The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hey!

Im a newbie in this forum (my excuses for the bad spelling ahead, im from Sweden) and first of all, what a great place this is for the true Breitling enthusiast!

After much consideration, i have decided to become a Breitling owner. However, my budget does not allow me to purchase a brand new one. In terms of $, im looking to spend about 2500$, maybe a bit more. Additionally i wanted a Navitimer, but after reading several threads, i've got the impression that this model is a bit more..sensitive than other Breitlings?

My father bought a Crosswind a couple of years ago, and i really like this model. So i will probably end up with one of these. What should i be looking for when im in the process of buying? The watch is going to be at least five years old. Should it have been serviced during these five years? The Breitling Caliber 13 should'nt cause any problems?
Are Crosswinds (and Breitlings all togehter) a better investment if they have gold details? (Riders, crowns).

Hi, and welcome aboard.

Navitimers are fantastic watches, but they certainly are of a finer construction that something like the Crosswind you also mentioned. Additionally Navis are not really water resistant, so that's an added thing to think about. However, that's not to say that a Navi can't be worn as a daily wearer with a little care.

The Crosswind you mention is a great watch and is actually one that I always wanted but never got round to buying. The B13 is Valjoux 7750 based, and is one of the real "workhorse" movements - in other words, very hardy and generally reliable. If you're looking at a 5 year old watch, it'll probably be right about due for a service if it hasn't already been done. (And experience would say that 7 times out of 10, a 5 year old watch probably wouldn't have been serviced yet).

In terms of the gold rider tabs, I wouldn't expect them to add anything in terms of retaining value better. Yes a watch with gold tabs may command slightly more if you resell, but you have to remember that you'll pay more for it in the first place. Your best bet is never to think of a watch as an investment in monetary terms. Think of it as something to enjoy - it's more of a "spritual investment"! Good luck with the hunt!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Ten minutes, and already a great answer! This is by far the best forum i've logged on to =)

When you see something you like, put a link to it on the replica section. If it's not genuine, we can spot 99.9% of the fakes.

My advise is not to be in a rush to buy. There are thousands of used Breitlings available for sale so take your time and get the EXACT watch you like.

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For more information on identifying Breitling replicas, please visit my web site
http://f4buz.com/watches/breitling/fakes/fakes.html

You can get a new one for that price. Go to ebay.it and look under Gioielli e Orologi di marca, they are a Breitling AD but sell watches on ebay under another name.

Is this a AD with an actual store you can visit? Aren't this a must for an AD of Breitling? How about warrantys, any difference when buying from an AD in another country?

Warranty is international so no worries as long as you buy from an AD.

Not sure what the deal is with this Italian one but I have a hard time believing that Breitling are condoning the sale of watches on eBay by an AD.

If you are in the US PM jnelson3097 for contact details of George at Govberg, if you are in Canada I can hook you up and if you are in the UK / EU then check out Andrew Michaels - ad at the top of the page.

Def take Roff's leads! Im not sure if I would buy from any other AD

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SA-Baton White Dial/ProII
Tissot Le Locle

Breitling do not authorise sales of their watches on the net or Ebay.
Breitling Italy are in the process of changing their ADs and alot of the old AD's are selling off their stock. This particular AD, and Breitling have confirmed to me that they are an AD, have an ebay store and trade under a different name on Ebay. Their VAT number is the same as their official brick and mortar store and I have bought a Colt auto II as well as a Seawolf Ti from them, via their ebay store and both with official documentation including warrenty from Breitling and no reg numbers filed off. I took both watches to Breitling's service center for autentication, both watches were opened in front of me and confirmed as genuine. Obviously the warranty book is punch printed with the official AD's name.

If you do some homework and look around, you can find some good deals on ebay. I did a lot of homework and am 100% sure who I am buying from before I bought the watches. Generaly I would never buy a watch off ebay or online but there are the exceptions.

Yes, you can go and visit their store if you are in Cantu, Italy. they are also AD's for Hublot, Baum et Mercier, Cartier and others. They will ship here in the EU through a company who mis specialised in shipping valuable objects.