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Breitling's Website
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Author:  Palantas [ Tue May 04, 2010 2:00 am ]
Post subject:  Breitling's Website
I don't care for the official site. It's too Flash-dependent, it's slow, and frankly, I think it's a bit of a pain in the ass to use.

Gripe list:
  • I have to turn off the sound every time I go to the site. A.) Why does the site make noise? Nobody likes noisy websites. B.) If it is going to make noise, why isn't the choice to turn it off a cookie, and my mute selection saved?
  • My laptop I typically use has a resolution of 1280x800. The site is so tall that some features get lost at the bottom.
  • I shouldn't have to scroll through a list of watches by moving my mouse cursor to the bottom of the screen. There's a reason the rest of the Internet uses scroll bars.
  • The biggest problem: Too much Flash. Why isn't there an HTML version?

I have similar complaints for a number of watchmakers' site (Rolex, Omega, Patek), but Breitling's is one of the biggest offenders. On the other end of the spectrum is Sinn's site, which is so minimalist, it looks like it was made 10 years ago. Although, I still prefer this to the 100% Flash mess that is Rolex and Breitling. I can't believe in this day and age that I have to sit and wait for Rolex's site to load before I can do anything; and I'm on quite a fast connection with a high-end PC.

Is there a happy medium? Yes there is, in my opinion. I was looking around DOXA's site, and it inspired me to write this article when I reflected on how much more user-friendly it was than Breitling.com. First, there's no obnoxious intro video with planes, trains, and automobiles (or celebrities if you're TAG Heuer); the site just loads right up. I can click "Collection" on their site, which is fast, and I don't have to sit around for Flash to load. I get a nice selection of pictures, showing their different models. So that's good for people who don't know much about DOXA and want to browse. However, their Collection button is also a drop-down menu. I can use it to take me straight to a watch if I know what I'm looking for. So that's good for people who are already familiar with the brand, and are looking for specific information.

In the Army (and everywhere else, I imagine), they say if you don't include ways to improve something, then you're just bitching. So here we go, suggestions for Breitling.com:

  • Include an HTML, or at least less Flash-dependent version.
  • If you're going to make your web page bigger than 800x600, make it scrollable.
  • Save my selection to turn the sound off.
  • Save my selection to skip the intro video.
  • Save the fact that I've clicked "Enter" on that "BEWARE OF FRAUDS" warning when you first go to the site. Who the hell put that there? It reminds of me of this absurd "This is a DoD website, dun dun dun!" popup warning I get whenever I visit an Army site.
  • Have simple drop-down menus or some other streamlined system for people who want to get to a specific model quickly.
  • For each of the lines (Professional, et cetera), have all the watches in that line onscreen at once. There's no reason that when I click "Navitimer" the whole screen doesn't fill up with watches, instead of that little scroll menu on the left. The current scrollable pictures are small and transparent, and aren't going to be much good for someone who isn't already familiar with Breitlings.
  • If you're going to have a little scroll menu, let me use my mouse wheel.
  • The Configurator is good (apart from being Flash-based and slow), but also have a watch finder. Let someone check various features (chronograph, quartz/auto, et cetera), click "Find," then display watches that have those features. Other sites have this.
  • Have an option to compare two watches side by side, and display them at their real sizes.

A lot of websites for luxury goods fall into the category of being pretty, but not any good at actually displaying information or helping me choose a product. I get the feeling that these sites are put together by marketing people and artists who don't actually use the Internet. What do you think about the site? Anything you'd like changed?
Author:  Driver8 [ Tue May 04, 2010 3:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
With the exception of the screen resolution (which makes it totally impossible for me to use it at work) I personally really like the Breitling website. Yes there's some Flash stuff and it is a bit noisy, but you can still get to see the watches and obviously the configurator (which took YEARS to come across from the Japanese version of the site) is a great addition. I actually think Breitling strike a pretty good balance between being all fancy and actually showing the watches.

Personally I find the Doxa site to be perfectly functional, but not exactly an up-to-the-minute showcase for their watches. It's all a bit too static for me, although in terms of showing you the watches then it does what it says on the tin. Kind of like their watches really - very functional, with the minimum amount of bling. However you can see how little effort they put in on the website as it is still proudly proclaiming "Free shipping in November"! :lol:

For me, the Rolex site is an absolute abortion. Try to find a nice simple head-on shot of a watch you like (i.e. like those on the Breitling site) and with Rolex you'll be there for ever and a day..... because they are all arty, semi-shadow pictures. Hopeless. But then again, their hardcopy catalogue is rather lightweight and insubstantial when you compare it to the Chronolog or any of the exceptional catalogues by IWC, Blancpain, JLC, etc.

I do agree with the OP though that most watch manufacturers are guilty of over-complicating things to a certain extent. Ones I do like are Panerai and IWC, but as I say, I also like the Breitling site a lot too.
Author:  Palantas [ Tue May 04, 2010 5:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
The font on IWC is a little small, and it's a little slow. There's still too much Flash for my taste. It also doesn't save my English language selection, which is ridiculous for a website in 2010. IWC does do a good job of actually showing the watches, with pictures for the different series', and easy-to-see pictures for each watch in the series.

EDIT: Eh...I guess there's not too much Flash. Compared to Breitling and Rolex, IWC.com is positively streamlined.

Panerai.com is perfect if you're familiar with Panerais. Click "Catalogue Panerai," and then you've got user-friendly drop-down menus. However, I don't know how good this would be for someone who's unfamiliar with the brand and just browsing. Should I pick "Historic," "Contemporary," or "Specialties"? Under Historic, should I choose "Luminor Base" or "Luminor Marina"? There's plenty of space above these buttons, where they could have included pictures. As it is, you have to go through the different models one at a time.

Maybe I'm hard to please.

At Omega, the "Gents' Collection" is a drop-down and a button. As a button, it takes you to a nice page where you can see eblematic watches from each series. Or, you can use the drop-down to go straight to that series. (If only hovering your mouse over the name of a series opened another menu that would take you to a specific watch; then it'd be perfect.) However, OmegaWatches.com is annoying in that when opening up a collection, a giant-ass picture takes up a whole page on my browser. I have to scroll below every single time to actually get to the watches.
Author:  Kodiak [ Tue May 04, 2010 6:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
Breitling has the best content, watch descriptions, specifications, configurator for available dial/strap combinations, etc. They do the best job at giving one the important information, which is the purpose, IMO. I can work around any site's cosmetic flaws, but I need the technical specifications. Most other watch's sites lack the 'guts' of the product.
Author:  Iantheklutz [ Tue May 04, 2010 6:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
My only gripe about the site is the sound. I completely agree that sound is just completely useless on a website. Even the most interesting soundtrack gets extrememly annoying after 5-10 minutes.
Author:  Roffensian [ Tue May 04, 2010 6:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
I didn'r even realise that it had sound - speakers turned off at work, and try not to go to the site at home as I am still stuck on dial up (high speed this month apparently!!). I think that the site is a great improvement on the old one and I agree that the information available is among the best.

I prefer the Japanese configurator style, but that's not a big thing for me.
Author:  Palantas [ Tue May 04, 2010 7:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
Kodiak wrote:
Breitling has the best content, watch descriptions, specifications, configurator for available dial/strap combinations, etc. They do the best job at giving one the important information, which is the purpose, IMO. I can work around any site's cosmetic flaws, but I need the technical specifications. Most other watch's sites lack the 'guts' of the product.


A site being slow or cumbersome are not cosmetic issues; those are functional issues. The site does have good information, but I don't go to Breitling.com for it. I go to this site. I come here, because it's faster. I'll do a test, times kept using my Chrono Superocean. I'm going to figure how long it takes to look up the diameter of said watch on BreitlingSource.com versus Breitling.com. Time starts when I hit enter after typing in the webite. Results...

Breitling.com: 7 clicks, 26 seconds, and that was after a couple practice runs
BreitlingSource.com: 3 clicks, 7 seconds, and that was my first try

In regard to data on Breitling.com, most of sites mentioned have that: IWC, Omega, Panerai, DOXA, Sinn, Blancpain. The only exception is Rolex.com, which is notably spotty on its technical information.
Author:  Palantas [ Tue May 04, 2010 7:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
Roffensian wrote:
I didn'r even realise that it had sound...


You're not missing anything. It's drums and a synthesizer, accompanied by jets taking off and indeciperable radio chatter.
Author:  Iantheklutz [ Tue May 04, 2010 7:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
Palantas wrote:
Kodiak wrote:
Breitling has the best content, watch descriptions, specifications, configurator for available dial/strap combinations, etc. They do the best job at giving one the important information, which is the purpose, IMO. I can work around any site's cosmetic flaws, but I need the technical specifications. Most other watch's sites lack the 'guts' of the product.


A site being slow or cumbersome are not cosmetic issues; those are functional issues. The site does have good information, but I don't go to Breitling.com for it. I go to this site. I come here, because it's faster. I'll do a test, times kept using my Chrono Superocean. I'm going to figure how long it takes to look up the diameter of said watch on BreitlingSource.com versus Breitling.com. Time starts when I hit enter after typing in the webite. Results...

Breitling.com: 7 clicks, 26 seconds, and that was after a couple practice runs
BreitlingSource.com: 3 clicks, 7 seconds, and that was my first try

In regard to data on Breitling.com, most of sites mentioned have that: IWC, Omega, Panerai, DOXA, Sinn, Blancpain. The only exception is Rolex.com, which is notably spotty on its technical information.


You're a true WIS if you used a chronograph for that timing comparison....
Author:  Palantas [ Tue May 04, 2010 8:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
I wrote:

Breitling.com: 7 clicks, 26 seconds, and that was after a couple practice runs
BreitlingSource.com: 3 clicks, 7 seconds, and that was my first try



Let's work on this some more:

I'm redoing the Breitling one to generate the fastest possible time. I'm chosing the Navitimer Cosmonaute, as that will involve the most minimal mouse movement. I'm moving my clicks down to six instead of seven, even though I consider turning the noise off to be requisite for using the site.

Breitling Cosmonaute: 6 clicks plus scrolling, 18 seconds. This is the fastest I could do this after several tries. I play videogames, so I'm petty good with a mouse.

Let's see how some other sites stack up:
  • Sinn U1000 S: 4 clicks, 10.5 seconds, first run; second run: 7 seconds.
  • DOXA Sub 1000T COSC: 9 seconds, first run. This was probably about eight seconds, actually. I found it so fast I didn't realize I'd found it, and it took me a second to stop my chrono. Took one click and some scrolling after typing in doxawatches.com to get the information.
  • Omega Speedmaster: 3 clicks plus scrolling, 10.5 seconds, after one practice run.
  • Rolex Submariner: 2 clicks, 20 seconds. However, the 40mm size is given in the item description. To actually click on the "Show Details" runs this up an extra few seconds.
  • IWC Big Pilot: 5 clicks, 12 seconds, after one practice.
  • TAG Monaco: 3 clicks, 16 seconds, after one practice.
  • Bregeut Classique 3100: 6 clicks, 20 seconds, first try.
  • Ulysse-Nardin Maxi Marine Diver: 11 seconds, after one practice.
  • Patek Calatrava 5116G: 3 clicks plus scrolling, 8 seconds, first run.
  • Panerai Luminor Marina: 2 clicks, 9 seconds, first run.

A C-130 just flew overhead, so I'm taking that as a sign of good luck and doing my BreitlingSource.com test one more time. Width of Chrono Superocean in...six seconds.

In conclusion, when compared to most watchmakers' site, Breitling.com is slow and click-heavy, often by 100%. After looking at all these other sites, it's kinda ridiculous the hoops Breitling makes you go through. When going to the site, you have to click away the fakes warning, click away the intro movie, and then you can view the watches. Most of the sites have movies and other fluff that play, but you can at least click "Collection" and skip it.

I am now going to pour myself a glass of zinfandel, so tests will have to cease, as accuracy will be suspect.
Author:  Kodiak [ Tue May 04, 2010 9:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
Palantas wrote:
Kodiak wrote:
Breitling has the best content, watch descriptions, specifications, configurator for available dial/strap combinations, etc. They do the best job at giving one the important information, which is the purpose, IMO. I can work around any site's cosmetic flaws, but I need the technical specifications. Most other watch's sites lack the 'guts' of the product.


A site being slow or cumbersome are not cosmetic issues; those are functional issues. The site does have good information, but I don't go to Breitling.com for it. I go to this site. I come here, because it's faster. I'll do a test, times kept using my Chrono Superocean. I'm going to figure how long it takes to look up the diameter of said watch on BreitlingSource.com versus Breitling.com. Time starts when I hit enter after typing in the webite. Results...

Breitling.com: 7 clicks, 26 seconds, and that was after a couple practice runs
BreitlingSource.com: 3 clicks, 7 seconds, and that was my first try

In regard to data on Breitling.com, most of sites mentioned have that: IWC, Omega, Panerai, DOXA, Sinn, Blancpain. The only exception is Rolex.com, which is notably spotty on its technical information.

You're obviously not looking at specifications, I have never found thickness and weight on most other brands websites. I actually have more problems with speed and freezes on BS, but I don't really care. I am more concerned with useful info. and data.
Author:  Palantas [ Tue May 04, 2010 10:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
Iantheklutz wrote:
You're a true WIS if you used a chronograph for that timing comparison....


Thank you.

Kodiak wrote:
You're obviously not looking at specifications, I have never found thickness and weight on most other brands websites. I actually have more problems with speed and freezes on BS, but I don't really care. I am more concerned with useful info. and data.


I consider this a generally moot point. Whether the site has good information or not, I believe I have demonstrated objectively that it has a slow and cumbersome interface, which is what I set out to do.

In the post you quoted, I mentioned IWC, Omega, Panerai, DOXA, Sinn, and Blancpain.

Thickness/Weight:
IWC: Yes/Yes
Omega: No/No
Panerai: No/No
DOXA: Yes/Yes
Sinn: Yes/Yes
Blancpain: Yes/No

About 50/50 on these. So what you mean to say is, "I have never found thickness and weight on some other brands' websites."

Anyway, what's this prove? I bet I can find bits of errata absent from Breitling's watch descriptions: Weight with strap versus bracelet, number of components, base movement, type of steel used, operational temperature range. If you want to properly evaluate Breitling.com as a source of information, you'd need to make a list of every possible piece of information you could need to know about a watch, go through all the sites to see which have it and which don't, and put it in a spreadsheet. I'm not going to do that, though I imagine Breitling would be one of the better ones.

I agree that thickness and weight are pretty important, and the sites that don't display this should. However, none of this changes the fact that Breitling.com is inefficient at displaying its data when compared to nearly everyone elses' site. That the site excels in one area doesn't mean it can't be lacking in another.
Author:  RJRJRJ [ Tue May 04, 2010 10:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Breitling's Website
I think the site is good. Something that we may fail to realize is that we are all pretty familiar with the brand and arent really wowed by the flash and dazzle of breitling's site any more. I've been there a million times, and now when we go its usually to grab a tidbit of information, which makes it seem slow and bloated. I would venture out to say that the majority of people who go to the site are far less familiar with the brand, and can appreciate the intros/videos/graphics much more than we can. In that respect, I think its a success. I also find it easy to navigate to get find exactly what im looking for. If a company wants to be seen as anything close to advanced, they have to utilize technology like high speed internet. My guess is that with the exception of Roff ( :lol: ), the vast majority of prospective Breitling clientele have an adequate internet connection to view the site properly.
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