The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi. Really enjoying BS and this forum so first thanks to all of you in it. I have been observing my, new to me but second hand, chronomat B13352 over the last two weeks. I have noticed that on most of the minute markers when the second strikes 60/0 that the the minute hand is not pointing exactly on the maker. They was a thread a couple days back about how to "sync" the hands. Which I have done and it seems to be working so far. The watch is running perfect and within COSC, about -2secs a day and about -30secs in the two weeks, but I think "sync." it every time it loses what I consider to much time etc would be a pain as you have to fiddle with it and probably have to reset it twice. So question been, as Breitling fans and long owners do ye set it spot on? or am "I" getting to caught up on 100% accuracy? I appreciate that I have a Breitling that is a exceptional timepiece, running perfect, looking like new and is now my top watch. So again should I relax and enjoy it and keep the accuracy thoughts on my quartz watches. would love to here yer thoughts

Regards from Ireland
Breanach78

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Breanach78

A Few Breitlings.

Personally it doesn't bother me at all. I'll sync a watch when I acquire it, or if I think that it needs a service so that I can measure the accuracy, but other than that I don't worry about it.

I'm not sure what you mean by sync. When I set the time to an atomic based clock I've noticed some chrono models I have require the minute hand be set just slightly forward of the respective minute marker. If you are just dealing with one watch you can figure it out for good in a couple tries. On these particular models if I set the minute hand dead on the minute marker, then when the second hand gets to 60, the minute hand is just shy of dead on the next marker. By setting just forward, it hits the next minute marker square and stays on course thereafter.


I chalk it up to getting to know your watch.

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SHARKMAN

Op is referring to that process. If adjusting the watch to compensate for a gain or loss, he is asking how many people go through that process or just move the minute hand and not worry if the minute hits the mark at the same time as the seconds hit 60.

I put a minute hand slightly ahead the marker and carefully push the crown.
It can be done perfectly with some practice.

Ditto on my Blackbird.

R/

Sharkman.....Correct and Roff....Correct

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Breanach78

A Few Breitlings.

This is something that I spent a fair bit of time thinking about in the earlier days of ownership. As others have said (and as Ron has detailed well here) you can hack the watch to remove the slack from the running train in order to keep the minute hand aligned after you've screwed the crown back in. So you can get a pretty decent alignment between the minute and second hand.

There is always going to be some slight inaccuracy (I won't call it imperfection because they are perfect) in a mechanical watch and that's surely part of the appeal? After all, you didn't buy a super quartz did you? SQs are technical marvels in their own right but mechanicals have a more organic and - at the risk of sounding like a pseudy arse - 'human' element. Cogs and wheels just seem to fascinate more than circuit boards and batteries I would think.

I guess with your B13352 it's less noticeable than with some watches (i.e. the small seconds is less likely to draw the eye than a non-chrono) but, if you hack it right, it'll be mostly correct and there are plenty of other things to enjoy about the watch so don't obsess too much.

All the best - enjoy your Breitling!