Rubber B has become well-known as a highly respected crafter of custom rubber watch bands for timepieces from some of the most respected watchmakers in the field, including such brands as Patek Philippe, IWC, and Breitling. Breitling is going to be the focus of this particular article, as they have recently made headlines by being one of the first watch companies to integrate the Ethereum blockchain as part of their corporate strategy.
To further understand why luxury watches by Breitling are in the news, it is worth exploring this story in more detail. However, in order to do so, there are a number of technical aspects that we will have to further explore in order to provide the necessary context, as there is a lot of technical “jargon” at play within this particular narrative.
What is a Blockchain?
In the simplest possible terms, a blockchain is a type of digital ledger, which records transactions across a series of computer networks. It is easily sharable and, once changes are made, they cannot be unmade again. If you are familiar at all with this term, it is likely because you have it heard it being used in the news with regards to crypto-currency, such as Bitcoin.
What Do Blockchains Have to Do With Luxury Watch Breitling?
Breitling has taken an unusual step with regards to their luxury watches and started issuing certificates of authenticity via the blockchain. Previously, most watchmakers would issue a buyer a paper-based certificate, which would prove the providence of the watch and certify that it was, indeed, a genuine luxury timepiece from the company.
Instead of continuing on with business as usual, Breitling has decided to move into the digital age and issue consumers a digital passport of sorts that certifies the authenticity of the watch in question.
Why Would Breitling Be Authenticating Their Watches Via Blockchain?
This is an excellent question – however, being that the company has not made any kind of public statement regarding their motivations for this action, we are only able to offer educated guesses at this point in time.
The company may be wanting to be more eco-friendly, and the reduction in the paper that they would be using to print off each and every certificate of authenticity would certainly not go unnoticed.
On a more practical level, they are one of the first, if not the first, watchmaking companies to attempt something like this, and that kind of publicity can be very valuable for a company – especially when they don’t have to pay for it.
How Are Luxury Watch Breitling Being Authenticated Via Blockchain?
While all of this may appear somewhat convoluted at first, the way luxury watch Breitling are being authenticated is actually relatively easy to understand if the process is broken down into a series of smaller steps.
Upon the purchase of a Breitling luxury watch, Breitling will provide you with a guarantee card, which you will need to scan onto your phone. After receiving the card, you will need to download the Arianee app, as they have partnered with Breitling in this particular endeavor.
The Arianee app will allow you to scan the card, which then adds the pertinent information about the watch onto your phone’s digital wallet. This “digital passport” cannot be altered, only transferred, ensuring that even as the technology changes over time, this digital certificate of authenticity cannot be modified in any way.
A very important aspect of these certificates is that they do not contain any private information about you, such as your name, e-mail, or phone number. They only contain information that is relevant to the watch itself.
It should be noted here that it is relatively easy to transfer this electronic paperwork, which could potentially forecast some very interesting trends regarding the future of buying and selling watches.
What Does This Mean For the Future of Selling Watches?
At this point, it is hard to say for certain what kind of impact this will have on the horological world as a whole. If widely adopted as a general practice by a sizable amount of watchmakers, there are some major changes that could result from this action.
One of the most immediate things that come to mind is the fact that this could, indirectly, cause the number of illegitimate reproduction watches that are made and sold each year to be cut down significantly. The reason for this is that it is easy enough for a less than reputable salesperson – one who knows they are selling a fake – to say that the paperwork for the watch has simply been “misplaced.”
It is, quite literally, impossible to “lose” these electronic authentication papers. Consumers will be far more skeptical of purchasing a watch without being able to immediately see the electronic providence that the seller was supposed to have. As such, it will be very interesting to see if that effect does indeed come to pass over time.
Another possible outcome is the result of more branded partnerships between cryptocurrency companies and luxury watchmakers. Cryptocurrency does not necessarily have a positive reputation in the mainstream media at the moment, and these kinds of partnerships could go a long way towards repairing that in the eyes of the general public.
Are You in Need of a Custom Rubber Watch Band For Your Breitling Watch? Visit Rubber B Today
Rubber B has a variety of straps in different colors and styles in our product portfolio that are appropriate for both business/formal wear and more casual situations as well. Every Rubber B custom rubber watch strap is made only from 100% vulcanized rubber, and all of our products are FDA and BVGG compliant as well.
If you would like more information about our complete product catalog, pricing, shipping policies, or have any questions that you would like to ask, please visit our website today.
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