The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have a nice 20 year old Pluton 3100 that I've worn since new. I recently sent it to BUSA for a battery replacement. It was otherwise in fine working order. They told me that they no longer have parts for the Plutons, and will no longer service them... and offered me a substantial discount on a new Breitling as compensation. They put a new battery in the watch (at no cost), and sent it back to me.

Six weeks later, the new battery has died. I spoke with BUSA about it... They said that the short life of the new battery was most likely due to a problem in the movement, and there is nothing that they can do about it.

It breaks my heart to turn this watch into a paperweight... I'd really like to get it working again. I know it's not worth a whole lot compared to automatic Breitlings, but I like it nonetheless.

Any recommendations for an AD/repair facility anywhere in the US who might still have Pluton parts lying around? Because of the relatively low value of this watch I'd prefer to not spend a ton of money on it.

Thanks,

--Phil

Unfortunately this is the problem with quartz movements, and especially older ones - technology moves on and so original parts become unavailable. (Mechanical watches are different as the technology hasn't really changed in a couple of hundred years and parts can always be fabricated if needs be).

Anyway, slight off the point there - your best bet will be to scour eBay and the like to find a donor Pluton, or even a watch by a different brand that happened to use the same base movement, as the movement in the Pluton wasn't Breitling-made. I'm not that familiar with the older quartz movements, but member "Sonyman" here certainly is, so may be worth dropping him a PM to see if he can tell you any other watches that used the same movement.

Once you have a donor watch, any competent watchmaker should be able to use the parts to repair yours, or more likely they will simply replace the entire movement with the donor's.

Obviously it's worth remembering that any donor watch will also be quite old as well, so any fix you do now will only likely have a finite lifespan. I know your watch obviously has sentimental value to you, but if you can overcome that it may be worth considering Breitling's offer of a discount on a new model......

Hope you get it sorted out.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

A belated since I don't recall doing it before!

+1 to PM Sonyman, the world authority on old Breitling quartz movements! And a very nice guy to deal with who will look after you.

As D8 says, the sad fact is that these old quartz movements are all going to die eventually. Any fix is simply putting off the inevitable.

If I may recommend a successor to your Pluton, the B-1 is a classic Breitling and will be supported for many years.

Sonyman might even be able to fix you up with a B-1

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For more information on identifying Breitling replicas, please visit my web site
http://f4buz.com/watches/breitling/fakes/fakes.html

Thanks, guys... I will check in with Sonyman. In the meantime, I got a too-good-to-be-true deal on a really nice preowned titanium Aerospace... Plan to send it in to Breitling soon for a super-quartz update/overhaul.

sorry for the late reply but I have just seen this now, look on ebay for a ESA Y2 900.911 or Miyota Y652 movement they come up quite often on ebay but bear in mind a new one might not last too long either, They are in Pulsar,Microma,Seiko etc but they are very old and they are very delicate things, I'm very surprised BUSA didnt offer to let you part ex against a new model usually an Aerospace with a hefty discount. I might even know a member here who has a working one for sale.

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Hello,

Today I presented my dear little old New Pluto 3100 (on the LCD display feeble bottom, Breitling 51 movement, Base Myota Y652) passing through the Breitling shop in Paris (New one, official opening September 2012, 27th: 40 rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris - France) because she had a small malfunction ... Concerning repair it's a NIET.

The following offers are being updated in July 2012:
- Purchase of Aerospace for only € 1020 (it was always a bracelet 22/20 available to no?) With box, warranty card info and to check it all tomorrow
- Buying a leather strap Aerospace for only € 1,120 (present value on the Breitling site, buckle: 2770 €) Difference from 1090 €
- Buying a Titanium Aerospace Bracelet (E130) for € 1,680 (present value on the Breitling site, buckle: 3460 €) Difference from 1780 €
Aerospace available in three colors (black, blue and white), "special version SAV Besançon".
Model: E79362 (Breitling 79, SuperQuartz) I'm going back tomorrow to shop for pictures and certainly soucrire at the first offer
What do you think? Is it still valid?

Hello,

As I said before, I took the opportunity to change my Non-working LCD Pluton 3100 to a new special SAV de Besançon (France) Breitling E7362 full titanium in "white".
I will paid 1680€ instead of 3460€) so a big difference of 1780€ for a new and also a special aerospace watch from Breitling.

Here is a picture below:
1st line, the actual Aerospace range
2nd line, the special SAV de Besançon line (there are some difference between those two lines of models).

did they take the Pluton off you or do yhou still have it?

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Hello sonyman,

They took the Pluton at the SAV in Besançon France.
So now I am waiting for my new "special aérospace SAV de Besaçon dial". (In white for me).
I will a have a new watch for 1685€ all in titanium (nvg) with a SuperQuartz module inside, I am very happy for that deal.
As Breitling Switzerland is on Holidays in August, it should take no more than 8 week from September, 1st 2012 to get my new watch.
I will post here some picture (if I don't forget it during that time).

Thats great they didnt used to keep the watches but now they do

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Hello,

I got today my new Breitling Aérospace SAV version from Besançon, France.

Here are below some pictures, beautiful watch, full in titanium of course (E7936010/G667) and E130 for the bracelet.

Too little to late, but here goes.
The Chronosport UDT types I and II were essentally the same as the Breitling Plutons of the late 80s. I've found two sources for Chronosport repair, regardless of age (haven't contacted either yet). Chronoserv (they say they were the maintenance part of Chronosport Inc before it closed) and BestFix.

Now for my question. The chapter ring. Not having seen your Pluton, I don't know if yours had this issue. I've seen on most Breitlings, a series of numbers in alternating colors around the chapter ring. '35' at 3 minutes, '50' at 6 minutes, '75' at 9 minutes, etc. I know they aren't compass points, but believe they have to do with instrument and visual flight rules - allowed altitudes for flying. Although Breitlings were designed for pilots, these numbers appear on their watches with minute divisions on the bezel for diving as well. Anyone have more info.

Please stop repeat posting your question. This has been answered in your original thread - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45818