The Breitling Watch Source Forums

hi guys this is my first post to this fab forum.i live in manchester and have always loved watches.ive owned a tag watch and recently just sold a omega planet ocean (orange dial) on ebay after owning it for two and a half years.for a long time ive always wanted a breitling and was working in leeds a couple of weeks ago and decided to visit the town centre.there are two breitling dealers opposite each other and i decided to visit both to see if they could do a deal as the watch i wanted was a breitling windrider chrono with two tone bracelet and gold bezel which was the same price at £5720.00.when both retailers knew i was going from one shop to another they both wanted my business and discounts were offered.the best price i was offered went from £5720 rrp to an amazing £4875.00 a total saving of £845.00 discount.even though i could purchase this watch on the internet for around £4700 the company wasnt an official agent and to be honest always worry that it could have been fake.when i returned to manchester i rang mappin and webb and told them the price that id been offered and they said that they would match it.the next day i bought the watch and had the best service from them and also knowing that the watch is 100%genuine.my advice to all would be if you dont ask for discount you wont get it.all the best gary

Welcome aboard, Gary. You managed to get a great deal through AD in UK.

I know what you mean.

Last week at my AD I bought a Chrono-Matic 49 and said "Big discount for cash please"...

I got 25% off retail and then another 8.25% tax off totalling 33.25%

Fantastic!!

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HeadOffice...
B1+UTC
B1+UTC
B2+UTC
Chronomatic 49
Emergency+UTC-Yellow
Emergency+UTC-Black
Emergency+UTC-Blue
Super Avenger
SuperOcean Heritage 46

-- Looking for B4B Le Mans

It certainly seems like the UK AD's are now more willing to price-match the grey market. With previous asking prices and negotiating tactics, sales in general have I suspect, recently dropped off a cliff !

Ike

Its the ever looming recession im thinking of geting a omega and went to my local ad, i said im intrested and he oferd a discount strait away! So we got chating and he said that the company bort to many watches 4 christmas, they normaly sel them but as no 1 has any money at the moment they cant shift them.

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Currently:
Avenger Skyland(Black)
Super Avenger(White)

Moved on:
Montbrillant Legende(Silver)
Panerai 312
SOHC 125th Ann. LE(Silver)
Navitimer World(Pearl)
Panerai 441

please

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I'm a consumer, not a dealer, but it concerns me that these pieces are being now potentially thought of as commodity items. Part of the appeal of Panerai (for example) is that discounts are as rare as teeth on a turtle. For that reason, it is thought of as a more "exclusive" piece. In my area, I see every lugnut with a couple of extra bucks sporting a Bling in some manner. This is honestly why over the past year, I strongly considered selling it.

I personally blame this one the easy discounts dealers give, and stories like what we see here that perhaps gives the impression that, even for first-time customers, they're entitled to it. I love the designs, but I don't think anyone here wants Bling to be viewed as a poor man's Rolex that anyone can get, thus diminishing the luster of the brand.

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Avenger Skyland
If I said I was good, you'd think I was bragging.
If I told you I wasn't, you'd know I was lying.

How times change!!...I'm also from Manchester and found the AD's in the city centre very unhelpful in terms of discount when I was in the market for a Breitling about 18 months ago.I guess they're desperate for business now the credit crunch is beginning to bite.Watches of Switzerland especially...looked at me as though I was an alien when I asked for a discount

haha ye there is one in brighton, very posh! wouldn't dere ask for a discount!

Being in the US, on any luxury anything, no discount, no sale. True of Breitling, Panerai (usually more than Breitling to first time customers), Rolex, BMW ... ALL of these are increasing in certain areas and sectors due to the economic slowdown. Example outside of watches; BMW M3 up the road at the dealer. MSRP period 3 months ago, now $5K off and still sitting. People with disposable income for luxurt items without significant risk of losing all of that disposable income are in a rare position now and can avail themselves of some impressive deals, if they choose.
So, at least over here, it has nothing at all to do with the brand.

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Chronomat, Steel/Gold, MOP Dial, 2-tone band (2008)
Super Avenger Black Baton Dial (2009)
Bentley B04 GMT Silver Dial (2013)
Avenger Blacksteel Baton Dial (2014)

My personal view on discounting is that the US discounts far too freely and by far too much, irrespective of the prevailing financial climate. In the current financial crisis, I can understand it far more, but to discount as a matter of course shows little respect for the brand image.

Discounting a small amount is a good thing as it engenders goodwill with customers and I have no doubt at all that even a small discount can aid sales : people like to feel like they are getting a good deal. However I agree with peezie that you should have to "work" for your discount. I have cultivated a relationship with my AD for the past decade, and it has got me some decent deals...... but usually still no-where near what first time buyers in the US can pick up just by walking in off the street.

Super-low discounts do indeed hurt the brand and that is not something I want to see, even if it means I have to pay a little bit more. I like a bit of a discount as much as the next guy, but I for one would have no problem at all if I could only get it from my normal AD - i.e. the one I have built a relationship with. However, I certainly DON'T want to pay more if I know some guy who may have little love for the brand and just wants an expensive watch for his image, can just walk into an AD and pay less that I have.

I personally think that Breitling SA needs to get a little tougher with US AD's and bring them more into line with the rest of the world. Set a maximum discount limit - say 10 or 15% and only for repeat customers. The "stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap" ethos doesn't really fit with a prestige brand IMHO.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

The problem with trying to keep prices reasonably in line internationally is that things aren't comparable. Sure it costs the same to produce a Breitling regardless of where it is sold, but distirbutors will pay different prices depending on volume, as will retailers.

Additionally, costs are not comparable in different locations. In Canada staff at ADs are considered retail sales people at around $12 per hour plus commissions. I'm guessing that $12 / GBP6 per hour doesn't buy you much in Europe.

Additionally, the retail costs - rent / taxes / utilities / etc vary considerably, and finally, comparing North American to European prices is slightly false - North American prices are always before tax, European tend to have taxes included.

The countries that tend to offer the biggest discounts are often the countries that have the biggest percentage markups which are artificially created by the manufacturer in order to attempt to make prices from country to country at least reasonably comparable - which is of course done to try and preserve the dealer network in more expensive locations.

Not much that can be done.

I would still argue there is a significant disparity between most of Europe and the US in discounting, while average salary is not that significantly different. The best figures I could find suggest that approx USD 44K is the average US salary, compared to GBP 23K which at current exchange rate is only USD 34K. Obviously I am well aware that this is quite a crude comparison and things are further skewed with exchange rate fluctuation, but even so, the US is getting a much better deal.

I would argue the case for setting RRPs as a set percentage of the average salary within a given region. Obviously this assumes that places of exceptionally low income by western standards (such as Tibet or Peru, etc) would not be a target market for Breitling....... otherwise we'd all be heading there to pick up Breitlings for the price of a loaf of bread.

But yes, I agree that in a global economy where exports and imports are essentially unrestricted, there will always be one country or another that will be more attractive.

But I would still strongly dispute that Breitling overprice their watches by 30% in the US compared to the UK, allowing US retailers to give 25 or 30% discounts just like that.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

All I'm asserting is that if the rabid discounting continues unabated, it removes a key reason to own a luxury brand--that is of course, the feeling that you have something special. Commoditizing (making up words here) something like this removes a key pull for a luxury brand. BMW isn't selling their stuff for 35% off. It isn't the discounting that's the problem; it's the size of it that's at issue.

That said, yay for those that got a great deal. Just be careful not to preach to others that it is expected.

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Avenger Skyland
If I said I was good, you'd think I was bragging.
If I told you I wasn't, you'd know I was lying.