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Buying my first Breitling watch.
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Author:  simonlaust [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:10 am ]
Post subject:  Buying my first Breitling watch.
Hi Guys!

Been reading this excellent forum for quite a while now, and finally the big decision has been made - I'm buying a Navitimer World, silver dial, original strap, in September.

Now, I have a few questions regarding my purchase. First of all, I know that I would probably be able to have all these answered if I surfed this site for long enough, so no need to point this out, just don't answer if that's the case. :)

1. Where to buy my watch?

I live in Denmark with quite a few ADs in a 60 minute radius. One of them is supposedly quite good and also has a reputation of slapping on a discount if you're good at doing business. How much discount, I do not know. The aforementioned watch is currently priced at £5020 in DK.
so - are there any Danish people on this site who have an idea or alternatively know how much discount you should attain?
I am travelling to London i September. Can you guys tell me what the general pricing of this watch is over there? And what to expect when dealing with ADs in london?

2. Should i potentially buy it online?

Also, a lot of threads on this topic. One thing I just can't figure out is - how on earth do you guys buy things for this kind of money without actually seeing the goods upfront? Is it safe? I mean, for me, this is a s***load of money. I would just me so darn afraid that someone was stitching me up. Secondly, how does it generally work? Do you email the seller and just do a bank-transfer? How is the watch actually sent? I mean, pretty expensive package. What price could i attain when ordering online from the UK?

Thanks in advance for your answers and help. It is hugely appreciated.
Author:  Roffensian [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
If you buy online then it's grey market - no warranty, maybe marginally better price - and yes it has been discussed over and over so the pros and cons are discussed, but unlikely to be worth the risk, especially as you will likely get dinged for import duty and sales taxes when the watch enters Denmark. Each store will have a different payment / shipping policy if you insist on going that route.

There are a couple of UK based sponsors on the site - Banks Lyon and Andrew Michaels - links at the top of the page, I am sure that they can ship to a hotel in London at the time. Of course you will be expected to declare the watch when you carry it back into Denmark. In terms of buying sight unseen - if it's a new watch then you know what you are getting, so no risks with an AD shipping to you. With grey market - there's more risk as there is no guarantee that the watch will be brand new.
Author:  boogiebot [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
hey bud welcome to B source. glad that you found this place lots of knowledgeable people on here.

ok this is just my opinion, if this is your first purchase it might give you better peace of mind to deal with a reputable AD in your area. That way if anything goes wrong you can always call them or drop by the store. There are a number of grey market dealers online with descent discounts but most AD's should be able to match what you see online. I have no experience with purchasing over in Europe so i will wait for another member over there to share their experience with that.

my only other suggestion is to go in and try on as many breitlings as your local dealer has that way you will know for sure which is the right one for you. good luck with the shopping and remember to post some pics of your new watch.
Author:  mhou [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
iirc current UK list price of the Navi World on bracelet is £5080 and on calf leather it's £4480.

From my experience, I've found that ADs in Central London are hesistant to give any sort of discount.
Best I've ever got from places like Selfridges and Watches of Switzerland is a free strap.

Give the high street chains like Ernest Jones and Goldsmiths a try as I've managed 15% with no problem.

But as Roff mentioned, contact Andrew Michaels and see if they can ship to your hotel. I've found their prices are very competitive and often better than London ADs.

If you're looking to buy used, then watches.co.uk are genuine enough.
http://www.watches.co.uk/watch/10622s/b ... ld-a24322/
Author:  marco89 [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
simonlaust, I'm in the exact same situation as you. I want to purchase a Navitimer World in the next couple of months and have been looking at an overseas purchase because here in Australia, everything is much more expensive. I too will be travelling - all over Europe, London included - but not for another year. I don't think I can wait until then, besides, prices still seem cheaper in the US.

I'm not sure if I trust buying from an overseas source and not being there for the purchase. I wouldn't buy from just any website, but even from an AD overseas I don't feel secure. You're right, it is a s***load of money and without seeing the product, how can you be sure? Could an AD stitch you? Then you have all the shipping costs and import taxes to worry about.

Am I just worrying about this all too much?
Author:  Roffensian [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
marco89 wrote:
Could an AD stitch you?



Why would an AD risk their ability to sell Breitlings and tarnish their reputation for all brands by ripping off a consumer? These are legitimate, high end businesses who rely on customer service to help them compete with their competitors (who are paying the same price as them for product so pricing will always be fairly even within a market).
Author:  marco89 [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
Well I guess you answer my question then. It's just when you are handing over in excess of $5,000 to someone and not walking away with a product at that instant, who knows what could happen? It's also the shipping where there is a worry.
Author:  Roffensian [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
marco89 wrote:
Well I guess you answer my question then. It's just when you are handing over in excess of $5,000 to someone and not walking away with a product at that instant, who knows what could happen? It's also the shipping where there is a worry.


There is always shipping risk - so insurance is required, but if you find it too risky then buy locally and accept a higher price for peace of mind.
Author:  simonlaust [ Mon Jul 04, 2011 9:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
There must be people in here who have actually bought a Navitimer World in the london area recently. What price did you end up at? The aforementioned price is basically the same as in Denmark :/

regarding watches.co.uk: They actually have a really nice 2006 Navitimer World just like the one I'm looking for. Its for sale at £3600 pounds. Is this a good price? Considering that you could get a new watch for (maximally) £1400 pounds more.

And whats the deal with warranties on used watches in this price caliber? The site states a 1 year warranty. I guess this is a guarantee that they will repair it themselves within the one year limit, and not that Breitling will?
Author:  Sharkmouth [ Tue Jul 05, 2011 12:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
I would assume that since Denmark is in the EU, there would be no import duty if the watch was bought in the UK from Banks-Lyon/Andrew Michaels.
Author:  simonlaust [ Tue Jul 05, 2011 11:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
Both of the above mentioned dealers are ADs, and can be fully trusted, right?
Author:  Roffensian [ Tue Jul 05, 2011 11:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying my first Breitling watch.
simonlaust wrote:
Both of the above mentioned dealers are ADs, and can be fully trusted, right?



Yes.

Just look in the feedback section.
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