The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I personally think we're being a little harsh on Breitling here.

Sure, saying it's the "best chronograph in the world" is a crass and nonsensical statement that's clearly not based on any kind of factual data whatsoever. But then again, it's all just marketing spin, dreamt up by guys in shiny suits to be both a) controversial (and hey look, we're all talking about it here!), and b) maybe sucker a few people into believing it, and hence buying one.

But then this kind of "mines-bigger-than-yours" marketing isn't anything new - Rolex's "Superlative Chronometer" claims, anyone? I mean, what makes one chronometer more superlative than another? A chronometer's a chronometer isn't it? -4/+6 secs/day? Marketing dross.... nothing more.

Additionally I think it's somewhat redundant trying to rank movements anyway. What's the criteria for it? Timekeeping? Number of failures per X number of units made? Number of unique features/complications? Beat rate? Depending on what criteria we chose, the outcome in the which-is-best argument will be different every time.

So in summary, yes it's pathetic to claim the B01 is the best chronograph in the world, especially without knowing the basis for that comment (other than marketing jargon of course)....., but I also think it's too harsh to say there are 10 or 100 that are better. Again I would have to ask, on what criteria are we basing these facts?

All JMO of course.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

The worst JLC movement (if there was even such a thing) would take a big massive **** on the B01.

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

I am no fan of marketeers, and I personally dislike the Rolex "Superlative" plastered everywhere, but for me Breitling is taking things further. Their statement contained absolutely no ambiguity and then they backed it up with the "End of disucssion" tag line. I can't think of too many companies that just blatantly say 'we're better than everybody else, end of story'.

In North America today the pick up truck ads go there to some degree, but it's explained with best torque, best V8 fuel economy, etc - always some element of a condition. In Europe there was (maybe still is) Carlsberg - Probably the best lager in the world, still not totally black and white.

This one's different (imh(ish)o)

Quite agree, Roff. Breitling's marketing people must live in a world of their own.

It strikes me as an ill-considered, abrasive ad, in a publication targeted at people who actually have some knowledge of and interest in watches (non-WIS don't buy WatchTime), and as such it is far more likely to invite ridicule than to sell any B01s.

That's going easy on 'em Driver!

Well when you hear Omegas video go: "let's start with a simple truth, Omega makes the best caliber in the world..."

I think the claim of Breitling's marketing team is just as outrageous as... well... pretty much all the others...

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Cheers from Switzerland,

Fred

I think that (the bit I bolded) is a very good point Otto. I am sure that the ad will run in multiple places, but a double page spread at the front of WatchTime is a conscious attempt to hit a group of people who are already educated on Swiss watch brands and may well back fire.

OK, I'd agree with you on that bit, but then I guess as you say, they'll be running the exact same ad in any number of other non-watch based magazines as well. I wouldn't have thought they'd be tailoring their ads to individual publications...... although in this case, perhaps they should've.

I've been fairly hard on Breitling in the last couple of years, so I guess I'm just cutting then a little slack here for a change!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I'd take the Omega calibers anyday over Breitlings....in fact I have. It's not even a close comparision in terms of accuracy, materials, silicon balance, and finishing. PERIOD! END OF DISCUSSION. GAME OVER! CHECK MATE!

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

May well be, but the advertising is just as bold... Because no matter how good the Spring may be, that doesn't make it the best around...

Who knows which really is anyway...

But then, that's why they all can claim that sort of title.

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Cheers from Switzerland,

Fred

While I would tend to agree JLC is a step up on Breitling caliber wise and almost every other level, not every Omega has one up on the B01. Saying there is no comparison between any Omega calibre and an B01 is as ridiculous as saying B01 is the best chronograph in the world, and Omega makes the best caliber in the world. Breitling nor Omega are not innocent here, and neither is Rolex.

Honestly, many of the threads have started to go from "We're free to say what we want" to "We're anti fanboy" to now outright overly critical to the point of overly and unnecessarily negative.

Many of the posts here are as stupid as the original claim itself. If one cannot see that getting aggravated by hearing Breitling say "We're the best" without quantification or measure is as ridiculous and equally ridiculous as saying "All of Omega is better than Breitling" when Omega has made an equally ridiculous claim is as fanboy and ridiculous as the original claim itself, what can I say. Rolex also makes similar claims. One can have the opinion they don't, but go and prove it.

For no reason other than just because I'm sick of all the negativity around here, I will back up this B01 claim.

No other chronograph "IN THE WORLD is as good the B01" due to it's unparalleled performance in combination with it's serial manufacture.

Having a better finish and costing more, or even exponentially more doesn't make it better. Being made of different materials with measurable performance gain doesn't make it better. Trying to prove one is better is as equally as fail as trying to prove the B01 is not the best when measured by opinion. Don't believe me? Try it.

Here, I'll make a statement as equally fail as many of the others here, then you can see my point.

JLC makes a better caliber than Breitling? What worth is some JLC movement when housed in such an ugly case and hidden behind such a horrendous dial? I s&*t all over those ugly pieces of JLUNCK. I would rather wear a gold G-Shock. Therefore Casio is a better movement then JLC. JLC is not even a good manufacturer. PP? Don't they come with Viagra? That s&*t is for codgers and all that gold and diamonds, LOL what are you trying to compensate for by wearing that trash? Therefore Casio is still better than PP.

Lots of companies have stupid ads, and make questionable claims. I don't even have a TV anymore there is so little worth watching and so much garbage tacked onto it.

If Breitling is so bad that no one can have a thread around here with it getting dumped on with negativity all the time, why are so many people still here? Can't we go back to, if you don't have something nice or remotely intelligent to say, don't say anything at all?

For the most part I agree with you Justin.

This is what I was saying in an earlier post : trying to scientifically "rank" movements in terms of which one is better is pointless as it depends on so many variables.

For example, if length of power reserve is the criteria, then the B01 would clearly be "better" than, say, an El Primero, on account of it having a longer power reserve. But if the criteria is beat rate, then the El Primero would be considered "better" than the B01. But if the criteria is both power reserve AND beat rate - who wins then? How many beats offset one extra hour of PR? It's a totally pointless exercise.

And if we can't do it scientifically, then we get into the realms of "gut feel"...... and that's an even more pointless exercise as it comes down to opinions. (And as we know, opinions are like ar*eholes : everyone has one, and we all think everyone else's stinks).

Anyway, this is a little off topic. The fact is, the line of claiming the B01 is "the best chronograph in the world, end of discussion", is nonsense marketing spin especially in a WIS orientated publication. BUT I don't think Breitling are really any more ,or any less, guilty of OTT marketing spin than the vast majority of other manufactures out there at some point.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Mrs. Wessa is the best looking lady in the world, end of discussion.

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"It is just a matter of time!"