Breitling watches are expensive because they are made in Switzerland to exacting standards of quality and craftsmanship, using precious metals and complicated movements, all while maintaining a lineage of innovation, aviation heritage and influencer prestige that creates exceptional timepieces worthy of the premium price tags.
Breitling is a luxury Swiss watchmaker known for its aviation-inspired timepieces. The brand has been around since 1884 and is a pioneer in chronograph watches, which measure elapsed time. Breitling watches are renowned for their precision, performance, and style. However, they also come with premium price tags that put them out of reach for many watch enthusiasts. So what exactly makes Breitling watches so expensive? Let’s take a closer look at 10 key reasons.
Top 10 Reasons Why Are Breitling Watches So Expensive
1. Swiss-Made Quality and Craftsmanship
As a Swiss luxury watchmaker, Breitling adheres to rigorous standards for quality and craftsmanship. Their watches feature robust, COSC-certified chronometer movements that ensure high precision timekeeping.
Each component, from the crystals to subdials, is manufactured in-house to exacting requirements. This results in an exceptional level of accuracy, reliability and attention-to-detail worthy of the price tag.
2. Use of Precious Metals and Gems
Many Breitling watches utilize quality materials like solid 18k gold, platinum or sterling silver for the cases and bracelets. Some luxury models feature bezels encrusted with diamonds and other precious gems that dramatically elevate the value.
These fine materials contribute substantively to the pricing due to their intrinsic value and manufacturing costs.
3. Innovative and Complicated Movements
Breitling is renowned for constant innovations, like introducing the separate chronograph push piece back in 1934. Many models house intricately detailed, mechanical chronograph movements with extra functionality like moonphase subdials or annual calendars.
These intricate movements with quality components are complicated and labor intensive to produce, driving up manufacturing costs.
4. Hand Finishing and Assembly
While incorporating modern technology, Breitling maintains traditions of fine Swiss watchmaking. Cases and bracelets often feature intricate engraving and polishing done by hand.
Experienced technicians meticulously hand assemble the hundreds of precision components in each watch, and conduct rigorous inspections and testing. This artisanal approach limits production numbers and increases market values.
5. Exclusive Partnerships and Collaborations
Breitling has partnered with automaker Bentley for nearly two decades to produce stunning creations like the Breitling for Bentley watch. These exclusive partnership editions fuse the DNA of both luxury brands, garnering strong demand and elevated pricing from loyalists and collectors.
They reinforce the brand prestige and exclusivity that justifies the higher cost.
6. Aviation and Military Heritage
Drawing inspiration from pilots and military personnel, Breitling watches convey values of adventure, precision and high-performance. Many collections feature technical details like slide rule bezels, aviation-themes and bright luminescence.
This rich aviation and military lineage gives the watches great purpose and a profound emotional appeal that resonates with the brand’s elite clientele.
7. Celebrity and Influencer Appearances
Breitling timepieces have gained greater prestige and aspiration by regularly appearing on famous celebrities like John Travolta and Leonardo DiCaprio. Powerful influencers and brand ambassadors, like Adam Driver and GiGi Hadid, have expanded Breitling’s appeal to younger trendsetting crowds.
The big names sporting Breitling’s iconic models magnify the brand cachet.
8. Limited Availability and Distribution
Unlike mass-market brands, Breitling produces its Swiss-made watches in relatively small batches numbered in the thousands rather than millions. They sell the timepieces exclusively through branded boutiques and a limited retail network instead of ubiquitous department stores.
This careful distribution strategy coupled with surging demand allows Breitling to command higher prices due to the economic forces of supply and demand.
9. Brand Heritage and History
Hailing from a small mountain village in Switzerland, Breitling has been innovating since 1884. They have a storied history and hold several patents that changed watchmaking.
Breitling was a pioneer in chronographs complication modules along with automatic winding systems. This rich technical heritage and provenance as skilled Swiss watchmakers allows the brand to charge premiums and still retain loyal patrons.
10. Style, Design and Feel
Finally, Breitling timepieces simply look and feel incredibly special at first glance with features like textured subdials, oversized crowns and multifunction bezels milled from solid metal blocks. Every detail down to the comfortable weighty feel on your wrist seems precision engineered to evoke a very tactile sense of luxury.
This satisfying and unique Breitling wearing experience matched by stunning visual appeal is hard to quantify, but undoubtedly factors into the elevated pricing.
Is Breitling watches a good brand?
Yes, Breitling is an excellent luxury Swiss watch brand renowned for its well-made aviation-inspired chronographs featuring highly precise movements and quality materials worthy of the premium pricing.
Are Breitling watches good?
Yes, Breitling watches are extremely well-made, utilizing Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship and excellent materials to produce accurate and reliable timepieces with detailed complications that also look stylish.
Are Breitling watches worth the price?
For the combination of Swiss-made quality, innovative watch complications, brand heritage spanning over a century and the stylish aesthetics, most watch collectors agree Breitling watches justify their higher price tags.
Where to buy Breitling watches?
Breitling watches are sold exclusively through their own boutiques and select authorized retail partners either in-store or online in the boutique sections of websites. Buying directly from Breitling ensures authenticity and valid product warranties.