Breitling is selling online in the United States, and opened its first branded boutique in London last year, but it has no intention of replacing its loyal network of jewellers across the UK, the company states.
In a wide-ranging interview for The Luxury Report by WatchPro, Jean-Paul Girardin, Breitling vice-president, promised that the brand’s new outlets would not clash with existing retailers.
"We don’t want to do only distribution through boutiques," he said. "We want to have these kind of point of sales in key locations for now, but we don’t want to sell only through these channels.
"It’s good for the brand image, the awareness, people who are interested in the brand can have direct access to the Breitling world.
"But, in the end, we really continue to build up and rely on our network of independent jewellers who know best the local market, what the trends are, what are the best kind of watches for that city. The traditional network is, and will be, very important for Breitling," Girardin pledged.
Breitling is stocked by some of the UK’s most prestigious independent and multiple jewellers including Berry’s, Laings of Glasgow, Ernest Jones, Fraser Hart and Goldsmiths.
