The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I was told by an AD that it is not possible to buy the Emergency 2 as a gift for someone either. You need to not just have a valid address in the country you are purchasing the watch but you also need to be a citizen. For instance, if you want to buy the Emergency 2 in England you need to be a British citizen.

I spoke to an AD in Austria and was told there is a monthly service charge of €14.53 for monitoring the frequncies associated with the Emergency 2. I was gung-ho on buying this watch and now I'm thinking it's not worth it. $20k USD and $20 month. WTF Breitling.

Sounds like a load of bull. I'd be asking who you have to pay the charge to.

The E2 doesn't use any different or exclusive frequencies than any other aviation or marine PLB/EPIRB, and unless Austrian regulators have some funny ideas about spectrum licensing I cannot see why they would be any different to anywhere else in the world regarding COSPAS/SARSAT allocated frequencies, especially as it's for 'emergency' use. And remember there is no transmission from the watch until you need to use it, unlike a handheld PLB where executing a test does actually initiate communication with the satellite network (the reason you are supposed to test only within the 'test time window' each hour). I am 'assuming' that with the E2 you get a test box again to validate it's working?

In the UK, I've had a 121.5Mhz and latterly a 406Mhz/121.5Mhz PLB in one shape or form for years and our authorities who never seem to miss a trick in wanting to charge for everything have never attempted to implement a charge for registration/ownership. MCGA in the UK are quite content to register and change owner data on beacons free of charge, and do it very effectively.

Perhaps the AD is on some money-making scheme

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Have
2019 B55 Exospace on Titanium bracelet
2014 SuperAvenger II Military LE
Had
2013 Avenger Seawolf SS yellow Arabic dial
2010 Aerospace Avantage black dial & Co-pilot
2007 Aerospace Repetition Minutes
2003 Superocean
2001 Chronospace

Hey Vulcanpilot thanks for the reply. I called around again today and spoke to the UK shops I have dealt with in the past when buying Breitlings. They all said they never heard of a monthly charge as well. Guess the Austrians have something up their sleeves?

Anyway, I still may consider the E2 without the monthly fee of course.