The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I am considering a Yellow 2000 Breitling Emergency with all the paperwork, accessories and case. I would like to hear any opinions and thoughts on this model. It will come with teethe Ti bracelet and another Ti bracelet with UTC.

I currently have a Panerai Submersible and looking to add this watch.

I would appreciate any good, bad or the ugly opinions.

Thanks so much in advance.

Chris

I have a coral emergency, absolutely love it. Definitely has a bold wrist presence. I have the Pro II bracelet and the proIII rubber on deployment. Both straps are great. Really like the rubber for every day wear. Only thing I wish is that it was 100m water resistant like my aerospace. I swim with the aerospace on but I won't with the emergency

Hi,

Well, here are my opinions having owned one for many years.

Cons:
There is no backlight on the digital display..
The alarm might not trouble a timid mouse
The lume is not very luminous...
It's impossible to hide, especially in Yellow

Pro's:
It's light, even with the UTC
It fits around a 71/2" wrist perfectly
It looks great on the diver pro or a nato
It is one of the most iconic watches ever produced
I've worn mine swimming on at least 5 holidays, no probs.
It MIGHT get you saved in an Emergency...
It's impossible to hide, especially in Yellow.

That's all.

Oh, and I'll never ever sell mine. Love it way too much.

D

The emergency is a professional watch. So, you can't compare with the others .


Plus:

Radio becon locator
Anti g Force till 20 g
Titan material
Accurancy of The time

_________________

Con

The technology it uses outdated for the 121.5. Nice watch but the price and size of the new model put it in the professional range for pilots

Nonsense. Plenty of non-pilot's own it, including myself. Some for practical, but the majority just because its a darn cool watch!! The new Emergency II is WAY over-priced, but given that you can pick up an original emergency for <$3k I think it's well priced and a classic watch!

OP - I love my blue Emergency. It's been all over the world with me. Took it to Nepal and Everest Base Camp last year, and was the perfect watch for the 1 month trip. Never had to worry about it stopping, not being accurate, or being too delicate for the trek! And it's just as practical around town. One of my favourite summer watches. Goes great on a rubber or leather strap with shorts or jeans for a casual sporty look!

Problems with it mate is can't really wear it in water, the 121.5 is not even monitored as a primary search and rescue frequency anymore and it's like an old classic car it's good but don't have a built in sat nav

Not able to wear it water?

Nonsense. My E is my fav holiday watch, and I've worn it in the pool and sea on many many occasions with zero problems. No condensation or water ingress. A very good friend who was a SAR pilot in the Royal Air Force Wore one for years until he retired from flying and now pilots a desk. He was adamant that although they had personal ELT's He still always flew wearing the Emergency....

I also quote;

Also what most people do not realise is that 121.5MHz personal locator beacons were only ever really designed to be homing beacons. This means that they help search and rescue aircraft and vessels home-in on your location once they begin looking for you. Because all search and rescue helicopters and lifeboats still have 121.5MHz monitoring equipment on board, a 121.5MHz beacon is still a useful piece of equipment for you to keep in your emergency grab bag.

(Written not by me but from Safety-Marine.co.uk)

D

Well, Breitling would say you were lucky. Maybe you have an E-II, which is rated to 50m, but the older Emergency (which the thread is about) is rated to 30m, and Breitling -

https://www.breitling.com/en/service/water-resistance/

- define 30m (these measurements being about static pressure) as suitable only for 'splashing' and explicitly not equipped for 'shower, swimming, surface water sports'. One of the criticisms of the Emergency over the years certainly has been its limited water resistance. So I think n.w.a1978's comment (of the older Emergency at least) that you 'can't really wear it in water' is a fair one and anyway one which Breitling would endorse.

I don't think I was lucky.

Most swimming pools are at most 2.0m deep. Even recreational Scuba is within the limits.

I speak with experience. I've also worn my B1 scuba diving with no problems at all.

D

It does not go buy the depth of water it's the pressure of water you could be 1 foot under water and move you arm through the water very fast so the pressure would be equivalent to 30m of depth of water. I would say 30m is splash proof at best. If you have been swimming with it good luck with that its like Russian roulette

Again, for clarity, the old Emergency that we're talking about is rated to 30m (not 50m as is the B1 and later Emergency II). As explained, this is static pressure. Breitling say that it is only splash-proof and explicitly not equipped for 'shower, swimming, surface water sports'.

Please do look at the link provided:

https://www.breitling.com/en/service/water-resistance/

Even the 50m B1 and E-II are spec/d only for 'surface water sports'; but not for 'dives' and snorkeling' for which they stipulate 100m. 'Recreational scuba' is therefore not 'within the limits' as defined by Breitling.

So if for example there was water ingress in a (30m) Emergency from swimming in a 2m pool (for which Breitling specify 50m min), or in a (50m) B1 from scuba diving (for which Breitling specify 100m min), it wouldn't be covered under warranty. If you haven't had any issues then that's obviously great, but in insisting that it's technically ok you're not arguing with us, you're arguing with Breitling.

Not quite true.

If the watch suffered water ingress and passed a pressure test to its rated depth it wouldn't be covered under warranty. An emergency that failed when swimming in a 2 metre pool but that fails a pressure test at the equivalent of 25 metres (i.e. less than its rated depth) would have work covered under warranty assuming there were no other factors at play - aged seals due to excessive period without servicing for example.

Fair enough and thank you - but would you agree with the main points inferred from the Breitling water ratings, i.e. that Breitling themselves do not recommend swimming in a 30m rated watch (Emergency), or diving in a 50m watch (B1)?