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Nah, the real demonstration of good faith in part of Breitling will be to give this fella a brand new spankin' watch and an apology for to put him through this ordeal.


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And refrain from negative posting until your situation is resolved to your satisfaction. You have rattled the cage enough and got their attention. Now wait for them to make good and so the right thing for you.


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Here's a brief update on the situation. I heard back from the Managing Director of BUK a few days after I sent my watch back, after the head watchmaker had a chance to look at my watch. The short of it is that the watchmaker had absolutely no idea how the sweeping chrono hand became dislodged off center. He said a sudden impact may have done this, but it was clear that my watch had not sustained anything like this. The hand effectively slipped a couple teeth on the gear, but he’d never seen it happen before.

The MD gave me the option to decide how BUK fixed the watch- they could replace a few parts or replace the entire movement again. As I certainly don’t think I know more than the head watchmaker, I deferred to BUK to decide the best fix. The watchmaker decided to replace five parts of the movement.

Moving onto the customer service aspect of all this, the MD came right out with an offer for me to fly with the Breitling Wing Walkers. I definitely didn’t expect this and it caught me a bit off guard. Although it would be an incredible experience, the thought of being strapped to the top of a bi-plane makes me sick to my stomach to even think about, so I politely declined this. I countered with an offer to ride with the Jet Team instead, but he said he wasn’t able to do that. Can’t blame me for trying!

We then started talking more realistically and he offered up a free croc strap for my Chronomat. I hate that look, but I have been meaning to replace the croc strap on my Navi, so he was happy to oblige. The MD also said he’d throw in some exclusive Breitling swag, so I’m interested to see what shows up at my door. It’s worth noting that the MD was on vacation during this time, so he definitely went above and beyond by talking with the watchmaker and me (especially by European standards).

At the end of the day, no amount of free stuff is going to bring Breitling back to the prestige they once held in my mind. The BUK MD is the first Breitling exec who has actually taken this situation seriously and treated me like I actually mattered, which is all I ever really wanted in the first place. I sincerely applaud him for this. However, I feel like this should have happened after the watch went back the third time. It shouldn’t take sending my watch back seven times and incessantly emailing Breitling execs to get this kind of attention.

I’ll post again once I get the swag. I’m hoping for the infamous socks and underwear that someone got a long time ago! (not really)

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Chronomat 01- Sierra Silver/Steel
Navitimer 01- Limited Edition #1337/2000

Well done. I'd have taken the wing walk anyway as it was for free and any goodies they have you.

There's no guarantee you'd get a better resolution from any other brand. It took 3 tries, and still not fixed right (a rotating bezel off center on a Rolex GMT), and finally I gave up with Rolex NYC before selling watch. They even made a comment to me after bringing it back the second time that they didn't know I was "very particular" about my watch, and as such, they would've liked me to let them know that beforehand. Whatever. Glad to see you got somewhere with them this time. Hopefully, the free stuff will console you at bit and the watch will be working right for good.

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18k Rolex Datejust / Breitling Crosswind Special / Patek SS Nautilus / Bvlgari Diagono Chrono / Bvlgari Scuba / Omega Speedmaster Professional / 60s Omega Constellation

Wow, that is incredible about Rolex. I should hope that anyone who spends the kind of money we do on watches is very particular. I do constantly hear stories similar to mine (although not quite as extreme) with other brands and no one seems to do right by the customer. It's appalling to me that luxury watch companies think this arrogant behavior is alright.

Going back to the BUK MD, I mentioned Nordstrom to him as an exemplar of what customer service should be. To those not familiar, it's a US high end clothing retailer (like Harrods or Selfridges). Their mantra is that any employee can take any action to ensure a customer walks away happy. If this means giving the customer a full refund for an issue that clearly was the customer's fault, then so be it, as long as that customer walks away feeling content. When I lived in the US, this was the only store I would shop at, especially for shoes. I've bought shoes from Nordstrom, wore them for 3 months, decided that they weren't all that comfortable, and taken them back for a full refund- no questions asked. In the end, the bottom level Nordstrom employee takes care of me the same way the BUK MD did, but the first time around (not the seventh), and that's why I keep going back to Nordstrom.

My take is that there isn't a single watch manufacturer that even has a semblance of this mentality, and it's an absolute shame.

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Chronomat 01- Sierra Silver/Steel
Navitimer 01- Limited Edition #1337/2000

I would have insisted on a replacement watch.


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Unfortunately, service is not the first concern anymore. Nordstrom's profits are tanking. It's about how much they can save, profit margins, and quick turnaround. Funny thing is that I've actually had good service from Breitling USA in CT. Took my new Navi in for a problem I noticed with the dial (a streak of lume on an index), and they at first, the tech just scraped it off and it looked pathetic. I told them that this was unacceptable, and they told me ok, we'll give you a new dial (ordered from Switzerland). They installed it, did a full service and gave it back no charge. It's the luck of the draw I guess, but you're right...7 times is many times too much. Hope this is the end of back and forth.

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18k Rolex Datejust / Breitling Crosswind Special / Patek SS Nautilus / Bvlgari Diagono Chrono / Bvlgari Scuba / Omega Speedmaster Professional / 60s Omega Constellation

The famous Breitling underwear with "Instruments for Professionals" on the front

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"It is just a matter of time!"

Wow! How old was your watch when you had your first issue and how old is it now?

Glad they at least seem to have taken ownership of the problem.


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I had one of the first B01 powered Chronomats off the production line, purchased in July 2009. The precious issue was that the sweeping chrono hand would "skip," gong from 1/4 sec movements to 1/2 sec movements. I'm sure it was like this from new, but I didn't notice it until about 6 months after the purchase. From there, it went back to Breitling USA four times for the same issue. When the movement was replaced, a new chrono related issue popped up, which is what I've been dealing with since.


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Chronomat 01- Sierra Silver/Steel
Navitimer 01- Limited Edition #1337/2000

The only acceptable resolution for me personally:

1)Flight first class to Switzerland and visit to Breitling headquarters. All expenses paid by Breitling.

2) while there, allow you to pick a brand new replacement watch at no cost to you, no questions ask.

Only way I see they can restore your confidence and loyalty to the brand.


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The pants would do it for me........

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Breitling B-1 1999
Breitling Chrono Superocean 2004
Casio G Shock
Citizen Eco Drive AT4000-02E (for gardening)
Seiko 5 SNZG15J1
Hamilton X Wind LE

Please do feel free to email Jean-Paul Girardin, or the BUK MD, and let him know! This would definitely go a long way in restoring my faith. I have always wanted an Emergency . . .

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Chronomat 01- Sierra Silver/Steel
Navitimer 01- Limited Edition #1337/2000

Lol. Heck, why not also have them throw in an evening with a Breitling wing walker girl too while you're at it. Honestly, I think the best solution is to just give you a full refund on your watch (just show em your receipt and they refund it). Then, fix your watch for good and give you another 4 year warranty on that. Done. You don't really need the arse kissing swag and such.

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18k Rolex Datejust / Breitling Crosswind Special / Patek SS Nautilus / Bvlgari Diagono Chrono / Bvlgari Scuba / Omega Speedmaster Professional / 60s Omega Constellation