Breitling emergency in dealers - Big saving on RRP

[elise73]

Was at a dealers on Saturday and they had a spanking new breitling emergency with grey/black dial and a full titanium bracelet for a £3080. That's obviously a big saving on the rrp £4660 so thought i would post that out there in case anyones in the market. Brufords in Eastbourne.

[Sierra Mike]

This could be the reason why:

http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2010/100720e...

[elise73]

Not sure which way it'll push prices but tend to lean to it probably pushing them up? Did anyone bag this baby or is it still going to be there tempting me next time i'm there?

[mel]

I thought that monitoring of that emergency freq' was due to end within the next few years making them worthless ( well worthless as a distress beacon but still a decent watch)

[elise73]

Is that true? I thought the 121 freq was going to be stopped being used as a frequency where you could effectively "call" for help, yet will still routinely be monitored so can be used to locate you as long as they are actively looking for the signal. Have I got that wrong?

[tertius]

Pretty sure routine monitoring has ended. They'll still use it if they are looking for someone they know is missing in the area, but if that's your only hope of rescue ...

[elise73]

OK, so if i'm trekking across some random mountain range and i don't return home, and they send a spotter plane/chopper out to find me then assuming I've released the beacon or whatever then it will still be possible to locate me? I can't see i'd ever need more than that, in fact on my 7 mile commute across town dont think i need this at all. Still love them though, particularly in yellow.

[andy_s]

There are changes, but they are still keeping the emergency (x2) frequencies as emergency frequencies.

[mel]

elise73 said:

OK, so if i'm trekking across some random mountain range and i don't return home, and they send a spotter plane/chopper out to find me then assuming I've released the beacon or whatever then it will still be possible to locate me? I can't see i'd ever need more than that, in fact on my 7 mile commute across town dont think i need this at all. Still love them though, particularly in yellow.

The way I understand it is that the way it used to work is that you'd be trekking across said random mountain and fall down breaking a leg, you'd unscrew the cap and pull out the aerial, your signal would then be detected by satelite, beamed down, bounced around the world and the local emergency services would be notified "oh poo elise73 has pulled his beacon, this is his location and he's in trouble, off we go" Now days you fall down break a leg, pull the beacon and lay there for 2 days till someone says "you know what elise73 hasn't come home yet do you think we'd better go looking for him? Oh yes, he's got one of those old school funny alarm watches, maybe we can find him from that"

In other words no bloody use for the original use intended, hence why they aren't selling apart from to pub explorers who after one too many on a friday night pull the wire anyway and ps off the local coastguard

[Fas1975]

Saw the exact same watch in Toronto last week, there's a swiss watch dealer in downtown Toronto, at the Eaton Centre, they were knocking out the emergency for $3200 (CAD), effectively 2000 GBP. Was SO SO tempted, but I already have an emergency, albeit a different colour

[Gurbinder]

I paid £2900 for mine about three years ago from a retailer in Croydon, it's the only watch I have bought with my heart as i alway's wanted one. Just put a Brown Breitling leather strap on it which I bought in Barbados last week it looks great.