Implications of Emergency Ownership

ricardo · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 6:07 am

Hi All,

I'm seriously thinking about getting an Emergency.

I have been offered a swap on my LE SOHC "Green" which I'm finding difficult to turn down.

The Emergency is a couple of years old but it will come with a full service and warranty and the AD I am getting it from is sorting out the exchange of paperwork for free.

My questions are:

1) How often do you need to get these serviced/battery changed? How much does it cost?
2) I like to shower, bathe and swim in my watches. Can the 30m WR of the Emergency handle this?
3) What is this official rating from the COSC for a quartz watch? (I know it's +6 to -4 seconds/day for a mechanical).

As you can see this is a different kind of watch for me to consider so any help would be gratefully received.

The Emergency I have been offered is the Coral dial version. Any photos you could post would be very helpful.

Finally, I have also been offered a LE Orbiter 3 Emergency by the same AD with the same conditions, except I would have to pay £500. Is this a better deal. Although I do not prefer the dial as much.

Much appreciated as always.

Driver8 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:15 am

Emergency batteries are of the 2 to 3 year lifespan variety I believe, so that's how often you'll need to send it to Breitling. I also believe that service times are extended a little as well as a result of the transmitter being supported by Dassault not Breitling. HOWEVER, it's worth noting that the Emergency is being discontinued as Dassault have said they are going to stop supporting it altogether! :shock:

If I was you I'd think long and hard about that before buying one.

Any 30m WR watch is not really suitable for immersion, so I'd avoid showering and bathing in it. However having said that I avoid showing and bathing in any of my watches as the heat from showers and baths doesn't do the rubber gaskets any good at all. The same goes for Chlorine in swimming pools.

COSC rating for quartz is an average daily rate of +/-0.07 seconds, compared to -4/+6 seconds for mechanical watches.

After all of the above, if you still really want an Emergency, I would say definitely go for the Orbiter model (assuming condition is comparable) as it's an infinitely desirable piece due to being an LE and because of the direct link to Brfeitling's history.

Stefan Tapp · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 10:00 am

Driver8 wrote:

Emergency batteries are of the 2 to 3 year lifespan variety I believe, so that's how often you'll need to send it to Breitling. I also believe that service times are extended a little as well as a result of the transmitter being supported by Dassault not Breitling. HOWEVER, it's worth noting that the Emergency is being discontinued as Dassault have said they are going to stop supporting it altogether! :shock:

If I was you I'd think long and hard about that before buying one.

Any 30m WR watch is not really suitable for immersion, so I'd avoid showering and bathing in it. However having said that I avoid showing and bathing in any of my watches as the heat from showers and baths doesn't do the rubber gaskets any good at all. The same goes for Chlorine in swimming pools.

COSC rating for quartz is an average daily rate of +/-0.07 seconds, compared to -4/+6 seconds for mechanical watches.

After all of the above, if you still really want an Emergency, I would say definitely go for the Orbiter model (assuming condition is comparable) as it's an infinitely desirable piece due to being an LE and because of the direct link to Brfeitling's history.

.............and to add to Driver8's statement about the Orbiter model, only go for it if it is truly complete along with the piece from the Orbiter baloon. As much as I love the coral dial, if the orbiter was complete I'd be tempted to go for that.

Stef

Gert · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 1:57 am

Dassault will not stop servicing the existing E's transmitters but simply stop making new
one's. They will keep on providing spare parts for it since the parts in this transmitter
that need to be replaced from time to time ar also present in other transmitter's they
make and will keep on making. I am sure that this watch will remain a true classic.
Try to find one with a UTC or the Orbitter model and you'll be fine.

ricardo · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 2:32 am

Thanks for all the great advice Gents.

Those pictures highlight the dial perfectly Gert. Thanks for sharing.

The AD has confirmed that everything comes with the Orbiter 3 model that was originally with it. Same with the Coral, in fact.

I'm going to sit down with both models tomorrow.

The deal offered is good but not exceptional so I may hold out and try and sell the SOHC LE so I am in a better position to haggle on the price with cash in hand.

I may compare them to my SOHC LE and decide against it all together. Who knows. I'll keep you informed.

Driver8 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 3:49 am

Gert wrote:

Dassault will not stop servicing the existing E's transmitters but simply stop making new
one's. They will keep on providing spare parts for it since the parts in this transmitter
that need to be replaced from time to time ar also present in other transmitter's they
make and will keep on making.

Are you sure about the ongoing support aspect, Gert? I'm not disputing your information for a minute, but it's different to what we heard from Davey (Damnfoolman) - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21783 - and BlastFromThePast on here - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21797&p=161289 - whereby they specifically talk about Dassault no longer supporting the Emergency, which is why Breitling has apparently stock-piled a number of Emergency's to allow for spares.

Personally if I was considering buying an Emergency I'd want some very specific clarity on the matter direct from Breitling before I'd consider buying one now.

Gert · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 4:04 am

Driver8 wrote:

Gert wrote:

Dassault will not stop servicing the existing E's transmitters but simply stop making new
one's. They will keep on providing spare parts for it since the parts in this transmitter
that need to be replaced from time to time ar also present in other transmitter's they
make and will keep on making.

Are you sure about the ongoing support aspect, Gert? I'm not disputing your information for a minute, but it's different to what we heard from Davey (Damnfoolman) - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21783 - and BlastFromThePast on here - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21797&p=161289 - whereby they specifically talk about Dassault no longer supporting the Emergency, which is why Breitling has apparently stock-piled a number of Emergency's to allow for spares.

Personally if I was considering buying an Emergency I'd want some very specific clarity on the matter direct from Breitling before I'd consider buying one now.

Hi Driver8, I got my info from a representative of Dubail Paris http://www.dubail.fr/ who I met this summer staying in the hotel right next to them on the Place Vendôme. I hope it was accurate information she gave me but to be 100% sure somebody should get Breitling to give out a statement on this issue. Wishful thinking I suppose...?

Blastfromthepast · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 4:57 am

Well heres a reply to an email sent to my contact at BUK...

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding your Breitling Emergency. Please accept my apologies for the delay in my reply, I have been waiting for a response from Breitling Switzerland.

Breitling Switzerland have confirmed that the Emergency model will no longer be available with effect from 15th August 2010, unfortunately the production of the integrated circuits for the transmitters is no longer feasible with the technology conceived in 1995.

They have however confirmed that the after-sales service of this Emergency model will be maintained for many years as it is for all other discontinued models.

With regards to the future, a new product is now under development, but since very innovative technologies are required, no reliable schedule for the new launch is possible at the moment

Roffensian · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 5:11 am

See attached.

Immediately below the main message window is a section titled Upload attachment and immediately below that is the Browse button.

mrcheatle · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 6:41 am

Driver8 wrote:

Emergency batteries are of the 2 to 3 year lifespan variety I believe, so that's how often you'll need to send it to Breitling. I also believe that service times are extended a little as well as a result of the transmitter being supported by Dassault not Breitling. HOWEVER, it's worth noting that the Emergency is being discontinued as Dassault have said they are going to stop supporting it altogether! :shock:

If I was you I'd think long and hard about that before buying one.

Any 30m WR watch is not really suitable for immersion, so I'd avoid showering and bathing in it. However having said that I avoid showing and bathing in any of my watches as the heat from showers and baths doesn't do the rubber gaskets any good at all. The same goes for Chlorine in swimming pools.

COSC rating for quartz is an average daily rate of +/-0.07 seconds, compared to -4/+6 seconds for mechanical watches.

After all of the above, if you still really want an Emergency, I would say definitely go for the Orbiter model (assuming condition is comparable) as it's an infinitely desirable piece due to being an LE and because of the direct link to Brfeitling's history.

Then why does Bear Grille from "Ma vs. Wild" go through hell and back with his from episode -episode and seems to never have a problem? :roll:

Let be honest that man puts the EM to the real test too lol

Driver8 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 9:24 am

mrcheatle wrote:

Driver8 wrote:

Emergency batteries are of the 2 to 3 year lifespan variety I believe, so that's how often you'll need to send it to Breitling. I also believe that service times are extended a little as well as a result of the transmitter being supported by Dassault not Breitling. HOWEVER, it's worth noting that the Emergency is being discontinued as Dassault have said they are going to stop supporting it altogether! :shock:

If I was you I'd think long and hard about that before buying one.

Any 30m WR watch is not really suitable for immersion, so I'd avoid showering and bathing in it. However having said that I avoid showing and bathing in any of my watches as the heat from showers and baths doesn't do the rubber gaskets any good at all. The same goes for Chlorine in swimming pools.

COSC rating for quartz is an average daily rate of +/-0.07 seconds, compared to -4/+6 seconds for mechanical watches.

After all of the above, if you still really want an Emergency, I would say definitely go for the Orbiter model (assuming condition is comparable) as it's an infinitely desirable piece due to being an LE and because of the direct link to Brfeitling's history.

Then why does Bear Grille from "Ma vs. Wild" go through hell and back with his from episode -episode and seems to never have a problem? :roll:

Errr..... I dunno, maybe they replace it for a brand new one after every episode perhaps? Maybe his film crew carries a supply of new Emergency's in a nice Pelican water tight case? Who knows! :lol:

It's not just me saying that 30m WR watches are not suitable for swimming. Here's just a few of the hundreds of links on the first page of Google that back it up -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Resistant_mark
http://www.watchit.ca/waterres2.html
http://www.prestigetime.com/page.php?waterresistance
http://www.vidarholen.net/contents/junk ... tance.html

And explains why 30m isn't really 30m -

http://www.chronocentric.com/watches/wresist.shtml

Of course if anyone fancies trying a bit of swimming with their expensive 30m WR Emergency or Navi, then be my guest! Just don't blame us if it all goes horribly wrong!

mrcheatle · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:07 am

I know I wouldn't do it, but I thought I would ask :lingsrock:

daytona675 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:29 pm

For what it's worth, I swam quite a bit with my E in the ocean as well as the pool. Never any WR issues.

ricardo · **Posted:** Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:38 am

Thanks for all the great info Gents.

I spoke to Sam at Andrew Michael's yesterday. I respect his opinion (in fact we were having a beer at his local at the time

) and he said definitely wait to see what is happening with respect to the new model and what effect this has on current model prices. He predicts a drop. He has been in touch with Breitling direct and they say that they have parts available to be able to service the current models for at least 30 years!

I also wondered about the Emergency that Bear Grylls wears. He often wears it whilst swimming in lakes/the sea, etc. I had to grimace one time when I was watching the program. We was trying to abseil down the side of a mountain and was constantly banging the Emergency in to the rock face with the face of the watch. Ouch!

Anyways, this is all irrelevant now because I have had an epiphany and decided to keep the SOHC LE for a while. :oops:

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