The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have a 2007 Breitling Montbrillant Edition watch. I do not know if it is hand wound or automatic. I just got it 2 weeks ago and when i first got it, I had to manually wind the crown about 40 times for it to start ticking. I have been wearing it ever since and I have been winding it a couple times (not the full 40 times) here and there when I get bored. Last night at about 9PM i placed it on my dresser sitting sideways and when I looked at it in the morning, the watch had stopped a little after 5AM. I had to wind it again a full 40 times for it to start ticking again. Did the watch stop because i sat it sideways or did it stop because it needed a good winding? When I bought the watch the seller had said it was an automatic, but with what happened last night, does this mean I have a manual wind watch? The watch's model number is A48330 and it's a Calibre 48...whatever that means...

How can I really tell what it is? Could it be the automatic movement feature is broken? Or is it just a mere manual winder?

any body? Thanks in advance.

All recent models in the 2007 / 2008 Navitimer range are self winding / automatic with around 42 hrs power reserve. I'm no expert, but it may be due to your lifestyle (desk job perhaps, or extended periods of keeping your arms fairly motionless) which will possibly not 'wind' the watch as much as more vigorous arm activity. Perhaps you have the chrono funtion active all the time ? This will use up the power reserve quicker. Are you sure you are winding it fully ? At least 40 full clockwise (thumb moving away from you) turns ? More experienced owners will post soon, but a good test is to fully wind the watch and note the time. Put the watch aside and let the watch fully run down and note how long it has taken. That should prove wether you have a problem or not.

sombody told me that according to the model number, it's a caliber 48 movement watch...which means it's a straight up manual wind. can anybody else confirm this?

Sorry, I didnt read your post properly. According to this forums database the B48 calibre is indeed manual wind, and the Edition is indeed B48 calibre. Here endeth my knowledge. I didnt know this...the Edition isnt in the UK 2007 or 2008 Chronolog. I should have checked here, http://www.breitlingsource.com/watch_de ... r_141.html before jumping in with both feet

The correct term for your watch is indeed "Automatic." You own a mechanical watch with a self winding mechanism. As long as you wear the watch it stays in motion. This motion is stored in the watch as kinetic energy by a series of springs and levers. This stored energy "winds" the watch. Thus, the watch is "Automatically" wound whenever you wear the watch. This is where the term "Automatic" comes from. This energy is dissipated through the movement, thus causing the hands to move etc...

If you stop wearing the watch (generally for more than 40 hours) or if it has not been wound in a long time then the watch will stop running because it will have dissipated all of its stored energy. Your watch stopped because you left it on the dresser. It wasn't moving so it wasn't being wound. This does not damage the watch in any way. You can always manually wind the watch by turning the crown approximately 40 times.

Whenever your watch is left motionless for a period of time (such as overnight or longer) you may wish to give it a good 10 winds or so just to make sure it stays wound. If the watch remains motionless for over 40 hours, and stops running, you will need to give it the 40 winds in order to make sure the movement is completely wound.

Again, leaving the watch motionless doesn't damage it in any way. However, if it bothers you, or if you don't want to manually wind the watch, then you can purchase a watch winder. Members of this forum have had good experience with Orbita Watch Winders.

Hope this helps.

Let me add to my previous post: Your watch is indeed an Automatic. The 2008 chronolog lists it as "Self Winding Automatic." The meaning of this term was described in my previous post.

However, an automatic watch such as yours should have a power reserve of at least 40 hours. It should not go dead overnight. Thus, I would recommend an experiment. Wind your watch 40 times, making sure you get 40 full rotations of the crown. Do not worry about overwinding it. The watch has a release that prevents overwinding, so you can't damage it by winding too much. Make note of the time. Then put the watch on your dresser and let it sit. The watch should run for at least 40 hours. If it dies before then, it should be sent into Breitling for service. Good Luck!

It seems that the Montbrillant Edition is limited to 250 pieces and is manual wound. I'm out of here before I make more of a mess.
Help !

I may indeed be mistaken. Apparently the Navitimer Montbrillant Edition is a very different watch from the Navitimer Montbrillant. The Navitimer Montbrillant uses the Breitling 41, which is a selfwinding mechanical watch. I am unfamiliar with the Navitimer Montbrillant "Edition." I apologize for the confusion.

Perhaps Mr. Admin can dive in and tidy up. A bit like 'the cleaner' in Nikita...sorting things out after we have murdered this thread.

an excellent suggestion. I believe that you are indeed correct though ewen. The watch I was thinking of uses the Breitling 41, which is a different movement entirely.

lol you guys are funny!

The Montbrillant EDITION watch is indeed a manual winding watch.. .the caliber 48 is a manual wind. Hey.. at least you guys figured it out in the end. The Montbrillant Edition is a very nice watch, larger than the standard Montbrillant, and larger than even the regular Navitimer. I like them a lot. Nice caseback too.

_________________
BreitlingSource Admin
http://www.breitlingsource.com - http://blog.breitlingsource.com

can anybody confirm this? is my watch one of 250 in the world???

and thanks a bundle for the info...right or wrong....i guess thank you for trying. my watch is a manual and i am loving it anyway.

You are very generous with your thanks in the circumstances
I may have to eat more humble pie (I'm still full from last night)...
The info I found may just apply to a rose gold version on brown leather strap...hopefully someone with far more knowledge than me (I'm keen, but a newbie) will log on soon.

That's correct.. the stainless steel montbrillant legend is not a limited edition watch.

_________________
BreitlingSource Admin
http://www.breitlingsource.com - http://blog.breitlingsource.com

Ah, but what about the Edition