The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Get in to the office late, have a jolly good lunch & go home early.

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Jim

"You have Control".

Sounds like you'd fit right in with the current executive staff.

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

I don't get it. Is there hate for Breitling? Are they having financial problems?

sent from my Note 3

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ffeelliixx,
Bentley Supersports Light Body | Bentley GT | Navitimer World | Navitimer 50th Anniversary | Montbrillant Datora

Err, no. In fact, I would not know where to start with anything I would like to do. My list is so long. So in that case, do nothing.

One thing that might be good though & not necessarily a priority. Set up up a LM style skunkworks division. Where all LE & future teasers could be developed free of any marketing or sales pressures. Try them out in limited numbers & see what's hot! Called it B Division. A space for really creative designs & ideas. All those edgy concepts developed with a free hand. Problem is, they probably have that now, & inevitably it comes down to 'normal business considerations'. So what I have in mind would never work.

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Jim

"You have Control".

Well I am not sure how good an indicator this is but I do not recall seeing any photos this year of a Breitling lavish Basel party like last year, so far at least.

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"It is just a matter of time!"

Well I am not sure how good an indicator this is but I do not recall seeing any photos this year of a Breitling lavish Basel party like last year, so far at least.

I was there. Have lots of pics and it was as spectacular as it was the years before. So, no indicator there.

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In that case if I was to be Breitling CEO for one day then I wish it was on that particular day

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"It is just a matter of time!"

The funny thing is, Girardin was there... Wearing a Hawaiian shirt!

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No hate, just what I would call a sense of frustration over design and materials choices over the past, say, five years.

Financial problems? None of us know, I would explain this to you in the form of a specific question: Why no use of ceramics and other new materials which the "conglomerate" watchmakers are using and customers like, and why no diversification of in-house movement, to something like a three-hand specific movement? There is a temptation to try to answer this with what many here would consider logic. Maybe Breitling, as an independent which has not had the same sales recovery post-2008 as some of its competitors, is precluded from doing these things for financial reasons. We again don't know if this is true, and many of us do also realize the peril of attempting to apply logic to the decisions of others, but such is what happens with people who want Breitling to succeed, and are frustrated with what we see.

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Scott

AP Royal Oak 15400, silver
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Classic Cars
Vintage gold Corum
Rolex DJ 36 TT, oyster dial, oyster/smooth
Baume & Mercier Riviera 200m, silver dial/aquamarine bezel
Breitling Superocean 57, rose/stainless

Breitling is a private company so no requirement to disclose, but they do certify every watch that they produce through COSC. We can assume that production numbers have at least some relationship to sales numbers and the COSC numbers haven't been very good for Breitling relative to competitors for the last few years. That has to impact financial performance at the top line, and presumably at the bottom line as well with all of the in house capital investments to pay for.

I see. Thank you. Are these sales figures posted anywhere?

Also, I suppose Breitling can get by with flat sales so long as its margins are growing which may be the case given the price increases.

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ffeelliixx,
Bentley Supersports Light Body | Bentley GT | Navitimer World | Navitimer 50th Anniversary | Montbrillant Datora

Who or what is the Ling Man? Please educate the newbie in me!

As I said, Breitling is private so no sales figures. COSC figures are released every year and a thread search here will reveal them.


Search is your friend - an early and outspoken member.

Easy. I'd hire JC Biver. He saved Blancpain, saved Hublot, and boosted Omega as well. He would convert Breitling into a gold mine. Such an immense heritage, so many great models to re-introduce and improve on. BTW, in many ways I can feel that in the past few years Breitling was trying to imitate Hublot, albeit on a smaller budget and via lame tricks and shortcuts. New materials like gold & rubber bezels (= fusion, just worse), BlackSteel (= Black Magic, just worse), odd colour combos, etc. It's just sad how Breitling steered away from a great direction where they headed 10 years ago... But, the Airborne and the new Colt give me hope. All they have to do now is stop the silly oversizing, sack BlackSteel in favour of ceramic or forged carbon, and produce more in-house calibers.

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Ingenieur - Speedmaster - Submariner

I've put way too much thought into this. I think it's a really great question, trying to figure out what I would do if I was CEO for a day. No easy answers and some really good replies above.

I keep coming back to pricing - specifically finding dual price points where the company continues with its in-house offerings at higher prices, but somehow develops quality pieces at the 'prices of old' i.e. anything south of $4,000 - $5,000; and not just existing pieces that already qualify, but newer models, and models in each range. I have no idea how you would have a Navi 01 at say $10k, and a Navi type watch at $5k (not the exact watch of course) but I'd expend some serious thought into finding a way. By doing this you're opening yourself to a higher volume of watch buyers, while also hopefully not destroying volumes of the more expensive in-house options at higher prices.


This may not even be feasible but I'd like to see a greater range of more reasonably priced watches, even if the movements aren't quite as grand (and keeping in mind the supply of generic movements is more restricted than in the past).

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Happines is Good Health and a Bad Memory.
"Ingrid Bergman"