The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know why people like getting watches from Switzerland? My Chronomat 01 LE was bought at Lucerne(Switzerland) and price was about 10 over percent cheaper than if I have bought it in my country(Singapore). However for Rolex it would be cheaper to get from my country because most dealers here give more discount which end up cheaper than if gotten at Switzerland. Not sure about other brands though but in general I have been told that buying watches in Switzerland is not cheap at all. I have heard of this saying that the reason behind why people like getting watches from Switzerland is because in other countries, the bracelets of the watches might not be made in Switzerland but in some other countries...Not that they are fake but the bracelets were made and imported from another country to meet the production demand. So ADs only imports the watches without the bracelets from Switzerland side and fix them to the "outsourced" bracelets. Therefore getting watches from Switzerland assures that the watch is 100% made in Switzerland. I was told that this can even impact the resale value of the watch in future. Can anyone verify if this is true?

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Breitling Chronomat 01 Limited Edition
Breitling Navitimer 01 46mm

I am not aware that people do like buying watches in Switzerland, the vast majority prefer buying watches where they don't have to pay as much. And the suggestion that a legitimate watch company selling through a legitimate dealer network will not use the same quality bracelets in different markets is ludicrous.

Haven't heard of that phenomenon either. I'm sure that Breitling watches, bracelets and straps are the same around the world in AD's.

I have heard of a recent trend of Chinese travelers buyin Swiss watches in Switzerland.
Of course one factor is cost due to tax but the main one is prestiege - Made in Switzerland, bought in Switzerland.
Don't ask me to explain it.

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"It is just a matter of time!"

Dr J & Roffensian: No the bracelets are definitely of the same quality. What I meant was that I was told the watch factories in Switzerland couldn't meet export production demand so they only produce limited number of bracelets and the watches itself without the bracelets and and got their other factories located in another country to make the bracelets. This is for the watches meant to export to another country. However watches within Switzerland itself definitely they only sell bracelets made locally. I am not referring to Breitling but maybe certain brands in general. For eg, Rolex produce 2,000 watches per day but because of the production demand they only had the resources to manufacture limited amount of bracelets and got another Rolex factory in another country to make the bracelets for them. So same quality but maybe not 100% made in Switzerland. So only the watch without the bracelets is confirmed made from Switzerland. Actually this was explained to me by my tour guide when I went to Switzerland. I don't trust his saying completely but it is true that many like getting watches from Switzerland. My personal opinion is simply because they have more stocks, especially certain models that are harder to find in other countries. For eg, Rolex Sub, most AD in Singapore do not have it because sold out, but when I went to Switzerland, every AD I went to they have at least 2 on the display. Anyway just curious over what my tour guide told me because he can't be explaining such things to his tour group without a reliable source. Or maybe it only applies to Asia countries?

Wessa: Ya you are right...Every AD I went to in Switzerland there would always be a big chunk of China people there buying as if the watches are free. They normally ask for the most expensive ones without knowing what they are actually buying. No comments on this but u guys know what I mean. I personally feel that they don't do justice to the watches.

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Breitling Chronomat 01 Limited Edition
Breitling Navitimer 01 46mm

Complete BS, and I don't mean BreitlingSource.

I was just in Geneva. I really did not have time to go into a shop during business hours but I did do a lot of window browsing. Unlike here in the USA-- the watches are left in the cases. I have never seen such collections of fine watches in individual windows. I did not have any desire to purchase there especially since the swiss franc is so strong against the US dollar

Markk: Yah one thing I noticed in Switzerland is that the people in the AD don't really handle the watches with that much "respect" as compared to others. I think because it's their local brands and products that's why they feel that those are something that they could have anytime and not rare and precious that flew all the way from another country. Lol... So far for the rest of the countries when I walk into an AD most of them are rather professional and make you feel like a VIP. However in Switzerland sometimes u feel like a fish market in an AD, I think because those that I came across all had a big bunch of China people there talking loudly and buying the watches as if they are free. Lol... But what Wessa mentioned was true that many people feel prestigious buying a watch from it's home country as it feels very "genuine". For me I bought in Switzerland simply because they had the model that I wanted there(Chronomat 01 LE) and the price was cheaper as compared to my country.

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Breitling Chronomat 01 Limited Edition
Breitling Navitimer 01 46mm

I kind of wish I would have had time to stop by those shops when they were open. Maybe they get tired of tourists who are there to "tire kick" and not buy. I dont think that the average person in Switzerland owns a high end watch. SWATCH was quite popular there too. THe problem is that my trip there got a bug in me going to buy a new one.. So that trip turned out to be more expensive than anticipated.. LOL. To bad not something i can take as a business expense..

Hahahha... quite ludicrous

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