From fashion to smartphones, geeky gear to cars, subscription services have been all the rage lately, and Breitling has taken notice. The brand’s new service, Breitling Select, launched today in the U.S., allows plan members to try on one or two Breitlings before making a purchase. Breitling Select allows undecided buyers to try on up to three different models over the course of a year, after which they can choose one of the three and purchase that model at a discounted price.
The selection of replica watches available for subscription is limited to models from the SuperOcean, Navitimer, and Premier collections, which are carefully maintained for the program. In addition, Breitling says that the BreitlingSelect collection includes many of the brand’s most popular watches.
As mentioned above, this type of model has been applied to different markets, with successes and many failures. While I find it quite expensive, like a game of “hearts and minds” I can see this appealing to a specific type of undecided buyer who even just wants to try out a watch without paying that full price and taking on the burden of resale or depreciation.
That said, the math will be different for everyone, and the base annual fee for the first year will be a not-so-low $1998. I’ve owned entire Breitlings for much less, so you either need to see the great personal value and the thrill of trying before you buy, or the eventual discount will need to absorb a significant annual fee. Breitling’s website doesn’t describe how much of a discount will be offered when a user chooses to buy.
As a promotional program that looks for and attracts more and more elements of watch lovers, I can totally see the value of Breitling. In addition, the specific investment in this program will put some pressure on the end customer, both to translate into sales and to keep replica Breitling ahead of the curve in a highly competitive market.
Finally, apart from some third-party watch lending programs, Breitling replica is the first major brand to enter this field. And, as more and more traditional brands start to explore digitizing everything, I think we can expect more players to make similar moves. I still have some questions about insurance, damage, shipping, and ultimately discounts, but I think watch subscription programs have the potential to be quite effective.