So I was strolling through the mall with my wife two days ago during our trip to Orlando when she says out of the blue, "You know, I wouldn't care if you got another Breitling..." Forgive the ellipsis, but I didn't really hear anything she said after that point, and before she stopped talking I had sniffed out the nearest AD, and was standing in front of the display case. Since buying my first Breitling a year or two ago I knew my obsession would eventually lead me to the purchase of a Navitimer. Wracked with guilt over my other two Breitling purchases (not the cheapest things in the world I think we can all agree), and trying to stick to some self-imposed image of fiscal responsibility I simply could not justify the purchase. I found comfort by reading these forums, and making regular visits to my local AD; but now, with the boss' endorsement, I was ready to roll!
I tried on every Navitimer that caught my eye, and ended up torn between the Montbrillant Legend, and the tan Montbrillant Datora. I asked the sales rep "what she could do for me" on either of those. She said I would have to choose before she would give me a ballpark discount which seemed odd, but I ended up going with the Datora. She scampered off to the manager who offered up 12%. Not impressed, I mentioned that I got 25% off on my first purchase in Honolulu, and 20% on my more recent one in Virginia, and all things considered 20% was my take it or leave it number. As all of this was going on I noticed something happening out of the corner of my eye. My wife was falling in love. She found a lady's Colt that she simply couldn't do without. Since, as the title said, this was a day for excess I asked the rep if I could get 20% off if I bought both watches. Again she scampered off, and returned with a reluctant yes "but it's a take it or leave it, one day offer only".
I was really kind of taken aback by the lack of flexibility in the pricing, especially considering the economic climate. As we worked out the purchase, I was trying to figure out how, with this (to me at least) extraordinary purchase, I was not given a glass of champaign, the keys to the city, and invited to sit in their little VIP buyers room. As I got to talking with another guy in the store I figured it out. This was not just any guy apparently. This guy (who had just come out of MY VIP buyers room) had just purchased a Rolex (don't know the model, forgive me) a Super Avenger, a Hercules, a Patek Phillip for his wife, and one of the Bentley models (he didn't mention which one). I guess if you're going to do it, do it right!!! In any case I came out of there with a 20% discount on our watches, and yet another hole in my life is now filled.
Picture below of my new addition. (Forgive the photo quality, it was taken from my phone).
Excellent stuff! Good story too!
