The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I checked out some Zenith watches and realized how much more I like Breitling. For what you pay including an in house movement, I dont think Zenith can compete. If you want a chrono watch from them it will cost about 9-12k. For that money I cant even consider them in the mix of high end watches. Yes you can buy them cheaper online but form an AD not a chance. Overall I love how breitling prices their watches and the amount of features for the price is unmatched.

It doesn't matter how many times you say that, it's simply not true. As I said in this thread - viewtopic.php?f=15&t=41438, the list price (i.e. the maximum price that an AD can sell for) is less that $9,000 for a number of Zenith chronos.

In my state there are TWO AD's ok? They charge 9k and up for any good Zenith chrono or watch for that matter. Because you like the captain http://www.zenith-watches.com/en/#/collection/flow/4/15, sure you can get that watch for 6500. When you compare a breitling chronograph 44 which is the type of watch I like, Zenith does not have something comparable for the price AD's sell Breitlings for. So you are wrong.

On top of all this only serious watch collectors know about this brand. So when the AD's talk about exclusivity, its meaningless. All those watches are exclusive cause noone knows about them or would pay that price for them knowing Rolex is in that catagory. Dont care what your thoughts are on Rolex, but they go up ion value.

Breitling costs 6800 dollars right now for chronomat anything comparable in zenith is more.

Well the Zenith El Primero 36,000, a classic dress/sport chronograph, retails for $7,800. ADs are not permitted to place prices on their product above retail, so therein lies the confusion I have and perhaps Roff as well.

Moreover, among the watch world Zenith is very well known and highly respected and anyone who would not buy a Zenith merely because they could get a Rolex in that price range, isn't well educated on watches (and I like Rolex). You are aware that it wasn't too awfully long ago that the Rolex Daytona was powered by a Zenith El Primero movement? The real Rolex guys know full well the reputation of Zenith. Given their current price structure per reputation, Zenith is widely regarded a very reasonably priced luxury time piece.

If you don't like their styling, fine. But it is sort of sophomoric to claim Zenith is not on par or above Breitling dollar for dollar. The el primero may be the most famous high end chrono movement in production.

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SHARKMAN

Report them to Zenith for charging more than list, it's a breach of contract.






Actually, I don't particularly like that.






Specifically which statement was wrong? I quoted list prices (accurately) and I said that your statement of (quote) "If you want a chrono watch from them it will cost about 9-12k." was wrong (it was).







Less well known than Breitling, yes; only known by serious watch collectors, not really. Any AD who speaks about exclusivity in a mass produced brand is blowing smoke.

Hard to wrong Zenith when they were one of the first with the high beat auto chrono movement. For what they are, very difficult to beat their value. They've been going in-house for quite awhile now. Longer than Breitling.

I just love it when I mention Zenith to non-watch people and they always say "oh, the TV guys make watches too?"

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"I don't got the bright watch I got the right watch" -Jay Z

I had a beautiful Zenith Chronomaster full calendar cal. 410 and had plenty of problems. The watch went back to Le Locle some 4 or 5 times for various problems when I decided to sell it. In the end I just wanted to have the watch serviced once in the life correctly to be able to sell it without cheating the buyer. But never, never Zenith again.
And that for two reasons (not counting the output of their after-market service): the horizontal clutch of the chronograph and the high-beat escapement. In spite many say that lubrication of the 36.000 A/h is not a problem any more, unfortunately yes. The El Primero (with all the respect to Zenith for being the first auto chrono producers) was never as rugged, sturdy piece as the ugly LWO 5100 or the Valjoux 7750. You may throw stones on me but I'll always choose a 7750-driven chrono over an El Primero, not to say the most of modern manufacture chronos, including the Breitling B01 - which I'm expecting to buy, in a Chronomat 41, as soon as there'll be a day-date version, just to have all features of my CSO I.
So all in all, never Zenith again. Regardless of RRP.
Best regards to all. Peace.
Robert

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Chronomat 41 BEB, Steelfish Chrono BEB, 2x Grand Premier, Chrono Cockpit 39 mm, Aerospace Avantage 79362
IWC 3706, 3705, 376706, 371928
Sinn 103 plexy
For sale: Sinn 356 II, Porsche Design Titan Chrono Valjoux
Wanted: Breitling Blackbird 13353 on bracelet

I've had 6 Zeniths and 4with the El Primero, including the full calendar. Never a problem. Just goes to show you that as with the Breitling 01 and some of the omega and many others, lemons happen. There have been many complaints about Breitling Service centers here as well. I have not had that experience though with the Breitlings, Zenith or Omega models.


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SHARKMAN

Quack...?

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“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” - Albert Einstein

Use the French pronunciation and all you'll get is a blank stare!

Of course I believe that there are way more flawless watches from every manufacturer than lemons, otherwise those manufacturers would close down.
The technical part of a service output is one thing, the attitude of the personnel is another. And on that point Zenith deserved a big that's only my two cents of course. Never had such an experience with all the other brands I own or owned: Breitling, Omega, IWC, Patek, JLC, Sinn and who knows what else.

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Chronomat 41 BEB, Steelfish Chrono BEB, 2x Grand Premier, Chrono Cockpit 39 mm, Aerospace Avantage 79362
IWC 3706, 3705, 376706, 371928
Sinn 103 plexy
For sale: Sinn 356 II, Porsche Design Titan Chrono Valjoux
Wanted: Breitling Blackbird 13353 on bracelet

It's one thing to justify the cost of your new watch to yourself and to others (for some reason) . It's another to bash a brand based on very little knowledge.

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sco
Breitling Chrono Superocean
Omega Aqua Terra 8500
Rolex Submariner Date Ceramic

My experiences with Zenith service (technical and customer) have been well documented here, and have been far from positive. Contrary to the OP's apparent belief that I am a Zenith fan boy I have passed up on a number of opportunities to acquire another Zenith because of the issues that I have had. However, the pricing claims that you can't buy a Zenith chrono below $9k is clearly far from the truth and the 43 year long history of Zenith's 5Hz movement is hard to argue with and is a reputation and history that Breitling would love to have.

Yeah, I hear that a lot...

And perhaps my favorite thing from Zenith is the reviews on the Defy series on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Zenith-96-0529-40 ... ewpoints=1

And that is important because... ?

Nobody put a gun to your head and asked you to buy a Zenith. All you're really telling us is you'd like to justify a purchase.

You spent a heap of money on a Breitling, congratulations, you can be proud of that.

Unless you're 12 years old and looking for your place in this world, you have no reason to bash other brands though, however wrong you think they may be. So, as a kindly intended piece of advice, I suggest you tell yourself of you're better than that and stick to that principle.

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Cheers from Switzerland,

Fred