In a global first, the Swiss luxury watch brand, Breitling, is accelerating its blockchain-based innovation with the release of a limited-edition watch, featuring a blockchain-based digital passport powered by Arianee to prove authenticity and ownership.
Top Time
For now, the digital passport is exclusively available to Top Time owners and will enhance Breitling’s already best-in-class e-warranty programme by linking the guarantee directly to the watch and empowering clients to engage with the brand as they wish.
The 1965 classic gets a modern twist as the new limited edition series is Breitling’s first watch offered with a blockchain-based digital passport attached that confirms the authenticity and ownership of the watch throughout its lifetime.
The protocol developed by Arianee gives a digital, inalterable and augmented identity to each product; like any blockchain-based network, it is entirely secured and private.
Breitling is the first watchmaker worldwide to propose a warranty programme enabled by blockchain.Each Top Time owner will benefit from a private and unique digital passport securely linked to his or her limited-edition watch. By scanning the validated e-warranty card, they can access and download an encrypted private wallet where the passport is securely stored.
The passport includes all the details about the watch, including its serial number, and is stamped with an event representing the date of the warranty activation on the purchase date. Only accessible by the owner through the wallet, this passport includes a transfer feature that enables the owner to prove the authenticity of the watch, and his or her legal ownership.
This innovative service will offer an additional layer of value for Breitling Top Time owners by eliminating the need for a physical authenticity certificate. Additionally, it will enable the transfer of the warranty.
With a blockchain-based digital passport, collectors no longer need to keep paper records and can engage with the brand as much as they wish, under full anonymity.Collaboration for innovation
Breitling's ambitions don't end with the digital passport. As a sign of their commitment to developing blockchain's potential for the industry, Breitling has become an active participant within the Arianee Consortium.
Antonio Carriero, Breitling's Global CDTO said, "with Arianee and its blockchain technology, we have the unique opportunity to strengthen the link with our customers. This is only the beginning, but we are already working on innovative ideas on how to further leverage Arianee to bring additional services to our customers”.
Arianee were pleased to welcome Breitling into the consortium. Co-founder, Emmanuelle Collet, added that "this project is a great illustration of how our open-source protocol can add a layer of value to existing innovative programmes. Our open-source protocol is specifically built to make it easy to create and manage digital identities to ultimately add more value to brands and clients”.
A Digital Future
As Carriero explains, "at Breitling, customer engagement is at the heart of everything we do. Technology empowers customers and digital is how they live. It is on us to change and to keep the pace with the speed society is moving".
Keeping up with customers' expectations of what products can and should be able to deliver means Breitling will be one of many investing more in digital technologies to revolutionise the luxury good market.
