Horological Meandering

T3F
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I have mixed feelings on this.

On one hand, I get why Breitling would want to do this -- it allows them perhaps more control over secondary market prices for their watches, which haven't been the strongest in recent times, at least compared to some other brands. It also would let them reach consumers at a lower price level without needing to come out with a less expensive model, and would generally just be a good additional revenue stream. From a collector's standpoint, though, I don't like the phrasing -- "trade-in" sounds like what you'd do with an appliance like a phone or a car and insinuates to me that older watches are outdated and inferior to new ones. Don't get me wrong, I, as most collectors do, occasionally sell watches because I'm bored of them, want something new, etc., but one thing I love about mechanical watches is that nothing -- not price, newness, complications, or anything else -- makes one watch objectively better than any other. The way this program is marketed, at least by this one advertisement, makes it seem to me like Breitling is accusing their older models as being rendered, for one reason or another, inferior to the new ones. I'm probably just getting too into the weeds with the implications of this phrasing, and regardless, not everyone thinks the way I do and perhaps this will be a good program for Breitling and consumers alike. I hope that ends up being the case, and if it does, all credit to them, but I personally still have a few reservations.

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