercedes classes; Brand "cannibalism" (as it's called in marketing) is something that manufacturers consider, study, and make important decisions upon.

If you don't think that Breitling's upper management pays a GREAT deal of attention to the counterfeit market, and how it's affecting their company.........well......


I guess I lied; I did waste my time with someone

Thank you for wasting your time. I will not do the same

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Mmmmm