>>They patiently explained that there is no such thing as an authorised 'while-you-wait' battery change for a Breitling! <<
I think they were feeding you a line of BS on that one.
Go to Melchers on Orchard Road in Singapore and they will gladly do a battery change, gasket replacement and pressure test while you wait. Cost is about S$35 as I recall. I've had nothing but good luck with Melchers in SIN over the past few years.
Select the service department link on this page for address and phone number:
http://thaitrading.com/samples/melchers_sg/tp/index.htm
The Aerospace has a seven jewel quartz movement made by ETA of the Swatch Group. The Chronomat and several other mechanical Breitlings have a modified Valjoux 7750, also supplied by ETA to Breitling in kit form for assembly. The 7750 is the Ford of modern chrono movements, costs maybe $200 retail for the basic ebauche. Still, it often ends up in some very pricey pieces:
See
http://www.ozdoba.net/swisswatch/caliber2.html
A great article on the Valjoux 7750 is here:
http://www.timezone.com/WatchSchool/...joux7750.shtml
>>The cheaper version was $1290 and had a titanium strap interlaced with gold.
The other version was $1387 and had a more solid titanium strap. I don’t know the exact model numbers. <<
I think you can beat these prices by about $100 in Singapore. Try Sincere Watch in Lucky Plaza and walk around the corner to Roy Eastern for a competitive quote. You should be able to get at least 30% off local list price (which is much lower than in the U.S.). Hour Glass and Cortina Watch are also good places to check. These are authorized dealers and you can get the 3% GST tax back if you exit SIN as a passenger.
Omega has recently clamped down on discounts in SIN, limiting them to 18% so don't expect much there.
If you go to Dubai, there is a nice Breitling store at Deira City Centre Mall. Many crews shop there, the prices are about the same as SIN, not much haggling but good discounts. The published e-mail address for the store is
[email protected]