The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hello all,

I have a really strange question. How much annual income does a person need to be earning in order to really validate the purchase of a $3500 + watch?

I am, admittingly, very materialistic and have always fancied getting myself a Rolex... when my income supported such a purchase. For the longest time I have been trolling eBay looking at the used Rolex's and was going to to try and limit myself to $1800 or less.

Well now thats shot to hell. I discovered Breitlings and absolutely love the Evo's. Exspecially the slate with black dials and with a bracelet. Giant price difference from the used Rolex's I have been looking at.

So is this kind of a purchase limited to fellas making $100k + a year or is it just stupid to have a Evo on an annual income of a lot less that 100k?

FWI, I would not wear it all the time. I am cable technician during the day (bad on watches) and a Bail Bondsman at night (could be worn). It would be mostly worn during after hours and when we go out for dinner....

confused....

Scott

Hello,
I also make way under 100K and I just purchased my first Breitling, the Chrono Avenger.

My take on it? If you can pay cash for it, and nothing else suffers... you can afford it. Enjoy it. Who says that luxury watches are only for the rich? You only live once and life is short.

BroncoSport,

I agree with E-4 it's all based on what you can afford and can PAY CASH for. If you have to put it on a credit card you can't afford it. Also, a Breitling is something that will be with you for life. I learned my lesson trying to get away with buying cheaper leather jackets. Every year I kept getting closer and closer to spending the $1000 I finally spent that you need to spend for a really great one so after a few years I ended up with 4 of them but I will never again wear the other 3 that I tried to save money on. Save up and when it's time get the best, in the long run it costs LESS to buy the best. Now that you know that you want a Breitling other cheaper watches will just be a waste of money because you now KNOW what you really want. Just remember to PAY CASH !

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LING MAN

I totally agree with acceldebt on this one. Save up, buy the real thing, feel good!

I also don't believe you need to necessarily have a certain level of income before you can feel confident that a purchase is justified ; YOU just have to feel comfortable with the expenditure. For example a friend of mine lives in a £1.4million house (he had lots of share options!), but he only owns one watch (an Omega Speedmaster). To him paying more than £2000 on a watch is madness - but watches just aren't that important to him. Suffice to say, I DON'T live in a £1.4million house, but I have spent around £40,000 ($80,000) on watches in the last 10 years....and I've made sure I didn't get into debt doing it! I'm into watches - my mate's not. My values are different to his. Simple as that.

So it really depends on 2 things - firstly, yes you DO need to be able to afford something without letting anything else in your life suffer.... like mortgage repayments! Remember these watches are luxury goods, not necessities!
And secondly YOU have to be happy with your level of spending. It would totally spoil your enjoyment of a new Breitling if you were worrying about paying for it. So far I have not found a way to justify to myself paying more than £3500 ($7000) on a watch, but that's fine. And I'm happy with that. And being happy is surely what luxury goods are all about.

Interesting question. I kinda have the same question. My anual income is under CAD$100K and I'm going to but a Chronomat Evolution in a week. The problem is that I only have half the price of the watch in cash and the rest will go from my line of credit. So do you think this is not such a good decision?

This is a tough question. The short answer has to be that there isn't a salary under which you shouldn't buy the watch - it's a personal decision as to how much you want to spend on it. I wouldn't look at the dollar cost of the watch, think more in terms of how much time it would take to earn it. Are you prepared to spend a month's worth of after tax salary on a watch? Two months, three, more?

I don't think there's a right answer - it has to come down to a personal decision. It also has to be a personal decision about whether you want to borrow money to pay for it, personally I wouldn't do it - I have never carried a credit card balance and my only debt is my mortgage, but we are all adults here and can make those decisions for ourselves. If you are going to finance the cost just make sure that you factor finance charges into the cost of the watch a line of credit is likely costing $7 - $8 per $1,000, per month, a credit card much more.

Also, ask yourself how long it would take to save the rest of the money - the answer is almost certainly less time than it would take to pay off the debt and probably not that long if you are careful about what else you spend money on for a little while.

I am a brand new Breitling owner with some insight on this topic. I recently finished graduate school and am finally on my own now. I saved up and purchased a Chronomat Evolution (slate with black subs) as a gift to myself for my accomplishments. After living on my parents buck for many years it feels good to be able to make a purchase like that on my own. Having said all this its not about how much money you make its about what makes you happy, and believe you me when you purchase your B you will be a VERY happy man.

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"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure."

As myself and some of the other guys have said, I think it's an entirely personal thing and at the end of the day, YOU have to be happy with it. A credit card can obviously speed up your ownership of a SPLENDID Evo , but like I said in my previous post on this topic - if you walk out of the jewellers worrying about paying off your credit card, then don't buy it. Alternatively if you can walk out feeling 100% happy at buying your watch, knowing that you will have your credit card bill paid off in a few months and that you won't be living on the street as a result, then go for it. Personally I have no problem buying the odd thing on credit now and then, but then I am sensible about it and I would NEVER jeapodise anything else in my life for another watch.

We all need the odd luxury in life, but don't kill yourself to get them.

Thanks for the replies. It basically confirms what I was thinking all along. If I have the extra cash (from saving up for it) and the bills dont require the suffer... might be time for an Evo.

I am in a unique situation where my normal job very adequately pays all the bills and with a little to spare. My second job as a Bail Bondsman (except for advertising, office supplies, fuel ect) is all mad money.

Recently I have been purchasing the audio gear for the dedicated home theater that I am building with this "mad" money. So I guess I will start putting some back for the Breitling fund and hopefully another toy wont catch my eye before I accumulate enough for the Evo.

Thanks again.

Scott

This is a neat topic... I have a friend who's always trying to get the big in your face lookin-good, feelin-good type of status symbols before he even has anything solid. He is a taxi driver, which isn't bad for money actually.

He rents his condo, wears a Kenneth Cole watch, drives a Cutlass Convertible from the 90's, and lives on credit.

Every week he calls me and asks me if he should buy this 2005 Mercedes, or this 2003 Porsche, or some kind of car.

For me, I wanted to do the responsible thing.. I waited til I bought a house before I bought a nice car that I really liked and all the trinkets like watches and knives and expensive audio gear. I still did buy watches and toys, but for the most part I wanted the house so i kept spending down. But that's what works for me. Now I enjoy the fact that in the last 3 years my house has probably gone up $250K in value, which is really nice.

Now that I have a savings plan set up and investments set up I no longer worry too much.. if the money is in my bank account, then I can spend it... however i ALWAYS use my credit card.. gets me 1% back in Sony Points I just pay the balance off every month. Having said all that, I still spend weeks or months looking for the best deal!

A large income is not the answer when collecting timepieces. You have to know your limits! I have friends that make + $100,000 USD, and some of them couldn't rub two nickels together to pay attention. It's not necessarily about your annual income. It's how you budget for things and manage what you have. If you shop for the right deal, and don't make an impulsive buy, you can make your dream of owning a high end time piece a reality.

If you are on a budget, set a realistic goal for yourself. Saving $50-75 per week will get you a nice watch within 12 months!

Using credit cards is an option, but use them wisely. Never bite off more than you can chew. I often use plastic to purchase because of frequent flyer miles with American Airlines. If I do use my card to purchase a big ticket item, and there isn't any special incentive (0% APR, etc.), I won't carry the balance more than 45 days.

Pre-owned watches are an option, but there are several fine dealers that offer 25-30% discounts on new items that make new just as affordable as pre-owned. Do some comparison shopping. Educate yourself and know a little about the procuct you are trying to buy. If you come across a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is!

When you are ready to pull the trigger on buying your first timepiece, take your time, and ASK QUESTIONS if you don't know the answer. Remember, you get what you pay for!

Best wishes-

~Brian

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Breitling Super Avenger
Fortis Flieger Chronograph
Rolex Submariner Date

If you are really concerned about value for money then Lings are at least one of the less expensive of the premier brands (as are Omega) but probably the best value for money for a reasonably spec'd mechanical watch with a Swiss name must be Oris.

I was in the same situation as previously I have only owned fakes (but decent ones with the same movements as the original - oh dear)) until I was recently re-educated and decided it was time I bought a gen. I earn about $70,000 and for me $3,000 is about my limit (for the moment) - the CA fitted the bill perfectly and that's what I bought (good enough for Archer god enough for me!!!).

I have owned an Oris in the past and they are very good, well made with industry standard movements and proportionately cheaper if you are on a tight budget.

Oris does make some fine Swiss watches at an affordable Price. Some other brands to look at in addition to Oris: Hamilton and Fortis. I've seen a few others around too like Zeno, Revue Thommen, etc. but dont know much about those.

I think the Hamilton X-Winds are some of the nicest watches out there for the money.

My first step into my insane love for timepieces started with the purchase of my Fortis Flieger. I still wear every other day and when I do some night flying (Very luminous at night!). I purchased it from Worldlux.com for around $1100. I would recommend it for a stepping stone for someone wanting a 40mm size watch. My second choice was an Oris TT1 w/helium release, around the same price. I may still buy it just because I like the look of it!

It's been a year since my last purchase, so my wife has taken me off "watch probation", so I'm buying a Breitling next!!!

Here's an old picture:


~Brian

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Breitling Super Avenger
Fortis Flieger Chronograph
Rolex Submariner Date

Aah - the Fortis - very nice and with a 7750 as well, can't go wrong. Sinn is another nice relatively inexpensive brand as well that are pilot type watches.