# Buying Bremont from AD: Pricing Question



## 1165dvd

Spent the better part of the New Year's weekend scouting the entire catalogue of Bremont. Really thinking about purchasing one of three watches. Here they are:
1. White dial/ Polished case Solo. Looks like it can be easily dressed up or down. I like the mix of shiny and toolishness.
2. Black dial S300 diver: I need a 40 mm diver in my life, and the matte finish on that bezel looks so good. Love how this one wears on a brown leather strap.
3. White dial/ *Blue *barrel MBII: Just perfect IMO.

Thoughts on/ Experiences with these would be appreciated.

I found a dealer in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia and might need to pay a visit. For those of you who know, should I be asking for/expecting a discount off of MSRP for a Bremont, and what percentage if so? I lean toward buying other people's mistakes when it comes to watch buying, but for the right deal, I could pull the trigger on a new model. And if it happens, I'm deleting my WUS account and any other watch-related forum accounts on FB and IG and finding a new hobby.


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## yankeexpress

Wait......there are Bremont ADs?

And deleting all fb and ig accounts is an excellent idea in any case.


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## Vig2000

No, never buy a Bremont from an AD.

Not sure what you mean about this business of deleting your accounts and finding a new hobby.


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## Betterthere

Gotta say a rather odd mix of 3 there. diver, semi-dressy and MB. So not sure how to answer but..
The solo to me doesn't do it. Do not know whether you are looking at 43 or 37.
300 does look good for a diver in 40mm altho the hour dots seem small.
MB II - have had a couple. they are a little over 14mm in height and 43 mm but due to the case they don't wear that large. For me, the dual crowns with the inner rotating ring just didn't seem that great. Crown is also not screw down and hard to pull out.

Bremont's resale is not great so buying new at MSRP and flipping is going to hurt especially with sales tax. 
Course as you are probably aware preowned in the one you might want may not be available.

AD: of course there are Bremont ADs and Toppers is IMO where you should try.

Hobby: but if getting the right Bremont removes you from the forum then I would be sorry to help. 

Heres my latest...consider this one?


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## Keaman

Bremont is one brand I've sadly never had an opportunity to own, so can't help there. But I get the deleting accounts part, otherwise you could end up like me, with the equivalent of half you mortgage invested (invested?!) in dumb watches.


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## 1165dvd

Betterthere said:


> Gotta say a rather odd mix of 3 there. diver, semi-dressy and MB. So not sure how to answer but..
> The solo to me doesn't do it. Do not know whether you are looking at 43 or 37.
> 300 does look good for a diver in 40mm altho the hour dots seem small.
> MB II - have had a couple. they are a little over 14mm in height and 43 mm but due to the case they don't wear that large. For me, the dual crowns with the inner rotating ring just didn't seem that great. Crown is also not screw down and hard to pull out.
> 
> Bremont's resale is not great so buying new at MSRP and flipping is going to hurt especially with sales tax.
> Course as you are probably aware preowned in the one you might want may not be available.
> 
> AD: of course there are Bremont ADs and Toppers is IMO where you should try.
> 
> Hobby: but if getting the right Bremont removes you from the forum then I would be sorry to help.
> 
> Heres my latest...consider this one?
> View attachment 12772385


Thanks for the knowledge. Have to say that it seems many gush over the MBII. It's nice to get a more critical review of it. As for the hobby part and leaving the forum, it remains a goal of mine, albeit far fetched. My tastes change so quickly, mainly b/c of of what I see on the forums. And that leads to all the flips I've made and the dollars lost because of them. Kind of like an alcoholic who has to move away from his corner bar in hopes of drying out.

PS: If any of you have time to check out ebay, I just saw a too good to be true MBII up for auction. Asked the guy for more info and he was very sketchy. Wanted a simple pic with a clear view of the serial number. He said he's not interested in selling to me.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bremont-Wa...075848?hash=item1ed6e0cdc8:g:zJ0AAOSwZqZaQyzz

Don't know if it's a fake, or if it was acquired through nefarious means, But it didn't feel right to me.


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## Streetboss

If I were you I would visit that A.D. near you and see what he has of the watches you like. Try them on and see if one of them really fits what you want. Ask about discounts but only if you are prepared to buy. This is basic respect and consideration of the salespersons time.

You could also leave that shop and contact Rob Caplin at Toppers Jewelers in San Francisco to buy a Bremont. Rob is a great guy and takes great care of members here. Jmho.
Kevin


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## Betterthere

1165dvd said:


> Thanks for the knowledge. Have to say that it seems many gush over the MBII. It's nice to get a more critical review of it. As for the hobby part and leaving the forum, it remains a goal of mine, albeit far fetched. My tastes change so quickly, mainly b/c of of what I see on the forums. And that leads to all the flips I've made and the dollars lost because of them. Kind of like an alcoholic who has to move away from his corner bar in hopes of drying out.....


:-( understand the many flips and $... Best cure I found was switching to couple of rolexes.. lol


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## 71 TRUCK

I too am looking at a Bremont. I like the MBll with the orange case and the light color dial.
When I am looking for a watch, any watch I never ask for a discount. I go in knowing MSRP and how much I am willing to pay. I will always ask " what is your best price out the door" Then I go from there. 
In the past I have been given a price for more than I am willing to pay then the negotiations start from there. It's a starting point.
In the past I had gone to a Ad I have purchased from in the past with no intention of buying. He is a AD in the Caribbean I have purchased several watches from when we are on cruises. We went in and my wife saw a watch she liked so I asked " what is the best price you can do out the door." He gave me such a great price I could not say no. 
This is how I go about buying watches. I usually do the same thing when I am buying a new car. I works for me.
Good luck


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## 1165dvd

Streetboss said:


> If I were you I would visit that A.D. near you and see what he has of the watches you like. Try them on and see if one of them really fits what you want. Ask about discounts but only if you are prepared to buy. This is basic respect and consideration of the salespersons time.
> 
> You could also leave that shop and contact Rob Caplin at Toppers Jewelers in San Francisco to buy a Bremont. Rob is a great guy and takes great care of members here. Jmho.
> Kevin


Obviously, I know that I can always visit the AD. He's about an hour from me, so it will be a minor inconvenience to visit his showroom. The thread was more geared at gauging Bremont owners' thoughts on brand pricing and value, as many a watch fan have roundly criticized the brand without ever owning one, let along strapping one on their wrist. It'd be nice to be informed before taking that hour drive.

As for negotiating technique, to each their own.

Thanks for the Toppers lead. I'm aware that they sponsor the forums and have an otherwise great reputation. Should it come time to purchase, I'll keep Rob in mind.


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## COZ

As far as your three options, have this to add:
1) Solo - seems more of a dress piece and design suffers from the hands being too short.
2) MB II - was really excited about this piece and bought one early on. The internal rotating bezel is almost impossible to turn on the wrist and hard to read small bezel indices. Lume on arabics was very disappointing, leather strap (s) were stiff and uncomfortable. Had to send back to AD soon after purchase as it was running several seconds out of COSC spec. After got it back, sold it !
3) S300 Diver - looked at them at an AD a while back, seemed decent but wore too small for me at 40mm.

My opinions of course.


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## 1165dvd

COZ said:


> As far as your three options, have this to add:
> 1) Solo - seems more of a dress piece and design suffers from the hands being too short.
> 2) MB II - was really excited about this piece and bought one early on. The internal rotating bezel is almost impossible to turn on the wrist and hard to read small bezel indices. Lume on arabics was very disappointing, leather strap (s) were stiff and uncomfortable. Had to send back to AD soon after purchase as it was running several seconds out of COSC spec. After got it back, sold it !
> 3) S300 Diver - looked at them at an AD a while back, seemed decent but wore too small for me at 40mm.
> 
> My opinions of course.


Thanks COZ. #2) is pretty helpful. The more feedback I get, and the more I read, the more trepidation I have about this model. But I still love it.

Never noticed the hands issue on the Solo. Really want to get a white dial watch that can do double duty as a business casual work watch and a weekend jeans and t-shirt watch.


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## fivedime

I recently purchased an S301. I went into it knowing that I would take a beating if I ever tried to sell it, even with a decent discount buying new. I also analyzed it more intensely than any other watch I have purchased new...trying for a half a year to find a reason to decide I didn't like it, and ultimately failing. End result...I *LOVE* this watch, my absolute favorite I own right now and the only watch I have worn since I bought it in November.

Topper will probably offer you a very good price. A good local or semi-local AD will likely offer a price close, but not quite as good. It's up to you to decide if it's worth paying a few percent more to cultivate or maintain a relationship with a dealer or not.

The best way to pay the best price possible is obviously to buy used since Bremonts take a beating on resale. The problem with that approach is that there are not a whole lot of them out there...even less so if you are looking for a newer model.

Bottom line...price Topper and buy there or hold out for as close to their price as you can get from an AD...or take your chance waiting for gently used...


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## 92gli

1165dvd said:


> Spent the better part of the New Year's weekend scouting the entire catalogue of Bremont. Really thinking about purchasing one of three watches. Here they are:
> 1. White dial/ Polished case Solo. Looks like it can be easily dressed up or down. I like the mix of shiny and toolishness.
> 2. Black dial S300 diver: I need a 40 mm diver in my life, and the matte finish on that bezel looks so good. Love how this one wears on a brown leather strap.
> 3. White dial/ *Blue *barrel MBII: Just perfect IMO.
> 
> Thoughts on/ Experiences with these would be appreciated.
> 
> I found a dealer in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia and might need to pay a visit. For those of you who know, should I be asking for/expecting a discount off of MSRP for a Bremont, and what percentage if so? I lean toward buying other people's mistakes when it comes to watch buying, but for the right deal, I could pull the trigger on a new model. And if it happens, I'm deleting my WUS account and any other watch-related forum accounts on FB and IG and finding a new hobby.


Sent you a PM.

Also, make sure you call martin before you drive all the way there. His hours are irregular.


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## Henry Horology

That mb II with a blue barrel is great I had one on a black calf strap with blue stitch. It got a lot of wrist time till I traded it to feed the habit. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 1165dvd

Well, I made the call to an AD and was pretty surprised how aggressive they are being on pricing. Can definitely see myself buying new from them, once I unload a watch or two. Does anyone know the answer to this-- It appears that the MB now comes with an additional rubber strap. Not the Velcro that it was sold with previously. If so, it seems like they added a real value without upping the price, not that they were cheap to start with.


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## NativeTxn

FWIW - I was in an AD and they offered me the S300 in blue on rubber with about a 26.5% discount off of MSRP without even asking. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Vig2000

NativeTxn said:


> FWIW - I was in an AD and they offered me the S300 in blue on rubber with about a 26.5% discount off of MSRP without even asking.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


That's quite telling about the brand.


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## G26okie

Get a massive discount. I had a Supermarine S500, which I had to send in due to numerous defects. Customer service is amazing, but the quality wasn't there for the price. I now stick to the main big brands, Rolex, Tag Heuer, Omega, Seiko etc...


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## dberg

Betterthere said:


> Gotta say a rather odd mix of 3 there. diver, semi-dressy and MB. So not sure how to answer but..
> The solo to me doesn't do it. Do not know whether you are looking at 43 or 37.
> 300 does look good for a diver in 40mm altho the hour dots seem small.
> MB II - have had a couple. they are a little over 14mm in height and 43 mm but due to the case they don't wear that large. For me, the dual crowns with the inner rotating ring just didn't seem that great. Crown is also not screw down and hard to pull out.
> 
> Bremont's resale is not great so buying new at MSRP and flipping is going to hurt especially with sales tax.
> Course as you are probably aware preowned in the one you might want may not be available.
> 
> AD: of course there are Bremont ADs and Toppers is IMO where you should try.
> 
> Hobby: but if getting the right Bremont removes you from the forum then I would be sorry to help.
> 
> Heres my latest...consider this one?
> View attachment 12772385


Love that (Airco?) on the canvas.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## WatchOutChicago

Regarding pricing from an AD, 20-30% off is doable depending on model. Bremont makes fantastic pieces in my experience and I’m a genuine fan of the brand, but they do get crushed on resale so buying at a good discount is wise. One of the tragedies in the watch game (there are many) is that smaller independents with a unique offering just tend to get overlooked by the bigger brands and suffer on the resale as a result. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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