The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hey Guys-

I just bought a used Mont Blanc Timewalker Chrono. The watch was serviced in May for $340 and they replaced the main spring. The watch functions fine. The chrono on the other hand was working great, until recently when it started stuttering and stopping.

My thought is that I am not moving enough during the day to keep it going. The second hand stops as well when the chrono stops. As soon as I stop the chrono the second hand starts working again.

Last night I moved the rotor around for about 5 minutes and the chrono worked for about an hour before stopping again.

I read your posts all the time as I am in the market for a Breitling as well, so I am sure you guys can help me. Thanks.

If the watch is stopping then it may be the power reserve is low, but the watch should have more power reserve after servicing, so odd that it is only happening after service. Wind the watch manually (far better and quicker than standing there swinging the watch to rotate the rotor for 5 minutes) and see if the problem improves. If not then it could be that they used the wrong strength mainspring during servicing.

In terms of the chrono 'stuttering', if it's doing that on a full power reserve then that's a different issue which needs an adjustment by a watchmaker.

Thanks for the response.

How do I know when the power supply is full? How much winding does that take?

Also when I contacted the AD that serviced it he said that when they overhauled the movment that the Chrono was not included in the service. Does this sound right?

A full wind will be about 40 turns, but you can't overwind an auto so you can do more.

I fail to see how you can service the watch without also servicing the chrono - if the watch was serviced then the movement was disassembled and reassembled and that means that the chrono mechanism was out of the watch. Even if modular there was some disassembly and no responsible watchmaker should return it without at least a clean and oil.

40 Turns and it is still stopping.

I should have also included this but when I tap the watch it starts working again. Any further thoughts?

Does it start working and keep working, or then stop again? If it keeps running then it may simply be out of beat, if it stops again then it's broken and needs to go back to the service centre.

It stops again. It stops I tap it, it starts again. Frustrating...it hs been running for 20 minutes now and I had to tap it once.

So it needs service attention.

Thank you for your help.

How can the chrono not be part of the service? At the very minimum they have to remove the movement from the case, in which case they are exposing it to potential problems. They break, they buy. Tell them to fix it right this time.

_________________
-RJ

I would hope Montblanc's service work is warranted, like Breitling's.

Update. Something seems to have "broken loose" I have had it running for a full 2 hours with no problems.... Maybe some of my tapping did something (is this possible.)

If it stops again it will be going back.

Just a side note I love the Timewalker watch, however, finding someone that can work on it is hard. You can send it back to Mont Blanc and their timeframe is 12-16 weeks.

Well if it wasn't a Montblanc approved service that might be the problem!!!

And I have never yet met a watch that fixed itself, tapping or not

Echoing Roff's comment, who performed the service in May? Sending a watch into the manufacturer for repair work is a drag, due to the timeframe. But it's usually the best, and sometimes the only, way to get it back in working order.

On a side note what do you guys think of the Timewalker. It is the black ceramic chrono.

Tried to post pic but file is too big.