The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Well then let me clarify my comment. I simply meant the precise words used, their tenor, and their clear meaning come across arrogant and boorish. I cannot and do not pass judgment on the person as I do not know him.

And I was paraphrasing one of the great quotes of the 20th Century - "A spirit of national masochism prevails, encouraged by an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals."
~Spiro Agnew

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SHARKMAN

And with all due respect to the members of this forum, I have not told anyone that they are wrong, nor have I called anyone names. My comments have not only been taken out of context and misquoted, but others have "inferred" my thoughts without merit.

I said that i believe that my definition as to what is a "luxury" brand may different than those who participate on this forum. If you do indeed have a different opinion, then please share it. Calling me elitist because of my views when I have not demeaned anyone in this discussion is beyond me.

BTW, I do not take this personally...however, I would appreciate thoughtful responses vs name calling.

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PAM359, Omega PO Big Size, 1951 Omega Seamaster, Rolex Sea Dweller

My thoughtful response – in complete context:

“my view of "luxury" is different than many members of this forum. When one lives a life of "luxury," one can afford the best without having to "save up" for it.”

“Breitling doesn't make it's bread and butter from fence riders - they make their money from people who can afford their watches without having to take 6 months to pull the trigger to purchase.”

“…lower-income folks or people who can barely afford to buy their watches.”

“….....if you have to ask how expensive it is, you probably shouldn't be buying it.”
(Emphasis Added)

I do not take exception to any individual’s dislike of a particular model or brand for that matter. It is far too personal a call depending on individual taste and lifestyle priorities. But suggesting any brand is not "luxury" because that brand has entry level models less expensive than Panerai or Rolex is short sighted and faulty. It inexorably leads to the conclusion JLC is not “luxury” because Panerai may have higher priced entry level pieces. And Panerai is not “luxury” because Breguet may have higher priced entry pieces. And Breguet is not luxury because Vacheron may have higher priced entry pieces. And Vacheron is not luxury because Patek may have higher priced entry level pieces. And somewhere in that black hole of illogic rests Rolex and even Lange as not “luxury.” And then descending with the same logic at some point Timex becomes "luxury."

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SHARKMAN

please tell me the names of the ads in your area, where i can get the so.abyss for under 2k, grey market is at a 22% discount = $2,100 on the cheapest verrsion. i called george at govburgs last week to order one and he cant get his hands on one, to order one will take 8 weeks because as he told me they are all on backorder, a verry hot seller right now. as far as it having a rubber bezzel insert, whoopi!!! whats the big deal, if i were in to diving i wouldnt be using a wrist watch, i would use a dive computer like im sure most divers use. i think omega makes one hell of a watch,as does breitling. i just like the look of the new so.II better than the p.o. steve

You work in media sales. I suspect you know full well that when crafting a message, it's always with an eye to what people will infer from it, because that's what people do. I'm not sure why this surprises you. That said, your comments pretty much speak for themselves; I don't think much inferring is required to understand what you meant by them. And who is misquoting you? Both Tom and I have quoted you exactly. As for context, this thread provides nine pages of it.

I misquoted him. I wrote that he said Breitling doesn't make money from fence riders...when he actually said that Breitling's Bread and Butter isn't from fence riders. What the exact differences is.... I have NO IDEA

If we're getting that nit-picky Breitling doesn't make money directly from the consumer anyway, they make it from AD's who buy the watches in bulk orders and are contractually obligated to purchase X amount of volume....but that's a whole difference conversation.

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"I don't own any watches, I just lease them"

I infer from what he said - hopefully with merit - that the core of Breitling's customer base isn't fence riders, but people who can afford their watches without having to save for them. That doubtless is true above a certain price point, but it's a pretty broad statement for the brand as a whole, across all product lines. I'd be interested to know if he has the market research that backs it up.

I'm not sure why you are stating that you have been misquoted. From what I can tell everyone who has referenced you has done so by copying directly from your text. Maybe you did not realize how your post read when you initially posted it.

I am still confused as to what your position is. You stated that Breitling is not a luxury brand in your eyes, but that people who buy them should be able to absorb the 10-15% increase without any problem (and I still disagree with this logic). I would also like to know since Breitling is not a luxury brand...what is, and where does it start? How do you decide who makes the cut, and who does not?

As far as the name calling...I don't know what you are talking about. I have yet to call you anything, and feel that I have been more than respectful of you...I just strongly disagree with your logic.

I think this thread has lost focus. If your like me and have just started to read this thread, turn back now.

By taking one sentence out of a paragraph based on what I said, you can infer anything you want. Rather than just cherry picking quotes from my remarks and inferring what I "meant" - it would make more sense to quote the entire paragraph so these quotes are presented in the context for which they were intended.

As I too agree that this thread has been derailed, I stated several times that FOR ME PERSONALLY, Breitling is not a luxury brand. As to what defines a luxury brand, I believe it differs from person to person and probably has a lot to do with how much money one makes or has. I would assume we view luxuries based on what we can afford. I'm quite confident that Richard Branson and Donald Trump have differing views of what is luxury vs. what I view as luxury.

The SuperOcean II retails for roughly $2,100 USD. If the price increases 10% to $2,310, I highly doubt it is going to sway someone not to buy it. Likewise, if my BlackBird retails for $6,500, I doubt that if the price jumped to $7,100 that it would sway anyone from buying it....and again, I may be biased because I can get almost any new Breitling for at least a 20% discount.

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PAM359, Omega PO Big Size, 1951 Omega Seamaster, Rolex Sea Dweller

Fair enough - here is your comment in the other thread on price increases, quoted in its entirety. Hopefully the completeness of the context will make your meaning more clear:



There. I'm sorry if somehow I distorted your meaning when I quoted you earlier.

I stand by that statement...and if that makes me seem "boorish" as some have said, I'm fine with that

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PAM359, Omega PO Big Size, 1951 Omega Seamaster, Rolex Sea Dweller

I can respect that. It's your insistence that somehow we're all misunderstanding you that I find distasteful. Well, actually, I find your remarks distasteful as well, but you're entitled to make them.

i dont know where you are getting your retail price from but its not $2,100? it starts at $2,695 and ends at 3,085 for the superocean abyss. as far as breitling being a luxury brand, it is. but you can think what you like.

That's what my figures show, too. According to the BSource price list, the head alone retails for $2585. If you actually want to be able to wear it, factor in the cost of a strap or bracelet. The lowest priced one is the Diver Pro, at $110, for a starting price of $2695. On a Professional II bracelet, it would be $3085. I'm not sure where you're getting $2100, Martini.