The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have had my SA for 18 months and a couple of weeks ago after I had set the time when I screwed the crown back in it was making a sort of clicking noise, so I took it into the nearest authorised service centre ( Mappin and Webb ) and showed the girl on the shop floor. She took it upstairs to the technician and when she returned the crown was out in position 1 and would not screw back in, it was not catching the thread. I explained to her that this was not like this 5 minutes ago when I brought it in and she went up to see the technician again then came back and told me he said this was going to happen sooner or later anyway ( great customer service eh ? )
So they have sent it back to Breitling to be fixed.
Anyway, my 2 questions are after only 18 months should this be happening ? and how long should I expect to wait to get it back, estimated date was 1st of January which would make 10 weeks from sending it away and it was sent from Mappin and Webb in Glasgow

Can't answer your first question, although pretty sure it shouldn't have failed after 18 months unless you have been careless with screwing it back in after winding/date setting, but as for the second, well I have my SuperOcean in at BUK in Tunbridge Wells for a full overhaul service and before I sent it in asked for a definitive turn-around time; they told me max 8 week. I am now approaching 12 weeks after pushing 2 weeks ago was given a date of 18th November!! I was told it was due to "...an unexpected amount of (warranty) work".

BUK have an atrocious turn-around time, even for a simple 'battery maintenance' on a Quartz, and a reputation for 'gold plating' required work, although to be fair this time with my SO, they have come in (at the moment) spot on the estimate with no additional things to do (like a new dial).

AD's internal watch repairers aren't that good as I found out in the past; my Aerospace and Co-Pilot had the wrong batteries fitted by the 'trainee', however the attitude you experienced wasn't helpful. Typical UK customer service eh?

_________________
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

Hi. Sorry, is your Super Avenger with them just now? or did you send it away and get it back within the time they told you?
I have been on the phone and emailing M and P customer service for the past 2 weeks. They are willing to send me a loan watch in the mean time. A Bulova or Armani.. Nice substitute for a SA

Well a loaner watch is a lot more than they have to do, it's not Mappin & Webb's fault that the watch failed!

Warranty work gets priority at service centres but we are headed into holiday season which will slow things down and if vulcanpilot has had to wait longer for non warranty work then 10 weeks is probably about right. Obviously it shouldn't have happened, but these things do occur which is why you have the warranty.

It's Mappin and Webb's fault I could not wear my watch to a function I had on the Friday night of the week I took it into them since they gave me it back with the crown stuck open open. I had no problem with sending it back to Breitling to get repaired but if it was not for them it could have been sent after the weekend and I would have had it for the function ! It's certainly not my fault either, I am very careful with my watch.

I don't recall anyone suggesting that it was your fault. Mappin & Webb are correct, the problem would have occurred anyway, quite possibly the next time the crown was touched. You asked them to look at the watch and they did and an existing problem showed more symptoms. They are offering you a loaner watch which is unheard of and I really don't see what more they could do. It's unfortunate that the watch failed (Breitling's fault), it's unfortunate that the warranty repair is taking so long (sort of Breitling's fault), but it sounds as though Mappin & Webb is going above and beyond.

My Super Ocean is still with them, and am awaiting an email hopefully before the revised deadline to say it's ready and to pay the bill. I have to say though, I'm not holding my breath.

What has annoyed me somewhat is that I was informed that the workshop were fairly 'quiet' at the point I sent my watch in. It took two weeks for them to even have looked at it to provide an estimate with no change at that point to the repair time. Only when I queried the expected return date was I given a further 10 weeks (annoyed) and when I chased it to see if that date was going to happen was I given another revised return date. I will email next week to see if it's going to be finished on 18/11, but I have some doubts.

@Roff, I can understand where jordan1708 is coming from in his complaint about M&W - he took his watch in for one issue and as far as he was concerned, they made matters worse without 'admitting' to what they had done or advising in the first instance what needed to be done to fix it. Only when he made the point that it was worse did they then admit to the issue and offer to send it in.

Unfortunately in the UK, this type of 'service' is common, so we all get a bit cynical whenever we have to deal with retailers. Not known as 'rip-off Britain' for nothing you know!!

_________________
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