The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hello, folks!

Sorry beforehand if I'm being naive as this is my first high-end watch, but could you guys help me figure out if my watch is having issues or not.

Here are the details:

I bought my Navitimer 3 weeks ago, and I pretty much just slapped it on without even reading the manual (oops). When I got it, the salesman set the time so I never bothered looking at the manual. I wore it every other day or so, but at one point I didn't wear it for 3 days. I put it on that morning and noticed that the time was waaaaay off. Apparently the watch stopped, which is normal for an automatic watch correct?

Anyways, I set it to the official world clock on the internet. A couple days later, I checked the world clock on the web again to see how accurate it was. It was fast by 3 minutes. I was disappointed, and set the clock to the proper time again. Then while driving on a slightly bumpy road yesterday, I heard my watch rattling! My hand was on the steering wheel but I could hear something rattling inside. I think it's the rotor, but I'm not so sure. It seems like the only thing I can hear is the rotor moving when I shake it, but either I never noticed how loud it was, or something is broken inside. I wish I could give a better description than that, but imagine being able to distinctly hear your watch rattling while your hand is on the steering wheel. Is it normal to hear your rotor rattling from that far away with just a few bumps in the road? I just can't tell if it's something else.

I also just checked my watch against the world clock and it was fast again by 2 minutes. Is my Breitling supposed to be 2-3 minutes fast after every couple of days?

I looked up the manual and I found that I never wound it 40 times after I brought it home. Is this going to make a difference? Or maybe it needs to be regulated?


Thanks!!!

Yes it's normal for an automatic to stop if not in use - otherwise we have solved perpetual motion.

The noise - yes the Navi movement can be heard, but whether normal sound is what you heard is unclear.

No it is NOT normal for the watch to run 1&1/2 minutes fast/day. It should be about -4 to +6 SECONDS per day.

You should take it in to the AD.

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SHARKMAN

Correct. Just as side point, it really is worth just taking 5 mins of your time to read the manual, even now after having owned it for a while. Most of it is just multiple language translations so it's only about 5 pages at the most. Pay special attention to the section on changing the date and when NOT to use the quick-set date mechanism. It can save you a whole load of aggravation (and possible expense).

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I think that I would do one more test before sending it to the AD for regulation.

If the watch has never been wound then it has not been operating with a full mainspring, in case the mainspring has been pretty much dead - winding from wear likely isn't giving a full reserve. A watch with a low mainspring will tend to have a lower amplitude balance and therefore higher frequency which equals running fast. It shouldn't make a difference of a minute a day, but on a new watch the variances will be more pronounced.

I would give it a full wind and then wear it for a couple of days to get a more reliable measure of accuracy and then have it regulated if necessary.

Thanks, guys! I'm happy to be here Lots of information from knowledgeable people such as yourselves. I'll give it a few days now that I've wound it.