The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Early this morning I pulled my SA out of my winder to throw on. I first noticed that my watch was not the correct time because i had forgotten to hit the on switch the last time I put it in the winder so it died on me. Usually I can just pull it out adjust the date by a day if it was a 30 day month and go. This time however this was not the case....

Next thing I did was wound the watch to get it running again, also gave it a little shake. Watch started running no problems.

I then pull the crown out to quick set the date. I turned it several times and the date would not switch over. Stuck on 12

My first thought was damn it something is wrong, I will have to deal with it tomorrow or Monday morning. Already began thinking about whether I was going to send it back in to George to send to BUSA or send it directly to BUSA.

I then put in back in my winder. Suddenly I realized something as soon as I closed the lid on my winder.

The time on the watch was somewhere between 8-3 I can remember exactly where though....

This gave me a sick to my stomach feeling. I then wound the time around to have it at about 6 o'clock.

I then went and tried the quick date set function and it seems to be working fine. I also wound the time around and the date seems to be changing right on time at 12. I did not check to see if the date will change through all number correctly yet. I will be doing it over my lunch break.

Here are my questions......Did I screw up my date mechanism?

If it all works fine after I check all the numbers, do I still need to get it checked out?

I know it has been mentioned before about the date mechanism having teeth that can be bent..Do bent teeth mean it wont function properly? Or can you have benth teeth and it still work alright?

Broken teeth mean it will not work properly correct?

Is there any other damage that could have been done?

The SA doesnt have the quick date "safety" like my B4B 6.75 did correct?

Thank you very much for all your help.

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SA-Baton White Dial/ProII
Tissot Le Locle

Maybe, maybe not



No, if it cycles through all dates at approximately midnight and the dates are centred then you are OK.



If some teeth are bent then the watch will either a) not change on certain dates b) change at a time other than midnight or c) not change properly and get stuck with the date off centre in the window. If it still changes, but not at midnight then you could wait until the next service, but the tooth / teeth could still break off later.



Correct, the date won't change properly or at all.



Not very likely, the date wheel is the weakest part of the mechanism.



There's no such things as a quick set date safety. The problem doesn't apply to watches that have an instant date change (which includes the 6.75), but it's not a safety device, just a different way of changing the date. The SA does not have instant date change.

Roff,

Thank you very much for breaking that down like you did!!! Exactly what I needed. Honestly, the best response i have ever gotten on this forum. I feel like such an idiot for this. I know better than this. I was in a hurry to get to a meeting with my boss this morning.

Here are my test results.

When manually switching the date it cycles through them all perfectly. They dont seem to be off center but you can turn the crown a little bit back and forth and make them off center a bit, should there be that much "play? Or should it just be really "stiff" and only move if it hops to the next date almost instantly when turning the crown?

When turning the hands to make the date change by the time crossing midnight here is what I found. It changes anywhere from about 11:45/11:50(Maybe a little later actually, I will check once more)-12:02. It starts to change no earlier I believe than about 11:30pm (and that movement of the date at 11:30 is very little. What do you think?

Also, is the SA one of the watches with the longer date change? I cant remember.


Thanks again Roff!

_________________
SA-Baton White Dial/ProII
Tissot Le Locle

The watch is fine.

The play is because it's mechanical and there needs to be play in the mechanism to prevent the teeth from bindong.

The 7750 has one of the longest visible date change cycles so wou will see the date in a partial change for 30 - 50 minutes. If you had bent teeth the change would be off by hours for one or two dates.

sharkman wrote:
It may not even be broken. Try taking the time out of 8-3 and then attempt to change the date. So long as you or a prior owner didn't force the date to the point the entire thing broke, there is a good chance you just need the time out of the danger zone.

Roff:
That won't physically prevent the date from changing (unless it's broken).



Roff,

Found this in part of an old thread. This is what my watch did it would not click over from 12. As soon as I took it out of the "danger zone" its clicked right over.

From my first post:
then pull the crown out to quick set the date. I turned it several times and the date would not switch over. Stuck on 12

_________________
SA-Baton White Dial/ProII
Tissot Le Locle

Little additional testing..

randomly check dates throughout..Earliest it starts to change is 11pm..Earliest it completely chagnes over is 11:45 and latest it changes over is 12:03.

I randomly checked dats but made sure to check 9-10-11.......19-20-21......30-31-1-2...and then randoms in between.

_________________
SA-Baton White Dial/ProII
Tissot Le Locle

Think of two gear wheels - when they are properly engaged the one will turn the other. If the teeth are only just engaged the rotation of one will cause the teeth to 'slip' past the teeth on the other wheel and not cause it to rotate.

That's effectively what was happening in your watch because the date was part way through the cycle and the date change wheel was only partially engaged with the quick set mechanism.

Thank you.

Final Answer: My watch is fine and I will continue to enjoy!! Thank you Roff.

_________________
SA-Baton White Dial/ProII
Tissot Le Locle