The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi Everyone,

My Chronomat Calibre 13 that I bought in Mikonos in June 2008 is 3.5 years old now and I never thought about about sending it to a professional for a cleaning, polishing or overhaul until I began perusing this site. Great find btw.

So my question is - at what point in the ownership should you consider this service?

I wear my Breitling nearly every day and take good care of it. I just replaced the brown croco starp this week and it looks fab again.

2-tone case with the white face.

Thanks in advance.

Frank
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S/V Sirius
Cape Dory 33

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Breitling Chronomat Evolution
Breitling Superocean 42 SE (770/2000)

About the 5 year mark is usually a good time for a service in my experience. Obviously depending on when the watch was actually made (compared to when you bought it), that may be a year or so off for you, or it may even be due now.

The way to date your watch is to remove the strap at the "6" end of the case to reveal 4 numbers. The first 2 numbers are the week of the year it was made, and the last 2 are the year. Thus "3504" would mean the watch was made in the 35th week of 2004.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I've been told that if its running fine, don't touch it. If it starts running slow, it's probably time for a service. My old GMT Master is the only one I have owned long enough for that to happen. I bought it in 2002 as a watch in service for three years. The production serial placed it at '97 or '98 manufacture. Ran perfectly until 2007, when I had it serviced. I sold it this past fall, after four more years of accurate timekeeping. I, too, have heard of people who had problems and needed service much earlier. I don't know if something like a "preventative maintenence" service would be better for the watch, and I'm curious as to whether there really is such a thing or how much benefit.

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Scott

AP Royal Oak 15400, silver
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Classic Cars
Vintage gold Corum
Rolex DJ 36 TT, oyster dial, oyster/smooth
Baume & Mercier Riviera 200m, silver dial/aquamarine bezel
Breitling Superocean 57, rose/stainless

True to an extent, but dangerous to go above 7 years or so.

The biggest driver of servicing intervals in watches today is the breakdown of the oil. When oil breaks down it loses it's ability to lubricate resulting in an increase in friction which theoretically causes the watch to slow down (in most cases - in some locations it can cause the watch to speed up). However, oil ages at a predictable rate and after about 7 years it is pretty much fully broken down and you are running the risk of friction damage to pinions / arbors / etc.

Here is the sequence of numbers: 5006B4.

So that means it was made during the 50th week of 2006 and that makes my watch 5 years old. Ergo, it probably needs a service.

What does the B4 signify?

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Breitling Chronomat Evolution
Breitling Superocean 42 SE (770/2000)

I think (and someone will correct me if not), that it's the dial colour code.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Yep.

Thank you Gents.

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Breitling Chronomat Evolution
Breitling Superocean 42 SE (770/2000)