The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi all, as you know I recently purchased a used colt, i was wondering if it was a good investment? I really do love the watch but I would also like to see when I do go to sell it the money I put into it back? Any ideas/ opinions?

As always comments are greatly appreciated.


Thanks Kyle

Thats impossible to say without knowing what you paid for it. But if you got a great price on a used Breitling, there is a good chance that you wont LOSE much, if anything, on it if you decide to sell it many years from now. BUT...factor in inflation and servicing, and youll more than likely lose money over the long haul.

There are very few watches out there that make for good investments. If you like the watch, consider it an investment in your happiness, and nothing more.

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-RJ

I paid 712 for a breitling colt a57035 with a leather breitling strap on top of the metal one. I do love the watch but I would love for it to keep its value as well haha

It's not going to happen.

As RJRJRJ says, the number may increase, but factor in inflation and you won't gain anything. Also consider that you are going to be paying $350 or so every 5 years or so for servicing and there's no investment value. However, the fact that you bought a relatively old watch will help you to avoid losing much more, although these early quartz pieces will eventually become non serviceable.

Why will they eventually become unserviceable?

Yes, as I said.

Breitling has committed to support modern superquartz movements for at least 20 years beyond the date that they stop using them, but a quartz watch will eventually fail and unlike mechanical they often can't be repaired.

Rolex however . . . . .

I learned something new - I would have thought quartz is a lot easier to repair.

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End of Discussion.

There are basically no repairs. They generally just pop in a new movement if it has a problem.

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-RJ

Which works fine right up to the point that they don't make the movement anymore, which is what we are already seeing for 80s quartz, and is what is driving the conversion of some relatively recent pieces to the SQ movement variant.

You guys are making me worry now...Should I sell this one off and purchase a different moment? I remember you guys advising against a quartz......I want the watch to last

Quartz watches will eventually fall, however you are pretty much guaranteed 20 years peace of mind, and must likely a lot more than that.

I've got loads of quartz watches, some dating back 30 years or so and have had no problems, and the only problems I'm really aware of with quartz are with the displays on digital ones.

as others have said, you've not really bought an investment, you've bought a nice watch for a decent price. If you are worried about cost of ownership, then can I suggest you simply budget for battery changes at BUK rather than a service as such (which, unless the movement had actually packed up will more than likely be to make it pretty), which probably puts your TCO around £1200 for 20 years.

That's a breitling on your wrist for £1.20 a week. And that's worst case pretty much and assumes that it'll fail and be worth zero at 20 years which is very unlikely.

In the very unlikely car that the movement needs replacing during that 20 years, chances are that that will cost significantly less than the costs of the movement services that the mech watches will have needed in the same time.

Perhaps I'm biassed as I have a quartz 'ling,

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Gyp
Avenger Seawolf Chrono

Just spotted a couple of autocorrect errors on there as I posted from my phone, but I'm not going back to sort; you get the idea, you've got a nice watch, it isn't going to cost you a fortune to own it, just get on with enjoying it.

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Gyp
Avenger Seawolf Chrono

I agree with all that.

I guess it's good news for anyone who has an 06-11 Colt SQ that B are using the same movements in their 2011-on Colts, ie still using the B73 in the chrono and the B74 in the simple analogue, as it presumably gives them greater longevity.

Service on an analogue watch is a lot more than making it pretty. Just because it's quartz doesn't mean that it doesn't have oils in the running train which will break down and cease to lubricate. I wouldn't want to see the state of the arbors if that watch went 20 years with the same oil because servicing would only "make it pretty".