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Has the issue of vintage support (parts and authentication) come up in discussions with Breitling? For OF Members currently advising.

Larry S
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Question for OF members at the table with Breitling. For the multitudes of us, nursing our treasured old birds along and struggling to find parts etc: What consideration, if any is Breitling giving to supporting the collector community? Parts? Restoration? Authentication? Thanks.
Edited:
 
MarktheTime
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Fair question Larry. I honestly don’t know the answer. All I can say is that these (and so many other topics) are still in active discussion/consideration by the Universal Geneve management team, and decisions will be announced in time. Until then, I also hope everyone here will understand that I and other members of the UG advisory board are limited in what we can say publicly about this and so many other topics that we know are of genuine interest to the collector community. I can confirm, however, that they are absolutely part of the thoughtful/deliberate planning effort that the company is going through in an effort to do things the “right way.”
 
Larry S
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Consider my question akin to a Tibetan prayer flag in the wind. Putting it out there for consideration. Thanks for the response.
 
Fatcat
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Breitling is in Chinese hands now and vintage is not a topic , was never anyway most of the part sellers are « grossistes » but Breitling it self can do some services but the vintage is not really welcome , got a fabulous 806 with AOPA logo and was complicate just to service the Venus 178, they do work but…
 
Vercingetorix
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Can’t even get the correct strap for my wife’s Breitling that’s like 10 years old.
 
paulmiami
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Given the development cost and time required to develop new in house movements that are competitive with the current state of the art, I would think the low hanging fruit is to quickly ramp up a heritage restoration department. The development costs to replicate the old parts should not be significant. And I would expect there would be demand for services like custom factory redials for badly damaged dials. I would gladly have paid $4000 to $8000 for a factory refurbishing service my UG had this been an option. And what better way to truly bridge the gap in the history of UG than this. There are many great looking watches that are sitting on dealer shelves because they are not a Rolex or Patek.
 
Dan S
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paulmiami paulmiami
Given the development cost and time required to develop new in house movements that are competitive with the current state of the art, I would think the low hanging fruit is to quickly ramp up a heritage restoration department. The development costs to replicate the old parts should not be significant. And I would expect there would be demand for services like custom factory redials for badly damaged dials. I would gladly have paid $4000 to $8000 for a factory refurbishing service my UG had this been an option. And what better way to truly bridge the gap in the history of UG than this. There are many great looking watches that are sitting on dealer shelves because they are not a Rolex or Patek.
This is wishful thinking. Restoring old watches is one of the last things they would be interested in doing. Not easily scalable and doesn’t get them any publicity.
 
Larry S
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Let's not answer the question for them and let us see what transpires.
 
paulmiami
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Dan S Dan S
This is wishful thinking. Restoring old watches is one of the last things they would be interested in doing. Not easily scalable and doesn’t get them any publicity.
Disagree, brands like Patek and Vacheron will service any watch you send them, not cheap, but they will do it. Surely it doesn’t move their P&L directly, but it’s part of their super premium experience. UG was MIA for 35 years as a top brand. They have a lot of brand building to do. A heritage division will not move the needle on the P&L but it would send a message that they’re committed. Right now, who knows? Words are cheap. What the PE investors say now may be totally irrelevant versus what they end up doing 5 or 10 years from now. This existential question is a non factor with much of their competition.
 
Dan S
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Larry S Larry S
Let's not answer the question for them and let us see what transpires.
Fair enough, who knows what they will do. You're right.
 
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