The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hey guys i need your opinion on the charges for repair to my B1.

A few months back i took my B1 to an authorized dealer here in LA (i wont name names yet) for a battery change.
They suggested basic service and a water test. I agreed, they did the basic service and water test and gave me the warranty for it.

3 weeks past that i am playing with my daughter in a kiddy pool and water gets in the watch.

I take it in to the same dealer. They have had the watch for a couple of months now - sent to Breitling to determine what happened.

Now they say that Breitling has determined that the steel winding crown is bent. So since it passed their water pressure test then the bend must have happened after the service. I do not believe that because the watch was not hit or in any way banged around during that time.

They are offering me the Breitling's estimate for free, no additional cost and a credit for the original service and the hands for free. Not sure what that all means as the numbers they want me to pay are as follows :

Complete Service for Breitling B1/New Movement - Chronometer...$975.00
New Steel Crown..$45.00
New Set of Hands - No Charge

Total for Necessary...$1,020.00


So i guess what they are saying is: we did the test correctly, you bent the crown but we will not charge you markup and give you 50 dollars for the hands.

That sounds like rubbish to me, because there is certainly the option of them not having done the test correctly or at all and since i cant prove i did not bend the crown seems like i'm stuck....

Maybe the crown was not even bent ? Would they have an official answer from Breitling saying that the crown is bent and thus the culprit?

Any thoughts on how to approach this are appreciated

thanks

PS. i just realized this was my first post although i have been lurking here for a long time...so apologies for starting off with a negative-ish post.

Pressure tests are black and white - it passes or it fails. Unless they pressurised the watch to too low a pressure there's not really any way to do it wrong and if water got in through splashing then clearly the watch was compromised at a very low pressure. Personally I completely understand the AD's position. In terms of Breitling saying the crown wasbent (presumably actually the crown stem), they have no reason to lie so that is likely the cause of the water ingress.

The costs are high because the movement needs replacing, but I don't see the AD's or Breitling's position as unreasonable here.

Personally I would have a watchsmith obtain the correct stem and replace it. Followed by a pressure test.

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Oyster Date '78, Blackbird chrono DLC '10, Blackbird chrono' 02, Navitimer Fighters '02, Aerospace Evo , Seamaster Chrono Diver 300' 02, Carrera cbm2110

Thank you for comments. I might be overthinking it indeed.

Roffensian: The only reason i am skeptical is because i am pretty certain i did not bend the crown. The watch is quartz..i did not wind or change the time or date on it and certainly did not bang it around, at least after their service.

I might be paranoid here but - there is no way for me to tell that Breitling said the crown was bent and thats what caused the flooding...there is not document provided. I have to take the ADs word. So scenario: they both the water test or do not preform it, when i get flooding they blame it on a bent crown that wasnt there when they had the watch.

1952: That is what i would do if the movement did not need replacing.

My Avengers was serviced by BUSA and one (quarts) had issues so I returned it back to BUSA and they replaced movement under service warranty (12 months from date of service).

I don't know if this service warranty applies to AD performed service...

It would if it was deemed to be a service driven problem.