The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Upon turning 40, having never worn a watch, my wife (then girlfriend) insisted that I get a "grown ups" watch.

WHAT?! A few thousand dollars for a watch?!?!? Are you crazy?

Well, behind every great man is a greater woman (and smarter) and I followed her direction....Tag....NO...too 1980s and too much of an "introductory" brand.....Montblanc....no....they're too expensive for what they are....Longines.....no, they have abandoned their lineage....those were her replies.

My rejections - Omega.....great lineage, but recent models are disappointing.....Baume & Mercier....I liked the sportier models, but felt like they were dated.......Rolex.....classic and expected and no, I don't want to be "that guy" and nobody who owns a Rolex knows anything about watches......

Then I stumbled upon Breitling......lots of bling....shiny bracelets.....will scratch too easily......wait......what is that?

A BlackBird.

A beautiful blend of masculinity and finesse - larger size, brushed steel, deep black dial, a second hand that, no pun intended, sweeps you off your feet with its elegance, a great history behind the brand....chrono, large date at 12 o' clock - YES - this, THIS is my watch.

Fast forward 3 months - a mainspring that needs to be replaced - 16 weeks to make the repair as the watch sat at BUSA where my AD and BUSA seemed to not care less that I just dropped $5,500 USD on a watch that went KABOING after 3 months - and a lineup of models over the past 2 years that has left me scratching my head.

As you can see in my signature - my BlackBird started my obsession and to this day, it is still my favorite Ling of recent years. So it was with great disappointment and a guilt of sorts when I traded in my BlackBird today for a partial payment on ..................................a 2006 Rolex Sea Dweller.

Omega went through a rough transition a few years back and it's found its way again..........I now feel like Breitling is the underdog.......but I'm pulling for you baby.............find your way back Breitling.........find your way back............

******steps off cliff****************

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PAM359, Omega PO Big Size, 1951 Omega Seamaster, Rolex Sea Dweller

well at least you will have an incoming sea dweller to keep you happy. the BB was one of the best Breitlings around. no need for me to beat the dead horse about whats going on with the style department, but im hopeful too that our beloved Breitling will find its way back to AWESOME

Sorry to hear of your departure, especially with the BB. That is an awesome watch. But you gotta do what you gotta do. I never bought a Rolex unitl I saw the ceramic bezel on the GMTII. I didn't want to be "that guy" either, and they looked way to small for my 8" wrist. But I am very happy with my GMTIIc, and I hope you are as well with your Seadweller. It's a fine timepiece. Best of luck,

Don

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An ever changing collection.....

What was behind the decision to sell? I know you don't like the current lineup, but you liked the BB, it seems. Now that it's fixed and working (which I'm assuming it is), why sell, unless you just don't like the model any more? Not that I'm not in support of your decision - I'm a Rolex convert and a Breitling expatriate myself. I'm just curious.

BTW, it's definitely time to change that signature.

I don't believe that this is a fair judgement. I'm surprised that I am the first to state this....

You are in this thread, but not elsewhere. In other threads, we've discussed at length the fairness of perceptions regarding the Rolex brand and those who own Rolexes. The general consensus is that all brands have their fanboys who don't know much about watches and buy a brand simply because of its reputation. Rolex might have more than its fair share of such buyers, but that doesn't mean it isn't still a great watch; it has become a cliche precisely because it is so good. Martini himself has noted his about-face in attitude regarding the brand, saying they've been "getting it right" all along, as is attested to by the fact he's replacing his Blackbird with a Sea Dweller.

You are correct - it was not a "fair judgement." But keep it in context - I was getting my first luxury watch - hell, I was just getting my first watch! So there was a bit of naivite and ignorance relative to my decision-making process.

@JacksonStone

As my tastes evolved, as my knowledge increased, I started to look at other brands. I don't know about others, but the history behind these brands is fascinating to me. What's even more fascinating to me is how many brands stay true to their lineage. Despite the lousy customer service from BUSA, Breitling was one of those brands that I really respected. However, their departure from their lineage has just been to dramatic to me. I don't really care what other people think about my timepieces. Most people I know don't get into watches the way I do. Consequently, Breitling's brand cache took a major dive in my eyes with the lousy customer service, the radical changes with the new releases, and the fact that anyone who wants a BlackBird can get a BlackBird - at a minimum of 25%..........basically, I found out my baby wasn't as special as I thought it was.

So I'm not as ignornant, I have enough knowledge to make me dangerous, and it was about time to get back to a 40mm watch that I can wear with a suit (regardless of cuffs) and a t-shirt. The Rolex Sea Dweller will be that watch. I just got the vintage rice bracelet for my Omega PO, so that look is a bit more calculated.

In the end, I am still very much interested in following the Breitling brand - and I am very disappointed (to the extend that I felt guilty) that I got rid of my BB.

And in closing - this is the best forum on the internets hands-down. You guys are great - I appreciate the oppenness and banter - but more than anything - I appreciate the mutal respect (most of the time ) and the knowledge that you've give me over the years.

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PAM359, Omega PO Big Size, 1951 Omega Seamaster, Rolex Sea Dweller

My bad I haven't seen those threads so I guess I didn't understand the full context.

No worries. You can't be expected to know all of what gets discussed here. I only do because I spend WAY too much time here.

Rolex pumps out around 700,000 watches per year, no other brand is even close that. With all those watch sales will come A TON of buyers who don't give a $%\t about what's inside or what the roots are; they buy it so they can have a ROLEX. But, for the people who take a step back to look at Rolex for what they are will see that they make an incredible watch with a remarkable facility capable of producing everything in-house while doing it on a massive scale.

Congrats on a great timepiece.

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"I don't own any watches, I just lease them"

I completely agree!

Martini, Congrats! May you love yours as much as I have loved mine.

I still don't get it. You take current and future Breitling designs into account when you think about whether you like your watch or not? You don't like your Blackbird anymore because it needed repair and the new offers for Breilting aren't to your taste or are "straying too far from their lineage"?

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viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2335
Breitling SuperOcean (coral)
Breitling Avenger
Corum Admiral's Cup
Rolex Sub

i cant answer for Martini but i think for myself its a combo of the things your mentioned. IMO when drastic chancges are made to the lineups and models and discontinued its hard to want to stick with the brand. I am glad that the Navi still stays their Iconic piece but the murder of the rest of the lineup, often makes me question whether i still want to own the brand. for the record I have 2 lings, but on more than one occassion I have thought about getting rid of them to buy another brand.

I'm going to be unloading my CSO, but that has more to do with issues I have with the watch itself, rather than the brand. I don't like what Breitling has become, but if I had an older model I really liked - say a Crosswind, or late-model pre-Evo Chronomat or Blackbird - I don't think I would be parting with it, despite how I feel about the brand currently. Classic is classic. If anything, those models would be that much cooler, simply because they aren't being superseded by current versions. But to each his own. Everybody's got his own reasons for liking what he likes.

@JacksonStone

As my tastes evolved, as my knowledge increased, I started to look at other brands. I don't know about others, but the history behind these brands is fascinating to me. What's even more fascinating to me is how many brands stay true to their lineage.

I agree. Tastes change, and you should get what makes you happy. I just parted with my beloved SA Blacksteel I've had for two years. I couldn't see myself wearing it 10 yrs from now. So I traded it for a gorgeous PAM 299, and I haven't looked back. I still like Breitling, and always go to the Aeromarine line. Enjoy your Rolex!

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An ever changing collection.....