the breitling replica manufacture marked its great comeback in the world of mechanical watches–and more specifically that of the chronograph–with the Breitling Replica Chronomat line in generous proportions.
Intimately linked to the history of aviation,
this sports collection has since become emblematic of the House.
Last November,
we presented the Chronomat watches for women’s wrists with their delicate 36 mm and 32 mm formats(read our article Breitling and the women’s Chronomats).
Offered in a wide range of cases ranging from steel to red or two-tone gold,
some sported a bezel and indexes set with diamonds for a more jeweled touch.
However,the Breitling Replica manufacture has not forgotten the male sex by enriching its iconic line with robust and daring variations.
Spotlight on its new editions.
One watch,several possibilities The Super Chronomat B01 44 and its three colors
To design it,
Breitling was inspired by a model called Frecce Tricolori made by the House in 1983 for the pilots of the acrobatic patrol of the Italian Air Force.
Available in three versions,
the 44 mm-diameter chronograph–in steel or red gold–combines its retro allure with the modernity of a black,
blue or brown dial,fitted with a unidirectional bezel with a coordinated ceramic insert:
an unprecedented element on a Breitling Replica Chronomat.
Its hour-markers and“horse-rider”numerals–the aesthetic signature of the collection–are coated in luminescent material to guarantee optimal readability in any situation.
what happens with the Breitling Replica brand?where has the traditional spirit of a company recognized for years thanks to its specific design,deep-rooted awareness,
models completely different from those offered by the competition gone?
why won’t the”b”be winged anymore?or what is the point of kern,
the new director,does he want to destroy what leon,gaston,willi and later the schneider family built?
These are the questions that have probably occurred to everyone who has registered the brand’s new image or is at least a little interested in the world of watches.
Concerns after the introduction of the new line,which was more about the expansion of the Navitimer collection with the Navitimer 8,
only increased the uncertainty of regular customers.
Plus,we now have a new Premier Council and the pessimists keep growing.
But are all these complaints that are part of almost every discussion on the spot?I will at least try to clarify some things.
Breitling Replica has always been bragged of absolute independence and the advantage of not falling under any parent company.
(swatch group,richemont,lvmh,etc.)
the management of the company remained in the family as well as the individual decisions of what,how and for whom it will be produced.
breitling has never had ambitions to expand into asia,which it has made clear.
the reluctance to adapt is perfectly reflected by the superavenger model with an impressive diameter of 48 mm,the chronomat 47 gmt,etc.
to be clear,i’m not saying it’s bad.
a really large number of superavenger models were sold on the slovak market.
unique,”muscular”design robust and impressive clock.
no longer as big,but rather iconic,it was and still is-the navitimer,
a model that was created in 1952 and is still an absolute fixture and a favorite destination for those interested in and lovers of aviation and the world around it.
All of these variations introduced and noted over the past decades had a unique design that radiated masculinity.
Even my favorite sleek line,Transocean,oozed testosterone in every detail.
SO IF EVERYTHING WORKS,IS A CHANGE NECESSARY?
In 2015,I had the opportunity to visit the Breitling Replica manufactory,
the head office in Grenchen and the newly built factory for the production of in-house Breitling Chronometrie movements in La Chaux de Fonds.
There I learned that the company’s annual production is approximately 180,000 pieces.
I thought it was pretty cool compared to Omega with 800,000 units/year or Rolex with even more production.
If we take it from the point of view,fewer pieces greater exclusivity.
(data valid in 2015).
The difference in production is huge and here we get to the heart of the matter….
BREAKING POINT
In 2017,until then,the Breitling Replica family company changed hands and thus came under the control of the foreign company CVC Capital Partners.
Georges Kern,who joined Breitling from IWC,where he headed from 2002 to 2017,took over the management.
He significantly raised the Schaffhausen manufactory and brought it to the position it is in today.
In 2000,before the acquisition with Richemont,IWC had a turnover of 40 million USD,in 2016 it was already 779 million USD.
And now for the change.
It is common for directors to come and go.
One orders to close all sales points located in department stores,supposedly it is below their level.
The second,immediately after boarding,immediately orders to open new sales points and where?Well,in shopping malls.
We have already experienced it a few times.
In short,they have to show activity and this is the easiest way.
In the case of Kern,as he himself declared,it was necessary to press the RESET button.
Fortunately,these actions did not lead to store closures.
But it affected the boutiques,they were renamed and turned into lofts.
Chamber places where customers can come to try on watches and enjoy good rum,for example.
among other things,right after a few days in management,he decided to visit the biggest collector of breitling watches in vienna to learn more about the history of the models.
i had the opportunity to meet this gentleman in person,his collection is really impressive,hundreds of pieces basically since the founding of the company(photo under the text).
even though breitling has a lot of files,archives,even a museum,the new director decided to take this route of familiarization as well.
perhaps thanks to the new knowledge,kern proceeded to the above-mentioned reset.
he found that only 20%of those interested in watches out of the whole pie appeal to the current design.
so does the western market and not to mention asia.
Breitling Replica was never a brand that wanted to be liked by everyone and it didn’t want to make”delicate”watches at all-that’s why we liked it.
but the sales and production numbers make you think.
the truth is that in our market these watches sold and are selling very well indeed
breitling is also adored in france.
well,on a global scale,it’s probably not quite enough.
breitling is not philippe dufour and never will be…
another key point kern realized was the fact that the company drew very little from its heritage and that a significant part of the brand’s history was completely ignored.
that’s why the navitimer 8,as i mentioned in the last article,and now the controversial premier,ran out.
(photos from the breitling premier presentation below the text)
Breitling replica watches uk wants to be accepted by a wider range of interested parties,wants it to be much more readable and thus enable customers to find their way around better.
hence the aforementioned division of models into 4 worlds(air,earth,water,professional).
limiting the number of references from about 600 to 150.
however,this does not mean that it will forget its strong connection with aviation,aviation remains the central pillar of the brand.
it doesn’t mean it will no longer make the watches we’ve been used to.
rather,i would say that we will see new models that will enrich the current displays and thus appeal to completely new clients who may have never thought about this brand.
also,we will no longer see scantily clad hostesses and similar sexism in marketing communication,
the new director wants to completely avoid that and thus instill stronger values in the brand that are now worn.
this decision came just in time.
you don’t have to worry about models like superavenger or chronomat disappearing-they will be introduced in a newer version.
that the classic navitimer will lose its identity,chronograph and logarithmic ruler.
