The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Tell that to the two dealer here for Rolex and the other one that carried a couple brands that closed last year. They never gave discounts, were full of themself, and oh made you feel like YOU should be happy buying from THEM. Heck one of those dealer was the reason i didn't buy myself a nice watch last year (i left the store with a nasty feeling and no envi on spending any money with them).

Best dealer i found was in NYC this Christmas. Very very nice, full of charm and ready to bend over to make a sale. Just the way it should be.

_________________
Panerai PAM212 | Panerai Diver Strap
Panerai PAM111 | Black Croc Strap
Omega Planet Ocean | SS Bracelet
Rolex Submariner | SS Bracelet (Sold, Awaiting Funds)
Breitling Navitimer Olympus | Brown Croc Strap (Arriving)

I came to the US this year to get a good deal on my Breitling. I did my homework, approx 12-17% off list.

However, that was for the Datora. when i spotted the Ltd edition Navi, they wouldnt budge. He said that he didnt need to discount it as he thought he had the only one in NYC - This really hacked me off to the point i left the shop in a strop. I re-did my homework and visited all the other big dealers in NY - even had them phone Breitling to see if they had any still in stock - the original dealer was right - he did have the only one.

In the end, he met me half way on the tax - its something, but not the discount i was looking for.

But, to be fair he did have the only one, in the colour face i wanted & he discounted slightly - supply & demand!!!!!

WOW i was in the original posters AD today, I am looking to buy a croc strap for my MOP Chronomat GT purchased used . I was wearing my Superocean that i purchased from an individual. I was interested in having BOTH watches appraised and serviced. They basically told me if I did not purchase it from them or and AD they would not even look at it nor will BUSA. Right before I left I told them I was interested in purchasing a SA and told them it would be from another AD.


was prepared to lay out "dead presidents' for the purchase as well.

I was just trying to help a local retailer, but I will be going elsewhere and save the sales tax!!!

_________________
Chronomat GT
Colt Automatic
SS Rolex Datejust

Gotta say, this guy really sounds like a douchebag!

_________________
Chronomat, Steel/Gold, MOP Dial, 2-tone band (2008)
Super Avenger Black Baton Dial (2009)
Bentley B04 GMT Silver Dial (2013)
Avenger Blacksteel Baton Dial (2014)

Dealers like this really bug me...even though we may not choose to buy from them, we are still subsidizing them in a way.

The whole point in having a dealer network is to benefit the consumer. It's to give us a way to look at the watches in person and establish in-person relationships with ambassadors of the brand such that we get superior service both at the time of sale and throughout our period of ownership. Sure, you can look at dealer networks as a necessary component of the branding (which benefits Breitling and not us), but I would argue that inherent to the brand image are the things that benefit us, thereby making the brand attractive.

To support this dealer network is expensive, hence the huge markups on the watches themselves. There are lots of mouths to feed. Even if I purchase a used Breitling, I am still paying for that dealer network because the price a used watch is still set relative to the new MSRP. So we all pay for it. Even if I buy a used Breitling, it's still a freakin' Breitling. I expect to be able to take it into a Breitling AD and have them provide me with superior service, because that's what I'm paying for when I buy one...new, used, or otherwise.

Sure, Breitling does things to protect this dealer network, like limiting discounts and prohibiting dealers from selling over the web. In theory, this ultimately benefits us because it preserves the network of people providing us with great service. If this is what it takes to keep the ADs around, I can live with that. But taken to the extreme, it's shameful. When dealers start refusing to touch a watch because you didn't buy it from them, or didn't buy it new, or "we won't sell you a strap unless you prove you purchased the watch from an AD," or "we won't sell you a bracelet because you didn't buy from us," I think it hurts everybody, including Breitling. To turn legitimate owners into criminals does not benefit anyone. When I am scared to walk into a Breitling AD wearing my authentic Breitling watch the whole point of having that network evaporates. And, truly, the watch is no longer worth the price I paid for it...even if I did buy it preowned. New, it's only worth the manufacturing cost plus 10% or 20% because nobody else in the supply chain is doing me any good. Used, it's worth maybe half of that. They should just sell through Amazon.com and be done with it.

///M

_________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." --Dave Barry

I got a fantastic discount (about 28%) from the AD however that was down in the Caribbean. Picked up a Blue dial Chronomat Evolution and absolutely love it!

_________________
Rigo

Breitling Windrider Chronomat Evolution, Blue Dial (Two tone bracelet)[/b]
Raymond Weil Parsifal Chronomat (Black face).

Living in Switzerland, I have the advantage of a dozen ADs in a 100-mile radius.

When I decided I was definitely having a B01, I visited quite a few of them. Discount % varied from 5% to the 15% I finally managed to get. The average discount was 8%.

However, in case of a buy, one of the ADs offered a free 1-hour flite with his Jungmeister

But 35%?

_________________


- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

The reason why any dealer discounts anything for any reason has to do more with the inability of finding quality sales staffs over a strategic need.

Think about places that focus on price and then think about the people that work there.

In other words, the people that typically staff those places don't have the skill to overcome price objections and, quite possibly, the dealer in question simply doesn't either - which is reflected in hiring decisions.



Honestly, sometimes I read things like this and shake my head. Not for the reasons you might think though.

It seems sometimes that certain people like to storm out of ADs as some sort of chat room rite of passage. So the guy was misinformed, so what? You could have still purchased the watch (probably would have received a fine deal, evidenced by your previous purchase), and had a different AD appraise all three. No big deal right? Smacks of a temper tantrum, and is unnecessary. I want to be clear BTW that I mean no offense by this, just wondering why you took the actions you did.

_________________
Avenger Skyland
If I said I was good, you'd think I was bragging.
If I told you I wasn't, you'd know I was lying.

The nearest AD to me is 2 miles and it's always 20% off - out the door (local sales tax is 8.3%).

Next nearest where I've purchased last 2 is about 10 miles and they give 25% out the door.

Retail, what a rip off.

_________________
SHARKMAN

Hi Peezie. I'm not quite sure if this is directed towards me or Jfgardner4. It appears from his post that he has never purchased anything from this AD and had never received a fine deal from them for a previous purchase.
I on the other hand am the OP and have purchased watches on three separate occasions from this AD. Each time I paid MSRP and I have never stormed out of an AD in a temper tantrum.
If I am misreading this I apologize ahead of time.

I never realized how lucky i am, i have lived in ct and florida and both places had dealers that gave me AT LEAST 30% OFF. i have gotten more than 35 at times, i even got 30 off my blacksteel, and nobody can say that, when i priced my last one, he killed george too, great guys, plus they get me FREE STUFF! in the last 4 months, i have gotten 10, thats right 10 hats, a counter pad, polishing cloth, lighter, last year's basil invite, this years, (which is cool btw) case displays, and a hermes tie. love em.

i was in there one day, and this guy came in with his wife and we were bullshitting at the counter and the guy decided on a gmt, on the spot, take it home. never once negotiate the price. my guy gave him either 15 or 20 off, because if the guy ever questioned it, he wanted him to know he got a great deal and would come back, and that was worth more to him than the 1k he took off in $$.

great dealers are PRICELESS

PM sent FEAR

_________________
SA-Baton White Dial/ProII
Tissot Le Locle

Sounds like a torneau to me

Actually I misread his post. I thought he purchased something from that AD in the past. The remainder of my comments stand however. It should be expected that one will run into goofballs at ADs to some degree or another. If you think about it, every time this happens, someone says "call George." It's interesting this one cat is the one that people trust.

_________________
Avenger Skyland
If I said I was good, you'd think I was bragging.
If I told you I wasn't, you'd know I was lying.

Why? George has done right by a lot of people on this forum. It is logical that everyone trusts him.