Breitling contacts?
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Text of my email enquiry about Breitling battery replacement
The cost to replace the cell for Breitlings is £31.95 fully inclusive of Swiss Renata cell, testing for water-resistance to 100mts, and return insured P&P.
This work can usually be completed by return.
Testing to 200mts, if required, is £41.95 and takes aprx’ 1 week.
We could possibly polish the case back which would cost around £20.00, unless it is very badly marked in which case it may require refurbishment? i would suggest the former would suffice.
Once completed, we will then contact you to inform you your watch is ready to return, and you will be able to make payment via a credit/debit card over the phone. If you wish to pay by cheque, your watch will be forwarded once the cheque has cleared.
Please send your watch, enclosing a print out of this email /precise instructions and your contact details, BUT not any boxes or documents you wish to retain, BUT INCLUDING A PHONE NUMBER, via Royal Mail SPECIAL DELIVERY (not recorded) to....
MARTINS OF GLASGOW
1158 MARYHILL ROAD
GLASGOW
SCOTLAND
G20 9TA
I hope we can be of service to you
On behalf of Martins of Glasgow
Martin Walport
Omega watch repair, Rolex repairs, Tag Heuer watch repairs, Longine watch repairs, Raymond Weil watch repairs
This work can usually be completed by return.
Testing to 200mts, if required, is £41.95 and takes aprx’ 1 week.
We could possibly polish the case back which would cost around £20.00, unless it is very badly marked in which case it may require refurbishment? i would suggest the former would suffice.
Once completed, we will then contact you to inform you your watch is ready to return, and you will be able to make payment via a credit/debit card over the phone. If you wish to pay by cheque, your watch will be forwarded once the cheque has cleared.
Please send your watch, enclosing a print out of this email /precise instructions and your contact details, BUT not any boxes or documents you wish to retain, BUT INCLUDING A PHONE NUMBER, via Royal Mail SPECIAL DELIVERY (not recorded) to....
MARTINS OF GLASGOW
1158 MARYHILL ROAD
GLASGOW
SCOTLAND
G20 9TA
I hope we can be of service to you
On behalf of Martins of Glasgow
Martin Walport
Omega watch repair, Rolex repairs, Tag Heuer watch repairs, Longine watch repairs, Raymond Weil watch repairs
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Breitling Frequently Asked Questions
This is a link to very interesting site that will/should answer all of your Breitling questions.
This is a link to very interesting site that will/should answer all of your Breitling questions.
Well, since I was staying at m'club (128 Piccadilly) for most of the week, I strolled down to Old Bond Street and gave my watch to Mappin & Webb to change the battery and do the standard Breitling checks....
That was late Monday afternoon. The watch arrived back today at BEagle Towers all sorted, in a Breitling protective case with cleaning cloth. Total cost including VAT was £50 - which is £30 less than Breitling quote!
Excellent service - from a traditionally English jeweller...
That was late Monday afternoon. The watch arrived back today at BEagle Towers all sorted, in a Breitling protective case with cleaning cloth. Total cost including VAT was £50 - which is £30 less than Breitling quote!
Excellent service - from a traditionally English jeweller...
Last edited by BEagle; 21st May 2010 at 20:26.
Join Date: Jan 2001
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Aerospace!
Ah Stop Start I see that your Breitling is an RAF version - that would explain it! 
LOL!
I have an RN SAR Aerospace that has been perfect for the last 5 years - a new battery at a Breitling affiliated jeweler here in the USA charges $90 and the watch gets a steam clean thrown into the package!
LOL!I have an RN SAR Aerospace that has been perfect for the last 5 years - a new battery at a Breitling affiliated jeweler here in the USA charges $90 and the watch gets a steam clean thrown into the package!
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Any owners of Breitling watches I imagine would love to attend their airshow every year, with displays put-on all week by the three display teams which they sponsor, to see where a lot of the money goes! Breitling employees only, though, I'm afraid.
Bought my one and only watch in Gib in July 1970. It's an Omega "Dynamic". Upon returning to UK in November it promptly stopped. Sent back to Mr. Omega via the local dealer, returned and hasn't missed a beat since. It's now gaining about twelve seconds per week. Not bad for a £15.00 watch. Met a schoolfriend out there now in the Andrew and serving on one of Her Majesty's submargerines. He bought a Rolex Submariner - guaranteed to whatever depth was advertised. Watch was duly strapped to a rail on said U-boat and taken down to within a few score feet of advertised depth. Upon return to the sunlight was found to be full of the briny. Watch duly replaced and not tested again.
I don't get the watch thing. It's a watch, it indicates the time. I find the same thing with mobile telephones. People look aghast at my old Nokia 6310. It's a telephone, it makes calls it receives calls. C'est tout.
I don't get the watch thing. It's a watch, it indicates the time. I find the same thing with mobile telephones. People look aghast at my old Nokia 6310. It's a telephone, it makes calls it receives calls. C'est tout.
I agree about the Nokia 6310i! Best phone Nokia ever made; in fact there's such a demand for them amongst business users (who don't want some iFad gimmick device designed for teenage kids), that they're still selling in 'as new' condition for £100 on the web.
However, this thread is about Breitlings and useful contacts for their owners. I thoroughly recommend Mappin & Webb's service which was quick, efficient, polite....and cheaper than Breitling's own.
However, this thread is about Breitlings and useful contacts for their owners. I thoroughly recommend Mappin & Webb's service which was quick, efficient, polite....and cheaper than Breitling's own.
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Breitling Service and Repair
Further to earlier posts, I took my Breitling to T*mpsons a couple of years ago for a battery change; I accepted that it would not meet the specified depth rating but was happy with that. It has since gone wrong and it was not the battery. T*mpson now have a watch workshop and they are going to do a repair and service with a 12 month warranty for £380. Parts to come from Switzerland and 6 weeks wait; pay on collection. I will report back on the quality of the repair when I get it back. Workshop telephone 01902 390990. No connection other than as a customer awaiting results!
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Watch was duly strapped to a rail on said U-boat and taken down to within a few score feet of advertised depth. Upon return to the sunlight was found to be full of the briny.
The dynamic pressure of doing 30-40 knts under water will easily exceed exceed the static pressure.
Same will occur if you fall off water skiing or jump in with them on from height.
Diving watches are 200m and are good down to about 50-70meters with normal use. If you take them over 100m they can and do leak.
As a diving instructor, My buddy or I have taken 100m and 200m water resistant watches (cheapo and expensive), not specifically diving watches, down to 40m with no problems. Even the alarms work at depth. Since this is the limit for no-decompression recreational diving, I can't see the point in having anything more than a 100m Casio, especially as having two of them is cheap and gives redundancy. I've noticed that after the third battery change, even with new gaskets, they tend to leak, but that should still give you around a decades use.
Whether you want to risk a non-diving 100m Breitling is up to you, but hopefully this info is useful to you.
Whether you want to risk a non-diving 100m Breitling is up to you, but hopefully this info is useful to you.
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Was once told that for diving you want a watch that is 4 times the depth you are going to.
And you might ask how on earth you get high dynamic pressures while diving.
Well you can end up hanging off a line in a tidal flow.
Some like to flap there arms around for no apparent reason.
And some one can push you off the back of the rib when its going flat out.
I have had a 200m rated leak at 95 meters.
Personally I wouldn't take a 100m rated watch below 25 meters. They are normally only deemed good for snorkling
And you might ask how on earth you get high dynamic pressures while diving.
Well you can end up hanging off a line in a tidal flow.
Some like to flap there arms around for no apparent reason.
And some one can push you off the back of the rib when its going flat out.
I have had a 200m rated leak at 95 meters.
Personally I wouldn't take a 100m rated watch below 25 meters. They are normally only deemed good for snorkling
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Breitling back-up is truly appalling, I bought one for £3,500 and noticed it was losing time soon afterwards so sent it back for a warranty repair. Breitling refused to do the repair for free, instead they demanded £470, saying that it had been knocked on one of the horns that holds the strap. I knew it hadn't been damaged by me, and I argued my corner but to no avail.
Breitling's UK repair centre returned the watch to my dealer in Newark and the jeweller showed me the alleged damage which was only evident by looking through his jewellers magnifying glass. I knew for certain the damage wasn't by me so sent it to a metallurgist for a more thorough examination. The metallurgist's verbal response was that the horn defect could not have been accidental because of the smooth and polished nature of the fault, therefore it was likely to be a manufacturing defect. Given the aggressive written response Breitling had given me, she elected NOT to give me a written report, and to use her words she said.... "If Breitling can treat you this way, they are surely big enough to wipe me out financially". She waived her charge but the watch still sits unrepaired in its box in my wardrobe.
Breitling's UK repair centre returned the watch to my dealer in Newark and the jeweller showed me the alleged damage which was only evident by looking through his jewellers magnifying glass. I knew for certain the damage wasn't by me so sent it to a metallurgist for a more thorough examination. The metallurgist's verbal response was that the horn defect could not have been accidental because of the smooth and polished nature of the fault, therefore it was likely to be a manufacturing defect. Given the aggressive written response Breitling had given me, she elected NOT to give me a written report, and to use her words she said.... "If Breitling can treat you this way, they are surely big enough to wipe me out financially". She waived her charge but the watch still sits unrepaired in its box in my wardrobe.
Last edited by sapco2; 13th Jul 2012 at 20:42.
So you could afford to spend £3500 on a watch, which proved faulty and yet you weren't prepared to kick up a stink after you'd received professional confirmation that the fault was due to poor manufacturing quality?
I would go to every Breitling stand at every airshow and demand, IN A VERY LOUD VOICE, that they repair the faulty watch f.o.c. without argument. Enlist some colleagues to listen in at the scene and to take note. Perhaps one might say "Well, I was just about to spend a lot of money on a Breitling until I heard your story - they can stick it now!".
Kick, bite, scratch shout and yell until the cuckoo-clock gnomes agree to a warranty repair, I would suggest!
I would go to every Breitling stand at every airshow and demand, IN A VERY LOUD VOICE, that they repair the faulty watch f.o.c. without argument. Enlist some colleagues to listen in at the scene and to take note. Perhaps one might say "Well, I was just about to spend a lot of money on a Breitling until I heard your story - they can stick it now!".
Kick, bite, scratch shout and yell until the cuckoo-clock gnomes agree to a warranty repair, I would suggest!
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Tried all that (in the shop at least) but again to no avail, legal action was another considered avenue but legal protocol meant suing the dealer and not Breitling who are the true culprits here. The dealer was genuinely as unhappy as me about the situation, saying that Breitling sacked their customer friendly service manager in favour of guy who has adopted a much more aggressive approach towards warranty repair work.
Last edited by sapco2; 13th Jul 2012 at 21:22.
Bone question, I know, but do Breitling do a military discount? I know, 10% off of a million is still a shed load of money!!
Last edited by MG; 13th Jul 2012 at 21:44.
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The Breitling I obtained at a 'priviledged' price turned out to be the worst value for money of any purchase I made. They seem to enjoy the gain in value by association with the professionals but the quality does not live up to the hype.
I spent the kid's inheritance about 6 years ago and bought a Navitimer. Quite frankly the best piece of kit ever. All clockwork springs 'n things but doesn't lose or gain time. I sent it to Orpington about twelve months ago for a service which was indeed eye-wateringly expensive and took about three weeks. However, the watch was returned in a natty travel case and appeared as new.
Having said all that, I have a feeling that most of the watch isn't actually made by Breitling but nevertheless, it's about the only really expensive purchase (car's, aeroplane's, wive's, etc) I've made that hasn't let me down.
Having said all that, I have a feeling that most of the watch isn't actually made by Breitling but nevertheless, it's about the only really expensive purchase (car's, aeroplane's, wive's, etc) I've made that hasn't let me down.
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After a minor rapid/ catastrophic decompression incident in 2003 I noted that the only thing in the aeroplane other than the canopy seal to be any worse for wear was my festering Breitling.
Despite numerous protestations that 'they were marketed for aviators' and that I was 'only just at the tropopause' and that 'despite not being a Red Arrow maybe I deserved a little break'....all on the grounds that I had merely subjected an aviator's watch to aviation....Breitling told me to pay up or #### off.(Not their exact words but they were somewhat frosty)
Which meant I had the choice of having a £1000 non-working Aeropsace or upgrading to a £1340 'working again' Aerospace.
Had to change the watch (which was accurate to within a day or so) anyway going from AD to mud when apparently 'Hack - it's Wednesday' - no longer counted!
Despite numerous protestations that 'they were marketed for aviators' and that I was 'only just at the tropopause' and that 'despite not being a Red Arrow maybe I deserved a little break'....all on the grounds that I had merely subjected an aviator's watch to aviation....Breitling told me to pay up or #### off.(Not their exact words but they were somewhat frosty)
Which meant I had the choice of having a £1000 non-working Aeropsace or upgrading to a £1340 'working again' Aerospace.
Had to change the watch (which was accurate to within a day or so) anyway going from AD to mud when apparently 'Hack - it's Wednesday' - no longer counted!