The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Sure, I get that, and I have been on forums for a long time too so have seen it all before too.

This pictured Facebook post embodies what Breitling is trying achieve with this watch. It is what it is, and people can choose to like it or not - buy it or not. In the end it is all part of the strategy to freshen the brand, while hopefully not losing it's longer-term (older ?) fans. The ultimate aim is to build the business for continued growth, investor returns, and probable eventual sale at a nice profit.

I for one am very glad that the Facebook member, who is squarely in the target market, likes it. It means Breitling will have more money to make other watches that I will actually buy.

Yes, I can appreciate that.

For me though (and as someone who clearly ISN'T the target market for this one!) I just find this piece far too gimmicky and as far removed from the likes of the 806 reissue as it's possible to be. Is that a problem? No, not really, as pieces like the 806, the Premier, the Chronomat, and the Navitimer are still offered amongst the 162 mens watches that Breitling currently sell, BUT I have to say, things like this just feel a little bit like the old 'scattergun approach' of trying everything to sell to everyone. Breitling was primarily aviation - a great niche IMO. Now it's movie stars..., no wait, it's surfers..., nope sorry, it's motorbikes..., whoa, wait a sec, it's cycling.... hold your horses, it's clothing/lifestyle... no hang on, it's triathlons..... . Sometimes less is more IMO.

That said, I do like most of what Georges is doing, and I also do get it that things under CVC and Georges are very different to when it was a family-owned company; sales and income are king nowadays. (And yeah, I also get it that I'm a dinosaur! )

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I’ve looked at this watch over and over again the past couple of days and I still don’t get. I like the style, the vintage vibes, and think it would look great on a nato or more simple brown strap. I just simply don’t get the partnership with this brand. Maybe it’s me being only focused in the US market, and to be fair, I didn’t get the Norton partnership either but maybe that’s because I’m not into motorcycles. I get people on Facebook may think it’s cool and it looks like a great event, but how many of them are going to spend $5K on a watch? I have a hard time believing they will.

I’d love to see more retro top time models come out without a brand attached to them, maybe even with similar styling to this one. I just can’t wrap my head around this particular partnership.

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Justin
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I agree with all the reservations expressed so far. I wouldn’t consider buying that at half the price. I didn’t favour the Norton or Bentley collaborations either. I feel the brand is losing its core heritage and reputation by resorting to gimmicky releases like this.

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Breitling B-1 1999
Breitling Chrono Superocean 2004
Casio G Shock
Citizen Eco Drive AT4000-02E (for gardening)
Seiko 5 SNZG15J1
Hamilton X Wind LE

I don’t mind the watch, but not one that screams at me - i nearly bought the zorro but the lug to lug is massive.

Like many, I hadn’t really heard of Deus, and I suppose that does raise an interesting question about who Breitling partner with. Their partnerships seems quite mixed.

They chose to align with Norton, who had a historic name, but clearly that has turned out to be a bad decision, with Norton going bust and the bad feeling around that process. And you wonder whether a niche brand like Norton and now Deus have the sufficient pulling power to sell the LE watches.

If they want their partnerships to sell models (and that’s understandable as they are a business that has to make money) then I’d have thought you’d go for more mainstream brands - Harley Davidson is a great shout, and think how many guys/girls love Harleys and are at the stage of life that can afford luxury items like bikes and watches.

My other observation about Breitling’s squad is that while they’ve made some really good signings, they need to shout about them so much more. Ken Roczen is an absolute superstar, has a massive fan base, but until the recent Endurance ad, I bet most people would never have known he was aligned with the brand. Similarly Gary Woodland (golfer) is a great guy, major champion and all round athlete, but again most wouldn’t have any idea that he’s aligned to Breitling.

If it was Rolex or AP, both of the above would’ve been on posters (or virtual ones) absolutely everywhere, as they have the appeal to the younger up-and-coming audience that brands like to have as well as the older existing audience. So maybe rather than trying to target small pockets of enthusiasts of niche brands, why not make use of the superstars that they already have on the squad - I reckon they’d sell more.........along with a future Harley Davidson edition.

I don't think its a Milgauss rip off...actually it would be the last watch I'd call a Rolex Milgauss ripoff?

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Mickey® 

Not really for me. Isn’t this a piece that has some historic value though? I’m sure the Breitling old school fans like it so maybe that’s what matters.


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I feel sad for the brand. But happy at the same time that I have discontinued pieces of models when the brand's philosophy, even though niche, was clear. To be honest, some of these current pieces are nice aesthetically. You do not have to like all and just get what you like best. The worrying factor is the brand's prestige and identity.

The brand has been lacking technical achievements since CVC. We used to see many of those before that. Development on first in-house movement with many first of its kind patents, Emergency, further development of B01 to Chronoworks, superquartz, adoption of Breitlite, etc. I know many could not stomach certain design elements of certain models in the past. Once again you do not have to like everything and just get what you like best. There were still "safe looking" models if you prefer traditional aesthetics. I was really proud of the brand as we rarely see sophisticated designs on luxury watches that whatever they did was truely meant for professional use. For eg. They used to launch many DLC models during a certain period. Many hated this direction. However if you analyzed it from a professional(eg.military use) standpoint, you can understand why they did it. Once again you might not like it. At most you don't buy it. But the brand's philosophy was clear.

Now, all I see are just designs after designs that claim to "go back to the roots". All I see are vintage inspired pieces. I do not remember the brand as a motorcycle or cycling brand but it appears to me that the brand has been trying to emphasize that since CVC and I rarely see aviation related stuff these days. I do not see that as "going back to the roots". Vintage inspired pieces are not vintage pieces. They appear interesting and they do look nice, but my belief is that they are just meant for the rich who buy them as just another fancy watch and wear them for a while for fun. They are not meant as your "life watch", holy grail or family heirloom. I get the collaboration with Bentley(even though I am not sure how the green color dial is associated with Bentley). However I do not get the "Ford" or "Chevrolet" fantasy as they are not luxury brands and should not be in the same league with Breitling. It makes Breitling owners(even though they are not wearing that exact model) feel like they are wearing Tissots. Not meant to insult Ford, Chevrolet or Tissot but they are just not in the same league as Breitling.

I know sales is important, but IMO the identity of a luxury brand is very important in the long run. I remember many used to criticize certain Breitling models looking dated, is that why they are moving towards "outdated(vintage)" aesthetics? Once again I do like the aesthetics of these "limited models". However the basic philosophy of a luxury brand should never be deviated. I really don't know what is Breitling now. It appears like they are just fashion watches with vintage designs now, trying to make themselves affordable to those who dreamt to own a Breitling but couldn't afford.

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Breitling Chronomat 01 Limited Edition
Breitling Navitimer 01 46mm

I do find myself agreeing with the vast majority of what you've said there. Like I said in an earlier post in this thread, there's a lot of very good stuff being done - reissues like the 806, the Premier line, the Capsule Navitimers, the new Chronomat 42 - but I also feel we are getting back into the "scattergun approach" of old, and yes, some of the collaborations strike me as very odd and even a little clutching at straws.

For me, things like the new Top Time "car" models are pretty nasty colourways, and branding with mid-range (albeit sporty) car manufacturers seems odd to me. I'm waiting on a Kia or Hyundai collaboration! And the Endurance Pro models are all universally hideous and toy-like. How these sit alongside the likes of the Navitimer and Premier ranges escapes me.

I think it's a direction thing again - Breitling seems to be going in a million different directions at once - and sadly that's driven by money and not ideology.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I also have to agree with much of what Chronomat01LE has to say. And I certainly agree with this comment from Driver8:

"...things like the new Top Time "car" models are pretty nasty colourways, and branding with mid-range (albeit sporty) car manufacturers seems odd to me. I'm waiting on a Kia or Hyundai collaboration! And the Endurance Pro models are all universally hideous and toy-like. How these sit alongside the likes of the Navitimer and Premier ranges escapes me."

Less scatter-gun and more focus on what builds a brand including partners who actively sell the brand and don't resort to quick and easy reviews.