The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I'll keep the details vague to preserve anonymity here.....I recently sold a Breitling I have owned for apprx. 3 years. It's circa 1998/99. The watch still has all papers and box as when it was new. I had it serviced at a non-AD but reputable swiss trained watchmaker just before the sale. I sold the watch for apprx. $500 below competition. I had just added a brand new croc strap and a deployant buckle bought from an AD. My buyer (great guy by the way!!) receives the watch and loves it...! but he decides to take it to a Breitling AD. They looked at it and told him the watch is losing 5sec/hr (wow..!!!), it has water damage inside and most importantly, that it is a Frankenstein Breitling (dial, hands came from a different Breitling that don't match this model).

I was surprised by all three allegations. I immediately offered a full refund, which he declined stating he loves the watches but would like the situation rectified. He had his AD quote the work and obviously aside from the $680+tax for the overhaul the 12-16 weeks leadtime, the parts were going to be close to $1,200-1,500.

I asked for the watch back and took it to another local watchmaker who works on Breitling (non-AD) but trained / certified by Breitling. His assesment, this watch operates at +/- 0-3sec/day....he calls that bang on. No sign of water damage and dial and hands are original to the watch. He did notice though, after a good 30min of inspection and research that the back plate had been swapped on the watch. Whoever did the swap used the back plate from the same ETA movement (so ordered from ETA seller not Breitling). This led him to believe that maybe at some point, this watch suffered water damage and the backplate was swapped for that reason.

Final assessment, this was functions perfectly, all original except the backplate (which he argued that technically speaking, it's the exact same part that would come with the watch, except it came from the original manufacturer and not Breitling...).

So many questions in my mind.....

Why would the AD make all those allegations?
Although a full overhaul at Breitling will cost 50-60% of the price of the watch, is it the right thing to do?
Would you be bothered by the backplate situation?

It's my buyer's first nice watch and so this whole ordeal has shaken him up.....What would you recommend?

Thanks!!

Strange situation. Firstly it might be worth you posting up a picture of the watch as it's strange for an AD to suggest it has a different dial and hands to what it should have......

To be honest, the only way I think you will get a definitive answer on what is wrong with the watch is for you to send it directly to BUSA (I assume you are US based?) and ask for their opinion. Don't prompt them in terms of suggesting what might be wrong with it - just send it in (fully insured, etc) and ask them to have a look at it and quote you for any repairs. Just ask them to quote a price, and not to undertake any work without your express permission. That way, if you don't want to pay what they ask they will just send it back to you.

In terms of the base-plate being ETA and not Breitling - personally, yes that would bother me - not because of a difference in quality, just because it means the entire watch isn't technically Breitling. It is extremely likely that it will bother Breitling too..... A LOT. So they will definitely quote for that, plus a full overhall.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Well non Breitling approved watchmakers have worked on the watch so not that surprised that Breitling get upset. Whether it is simple scaremongering, who knows, but as Driver8 says the only way to know for sure is to get direct Breitling service input on it.

I would inform the buyer that he has one of two choices.

1. Return the watch as is for a full refund as you have already offered
2. Accept the watch as is

In light of this new information I do not believe he is entitled for you to sell the watch to him at the agreed upon price plus take a hit for all of the repair extras.

I personally would not agree to absorb his AD's quote for the work including the $680+tax for the overhaul , in addition to the parts to the tune of $1,200-1,500. Assuming you sold the watch at $500 below market value, this would put you in the hole to the tune of $2500 to $2700. I don't know what watch your are talking about, but under this deal you might as well give him the watch for free. I would personally just keep the watch or sell it to someone willing to accept the watch as is. The right thing to do would be to disclose the case back issue to future buyers.

I think I would offer a full refund or half of the cost of the complete service by Breitling. The timing issue can be easily checked, the rest of the allegations may not be so easily verified. If the back plate is readily discernible and wrong, how about the rest of the movement? I'd suggest it shows that it is very likely non breitling parts were used or sourced from non breitling sources.

I'd like to see pictures of the watch if possible to see if the hands are in fact from another watch

Here you go. The watch is a Breitling Montbrillant 1461 Jours A19030

This watch is identical to 2 others I own so I'm starting to think that the AD's allegations on the dial/hands came from confusion caused by the backplate and whatever markings were on there.....

These are correct hands for this model.

as is the dial. Not sure what that "AD" was on about.

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Driver8

Site Moderator