My wife treated me to a Breitling Chronometre for my 45th birthday (some time ago now),:(
I had hankered after one for donkeys years. Its got two hour hands so is useful for UTC and Local and is autowind so doesn't use batteries.
I love the watch, but it irritates the hell out of me that I have to wind on the date after a month of less than 31 days on a £2.5 k watch, when the £35 seiko I used for 20 years did it automatically.

Check this out ... http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....999577956&rd=1
:{ Weep - if only I'd been at his house when he picked it up ... "Oh no matey, that old thing? Not worth a cracker, you let me look after that for you now, hey?"

I bought a used (like new) Aerospace on eBay for about half the price of a new one. It's a great watch, but too nice to wear flying a GOM field ship job.
Be careful buying watches on eBay. There are many look alike knock offs. I watched and waited about 6 months before I found the model I wanted being offered by a reliable seller. Good luck.

As Bigfoot says, be very careful buying watches on eBay. I also checked the watches on eBay for a few months before buying (from an authorised dealer). There are definitely fakes out there, and most of them are worded like the one quoted by Wishtobeflying. They usually state that the watch was a gift so they don't know the history, have no idea of the value (like it's so hard to find out), and have no papers. Then they describe what is written on the watch without ever claiming it to be genuine.

I'm afraid I can't comment on the B-1, however I've been living with a 1960's 24 hour Cosmonaute on my wrist for twenty years now and I'd fight you to the death for it!

I have to say though that the the tick is bloody loud!

I recently had my B1 serviced and it cost £225, but came back as good as new. I bought it on eBay for £900 from a chap who found it too heavy to wear.

Afternoon Watch lovers.


I have a Hercules,nice watch but has been returned twice to Breitling to be regulated and still wont run for 42 hrs.


And have no problem making ladies squeal!!! (eagle 86)

rhmaddever,

My service and a battery cost $238 (Aus) and they polished it too, looks like new.

Cheers,

Hollywood :cool:

Sorry stupid question but what is a B1 and B2 ?

wishtobflying,

Ok 1) So far I only fly R22s so can never take my hand of the cyclic and cant therefore use the slide rule in the air,

However 2) I do try to use it on the ground - basic calculations are obviously not relevant, but the advanced calcs are great - you just have to splend time learning them and then remember them!

The stopwatch is an interesting one - the only time I would use it is for Dead Reckoning which poses the question... Do any of you higher houred pilots use Dead reckoning?

Anways - I love my B1 to bits and me too "would fight you to death for it"!

RHM

As this has come back to the top again -

Can someone please tell me what makes these watches worth the kind of money they retail for?

I'm not making a point; I just want to know...

Ta.

Same thing that makes a 1.9TDi VW more expensive than a 1.9TDi SEAT with the same engine!

And a B1&B2 are aircraft types........ and therefore Watch models.

ATCO Two....

Be very wary of buying anything of limp wristed types on ebay matey! :ok:

There's a B1 here

http://www.blitzwatches.co.uk/produc...?productid=215

for only £1,588

It says the bezel is for Tachymeter conversions. I would imagine a full rotation will a particular reading between the inner and outer bezels.

H.

Breitling: Batteries (again)
 

I've had my Breitling for 18 months. It's kept perfect time until the last 4 or 5 days, when after a quick spurt of +3 mins in a day it's now losing 1 min or more each day.
I guess it's the battery, since it's a genuine watch rather than a 'Changi Road' version.
The previous thread was closed. Grateful for an update on best place/best agents to use. Pity we're out of the airshow season at present: Sod's law!

I recently had my battery replaced by the Breitling service centre at Tunbridge Wells and was impressed by the very quick service.

Which one have you got? I bought one of the navitimers recently, they run on a 'self-winding' mechanisim that don't operate on batterys. I suppose if you maybe leave your watch on the desk for a while, they say a few days, then it will slow down/stop eventually until re-wound. I think most of the new ones run on the same principle, dont know if that could be the cause

269: it's definitely a Quartz. The Handbook tells you that battery changes will be needed form time to time, but doesn't describe the symptoms of imminent battery failure.
FL; thanks for the tip. If I can't find the TW co-ords, I'll give you a ring or email for the info, please. If you used Goldsmiths (the chain) I've got one in my home town, but TW's not too out of the way for me.

Idle Stop

I took my watch into Breitling's UK office in central London. They sent it to the Service department at TW, and it was returned direct to me.
I assume Goldsmiths are agents; there's a list of authorised retailers on the Breitling website.

I've got the Aerospace - the original, not the latest model (which I don't like as much). The low battery warning flashed and, after a few days, the watch stopped. I didn't notice any inaccuracy during that period.

I've had a Breitling for a few years now, but unsure of model type?
Light Silver face, with 3 gold dials on it, red needle in top one, date @ 3 position. Silver Gold all over, adjustable Tachymetre face, and has pic of fighter jet on back, serial no.10 of 500.

Runs fantastic, and weighs a tonne too :ok: