The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have a 9 year old Breitling Colt that requires service. Obviously the warranty period has passed long ago, but is it necessary to have it serviced by an "authorized" Breitling service center? Should I have to pay the premium price to use the "authorized" service or can I rely on a local watchmaker who used to work for Breitling? Thank you for your input

edited by Roff, unhelpful and unnecessary comment

I would definitely go with the AD. I had a major service done on my SuperOcean this year, which I had owned for 10 years. I cost about $500. but the watch was like new. I did eventually end up trading it at my AD, for a Blacksteel, and got a very good deal as my SuperOcean had just been serviced and looked like new. It is a complete overhaul, with a lot of parts replaced. One of the main mechanisms had gone on mine, something under the bezel, and all that was replaced.
Whether or not I kept the SuperOcean matters not. The point is the complete servicing, which came also with another warranty (can't remember if it was 1 or 2 years), was a great investment.
Cheers,
Carl

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'63 Omega Seamaster, 2014 Omega Speedmaster MarkII

"Those who possess a sense of entitlement are seldom satisfied"

I gave you the pros and cons in a PM a week or so back, but I'm with Carl - I'd go AD.

Thanks for your valuable input. I will spend the extra $$ and feel comfortable with the results.

Dear Roff,
If I posted something "unhelpful and unecessary" I would expect to be "edited". I DIDN'T. I simply stated that I did not want to hear from an individual who had responded to an earlier post with the comment "It's up to you". Well, I can get that kind of advise from my wife or children, and I don't have the time to read such foolishness, ergo, I requested that he/she not respond to my post. I resent your editing of my post for no legitimate reason.

I believe that I am, unfortunately, the focal point of some of this trouble. I thought I had responded with a very similar set of statements as laid forth by our trusty Moderator. However, it does not appear in my PM outbox, so perhaps I closed the window w/o sending it. In which case agentscully would have only received a very terse response after his second PM to me where I thought I had already given a fairly complete answer initially that he simply rejected (for some reason). I do believe that all of this is really just an odd constellation of events centered around my failure to send the initial complete PM. Mia culpa! I hope all will accept my apologies for the error.
BD

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Chronomat, Steel/Gold, MOP Dial, 2-tone band (2008)
Super Avenger Black Baton Dial (2009)
Bentley B04 GMT Silver Dial (2013)
Avenger Blacksteel Baton Dial (2014)

I'd also spend the extra $, both to get the warranty for the service and for knowing it was made by a professional, with the right tools and the right parts.

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Collection: http://s540.photobucket.com/albums/gg32 ... mview=grid

I would personal find a skilled watchmaker and befriend him.... then you will save 100s of $$$$

Dealer servicing is like car servicing.... the dealer is there is make as much money as possible.

For a standard movement like a 7750, 7751 ..... why would you need Breitling to service this? Just crazy really..... unless you like paying 3 times the going rate.

Only time I use a dealer is if special parts are needed.

But if you want to service the movement, you have to disassemble the dial and hands. Since the hands are single use you would then either need a watchmaker that in some strange way have access to new hands that would fit your model, or you have to live with hands that might not fit.

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Collection: http://s540.photobucket.com/albums/gg32 ... mview=grid

Or OEM hands that might fall off

The going rate in my mind IS what Breitling charges... It's their product after all. This is like comparing the price of a new car with what one finds in the classifieds. Besides, do you want some 70 year-old fool messing around in your watch, unaware of the need to re-pressurize the case?

I'll also take the 1-year warranty from Breitling post-service. That, and the wonderful like-new polishing job that it comes with.

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Avenger Skyland
If I said I was good, you'd think I was bragging.
If I told you I wasn't, you'd know I was lying.