The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hello All,
I am very curious how the co-branding for Bentley and Brietling is going....

To me the Bentley range is an aspirational range for people who want a Bentley but can not afford it (nothing wrong in aspiring to own a fine Bentley motor car). I am just curious how this relationship is going.

It is like the standard cars in Australia being brand "EXECUTIVE" - we have the Holden Commodore Executive, Ford Falcon Executive, Mitsubishi Magna Executive etc..... whilst the true junior executive car is a BMW 3 series, Audi A4, Mercedes C class - THESE ARE JUNIOR EXECUTIVE. To the proper executive - BMW 5 series, Mercedes E class, Jaguar.

** I think BMW did have a package called the EXECUTIVE OPTION - which was essentially leather, wood trim and alloy wheels. BMW never put the word executive on the badge. The most likely buyer for the type of BMW 3 series (with executive option) was the local real estate agent or salesman! (hardly an executive in my humble opinion).

Non of these JUNIOR or PROPER Executive cars ever use the name EXECUTIVE!

I think the same applies to Bentley! The Bentley watch range is for people who will most likely ever own a Bentley!

True Bentley owners would wear an AP, Patek, Breguet or VC..... not a Breitling (unless it came free with the car... then they would probably gift the watch to their sons/in-laws).

A few common things about Brietling and Bentley.

1) Both use generic parts - ETA 7750 movement, Audi engines - BOTH ARE GOOD THINGS - just not anything super special.

2) Glamourous past - today both are really just an advertising company relying on former glories.

3) Both are overpriced! definately the car is.... the watch is reasonable for a quality luxury watch.

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I need more watches....

I actually know 3 people who will not be named but they own bentleys and only own breitlingsand 1 of them doesnt even own a B for B. theory busted.

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Emergency
Bentley GT
Chrono Colt
Avenger Skyland Blacksteel
Steinhart LE#9/15

Or some people just like the look of the watch and the bentley part has nothing to do with it

I saw a guy driving a Bentley GT the other day and he was wearing a Breitling hat.

The whole concept of "I cant afford a Bentley car so ill buy a Bentley watch" is just ridiculous, and probably used more by people who cant even afford a Breitling Bentley than anybody else.

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-RJ

When I use the term BENTLEY motor car I am referring to the following:-

1) A car less than 10 years old
2) A car produced under Audi Ownership
3) Not a 70s Banger racing Bentley!

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I need more watches....

My dad has a B for B-6.75 and is just about to get a bentley GT.

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Pain is only weakness leaving the body.

At the end of the day does it really matter how the relationship between Breitling and Bentley is doing? Aside from the incredible amounts of marketing dollars spent on the co-branding. Does it matter wither or not a Bentley owner wear a Breitling for Bentley watch or not? Its this weird desire by some to want to categorize just about everything that give these marketing companies reasons to spend the money they do. He drives a BMW 3 series so he's a junior exec. whereas I drive a 5 or a 7 series hence a senior executive. Its this need to be "Special", "Elite" or "a part of" that gives these companies justification for what they do.

They all do it from Breitling, Rolex, Omega, Kellogs, Cloth designers, to Nike and Adidas....its called marketing.... show a product with something desirable that someone might want to associate themselves with.... Nike and Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and whoever it is that he is being paid Mega dollars to say he use or support.

Most of us buy a watch for what it is not what its designed or marketed as. I for one own mostly dive watches and at best I might enter a pool once or twice a year at most. A long way from the 5000ft pressure depth my SuperOcean is rated for.

I've said it once and will say it again just because the product has reached critical mass (heavily marketed) doesn't mean its any good....case in point there is company with a Golden arch and a clown that sells millions of burgers a day and I've yet to meet anyone who can convince me that its good.

So all I see between Bentley and Breitling for Bentley is two products marketed as being of top notch quality...wither or not I agree with it doesn't make a difference in the world.

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Jerome

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BREITLING EMERGENCY + UTC CORAL DIALS
BREITLING AEROSPACE TITANIUM PROF (SOLD)
ROLEX SUBMARINER BI-COLOR BLUE DIAL
LOUIS VUITTON TAMBOUR DIVERS
PANERAI LUMINOR

I love my Breitling Bentley GT - and it has nothing to do with the co-branding.

As far as British sports cars are concerned, I much prefer Aston Martins. Having said that, as much as I love the Old Dart, the Italians have the car game sorted in terms of styling. When I see a Lambo Muira, I don't know whether I want to drive it, or shag it!

The Breitling Bentlies are just killer watches - roided up Navis/70's chronomatics in terms of styling, which is cool.

AS a general comment on watch marketing, I noticed a Rolex ad the other day in which Rolex boasted something like "more COSC certifications each year than any other brand". That didn't sound too exclusive to me!

But at the end of the day, people who know a few things about watches look beyond the hype, whatever their choice.

Another day, another "interesting" view from Archie!

Personally (as the owner of 3 Breitling for Bentley watches), my love of them has very little to do with the cars. To clarify, I have no intention of buying a Bentley, and not just because of the price. If I was looking to drop that kind of wedge on a car then an Aston would be at the top of my list, and to be honest and M5 or an M6 would be prefereable to a big "gentleman's club on wheels" Bentley.

As Roadkilled so rightly put it, maybe some people (err...... like me for example) just buy the Bentley watches because they like them. Wacky concept I know, but hey, there we are.........

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Driver8

Site Moderator

My uncle has both, he drives (among others) a '08 gtc. He has two watches, a Rolex Sub (boo! ), and a Breitling for Bentley Mark VI.

The truth of the matter is, he couldn't tell you a damn thing about either one! the Rolex was a present from his wife, and the Mark VI his son bought him. He's not bothered if they get dinged or scratched, and if someone hadn't bought them for him, he'd probably still be wearing a seiko! I've had this conversation with him many-a-time, watches just don't interest him that much! Just because he has money, doesn't mean he wants to blow £50k on a watch brand which means nothing more to him than timex!

People have often said, "£10 watches could keep better time than your £2k one" but anyone who says so is missing the point, my Uncle is one of these people.

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Men are from Mars, women are from Hell.

Well as we all know I have some B for Bs, and I don't own a Bentley. If we extend the car analogy that Archie wants to use I'm likely not even a junir manager - I have a Jeep Patriot as my daily driver - C$22,000. What does that make me Archie?

In reality, it makes me practical, I live somewhere that I need a 4x4 and I commute 150km one way to work - doesn't matter how much I spend on a car it's still knackered after a few years, so why bother. I've had my share of nice cars including a V12 Jaguar XJS, but right now I don't see the sense in spending that kind of cash on what is effectively a consumable for me.

I own my own company that is obviously successful enough to keep me in watches, so maybe, just maybe I don't have the same interest in cars, or 2nd hand briefcases for that matter.

I couldn't care less whether my watch is partnered with Bentley or anyone else. I don't have a Ferrari PAM, but it's not because I don't like Ferrari, or because I don't have a job title that would 'allow' me to buy a Ferrari - I just don't like the watches. On the other hand, my wife has an Oris - but she doesn't have a Williams F1 car in the garage.

This might come as a big surprise to Archie, but I don't need a car to tell people what kind of job I have, I don't need a name brand briefcase to tell the world I've made it, and I don't need a watch to say anything to anybody - I just wear them for me. It's a shocking concept in this modern era, but I prefer to be an individual than a marketing stereotype.

Archie's theory poses some real problems for me that I will have to address immediately.

At work, we have two job titles for admins - "Administrative Assistant" and "Executive Administrative Assistant." Whether or not you are an Exec Admin is solely determined by the level of the individual that you support. For Admins, the salary for their grade is capped at $65k. For Exec Admins, the salary for their grade is capped at $110k.

My assistant's title is "Executive Administrative Assistant." But, I drive a 2003 Toyota Camry. According to Archie, my Camry is neither an "Executive" car, nor a "Junior Exec" car. In fact, my Camry is perhaps even too lowly for a salesperson or a real estate agent! Oh the horror!!

So, I'm going to call human resources this morning to get this all straightened out. Clearly, my Exec Admin Assistant needs a grade and title change, and perhaps even a $70k-$80k paycut.

Archie, since I drive a Camry, do you suggest that I change her title to simply "Secretary"? Geez, even that might be overstating her status as well as mine. How about these suggestions: Clerk? Serf? Plebian? Slave? Let me know which one best fits your social heirarchy theory.

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Breitling Colt GMT
Breitling Navitimer World
IWC Portuguese Automatic
Breitling Transocean Chronograph LE

Just want to keep everyone updated. I spoke to HR, and when I told the HR rep that I drove a Camry, she screamed! I suggested that we immediately file paperwork to have my admin's title changed from "Exec Admin Assistant" to "Assistant Plebian." But apparently, the situation is MUCH worse than I thought. HR said that according to our company's Social Standing Heirarchy Handbook, the fact that I drive a Camry not only procludes my assistant from having an "Exec Admin" title, it procludes ME from even having an assistant in the first place! We met with my admin a few minutes ago to inform her that she was being terminated immediately, and security just escorted her out. On her way out the door, I could hear her yelling, "A Camry? He drives a Camry?? A @&%!*@$ CAMRY?!?!?" Fortunately for her, the fact that I have a Camry with a V6 means that she will at least get a severance package. If it was 4 cylinder, they would have just taken her out behind the building and put a bullet in the back of her head.

Archie, thanks to you, another social injustice has been righted!

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Breitling Colt GMT
Breitling Navitimer World
IWC Portuguese Automatic
Breitling Transocean Chronograph LE

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BREITLING EMERGENCY + UTC CORAL DIALS
BREITLING AEROSPACE TITANIUM PROF (SOLD)
ROLEX SUBMARINER BI-COLOR BLUE DIAL
LOUIS VUITTON TAMBOUR DIVERS
PANERAI LUMINOR