The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Today I received my copy of the 2010 Chronolog........... only it's not called the "Chronolog 10", it's just called "Pure Breitling" with no reference to date at all. Bit of a pain considering that I have all of them from 1997, and having the date on the spine is quite handy. But anyway, that's not the reason for this post. The reason for this post is because of something else (other than the date) that's missing from the 2010 catalogue - The Chronomat B01! Yes, Breitling have missed their flagship model, their first EVER fully in-house movement, out of the Chonolog. Words fail me, they really do.

Now it must be said that I do have the "B01 is coming" catalogue thingy that Breitling sent out last year, and a B01 specific catalogue that my AD randomly gave me a few weeks back, but it strikes me as HUGELY odd for Breitling NOT to include the B01 in the main catalogue. I mean, most people would walk into an AD or contact Breitling directly and ask for a Chronolog/catalogue. Just like I did - I phoned BUK and asked for the 2010 Chronolog, and to their credit that is exactly what they sent me. But that means unless someone SPECIFICALLY asks for a B01 catalogue they won't get any information on it! What about people who are new to the brand? If they went purely on the strength of the main catalogue they wouldn't even know about the B01!

Fine if they want to dedicate a special catalogue to it as well, but they should at least give it a couple of pages in the Chronolog too if they want to sell any of the damn things!

OK so it's no secret that I'm not a fan of the Chronomat B01 styling, but surely to goodness in these tight financial times when manufacturers have to work a little harder to take people's money, and considering the huge investment Breitling must've put into R&D on the B01 movement, the decision NOT to even mention it in the Chronolog (let alone anything like market it!) seems totally and utterly INSANE!

I really REALLY am at a loss as to what is going on at Breitling SA these days.

_________________
Driver8

Site Moderator

Wow, that´s weird?

Yeah that's weird.

Zenith produced separate catalogues for their Defy ranges, but they still had them in the main catalogue as well.

I can completely understand the separate catalogue for the B01 - make a big deal about something that you want people to see as special (and need people to see as special with the premium price tag relative to other models).

I always thought that it was weird to have no mention of the Bentleys in the Chronologs, if only in terms of "Ask your AD for the Bretiling for Bentley catalogue", but see the logic as not all Breitling ADs are Bentley ADs. I don't get this one at all though.

That does seem very odd.

Watch marketing fascinates me almost as much as the watches themselves. My best guess for this approach would be that Breitling sees the B01 customer as somehow different from a regular Breitling consumer, much as the watch is a unique and special model in the range. So once a Breitling dealer has identified that consumer, he can provide him with the appropriate catalog.

If I'm right, though, a lot depends on that identification. Are B01 buyers, at this early moment in the movement's history, different in some fundamental way from other Breitling consumers, justifying a separate marketing approach? Or are they closer to each other, and might buy any Breitling, suggesting that inclusion in the main catalog would be more appropriate? Rhetorical questions, impossible to answer, but Breitling will make a go at it.

Peace

Mike

That's weird. The B01's been out for a while. What, did they print the Chronolog last year? Wait, Chronolog? Oh, excuse me, "Pure Breitling."

_________________
---------------------
[Witty signature here]

I tend to agree (despite the numeorus posts telling me how wrong I was for suggesting that in the 'B01 reaction' thread). As a group I think that they are different, and marketing targets groups. However as a group the Navitimer buyer is different from the Aeromarine buyer or the Professional buyer, and they all get the same catalogue.

Yes I can see the logic of having an additional separate catalogue for the B01, but to make absolutely no reference to it in the "Pure Breitling" catalogue is just downright bizarre, especially when the Chronomat B01 is shown as a Windrider model on the Breitling website. The Bentley models are different enough to the main Breitling range IMO to justify not being included in the Chronolog, but omitting the B01 is deeply odd.

Oh and just as an aside - the new SO looks MASSIVELY out of place with the others in the Aeromarine range when you see it next to the others on the specification pages at the back! It looks like a kids watch or something when you compare it to the Steelfish or the SO Chrono.

_________________
Driver8

Site Moderator

Does the new catalog have both the old and new SO in it?

Yeah, that's weird of Breitling to leave out the B01 from the new catalog. Maybe they're doing cost reduction and decided to not repeat the information already on a separate B01 catalog or something??

_________________
My Breitling team:
SuperOcean (blue, circa 2007)
Airwolf (black, circa 2009)

Its also funny how on breitling.com that it opens a separate window for the B-01. I guess like the 2010 catalogue they are keeping it totally separate.

Just a thought to ad to the pot..

Breanach78

_________________
Breanach78

A Few Breitlings.

At least you got a new chonolog. I called 2 weeks ago asking for a new chronolog and they sent me a 2009 chronolog. WTF

_________________

SA Blue Dial Silver Subs Pro 2

No just the new one. Looks like the old one is history. Yes the new one really looks out of place in the current line up. It looks so much less classy and refined than the rest of the range. I might see if I can take a photo of the specs page to post up.

_________________
Driver8

Site Moderator

Like everyone's said, pretty weird. I don't understand the watch business??

I was just in a local AD this morning looking for a specific Omega model when I browsed through the Breitling stock. After much conversation with the sales clerk, I got her to admit their store was selling very few B01's. She said the best sellers were the chronomat and the navitimer models (not surprising).

This next comment has a warning and disclosure to make - not healthy for the "old time Ling'ers". She commented (just the random sales clerk mind you) that she had just talked to a Breitling Rep. yesterday and the new bezel (you know which one) will be eventually fitted in all existing models (which require rider tab bezels). Now, I don't have any other source to back this up, it was just her comment. When I mentioned this will not sit well with a lot (not all) of Breitling owners, she said "I know".

Anyway, sorry to ramble, still confused with OP thread on 2010 catalogs

_________________
Chrono Jetstream
Montbrilliant 1903
Aerospace E79362

Here's my theory:

The B01 movement is a problem. They are having either manufacturing or reliability problems with it and they are either canceling the project or slowing it down.

Otherwise why wouldn't they be putting it in other cases like a Navitimer. Everyone knows that's what people want.

Look at what they did instead, they came out with the Galactic line that has B01 styling with ETA movements.

i think the same opinion... see also this topic: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18034

d

_________________
Breitling Antares B10047
Breitling Chronomat B13050
Breitling Chronomat A13050.1 - pilot bracelet
Breitling Chronomat Blackbird A13050.1 - serie spéciale
Breitling Avenger Seawolf E17370
Breitling Chronomat EVO A13356 - pilot bracelet

Hi All!

I just got off the phone with BUSA - they stated that we in America will not get the new Chronolog 2010 until Mid-May 2010 - when their maketing department will start mailing them out!

Best Regards,

Enezdez

_________________
IWC - Big Pilot 5002 - 01
IWC - Pilot Chrono 3717 - 04
Panerai - 183
Omega - Speedmaster 145.012 / 67
Rolex - Explore II (Black Dial) - 216570
Rolex - Explore I 114270
Blancpain FF 5015