Cheapest place for watches?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 408
Likes: 0
From: Queensland
Breitling Aerospace
I had my Breitling Aerospace battery changed at a non-Breitling facility. Erratic operation followed, that will need Breitling attention. Breitling later advised against battery replacement other than by them. Is there any reason to think that there is a built in bug that requires a special procedure to re-start the watch after battery change? If that is the case, it would be a clever way to get expensive repeat business every 2 years for a long time.
Last edited by autoflight; 23rd July 2002 at 06:17.
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 586
Likes: 0
From: South East England
Well I,ve owned my Aerospace for some eight years at least, had the battery changed twice at my local qualty family jewellers at £5 each time absolutely fine no problems though I wouldn,t dream of swimming with a watch of this quality and value on.Its a fabulous watch really well thought out for its aviation role and still looks nearly new with no scratches on its face in spite of a hard life.Definitely one of lifes better purchases especially when you consider my wife purchased a dress for a similar sum to the watch and has worn it about 4 times.!!!
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,995
Likes: 512
From: UK
I now do watch battery changes on a fairly frequent, regular basis. The variety of watch and battery types is legion and some are out-and-out pigs to deal with. I have no experience of the Breitling as such but after a couple of horror stories with Omegas and other up-market varieties, we now send them to our workshop to be done (at greater cost) rather than in the shop. One make, in particular, requires two internal contacts to be shorted out after battery change to re-start the mechanism!! 
We are just starting to get supplies of one of the best bits of horological engineering I have come across - ceramic case and bracelet, solar powered with six months power reserve, and radio-controlled - accurate to half a second in a million years - £500 GBP a copy and I WANT ONE. Sold our first two within days of them arriving. Drool, drool, drool.....
We are just starting to get supplies of one of the best bits of horological engineering I have come across - ceramic case and bracelet, solar powered with six months power reserve, and radio-controlled - accurate to half a second in a million years - £500 GBP a copy and I WANT ONE. Sold our first two within days of them arriving. Drool, drool, drool.....
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: UK
Perhaps the answer is not to cut corners.... take your Breitling to a recognised dealer - ive only had mine 6 months but rest assured its going to go straight back to where i got it when the battery dies.
There are many websites with dealer information - any good search engine will help
rt
There are many websites with dealer information - any good search engine will help
rt
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 244
Likes: 7
From: UK
Having been the not so proud owner of a Breitling Navitimer for the last ten years, I can safely say that this is the ultimate example of a company that trades on it's name rather than it's quality.
Breitling UK will service a watch for £250+ and qoute you a 3 months turn around time, that's right, spend £2000 on a Navitimer only to lose it for 3 months a year!! Get a life!
I have spent the entire purchase price of mine over the years in servicing, and never did it keep better than +-10seconds a day. I finally took it to a local high quality jewellers last winter and paid £200 for a service that came back in 3 weeks. The watch has never kept such good time and is now +-1" a day.
I had reason to deal with Breitling in Switzerland and never met a more 'up itself' brand of arrogance before. Mind you, nothing new for the 'Schweizer Deutche'!
Forget the b**ls**t. Buy a Japanese watch with lots of gizmo's and remember that a pilot with a big watch is usually regarded as having a correspondingly small 'joystick', not to mention an equivalent IQ.
Breitling UK will service a watch for £250+ and qoute you a 3 months turn around time, that's right, spend £2000 on a Navitimer only to lose it for 3 months a year!! Get a life!
I have spent the entire purchase price of mine over the years in servicing, and never did it keep better than +-10seconds a day. I finally took it to a local high quality jewellers last winter and paid £200 for a service that came back in 3 weeks. The watch has never kept such good time and is now +-1" a day.
I had reason to deal with Breitling in Switzerland and never met a more 'up itself' brand of arrogance before. Mind you, nothing new for the 'Schweizer Deutche'!
Forget the b**ls**t. Buy a Japanese watch with lots of gizmo's and remember that a pilot with a big watch is usually regarded as having a correspondingly small 'joystick', not to mention an equivalent IQ.
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,315
Likes: 83
From: Scotland
I was annoyed to find that my Aerospace would be at the Breitling repair depot for 4 weeks just to have the battery changed - at a cost of £35. The reason for the cost seems to be that the seals are also changed with the battery and the watch is pressure tested. It did come back in a rather nice soft case which I actually use to keep my shades in. :cool
I love the watch except that the tabs on the bezel catch in the stitching of one's trouser pockets and pull threads when said hands are removed. I wouldn't change it for anything and I certainly wouldn't take it to an ordinary watch repair shop.
I love the watch except that the tabs on the bezel catch in the stitching of one's trouser pockets and pull threads when said hands are removed. I wouldn't change it for anything and I certainly wouldn't take it to an ordinary watch repair shop.
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 348
Likes: 2
From: Canada
Wub, like you I found that the "bugs" on the bezel snagged clothing (ruined a golf shirt) so I had a local jeweller grind the points off them. problem solved and it still looks fine. They are now flush with the inner raised ring of the bezel.
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 608
Likes: 0
From: UK
Helios - you are right!!
I inadvertantly left the screw in bit out after changing the date a few months back - and then went and sat in a sauna - DOH!
Despite trying to dry out the interior in the (airing cupboard!) it had to go back for a good service.
Total time = 10 weeks
Cost = £190
It came back absolutely gleaming and dry as a whistle inside.
When I sell it I can now say FSH in the advert!
I inadvertantly left the screw in bit out after changing the date a few months back - and then went and sat in a sauna - DOH!
Despite trying to dry out the interior in the (airing cupboard!) it had to go back for a good service.
Total time = 10 weeks
Cost = £190
It came back absolutely gleaming and dry as a whistle inside.
When I sell it I can now say FSH in the advert!
Jet Blast Rat
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 0
From: Sarfend-on-Sea
Albert's Growbag
My Casio keeps better time than that - guaranteed to 20 seconds a month!
Anyway, if you want to buy it I have a fake Swiss watch (not of any particular brand, the whole brand naming is fake ) that keeps very good time, is waterproof (as long as you screw in the adjustment bezel, Bright!) and seems bizarrely to have a genuine crystal face. I always scratch watches really badly, this one is clear after much use. Styling is typical chunky three-face with diver's rotating bezel. Cost me half what a similar quality Japanese watch would, less than a tenth a real Swis watch would, and who knows the difference? 
However, my Casio is currently more practical, so the the "Swiss" watch is up for offer!
My Casio keeps better time than that - guaranteed to 20 seconds a month!
Anyway, if you want to buy it I have a fake Swiss watch (not of any particular brand, the whole brand naming is fake
) that keeps very good time, is waterproof (as long as you screw in the adjustment bezel, Bright!) and seems bizarrely to have a genuine crystal face. I always scratch watches really badly, this one is clear after much use. Styling is typical chunky three-face with diver's rotating bezel. Cost me half what a similar quality Japanese watch would, less than a tenth a real Swis watch would, and who knows the difference? However, my Casio is currently more practical, so the the "Swiss" watch is up for offer!
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
From: preston
watches
i bought a breitling for a tenner in the night market in penang, it keeps reasonable time, however the avia i bought for twenty quid in argos only gained a second a week. it was a great watch until i dropped a box of maps on it!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: EGTE / EHAM
Rambling off topic for a second:
I've got one of these (thanks to the wife)... they're very good - the time-zone changing is particularly useful. Downside is getting service for the damn things. Mine failed after 14 months and took nine weeks and £180 to put right 
Make sure you find a reliable dealer...
m.
p.s. Having interjected in this thread... what do these Breitling watches do? other than tell the time?
We are just starting to get supplies of one of the best bits of horological engineering I have come across - ceramic case and bracelet, solar powered with six months power reserve, and radio-controlled - accurate to half a second in a million years - £500 GBP a copy and I WANT ONE. Sold our first two within days of them arriving. Drool, drool, drool...
Make sure you find a reliable dealer...m.
p.s. Having interjected in this thread... what do these Breitling watches do? other than tell the time?
Moderator
Joined: Apr 1998
Posts: 1,335
Likes: 0
From: err, *******, we have a problem
Bought mine in Hong Kong 1992 for £600 in a fit of pique having been denied a holiday due lack of time remaining on passport...
Haven't seriously looked back since.. however, local jewellers in Aberdeen replaced battery in 1996, and moisture entered.. led to a flaw appearing on the lower LCD display. Now I can live with that, so no big deal..
But servicing.. I just wait till one of my mates is heading to Hong Kong, and get them to do it there.. somewhere on the island, not sure quite where. Costs about £50 and right up to Breitling standards, including replacing the seals.. plus done whilst you wait. The LCD will take about £200 to replace mind you.. if I want to do it.
Cost of course includes about an extra £20 in beer for the mate afterwards....
£6
Haven't seriously looked back since.. however, local jewellers in Aberdeen replaced battery in 1996, and moisture entered.. led to a flaw appearing on the lower LCD display. Now I can live with that, so no big deal..
But servicing.. I just wait till one of my mates is heading to Hong Kong, and get them to do it there.. somewhere on the island, not sure quite where. Costs about £50 and right up to Breitling standards, including replacing the seals.. plus done whilst you wait. The LCD will take about £200 to replace mind you.. if I want to do it.
Cost of course includes about an extra £20 in beer for the mate afterwards....
£6
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,315
Likes: 83
From: Scotland
I really wouldn't trust a £1,400 watch to a Hong Kong repairman, what come back would you have if he broke it?
For those 'Breitling-ites' out there, have a look at http://www.breitling.com/eng/aeronau...een/index.html
THe time displayed comes from your computer's internal clock and so if it loses the precious 2 or 3 seconds a day, blame your PC
For those 'Breitling-ites' out there, have a look at http://www.breitling.com/eng/aeronau...een/index.html
THe time displayed comes from your computer's internal clock and so if it loses the precious 2 or 3 seconds a day, blame your PC
Boeing SLF
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Denmark
I do not use Breitling, mainly Tag Heuer, but it's probably the same: Have the watch pressure tested once a year at a qualified repair center.
I do believe that Tag changes the seal at the back whenever they change battery and do the test.
Regards
Michael
I do believe that Tag changes the seal at the back whenever they change battery and do the test.
Regards
Michael