The Breitling Watch Source Forums

From J.P. Girardin, Breitling VP at Basel 2010:

"We don't conduct any market research. We believe that Breitling is strong enough for an independent product development and that our customers will follow the brand."

It still sounds as arrogant 2 years later, but there is little doubt from recent releases that the arrogance remains.

Are you sure he did not say this???!!!

"We don't conduct any market research. We hope that Breitling is strong enough for an independent product development and that our new customers will follow the brand."

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"It is just a matter of time!"

"We don't conduct any market research. We pray that Breitling is strong enough for an independent product development and that our new Asian customers will follow the brand."

Arrogance is the right word indeed. Having sold Breitlings for 20 years I recently told them that I no longer wished to represent the brand. I sent both an e-mail and a letter to Teddy Breitling himself and I never even got the courtesy of a response. Arrogance indeed.

The irony here is that the changes we've seen in the brand over the last couple of years seem exactly like they came out of some corporate board room, in which executives used focus groups and surveys as a means of establishing directives its design department had to follow. Typically, when a company loses sight of its artistic vision, and simply designs by the numbers, that's when you get the pablum that ceases to thrill. In this case, it would seem to be the exact opposite scenario: Breitling follows its own banal muse, and loses sight of what its (core) customers really want.

To me it seems like the bean counters are in charge of design....they are shortsighted. Lipstick on a pig is more like it lately, but I bet the bottom line is looking good for now.