Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

Breitling contacts?

Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

Breitling contacts?

Old 25th Mar 2017, 10:05
  #181 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 322
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Seiko dive watches are normally cleared to at least 200 m, so I would think it reasonable to expect it to have remained working in just 20 m. Clearly it wouldn't have been ticking all that time, but they excite pretty quickly once they are moved on picking them up.

I've got one of the cheaper Seiko divers and it is good, but a long way short of the quality of a Seiko Marinemaster, and you don't need to be a watch geek to tell that. Likewise, the Marinemasters are very good, but still not quite Rolex Submariner quality in my experience. A Submariner no date bought in 1980 for about £700 could be sold for about £7000 now, so even taking into consideration inflation you've more than doubled your money. That's what I would define as a collectors item.
Aynayda Pizaqvick is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2017, 16:08
  #182 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Rockytop, Tennessee, USA
Posts: 5,898
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by idle stop
I also have a Colt...purely mechanical* and Golds****s have sent that off to Breitling for 3 battery changes during its 17 year life...never a query re service and it still keeps perfect time.

edit: * of course I meant analogue!
Thanks for the clarification.

As you know, the Colt has been produced with both mechanical and quartz movements over the years.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, one of my Aerospace's has a cracked LCD under the dial. The case and crystal are intact, I somehow bumped the watch against a doorknob or bannister I suppose.

I've done a movement change on a Traser H3 watch in a titanium case. It was really more trouble than it was worth but I took it on as a project to use some watch tools I bought in Singapore years ago. The movement was a Harley Ronda caliber and available online for less than $20. I almost missed the fact that I needed the HCP, High Cannon Pinion version of the movement so the hands with tritium vials would clear each other.

I looked at possibly replacing the movement in the Aerospace, it does seem to be exactly the same dimensions and functionality as one of the commonly available ETA calibers in the Flatline series. Also, Tissot and Swiss Army brands used a similar movement in very inexpensive watches. It was suggested that I could harvest a movement from one of those.

But, from comments I've seen on watch forums, the Aerospace hands are made so that they cannot be reinstalled. And Breitling will no longer sell parts to unauthorized repairers.

Here's a barehanded battery change video for the Aerospace, the LCD's indeed seem to be in a test mode until you push in the crown after the new battery is installed:



And here's Breitling's song and dance about why they take you to the cleaners and vacuum your wallet when all you want is a new battery:

Airbubba is offline  
Old 25th Mar 2017, 20:18
  #183 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 3,370
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes on 11 Posts
Airbubba,

You must be a pretty serious watch guy to have your own set of watch tools. Are you self taught ? Watch repair is likely a vanishing trade these days. I know trying to find someone skilled and local is a roll of the dice.
bafanguy is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2017, 01:26
  #184 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Rockytop, Tennessee, USA
Posts: 5,898
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by bafanguy
You must be a pretty serious watch guy to have your own set of watch tools. Are you self taught ? Watch repair is likely a vanishing trade these days. I know trying to find someone skilled and local is a roll of the dice.
I am indeed self-taught. I can take watches apart but sometimes can't figure out what to do with parts left over when I reassemble them.

Actually, it's kinda like working on cars. Years ago, with the right tools and knowhow you could save a lot of money by doing your own automobile maintenance. However, manufacturers have increasingly made things more difficult for the hobbyist without the authorized dealer service manuals.

With watches your neighborhood jeweler could fix things and get parts for most brands until a few years ago. Now, they often want you to send the timepiece in to some service center for a 'refurbishment' that you may not want or really require.

The battery change is the Achilles heel of the quartz watch in my opinion. I've learned to do my own batteries after bad experiences with mall jewelers and spending hundreds on an unrequested maintenance done by an Omega service center on an X-33 (Gen 1, if you are familiar). I may have to send Breitling the Aerospace with the broken LCD but I just hate to get hit with a bill for more than the 15 year old watch is really worth.
Airbubba is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2017, 05:45
  #185 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Dead Dog Land
Age: 77
Posts: 531
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by Aynayda Pizaqvick

A Submariner no date bought in 1980 for about £700 could be sold for about £7000 now, so even taking into consideration inflation you've more than doubled your money. That's what I would define as a collectors item.
You're even better off if you still have your issue MilSub!
The Oberon is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2017, 21:08
  #186 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Age: 73
Posts: 338
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Airbubba:
Stalled a bit, since duff gen from local jewellers...diagnosis back but not the hardware! Their man suggests it does need a service and IF it needs spare parts they are not an authorised Breitling service centre so cannot get. They now suggest it goes back to Watchfinder ( who are a Service Centre) and from whom I bought the aerospace second user. The original Breitling quote via Goldsmiths said replace worn out parts if necessary....So, much to mull over...having the watch back would help but I am off to work in Canada for a week in Friday so looks like the saga will run and run...
idle stop is offline  
Old 26th Mar 2017, 22:10
  #187 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 26,783
Received 257 Likes on 103 Posts
Mate - bite the bullet and take it to the very helpful Breitling Boutique people in New Bond Street in London's Mayfair...

The design of the hands has changed over the years, so if new bits are needed, you'll have to trust the OEM.
BEagle is offline  
Old 27th Mar 2017, 21:04
  #188 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Rockytop, Tennessee, USA
Posts: 5,898
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by idle stop
Airbubba:
Stalled a bit, since duff gen from local jewellers...diagnosis back but not the hardware! Their man suggests it does need a service and IF it needs spare parts they are not an authorised Breitling service centre so cannot get.
Thanks for the update, I'd still be a little skeptical of the need for an expensive 'repair' when it sounds to me like perhaps the pusher on the crown might be stuck. As I understand it, your watch was running fine until the battery died and Breitling did a 'repair estimate'. I'd sure ask to inspect the watch and see if you can click the crown and rotate it to see if the display changes modes.

I don't mind paying for someone with the skills to do it right but I really have felt that I paid for work I didn't need on a quartz caliber in years past. I got hit for maybe 300 Sing dollars at the Omega factory service centre in Singapore after being told that I had to take the watch, an X-33, there for a battery change because a 'special tool' was needed to open the caseback. They did some refurbishment that I didn't request or approve and I had to pay or no watch. Of course, S$300 sounds cheap compared to the repair estimate you got.

It turns out that no special tool is needed to open the X-33 as Astronaut Don Pettit demonstrates on orbit in this video:

Airbubba is offline  
Old 28th Mar 2017, 19:22
  #189 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Marlow
Age: 76
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
My Breitling cosmonaut was serviced by Sean Yates and came back looking and working like Brand New.
Sean can be contacted on his email [email protected] and his
address is 65 Hadrian Way, Middlewitch, Cheshire, CW10 9RB. It could be possible that Sean could service other types as well and he currently has another watch of mine for a full overhaul.
David M
5aday is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2017, 08:22
  #190 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: EGOS Field 24
Posts: 1,107
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
For what it's worth, the In-Time desk on the first floor of Debenhams in Oxford changed the battery and seals in my Aerospace a few weeks ago for £93. The chap there seems to be very knowledgeable and even gives you a voucher for a free coffee upstairs while he does the work, which is guaranteed for 18 months.

Breitling charged me £282 a few years ago for essentially the same thing and took six weeks to do it.
ACW599 is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2017, 09:01
  #191 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Off the map
Posts: 57
Received 5 Likes on 3 Posts
Amateurs....
I'm gonna get the first wearable sort of atomic wristwatch!!
Rolex, eat yer heart out!




That'll certainly impress the ladies!
DirtyProp is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2017, 11:08
  #192 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,561
Received 402 Likes on 210 Posts
I do own a Breitling but I wear a Citizen Ecodrive. It's been keeping time to within a few seconds a year for almost twenty years now and has never been serviced nor needed a battery. The only thing it occasionally needs is the bracelet scrubbing with some soapy water to get the muck out.

It cost about the same as a battery change on the Breitling.
ShyTorque is offline  
Old 29th Mar 2017, 15:20
  #193 (permalink)  
wub
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Scotland
Posts: 1,213
Received 14 Likes on 7 Posts
I am moving away from Breitling. My Aerospace is currently away at Luxury Watch Repairs for a new battery at £40 plus VAT. I own three Citizen Eco Drives, including a radio-controlled model and they are all as accurate as the Aerospace and since they are more modern, better looking.

I'm just fed up spending money on batteries. I asked LWR for a quote for a refurbishment of the titanium case and strap and they quoted £180 plus VAT. I can buy a really nice Eco Drive for that so the Aerospace is going on eBay.
wub is offline  
Old 14th Apr 2017, 21:11
  #194 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Age: 73
Posts: 338
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Hi Guys...
Been away across the pond, but before leaving had some sensible advice from Sean Yates. And got the watch back from local jewellers. Out of maintenance mode, keeping perfect time and I wonder if between goldsmiths and local jewellers somebody put a new battery in and forgot to put the old one back before returning my watch! Took the watch to Canada and back but had my £10 Casio with me as a standby. Not needed. Am quite sure that when battery does give out Sean will be the man...
Meanwhile thanks again for all your advice.
idle stop is offline  
Old 15th Apr 2017, 11:20
  #195 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the Doghouse
Posts: 363
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thread drift, but has anyone tried the TW Steel brand ? I have two the TW408 and TW412. Quartz so very accurate. 45mm diameter which will not be to every ones taste.
Bargains can be found after a bit of web searching. The 412 I located in NY. Must fire up my 1969 Speedmaster professional ( bought before moon landing ) and my 1981 Submariner. Wife wonders why I need more than one watch............
sled dog is offline  
Old 16th Feb 2018, 20:04
  #196 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 657
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Further to my earlier post (which was admittedly some time ago....) I settled on a Submariner and have just purchased one.

I only spent just over 4 times my original budget but, hey ho, life's too short. It wasn't that easy to track a new one down, but worth it in the end.
Parson is offline  
Old 17th Feb 2018, 08:07
  #197 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 322
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
You've done well to track down a new one, there are some serious waiting lists for them! You could already sell it for more than you paid for it, so sound investment.
Aynayda Pizaqvick is offline  
Old 17th Feb 2018, 16:37
  #198 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ireland
Age: 76
Posts: 242
Received 15 Likes on 7 Posts
Having waded through the all the previous posts here I am glad that I have never purchased a watch powered by electrickery
My 1971 manufactured, clockwork, Breitling 806 Navitimer (Serial 1356...) has been ticking away on my wrist for over 46 years.
I sent it back to Breitling at the turn of the century for deep maintenance and it came back as new (albeit with a minor difference to the face), I think that they may have run out of the originals.
I suspect that it will see me out, and I have put it in my will to go to my nephew.
Electric watches - nah, can't see them ever catching on

Ian BB
Ian Burgess-Barber is offline  
Old 17th Feb 2018, 19:45
  #199 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 657
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Aynayda - took me about three months to get one though, in the end, I think I just happened to be in right place, right time, rather than come to the top of a waiting list (getting ON a waiting list in the first place is no mean feat either).

ADs are withholding warranty cards for 12 months and are taking the seals off in the shop (though they forgot to with mine...) to stop them appearing straight on the grey market. I've no intention of selling anyway.
Parson is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.