The Breitling Watch Source Forums

My 20 year old Aerospace has just had a full service by BUK. The watch has been returned with new hands which are not an identical match to the original. More worryingly, I have just noticed that if I gently tap the outer case the minute hand moves by about 20 secs. I first noticed this when the minute hand wasn't quite on the 12 mark when I was checking how much time had been lost/gained over a period of a week. I appreciate that some play in mechanical components is usual but I do not recall seeing this phenomenon before the watch was serviced. Any comments before I speak to BUK after Christmas.

The hands are replaced through servicing and they likely don't have access to the original style which is why they are different. The movement is probably the result of the second hand not being attached to the arbor properly (they are friction fit) and will be an easy fix - but it will need Breitling attention.

Welcome to BreitlingSource.

Thanks for the welcome. I had a feeling that a return to BUK was going to be necessary which after nearly 3 months without my Aerospace is going to be a real pain. The only good thing is that the watch appears to keep better time now than when it was new. The thing about the hands which I find irritating is that the minute hand is extended over the spindle point. It just looks wrong against the dial face.

Pretty sure for the Aerospace, that's what the minute hand is like. Have a look at the Aerospaces on watchfinder.co.uk - they have an early (original) 56059 and a later 75362 SQ version of the repetition minutes. Both have the overhanging minute hand. The later Avantage 79362 has overhanging hour and minute hands.

Are you SURE the hands are different?

As for the 'play', both of my Aero's have a bit of play in the minute hand. My Avantage is worse than my Rep Minutes, but I also had an original Chronospace that was the same. If I tap the watch, it will sometimes advance or retard the minute hand by half a minute or so. It annoyed my initially but I don't tend to think about it much now.

I do however have issues with BUK service department as I'm not convinced that the quality processes are adhered to always. They seem to be much keener on upselling than getting the service as paid for exactly right.

Be interested to see a photo of your watch to see where your hands don't look quite right though....

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Have
2019 B55 Exospace on Titanium bracelet
2014 SuperAvenger II Military LE
Had
2013 Avenger Seawolf SS yellow Arabic dial
2010 Aerospace Avantage black dial & Co-pilot
2007 Aerospace Repetition Minutes
2003 Superocean
2001 Chronospace

Oops, I read that the second hand moved by 20 seconds - the minute hand moving that much is just normal play in the movement to prevent binding of the running train - not an issue.

Thanks for the re-assurance. The link below shows representative photos of my model of watch as was:

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=311173

I now have the longer all white minute hand which I see was standard on later models in the 1990s.

PS i should add that my watch was never in such a poor condition as the one shown in the photo and, after re-furbishment/servicing, looks to be as good as new.