Let's see your Breitling.
Discussion
Chaps,
Got a Breitling B-1, purchased as a gift for me in 2002.
It's needed a battery 2 or 3 times since then, work was carried out by Breitling each time (even got the watch back once in a nice black Breitling hard pouch thing).
Last month I got the dreaded EOL on the display, battery time again I reckoned, put it into Beaverbrooks and was £133 lighter.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and Beaverbrooks have just called me to say Breitling have advised that a battery won't cut it this time and want to relieve me of a FURTHER £417 to give the watch a full service.
The watch is a daily wearer but never gets wet, should I get the watch back and get a jeweller to put a battery in it for a few quid or is it really worth spending £550 on the watch?
Ta
Andy
Got a Breitling B-1, purchased as a gift for me in 2002.
It's needed a battery 2 or 3 times since then, work was carried out by Breitling each time (even got the watch back once in a nice black Breitling hard pouch thing).
Last month I got the dreaded EOL on the display, battery time again I reckoned, put it into Beaverbrooks and was £133 lighter.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and Beaverbrooks have just called me to say Breitling have advised that a battery won't cut it this time and want to relieve me of a FURTHER £417 to give the watch a full service.
The watch is a daily wearer but never gets wet, should I get the watch back and get a jeweller to put a battery in it for a few quid or is it really worth spending £550 on the watch?
Ta
Andy
I have had my B-1 for 20 years now and in that time it's been for just two 'Services', both times when it had already developed faults. On the second occasion a couple of years ago the jeweller called me say that Breitling were saying it 'required' a new strap... for nearly £500 extra.
As there was nothing wrong with the strap when I'd handed it over I spoke to the jeweller and asked for the repair reference so I could call Breitling UK directly and discuss the matter. Breitling were very honest and open and said they'd only 'recommended' a replacement strap - they were more than happy to just polish up the existing as they would normally do during a service. The watch came back with the existing, original, strap quite literally looking as good as new!
For battery changes in between times I got fed up with the exhorbitant charge and bought a specific B-1 case back opener and now do them myself. Have the battery ready, do it quickly and tidily, give the inside of the echo chamber a quick clean and it's never once leaked on me.
As for whether its worth you spending your money on it now - that will have to be your call. Second hand examples hover just above £1.5k for a working example so a broken one will be considerable less but IMHO they are tremendously useful watches with all the available functions, moreso if you know how to use the circular slide-rule (which I would hope all Breitling owners would know).
In your position you have to know whether the watch was working correctly when you handed it over; then call Breitling yourself to get the full story of what they actually recommend and then make a decision from there.
HTH
As there was nothing wrong with the strap when I'd handed it over I spoke to the jeweller and asked for the repair reference so I could call Breitling UK directly and discuss the matter. Breitling were very honest and open and said they'd only 'recommended' a replacement strap - they were more than happy to just polish up the existing as they would normally do during a service. The watch came back with the existing, original, strap quite literally looking as good as new!
For battery changes in between times I got fed up with the exhorbitant charge and bought a specific B-1 case back opener and now do them myself. Have the battery ready, do it quickly and tidily, give the inside of the echo chamber a quick clean and it's never once leaked on me.
As for whether its worth you spending your money on it now - that will have to be your call. Second hand examples hover just above £1.5k for a working example so a broken one will be considerable less but IMHO they are tremendously useful watches with all the available functions, moreso if you know how to use the circular slide-rule (which I would hope all Breitling owners would know).
In your position you have to know whether the watch was working correctly when you handed it over; then call Breitling yourself to get the full story of what they actually recommend and then make a decision from there.
HTH
oobster said:
Chaps,
Got a Breitling B-1, purchased as a gift for me in 2002.
It's needed a battery 2 or 3 times since then, work was carried out by Breitling each time (even got the watch back once in a nice black Breitling hard pouch thing).
Last month I got the dreaded EOL on the display, battery time again I reckoned, put it into Beaverbrooks and was £133 lighter.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and Beaverbrooks have just called me to say Breitling have advised that a battery won't cut it this time and want to relieve me of a FURTHER £417 to give the watch a full service.
The watch is a daily wearer but never gets wet, should I get the watch back and get a jeweller to put a battery in it for a few quid or is it really worth spending £550 on the watch?
Ta
Andy
I had an Aerospace Advantage very similar setup to your B-1, I had the exact same dilemma and said no thanks I'll have the watch back. Got a Breitling B-1, purchased as a gift for me in 2002.
It's needed a battery 2 or 3 times since then, work was carried out by Breitling each time (even got the watch back once in a nice black Breitling hard pouch thing).
Last month I got the dreaded EOL on the display, battery time again I reckoned, put it into Beaverbrooks and was £133 lighter.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and Beaverbrooks have just called me to say Breitling have advised that a battery won't cut it this time and want to relieve me of a FURTHER £417 to give the watch a full service.
The watch is a daily wearer but never gets wet, should I get the watch back and get a jeweller to put a battery in it for a few quid or is it really worth spending £550 on the watch?
Ta
Andy
I traded it for my Seawolf Avenger as that's an auto and would not incur the running cost of a Quartz Breitling.
I bought the watch to avoid spending money on watches and have one nice watch for best to last my lifetime.
The Quartz Breitling went against every reason I wanted an expensive watch and I didn't like being held to ransom by Breitling.
My auto although missing the gadgetness of the Aerosapce now fulfills it promise.
E24man said:
I have had my B-1 for 20 years now and in that time it's been for just two 'Services', both times when it had already developed faults. On the second occasion a couple of years ago the jeweller called me say that Breitling were saying it 'required' a new strap... for nearly £500 extra.
As there was nothing wrong with the strap when I'd handed it over I spoke to the jeweller and asked for the repair reference so I could call Breitling UK directly and discuss the matter. Breitling were very honest and open and said they'd only 'recommended' a replacement strap - they were more than happy to just polish up the existing as they would normally do during a service. The watch came back with the existing, original, strap quite literally looking as good as new!
For battery changes in between times I got fed up with the exhorbitant charge and bought a specific B-1 case back opener and now do them myself. Have the battery ready, do it quickly and tidily, give the inside of the echo chamber a quick clean and it's never once leaked on me.
As for whether its worth you spending your money on it now - that will have to be your call. Second hand examples hover just above £1.5k for a working example so a broken one will be considerable less but IMHO they are tremendously useful watches with all the available functions, moreso if you know how to use the circular slide-rule (which I would hope all Breitling owners would know).
In your position you have to know whether the watch was working correctly when you handed it over; then call Breitling yourself to get the full story of what they actually recommend and then make a decision from there.
HTH
Good on you for replacing battery yourself. As there was nothing wrong with the strap when I'd handed it over I spoke to the jeweller and asked for the repair reference so I could call Breitling UK directly and discuss the matter. Breitling were very honest and open and said they'd only 'recommended' a replacement strap - they were more than happy to just polish up the existing as they would normally do during a service. The watch came back with the existing, original, strap quite literally looking as good as new!
For battery changes in between times I got fed up with the exhorbitant charge and bought a specific B-1 case back opener and now do them myself. Have the battery ready, do it quickly and tidily, give the inside of the echo chamber a quick clean and it's never once leaked on me.
As for whether its worth you spending your money on it now - that will have to be your call. Second hand examples hover just above £1.5k for a working example so a broken one will be considerable less but IMHO they are tremendously useful watches with all the available functions, moreso if you know how to use the circular slide-rule (which I would hope all Breitling owners would know).
In your position you have to know whether the watch was working correctly when you handed it over; then call Breitling yourself to get the full story of what they actually recommend and then make a decision from there.
HTH
I loved the Aerospace but love the chunky Seawolf as much.
I do miss the day date, very useful for shift work
neilbauer said:
Good on you for replacing battery yourself.
I loved the Aerospace but love the chunky Seawolf as much.
I do miss the day date, very useful for shift work
Funny but following wearing my Seawolf literally daily for 4 years I never thought it felt chunky but as it has been off my wrist for a year now, Just put it on for work tomorrow and .... My God what a chunky beast ... and the weight I loved the Aerospace but love the chunky Seawolf as much.
I do miss the day date, very useful for shift work
Cheers chaps, my current thinking is to get the watch back and have the battery replaced at a local independent jeweler.
Feels like I am doing the watch a disservice though, like buying a brand-new Ferrari and having it serviced at some grotty back street garage.
Can't justify spending £550 on the watch though, my dear old departed Grandmother who bought me the watch would, I am sure, agree.
No chance of me trying to change the battery myself, the watch would end up in a pile of small bits.
Feels like I am doing the watch a disservice though, like buying a brand-new Ferrari and having it serviced at some grotty back street garage.
Can't justify spending £550 on the watch though, my dear old departed Grandmother who bought me the watch would, I am sure, agree.
No chance of me trying to change the battery myself, the watch would end up in a pile of small bits.
E24man said:
I
For battery changes in between times I got fed up with the exhorbitant charge and bought a specific B-1 case back opener and now do them myself. Have the battery ready, do it quickly and tidily, give the inside of the echo chamber a quick clean and it's never once leaked on me.
Where did you find the case back opener? I usually take mine to a retired watch repairer I trust with everything, but changing batteries I'm happy to have a crack at myself.For battery changes in between times I got fed up with the exhorbitant charge and bought a specific B-1 case back opener and now do them myself. Have the battery ready, do it quickly and tidily, give the inside of the echo chamber a quick clean and it's never once leaked on me.
The bay of e.
Edit; Like this....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CASE-BACK-OPENER-TOOL-DI...
Edit; Like this....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CASE-BACK-OPENER-TOOL-DI...
Edited by E24man on Friday 28th April 22:13
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/jed1TutG.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/ySg9k7sO" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/ySg9k7sO.jpg)
k in one picture. Well done.
It still performs as it should though..
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