My experience at a Breitling boutique

[GST15]

I have no concern of the monetary value of my watch after I purchase it. That said. when I buy a watch, if I can save 15-20% like I did on both my Breathings by going to a regular AD instead of the Boutique, I do care about that. Must be an AD for me though. No grey market to save a few bucks.

[Archetype]

Originally Posted by GST15

I have no concern of the monetary value of my watch after I purchase it. That said. when I buy a watch, if I can save 15-20% like I did on both my Breathings by going to a regular AD instead of the Boutique, I do care about that. Must be an AD for me though. No grey market to save a few bucks.

I fully agree with you. For a few bucks is not worth going grey market.

I would only point out, as some seem to conflate this, that wanting a good deal and caring about the value retention in the future are two different things.

Originally Posted by Dave O

Again, as I have stated above, there is more to consider at times than just the cheapest price

Of course there are.

You don't see watches as assets but that's your subjective opinion. Objectively watches have proven to be assets but mostly not good performing ones. For example I may not see my home as an asset because I love it and not planning to rent or sell it no matter what but this doesn't mean that it is not an asset.

Originally Posted by Dave O

My relationships with my AD's have gotten me things that others simply can't get. I don't think you understand this at all.

I cannot "understand something" if you have never mentioned it before so am not sure about the traction of this point

Only now you bring a new factor into the discussion which sheds more light to your decision making to not care about purchase price. Accessibility to pieces that many people can't get is a sensible understandable reason as to why one would buy from an AD though we aren't talking about an AD that carry's many brands but just Breitling as I only refer to a specific boutique here. Your other points, comparing watches to holidays, if you care about purchase price you aren't a true watch love etc. do not make much sense, with respect.

Originally Posted by jedione65

If you really only cared about money and “value” preservation, you would not buy any watches at all. Nobody needs a watch and especially not a luxury watch. Most wealthy people don’t even wear watches or have a watch collection. People that buy watches buy them for pure enjoyment a particular watch or brand gives them.
Maybe come back and rejoin the discussion one you’ve bought, sold, traded 10-20 watches and see how much money you’ve made.
Oh and just so you know - I have watches in my collection that I can sell for a profit on what I paid but those are outliers and was lucky to get them.

You aren't making much sense. Again, you sound like a religious zealot who is here to defend his "brand". When did I say or indicate that I only care about money or value preservation? You haven't even understood the point am arguing here and you jump into conclusions.

In the absence of other mitigating factors, let me repeat this again because you do not seem to get it, in the absence of other mitigating factors buying from a boutique is you being ignorant and/or irresponsible with your money. There are many legit grey market dealers from where you can go, inspect in real time and buy your watch which is fully backed by the manufacturers warranty. If grey dealers wouldn't provide manufacturers warranty then I would think differently.


So many people seem to conflate wanting to get a good deal with not being a watch lover. It is beyond me really.

You have no idea of my watch collection and dealings so perhaps you try re-join the discussion once you can start making sense.

Originally Posted by jedione65

My issue is you basically wrote a very condescending post about how Breitling is terrible because it loses value “how the boutique is dead” and you “has no desire to buy any of their watches”. What’s the point of that?

I laugh that this is "your issue". Do you own or work for Breitling? Did you read the title of my thread before you started running your mouth? I share my experience, if you don't like it, too bad.

My statements actually represent reality as I perceived it, sorry if this hurts your feelings of commitment to the brand.

The boutique was dead, not a soul entered for the duration of my stay and since I pass by that place relatively often it always looks dead. I went in with no desire to buy their watches from them due to the fact I can get the exact same thing elsewhere for 40% less. I also have no relationship with this boutique to get any special privileges from them so I see no point paying full retail and am not looking to establish one either. I am more a Zenith person but occasionally I can stray away.

[Crob1]

Originally Posted by Archetype

If you buy earth mined diamonds (say 1ct, big stones have lower margins) from a reputable dealer you will lose around 30% should you return it whereas with lab growns you will lose 75%. Also good quality natural white diamonds are "rare" and are really RARE if we are talking about the big stones. This can never be said about something we can create in a lab.

One shows off diamonds with the goal being to say to the world that he's got money (among other things). Showing off labs achieves this goal, if this is the main thing you are after and it doesn't bother you to be associated with this level of fakery HOWEVER once more people become aware of the existence of lab growns then it won't be enough to just show off, you will also need to lie if you are asked if these are natural ones or not. You are lying to yourself, you are lying to others, I don't see any REAL benefit with Breitling using lab stones. It just attracts the wrong kind of people to the brand who want to pretend to be something they aren't.

Personally speaking I cannot stand showing off something which isn't the real thing because I feel like a complete idiot inside me, as someone who lies his way into a social status he doesn't deserve to be in nor can he keep up with the appearance he creates. Walking around with a 50k replica Rolex when a Tissot is the best I could afford . How can one feel comfortable with this level of fakery is beyond me.

Under observation you can't tell the difference between lab and earth mined but so what? I would argue what something IS matters more than how something looks to the world. In the case of watches there is no comparison between the value of a factory set diamond Rolex and aftermarket even though they may look exactly the same. They look the same but they aren't. The person faking it knows the truth and onlookers should know better before labeling people as "successful" when they don't really know them.

Hmmmm... This is informative

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[jedione65]

Originally Posted by Archetype

I fully agree with you. For a few bucks is not worth going grey market.

I would only point out, as some seem to conflate this, that wanting a good deal and caring about the value retention in the future are two different things.




Of course there are.

You don't see watches as assets but that's your subjective opinion. Objectively watches have proven to be assets but mostly not good performing ones. For example I may not see my home as an asset because I love it and not planning to rent or sell it no matter what but this doesn't mean that it is not an asset.



I cannot "understand something" if you have never mentioned it before so am not sure about the traction of this point

Only now you bring a new factor into the discussion which sheds more light to your decision making to not care about purchase price. Accessibility to pieces that many people can't get is a sensible understandable reason as to why one would buy from an AD though we aren't talking about an AD that carry's many brands but just Breitling as I only refer to a specific boutique here. Your other points, comparing watches to holidays, if you care about purchase price you aren't a true watch love etc. do not make much sense, with respect.




You aren't making much sense. Again, you sound like a religious zealot who is here to defend his "brand". When did I say or indicate that I only care about money or value preservation? You haven't even understood the point am arguing here and you jump into conclusions.

In the absence of other mitigating factors, let me repeat this again because you do not seem to get it, in the absence of other mitigating factors buying from a boutique is you being ignorant and/or irresponsible with your money. There are many legit grey market dealers from where you can go, inspect in real time and buy your watch which is fully backed by the manufacturers warranty. If grey dealers wouldn't provide manufacturers warranty then I would think differently.


So many people seem to conflate wanting to get a good deal with not being a watch lover. It is beyond me really.

You have no idea of my watch collection and dealings so perhaps you try re-join the discussion once you can start making sense.




I laugh that this is "your issue". Do you own or work for Breitling? Did you read the title of my thread before you started running your mouth? I share my experience, if you don't like it, too bad.

My statements actually represent reality as I perceived it, sorry if this hurts your feelings of commitment to the brand.

The boutique was dead, not a soul entered for the duration of my stay and since I pass by that place relatively often it always looks dead. I went in with no desire to buy their watches from them due to the fact I can get the exact same thing elsewhere for 40% less. I also have no relationship with this boutique to get any special privileges from them so I see no point paying full retail and am not looking to establish one either. I am more a Zenith person but occasionally I can stray away.

There is a big difference between buying from a boutique and buying watches at big discounts from the grey market as you like to do, for the sole reason of getting a big discount. I hate to break it to you but the watches you get ant discount are pretty common watches. You take certain risks buying from an grey dealer as well. Every single one of your posts have been about how to buy watches at discounts for the sake of getting a good deal. You haven’t shared any of your watches on a watch related forum like this so of course we know nothing of your watch collection, only that you want to buy watches at discounts only.

Of course your opinion is your alone but was you can see may others here have very different opinions about the inherent value of watches than you do.

I also hate to break it to you but the majority of single brand boutiques (not just Breitling) are dead with no people inside except for a very few big hyped brands. Most boutiques will also give you a discount if you ask nicely. This is nothing to write home about.

Lastly, Zenith is a brand you can get at a discount, aside from the design, also one of the reasons I don’t own any. Some of their watches are attractive but not that special. Every single one my watches has a reason, sentimental or other for being in my collection.

Good luck with your grey market purchases.