The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Anyone every buy a B in the Carribean? Is it cheaper or more expensive?

I know the shops there are duty free, so the taxes should be less, but do they give heavy discounts? Should i pick up my Full Ling there? Or should I just buy it here? I'm headed there in August.

This is taking way too long

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LING MAN

Admin,

You don't have until August to get the Full Ling. We expect the Full Ling to be on your wrist by July 30th at the latest. There has been enough delays and sidetracking with Diamond Bezels and other Weak Excuses. Use the money you would BLOW for the trip to pay for the WHOLE LING. Remember, Lings are not consumables like Food, Plane Tickets, Hotel Costs etc. When you get the Whole Ling you pay for it one time and it lasts forever. Sell off 4 of those 1/2 Lings and you can then easily pay for the Whole Ling.

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LING MAN

There's more to life than Full Lings! Already got the plane tickets and just booked the cruise about 2 hours ago. Actually I'll be landing in your neck of the woods (Florida) and spending a night there due to the time zone changes.

This is a serious question though. I may or may not get the Full Ling before my trip, I want to know if they are cheaper there.. I might wait til i get there and buy one.

Admin,

I have heard that they are very cheap there. My first one that I got from a friend was purchased by him there for $1800 USD. That was an Astromat Longitude. Most jewelry is quite a bit cheaper there as I understand it. Quite a few years ago my mother bought a HUGE diamond ring there. The jeweler did not have exactly what she wanted while she was there and came to the US later to deliver the ring. If this is what it is going to take to get you to FINALLY get the Whole Ling hop on the plane this weekend.

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LING MAN

Admin,

I looked into that a couple weeks ago prior to buying my Super Avenger. Last year while in Jamaica I was browsing in one of the 2 AD in Jamaica and was given a price that was over a $1000 cheaper than what it was here in Canada (realized that after coming home). With that in mind and knowing that I was heading back to Jamaica this year I decided to do so research and learned that the prices for Breitlings had been drastically reduced (approx. $1000) here in Canada. According to the local AD this was to bring the Canadian prices more in line with the US and the Carribean. To confirm this I called the dealer in Jamaica and found that the current difference is less than $250. And according to him the price that he gave on the phone would be the same price that I would get If I was there in person. NO discount and taxes already included. The $250 price difference was after taxes.

With this I decided to buy well my wife decided to by the Super Avenger here.

I would suggest that you give the AD's a call ahead of time.

hope this helps..

Jerome

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Jerome

Absolutely no relevance to the discussion, but I 'skim read' your reply and I understood you'd "sold your wife to buy a Super Avenger" !

Brilliant idea - wish I'd thought of it

Sorry - after diner drinks taking hold...

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Navitimer World, Evo, Blacksteel, Avenger
Loads of Panerai
Submariner Date, GMT Master llc

I was of the understanding that this is common practice!

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Jerome

Really? Wow, living in rural France has it's drawbacks - I wasn't aware of this practice...I no longer have a wife and I'm not sure I'd get away with it with my gf...

Worth serious thought this...

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Navitimer World, Evo, Blacksteel, Avenger
Loads of Panerai
Submariner Date, GMT Master llc

Thanks for the info Jeromio

The ADs in Toronto are willing to give me a decent discount, but it seems like the ones out here in Canada.. at least the ones I've been going to are not. Maybe its because I dont deal with them enough... I'm thinking about heading over to Time & Gold as they are much better there with their discounts... but I'll see what they are asking in the Carribean .. I know the retail prices of most of the B's that I'm interested in.

Admin, I've been going to the Caribbean twice a year now for about ten years. Back in the late nineties you could get a Breitling for up to 30% off the price listed in the chronolog. Those days are gone, now it's only 20%, they claim that your basically saving on the sales tax (U.S.). I most recently went last month with plans to buy a Steelfish, but before I went, I went to my local AD and told him I was planning to purchase it and it would cost me $1,700 (20% off retail). I said if you can match it I would rather by it now instead of waiting, so he did. He knocked of 22.5% and I agreed to purchase it. While down there I did pick up a new Prof II bracelet for it, $330. I did get a Navitimer World in St. Maarten back in December, white dial with croc strap for $3,700, not bad??? I will say this about the Caribbean, I have never seen a bigger collection of Breitlings, including models that I have never seen here in the states (tourbillons and all gold hard to find models, B-1, superocean, emergency). And I live in Connecticut so we always go to NYC because they have everything, well as big as the Tourneau Timemachine is, they can't compete with the Caribbean for selection. Just beware, they work on commission down there and will be on you like stink on s@#t. Good luck!

Admin, Purchased my Chrono Evolution in Aruba at Little Switzerland in 05 for $4700. At the time they didn't have my choice (Blue dial, two tone) but the store Manager took a plane to a neighboring island to pick one up for me. Don't know if I paid too much but it sure beat any price I got here in Michigan.

Thanks for all the input guys... I did hear that the carribean has an insane amount of selection.. I'll see how it goes.. maybe i will pull the trigger on it.

I JUST GOT BACK FROM ARUBA. I BOUGHT A CHRONOMAT EVOLUTION WHILE I WAS DOWN THERE, AND IT WAS CHEAPER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE I COULD HAVE GOTTEN IT. IF YOU PUSH A LITTLE, YOU CAN GET MORE THAN THE STANDARD DISCOUNT, I SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH A STORE MANAGER. THE ONLY PART YOU HAVE TO WATCH IS GETTING THE WATCH, AND PAPERS THROUGH CUSTOMS WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY THE FEES, AND TAXES. I RECOMMEND SHIPPING THE BOX AND THE PAPERS BACK TO YOURSELF, AND WEARING THE WATCH. THE ONLY THING YOU SHOULDN'T SHIP IS THE WARRANTY INFORMATION AND CARD. YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT.

HOPE MY INFO HELPS.

P.S. IF YOU BUY AT LITTLE SWITZERLAND, YOU CAN GET NO INTREST 1 YEAR FINANCING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE ALL THAT CASH DOWN THERE WITH YOU.

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DAILY WATCH: ALL STEEL CHRONOMAT EVOLUTION, WITH WHITE MOTHER OF PEARL FACE.

COLLECTION: JUST GETTING STARTED. I'M LOOKING FOR A GOOD DEAL ON A COSMONAUTE

I recently purchased my Breitling Montbrillant Olympus from Little Switzerland in St. Maarten. Little Switzerland is a trusted establishment since it is a subsidiary of Tiffany & Co. here in the U.S. The price I paid was about $5,800. My watch is the White Face w/ with white dials and it came with the stainless steel strap. Overall, I originally wanted a Breitling Navitimer Heritage w/ green face, since it would be very unique, but they did not have any in stock and none in the surrounding islands, Antigua, etc. I purchased my Cartier from this very same store, the same time last year (I have a timeshare in St. Maarten), but a Cartier store recently opened in Phillipsburg, so LS no longer sells Cartier watches. I paid for most of it by signing up for the LS credit card, then the rest by cash. As for the box situation, I just put the box in my luggage, I practically breezed through customs, they looked at my passport, told me just to walk by and not have my luggage searched. I'm actually a pretty young person, so im assuming he thought my watch was fake.