The Breitling Watch Source Forums

This is a campaign started by a Sydney watch maker.
(Hope I'm allowed to post link up here?)
It does concern anyone who owns a swiss watch.

http://save-the-time.org/

_________________
Time is everything.
Collection

Breitling Steel Superocean Heritage
Breitling Ti Seawolf
Breitling Ti Aerospace Le
Bulova Gold Accutron

It's allways a question, what You want:
Most watchmakers do quite good work. But there are also many, who just mess up a watch, when they do a service. They don't really clean the watch before reoiling, just put a little bit of oil on some critical spots, change no parts, that should be changed. Breitling (and many other Brands as well) has to make sure, that their watches are only serviced by their own standards. That is really difficult, as also their own trained watchmakers can make mistakes. Making a service on a chronograph seems to be very challenging for many watchmakers, who don't do that on a regular basis. When You give Your Breitling watch to a watchmaker for service, and it stops a year after receiving it back, You usually partly blame the watch. In fact, its 99% the watchmaker, who serviced it. So Breitling defines certain standards, a watchmaker has to fullfill to be an authorised service center and receive spareparts. They can hardly check the quality of the work, but they can check the equipment of the atelier. They can also set a number of trainings at a certain price, so it's only worth for watchmakers to attend, if they repair a certain number of compareable watches. Every watchmaker can apply for beeing a service center. It is not that difficult. It might cost him about 4 to 5k, if he needs no extra equipment.

BG
Thomas

_________________
http://www.ellert.at

Good point too.
Its also about the watch owner having a choice of who repairs their watch.
If my car windscreen requires replacing do also I need to get my engine rebuilt?
You may only want to spend 1/2 the price of a dealer service.
While you might also get 1/2 or less the service quality compared to the dealer.
At least you choose who services your watch and have only yourself to blame if your not happy with your choice.
In Australia you can only send your watch to Breitling in Sydney.

_________________
Time is everything.
Collection

Breitling Steel Superocean Heritage
Breitling Ti Seawolf
Breitling Ti Aerospace Le
Bulova Gold Accutron

Not exactly. I've been a watchmaker for over 50 years. I restore old watches and repair and/or service newer ones. Watches with complications are no more difficult to service, but they take more time and you will pay more.

Time is the primary factor when it comes to servicing a watch. Certain components will wear faster than others. Instead of polishing a worn wheel pivot, it is faster to just replace the wheel. Unless you are highly skilled at polishing or replacing worn pivots, the watch will probably not run as well as one where the parts were replaced with new ones.Therein lies the reason for most parts replacement.

The real problem with Breitling and approved service centers is that you are required to purchase and display their watches. A friend of mine was a Breitling service center for many years. He is probably the most skilled watchmaker I know. He gave it up when they said he had to have 30 watches in the display case. He was in a small town and sold two or three a year. He didn't want to tie up $100,000 or so in watches that were slow movers.

This parts war with the Swiss has been going on as long as I have been repairing watches. It waxes and wanes over time, but it never dies. Most of us have learned to live with it.

Simply put, any competent watchmaker can service a Breitling, Rolex or whatever mystery brand comes across the bench. The problem is the availability of parts. Generic parts a usually available, but sometimes need to be brought up to a higher standard. If the watch ever goes back to the service center they will replace all the generic parts and bill you for them. It's just not worth it to me to fight the battle. I have too many watches on the bench anyway.

_________________
1809 Cosmonaute
1903 Navi
Navi Olympus
Super Avenger