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jimbob
PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:09 am 
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Can serial numbers really not be tracked or traced? That really suprises me.

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Roffensian
PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:04 am 
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jimbob wrote:
Can serial numbers really not be tracked or traced? That really suprises me.



Not easily.

Breitling know where watches go, but then they can easily lose track - remember that Breitling ships to distributors, not stores, and not all regions have effective tracking from the distributor on. For example, the biggest export market for Swiss watches (not just Breitling) is Hong Kong, and it's number 1 by a wide margin, but just try and find out where the watches go after that!
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wessa
PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:13 am 
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jimbob wrote:
Can serial numbers really not be tracked or traced? That really suprises me.


Breitling keep a record wich AD they supplied the watch to.
After that depends on market to market practice if the buyer records are passed on by the AD to Breitling and if so, I believe Breitling from one country has no access to the data at Breitling in another country.
Certainly the case in Hong Kong and Taiwan hence I find it hard to imagine that it would be different in ALL other markets.
Most definitely, once the watch is sold on by the original buyer, the trace ends there.
A record of it will pop up somewhere again if it gets serviced in an official Breitling centre in the future.
No centralized database however, which yes I also find surprising in this day and age.

Beat me to it Roffensian but what the hell, might as well post it now that I typed it in :D

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Roffensian
PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:16 am 
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wessa wrote:
jimbob wrote:
Can serial numbers really not be tracked or traced? That really suprises me.


Breitling keep a record wich AD they supplied the watch to.



Breitling don't supply watches to ADs, they supply to distributors (BUSA, BUK, etc), only they can track the AD.
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wessa
PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:18 am 
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Roffensian wrote:
jimbob wrote:
Can serial numbers really not be tracked or traced? That really suprises me.



Not easily.

... For example, the biggest export market for Swiss watches (not just Breitling) is Hong Kong, and it's number 1 by a wide margin...


That's becasue no import duties and next door to China :D

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Twotone540
PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:19 am 
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sracer wrote:
I was discussing watches while in LV this past weekend with a guy that was a Rolex authorized AD...He said that several years ago, Rolex reduced the number of ADs from 2000+ to around 400. They basically dictate everything about how the dealer operates - advertising, stock (said they came into the store monthly and just restocked what you sold in the prior month, you had to have in the case, what they wanted), you paid in 30 days or you were done. Interesting contrast to how the rest of the market operates, but when you have out marketed everyone else, you get to do what you want, I suppose.

You would be surprised at the number of companies that do the same...It is far from just Rolex.
I know for a fact that certain pet supply co. to major auto co. do the same.

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wessa
PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:39 am 
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Roffensian wrote:
wessa wrote:
jimbob wrote:
Can serial numbers really not be tracked or traced? That really suprises me.


Breitling keep a record wich AD they supplied the watch to.



Breitling don't supply watches to ADs, they supply to distributors (BUSA, BUK, etc), only they can track the AD.


You are 100% correct, when I said "Breitling" I was refering to BUSA, BUK, BHK, etc.. which as you point out are strictly speaking - distributors.

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RotaryRx7
PostPosted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 8:51 am 
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You learn something new everyday. Thanks for the info.

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