The Breitling Watch Source Forums

While it is easy to get screwed by ADs when buying the whole watch, when your bracelet is missing a screw, it can be hard to find an AD who will rise to the occasion.

I have just arrived in Bangkok, traveling from Seattle with a 12-hour layover in Frankfurt. I noticed on the flight to Frankfurt that I had lost a screw on the bracelet of my Colt GMT!! The other screw on the link was actually loose as well. Yikes! Of course, I had to discover this on day 1 of a 3-week trip, and my screwdriver was at home.

So where to get a replacement screw in a day? My wife had the great idea that there were probably Breitling dealers in the Frankfurt airport. Indeed, we looked at the directory upon arrival and located Christ jewelers, a Breitling AD. At first they denied being able to do anything at all to help me, including the ability to tighten the remaining screw in the link. I asked if I were to buy a watch from them now, how would they size the bracelet. In the face of such logic, the were forced to admit that they could at least tighten the screw for me, and did so, breathing a sigh of relief when we finally left the store. I made sure to mention that we were off to find the Lufthansa first class terminal, so they would wonder how many watches I could actually have bought from them. (Of course, we got the ticket using frequent flier miles, but they don't need to know that part...)

At the lounge, I got on the internet and found the locations and phone numbers of the Breitling ADs in Frankfurt. I decided to call Wempe, because they had the shortest phone number (an indication that they had been around the longest), and because they were conveniently located immediately outside an S-bahn stop. They were very nice. I described my predicament, and they said that their watchmakers had lots of spare parts for Breitlings and even if they did not have it, "If the screw exists somewhere in Frankfurt, they would find it for me." I felt quite comforted by this.

So we hopped the S-Bahn from the airport into town. This endeared us to the staff at the first class terminal, actually, as none of their clientele typically use public transportation. The staff, of course, know that this is not just the cheapest but also the fastest and most convenient way to get where we were going.

Wempe was very nice to us in person. The watchmaker rooted through all his spare bracelet parts, found a spare Professional link, took the screw off of it and put it on mine. He double-checked the tightness of all the other screws, gave me my watch back with a smile and they didn't charge me a thing. Now my Colt GMT is once again safe for new adventures.

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Frankfurt, so we had a good time wandering around the town for awhile. And we were able to satisfy Mrs. Mofongo's craving for gummi bears and Ritter Sport bars. So all in all, the motivation to get our butts out of the airport lounge turned out to be a good thing.

Maybe we should have stayed in Frankfurt. Although pleasantly warm, Bangkok is thus far quite cloudy and rainy.

--Mofongo

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." --Dave Barry

Great story and a super good AD!!

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TREVOR

Nice city Frankfurt, been there a few times.

Good to hear Wempe are a class act!

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It is amazing how some ad's don't want to help you unless you buy from them. I had a similar experience with my local ad. Stupid guy didn't know what he lost. I ending up buying my second ling some where else. The funny thing was I was even willing to pay and told him that and still couldn't be bothered with me or my breitling. I guess its because I don't wear expensive clothes or walk around in suits, but I don't care for that stuff at all. I run a scrap yard and wear jeans and sweat shirts most of the time and get covered in grease and dirt, but its how I make my money and I am comfortable in my everyday clothes. I don't wear sneakers if I don't have to either. I wear work boots.
Its fantastic to know some dealers do care! Sorry to go on and on, but I figured I would share.

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Breitling Bentley 6.75
White Baton Super Avenger
Rolex DSSD

I know and have met many rich people most of them dont wear suits or dress flashy but they have money and dont need to impress so judging people by their appearance is a stupid foolhardy thing to do and if thats the way you juadge people it says more about you than it does about them,Just my obesravtions on the matter.

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I doubt that it had much to do with the way you were dressed. Clearly if you are wearing a Breitling then you can afford a luxury watch. Some dealers are just clueless, and others are not. If you don't train the sales people well, they will focus on the commission and nothing else. If you aren't buying a watch today then you are of no use to them.

In my case, I think that my treatment was more because I was an American rather than my state of dress. That's almost worse, though, really.

I can relate about the clothes, though. I worked very hard to build a successful career where I could still wear jeans to work. I value that ability tremendously. Fortunately, in Seattle there are lots of people with mega $$$ who don't dress the part, so luxury retailers are used to that and tend to not evaluate a potential customer solely by they style in which they dress.


I agree completely. It is even more foolhardy if you are trying to run a business this way.

--Mofongo

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness." --Dave Barry

Excellent headline! First I thought you would be ranting a bit, but then realized the screwing came somewhere else.

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