Are Breitling having a laugh?

[Nitefly]

A nice watch is one of the only (if not *the* only) pieces of interesting jewellery a man can wear without looking like a *****. A wedding band doesn't count as interesting.

One of my friends has a gold and dark red gemstone ring he was given for his 21st that he wears on his middle right finger. It looks pretty classy actually.

 

[Redrum]

Its unbelievable how cheap a lot of people on this forum seem to be!

What on earth is wrong with buying decent things? I assume you also have indesit appliances, george clothes, and a citroen car with an attitude like that?

God you people are so boring. I suspect you also drive around in a £100 car because it still gets you from A to B like an expensive one?

Well thanks for judging me, but actually I have never bought or owned anything from George, Citroen or Indesit. My current car is the most expensive car that the lease company that my employer forces me to use had, and my car before that was a huge saloon with a V6 engine that used to cost me a fortune in repairs and fuel. But then as drunkenmaster so eloquently explained, it least it was superior when it was working correctly to a cheap Citroen.

Some people with a watch fetish in this thread are far too defensive. Me and others were simply saying we don't understand it. That doesn't mean I have a problem with people spending their own money on it if it makes them happy. Just in the same way that I'm not into art but if someone wants to spend lots of money on a painting it doesn't bother me.

 

[FatBoyObese]

My bosses' lambo needs new tyres and a clutch every 5000 miles. Cost £10,000 plus labour.

.

That's what he tells the accountant

 

[DiCe!]

slightly off topic, but why would you want cheap things? sure a £12 casio watch will last you ages but then you are just the same as everyone else. i made a choice a few years ago that i am only going to get nice things. got a nice Rotary watch for £300, lifetime warenty if i send it off every 3 years. i have a fine looking watch that doesnt cost me a fortune. why get a crap car that ok will get you from a to b but might be uncomfortable, slow etc. each to their own.

 

[Dutch Guy]

I can understand people buying a Breitling, but what I don't understand is why Breitling charges so much for a repair when they make a shedload of money from the initial sale

If I would spend >1000 quid on a watch I kinda expect the company to keep the watch in perfect condition for 10 years, not charge me an arma nd a leg to change a battery.

 

[Greebo]

It doesn't.

It does. Well, his certainly does so must be the way he drives it.

 

[Jez]

It does. Well, his certainly does so must be the way he drives it.

No, it doesnt. A full clutch replacement on a gallardo is around £2400-3000(+vat) from a an official lambourghini centre depending on type.

I know this because i was discussing this very subject with a friend of the family literally this week, who has recently had his gallardo's clutch replaced.

Tyres are a few hundred per corner. There is also no WAY he will be cooking its clutch every 5k unless he is tracking it for that entire 5k miles

 

[Cosimo]

It does. Well, his certainly does so must be the way he drives it.

Waits for the "oh yes it does" with "real dealer" quote and an invasion from the know it all motors mob.

 

[ntg]

It doesnt mean you cannot complain about what you consider to be an obscene repair charge, simply because the item cost a lot.

Well that's my point though, the target audience of these products are people who wouldn't complain in paying these charges because they can easily afford them. The people who do complain are those who cannot afford them because they try to overreach and outspend. In other words, no they shouldn't complain if they bought such a watch, it's their fault for not being able to afford it and its associated costs.

In the same way that no one has sympathy for home owners who got 125% mortgages on fake self-declared incomes and moaned when negative equity hit them, no one has sympathy for people who buy stuff they can't afford and then moan about whatever.

Btw, i'm just discussing the principle of things. In reality I would moan as well, it's human nature.

 

[G-MAN2004]

No, it doesnt. A full clutch replacement on a gallardo is around £2400-3000(+vat) from a an official lambourghini centre depending on type.

I know this because i was discussing this very subject with a friend of the family literally this week, who has recently had his gallardo's clutch replaced.

Tyres are a few hundred per corner. There is also no WAY he will be cooking its clutch every 5k unless he is tracking it for that entire 5k miles

How do you know it's a Gallardo? Could be a Murcie SV.

 

[doofer]

No, it doesnt. A full clutch replacement on a gallardo is around £2400-3000(+vat) from a an official lambourghini centre depending on type.

I know this because i was discussing this very subject with a friend of the family literally this week, who has recently had his gallardo's clutch replaced.

Tyres are a few hundred per corner. There is also no WAY he will be cooking its clutch every 5k unless he is tracking it for that entire 5k miles

Wow, can't believe how 'cheap' you are man.

Maybe he wants a Custom 24Carat Gold plated Ceramic Composite Hyper Clutch, not some ASDA Own-Brand Clutch like you're on about. From an Official 'Lambourghini' [sic] Centre? No way! How utterly common! Minimum would be to ship highly specialised Lamborghini Technicians direct from Italy/Germany and do the job at his residence at a time to suit him. Couple of hundred for Tyres? Man!! Why skimp? Get some custom made Carlos-Fandango's on there, and fill them with the purest air from the peaks of the Himalya's. You damned cheapskate Jez, really!

 

[Disco Boy]

That's about right for the strap, any branded leather strap will be that much. The overhaul seems a bit steep for just a quartz, what exactly has gone wrong with it?

 

[carlazai]

I just have to point people to Roman Abramovich's casio digital! This is a guy with unlimited wealth and he doesn't need some crappy watch. He does have a nice car, pen and owns lots of art (he bought for his 20 something shag buddy).

 

[Jez]

How do you know it's a Gallardo? Could be a Murcie SV.

Thats very true! I think Both Fox and I assumed it was a Gallardo. No idea why i made that assumption. TBH the prices quoted it would have to be something pretty mental

Wow, can't believe how 'cheap' you are man.

Maybe he wants a Custom 24Carat Gold plated Ceramic Composite Hyper Clutch, not some ASDA Own-Brand Clutch like you're on about. From an Official 'Lambourghini' [sic] Centre? No way! How utterly common! Minimum would be to ship highly specialised Lamborghini Technicians direct from Italy/Germany and do the job at his residence at a time to suit him. Couple of hundred for Tyres? Man!! Why skimp? Get some custom made Carlos-Fandango's on there, and fill them with the purest air from the peaks of the Himalya's. You damned cheapskate Jez, really!

What are you on about?

 

[Skidder]

That's about right for the strap, any branded leather strap will be that much. The overhaul seems a bit steep for just a quartz, what exactly has gone wrong with it?

strap changing tool around £5, time to change a strap 30 seconds

leather straps from my suppliers (albeit trade) start at £3 - I have many straps custom made to my own designs for as little as £25 and up

Never, ever let the OEM sell you a strap, it's a mugs game

As for the cost of the refurb / service it doesn't surprise me but it is extremely poor value. it's a quartz movement so in reality the service will most likely just be a battery swap - any watchmaker with pressure testing equipment should be able to do that. Watch batteries cost less than a £1 to trade buyers!

 

[Disco Boy]

strap changing tool around £5, time to change a strap 30 seconds

leather straps from my suppliers (albeit trade) start at £3 - I have many straps custom made to my own designs for as little as £25 and up

Never, ever let the OEM sell you a strap, it's a mugs game

As for the cost of the refurb / service it doesn't surprise me but it is extremely poor value. it's a quartz movement so in reality the service will most likely just be a battery swap - any watchmaker with pressure testing equipment should be able to do that. Watch batteries cost less than a £1 to trade buyers!

I'm fully aware of how much straps costs and how to change one. My point was that branded straps from any watchmaker like Breitling will cost over £100. £110 is actually the lowest I've seen quoted. Some people want the branded straps and you have to play the mugs game if you want to keep your watch "original". This is why my watch is on a bracelet I had addumed that he would have known this before he sent his watch off, it'd take about 5 minutes to ask in his jewellery shop to look up how much they are.

£550 for a battery and pressure testing is a joke. But if that's all it needed then I wonder why he sent it off to Breitling in the first place.

 

[doofer]

What are you on about?

Hypocrisy.

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The OP might as well buy a new watch and sell the old one. For around £500 you could get a decent watch especially if you get one at a sale.

 

[Dutch Guy]

That's about right for the strap, any branded leather strap will be that much.

As Skidder said a strap only costs a few quid in materials, but when Breitling is branded on it the price jumps to 110 quid, daylight robbery

And a service, I guess all they do is take the back off, replace battery, take out inside, clean the glass and put it back, no way that can cost 450 quid.

I bet if something is broken you also need to pay for a replacement part.

 

[Von Luck]

Its unbelievable how cheap a lot of people on this forum seem to be!

What on earth is wrong with buying decent things? I assume you also have indesit appliances, george clothes, and a citroen car with an attitude like that?

I think the point has already been made that in most cases, having a 'nicer' product also equates to one that is demonstrably superior in function.

For example, a Miele appliance will offer a significantly longer lifespan than a cheaper brand. It might not get your washing any cleaner, but it will do it for longer and have better manufacturer support. More expensive therefore equals better.

A Mercedes S class will be faster, more comfortable and offer many more bells and whistles than a Renault Clio. More expensive therefore equals better.

However when it comes to watches, what benefits do you get from spending thousands on a Rolex rather than £100 on G-Shock (for example)? The quartz watch will be more accurate, have more functions, require less servicing and be as durable. Both will be waterproof to a depth that only tec-divers are likely to encounter. The only advantage that the more expensive watch has, is that to some it appears more impressive. With watches, more expensive can often equal functionally inferior.

I can certainly see the attraction of expensive watches - I had an Omega Seamaster for a while before I came to the conclusion that £1300 was a ridiculous amount to spend on a watch, but people shouldn't kid themselves that they're getting something that works better, at the end of the day it's just intricately made bling that doesn't work quite as effectively as a cheap quartz watch.