Changing the battery in a Breitling that isn't a Breitling!
Discussion
I have a small problem...
4 years ago a good friend of mine, knowing my love of all things watches, brought a replica Breitling Airwolf back from Asia for me as a gift.
It cost about £25 but it's probably the best replica I've ever seen. As per the real Breitling Airwolf this one has both analogue hands and fully functioning and identical looking digital parts as well. Quite incredible.
I compared it to a real one in a watch shop once and it was quite tricky to tell the two apart from simply looking at them.
This accuracy has come back to bite me in the arse now though!
The battery has gone flat as you would expect after this time, and I tried to get it changed in a few places in town namely Timpsons, The Watch Hospital and H Samuel. None of them managed to open it up using the normal equipment they use, and all said that despite being a replica it actually opens the same way as a real one and would therefore have to be opened by the tool you would use to open a genuine one. H Samual actually thought it was real and refused to work on it until I told them it was a dirty faker!
I have only ever worn it a handful of times because erm, it's fake and I feel a bit odd wearing it, but I like having all my watches clean, working and arranged nicely on my home office 'watch shelf', so I really would like to get the battery changed.
But, obviously I cannot take it to a Breitling dealer as they would be outraged, but no one else has the tools.
Any ideas chaps?
4 years ago a good friend of mine, knowing my love of all things watches, brought a replica Breitling Airwolf back from Asia for me as a gift.
It cost about £25 but it's probably the best replica I've ever seen. As per the real Breitling Airwolf this one has both analogue hands and fully functioning and identical looking digital parts as well. Quite incredible.
I compared it to a real one in a watch shop once and it was quite tricky to tell the two apart from simply looking at them.
This accuracy has come back to bite me in the arse now though!
The battery has gone flat as you would expect after this time, and I tried to get it changed in a few places in town namely Timpsons, The Watch Hospital and H Samuel. None of them managed to open it up using the normal equipment they use, and all said that despite being a replica it actually opens the same way as a real one and would therefore have to be opened by the tool you would use to open a genuine one. H Samual actually thought it was real and refused to work on it until I told them it was a dirty faker!
I have only ever worn it a handful of times because erm, it's fake and I feel a bit odd wearing it, but I like having all my watches clean, working and arranged nicely on my home office 'watch shelf', so I really would like to get the battery changed.
But, obviously I cannot take it to a Breitling dealer as they would be outraged, but no one else has the tools.
Any ideas chaps?
NinjaPower said:
Justayellowbadge said:
Bin it.
Wow. Really helpful, thanks 
Genuine thanks to everyone who suggested solutions, I will look for a case opening ball.
I don't, I'm afraid, and the Watches forum has no tolerance for fakes.
Please ask for help elsewhere.
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