The Breitling Watch Source Forums

hi guys cant seem to tighten the crown down thinking tube thread is stripped!!!! does anyone know where this part can be got from apart from the dealers/stealers, also is the crown likely to be wrecked too im trying to source all parts before taking it to local repairer so any help would be helpful and interested to know what the setup is, have also learned before screwing crown down turn it anti clockwise before engaging threads clock ways

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Breitling chronospace (2012)
super avenger STICKS (2010) pro 2
super avenger ARABIC (2005) pro 1 / Red Ocean racer
navi heritage (2006)
seawolf ti (2005)
Omega Planet Ocean (orange) 42mm
Rolex DSSD (2010)

I have no real knowledge of metallurgy sorry, but I think one of the reasons titanium is so expensive

Unfortunately the stripping of threads is one of the issues with titanium.

I believe the crown tube is part of the case on the Avenger models so if that's the situation you will most likely need a new case, unless Breitling can re-tap it in some way.

Either way you will not be able to source parts yourself anyway. Breitling do not sell parts so you will need to send it in to Breitling for repairs.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Unlike other (more expensive) ranges, parts are not modular in the Avengers. The mid case is a single piece so you will likely need a new middle case which in turn will require a service.

crap sounds like its going to be expensive was going to sell this to part fund another piece hence not spending a lot on it, looks like ill be keeping this !!!! thanks to all of you for your help its much appreciated.

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Breitling chronospace (2012)
super avenger STICKS (2010) pro 2
super avenger ARABIC (2005) pro 1 / Red Ocean racer
navi heritage (2006)
seawolf ti (2005)
Omega Planet Ocean (orange) 42mm
Rolex DSSD (2010)

It happened to me. Cost $705.00 to fix back in 2006.

Replaced mid-case and service.

Then it stripped again two years later.

I sold it for peanuts with full disclosure. TI is lousy for srew down crowns..

"Unfortunately the stripping of threads is one of the issues with titanium. I believe the crown tube is part of the case on the Avenger models so if that's the situation you will most likely need a new case, unless Breitling can re-tap it in some way. "

I am not so sure that this really is a problem w/ the material of the case and crown but rather some ham fisted owner cross threading the crown. Titanium fasteners [the crown tube being little more than a hollow bolt pressed into or cast onto the case] do have a problem w/ galling. Galling most commonly occurs between mating fasteners of materials which self-generate a corrosion-resistant oxide surface layer, such as stainless steel, titanium, aluminum and some other alloys. The oxide surface on titanium watches is pretty easy to observe. If you Scotchbrite a titanoium Breitling, it will initially appear more silver in color; in about two weeks, it darkens considerably. The issue for crown tubes is that with repeated use, contact between the high points on the threads wears away the protective oxide layers exposing the base materials. Conventional wisdom seems to be that when the cohesive force between the materials exceeds the strength of either metal, solid-phase welding (galling) occurs. At low pressures or loads such as crown tubes, the weld is very weak and small amounts of metal transfer to the stronger side or float independently in the joint creating wear and a minute amount of debris. As stresses increase, the high points are deformed enlarging the surface contact areas and forming stronger bonds. Cumulative clogging-shearing action may result in increased adhesion and occasional seizing of mating components. Of all galling-prone materials, it seems that users experience the most problems with stainless steel due to its modest ability to dissipate heat and higher coefficient of friction. I just find it hard to believe that titanium crown tubes are any more susceptible to galling than stainless crown tubes. Similarly, unless you are unscrewing the crown all day long, oxide should naturally form on the crown tube and the inside of the crown itself, protecting the surfaces....I also don't think that Breitling can use a die to cut new threads on the crown tube; it would then require a crown w/ a smaller i.d. to fit the now slightly thinner crown tube. Just my two cents...

The fundamental problem (and likely the reason why titanium watches disappeared from Breitling's range) is that Breitling used the cheaper, and less resilient, Grade 2 Ti rather than Grade 5 Ti that is used by some other manufacturers. It costs more but is much more resilient.

Breitling's Grade 2 ti is softer than both the Grade 5 (used by JLC and others) and SS, which has led to a number of documented crown-stripping issues in the past.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Gr2 is not necessarily cheaper than Gr5. Actually, Gr5 is much more common in bar stock and round sizes than Gr2. Gr2 is more commonly used in sheet applications for it's workability. I think the underlying fact for mass production is that Gr2 is much easier on tooling than Gr5.

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Steelfish GMT LE (white)

I had the same issue on my Chrono-Avenger, it went off to BUK and came back with a new (and slightly different colour!) crown, problem solved. Interestingly though, I was convinced that the tube was the fault as it looked stripped but they didn't replace the case.

Stef

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Yes, sorry I should have been clearer - Grade 2 is cheaper in terms of cost of the finished product (case for example), but that is because of the cost to turn it into that case from the stock element rather than the pure stock cost.

The Chrono Avenger employs a replaceable crown tube where as the seawolf does not.

Ah, thanks for that.

Stef

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