The Breitling Watch Source Forums

+1

There are watchmakers, watch repair technicians and hacks.

Good watchmakers are hard to find because most of them starve to death. Most people do not want to pay the price for a good watchmaker to service their watch. And, most good watchmakers have more time invested in the service than they can charge for. Either way, it's hard to put bread on the table.

Repair technicians, on the other hand, can perform most simple servicing tasks and the work ususally comes in on budget, though complicated repairs can be problematic.

Finally, hacks should never be allowed to look at a watch, much less touch it.

From the description of the problems and responses, it appears that this person should be relegated to only changing batteries in watches with snap-back cases.

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1809 Cosmonaute
1903 Navi
Navi Olympus
Super Avenger

This last time in, he had a customer in the shop, and I let him have both barrels. He was very apologetic and I was bordering on angry. He assured me he was going to make it right. The next day after calming down I went back in and we had a more civil conversation about the watch.

I told him about my concerns with the "Chinese" movement, and the fact that (according to this forum) he can't source OEM Breitling parts, and he called BS on that. Said he has a supplier for Breitling. He insists the new movement is a vj7750. If my history is correct, this watch made somewhere between the late 80's and early 90's was a largely unmodified 7750.

I told him I wanted original hands, original bezel, all new seals, gaskets, etc.

It is simply a watch isn't it? In fact, the reason for going to the VJ7750 was the fact that it was (is) a movement designed to reduce costs, make servicing easier, etc??? I would think a competent watch repair guy could get this all done. We shall see how it turns out. I don't want a collectible, just a watch I can depend on, that functions like it was purported to when I purchased it . It would be nice if it were "original" enough that I could sell it in the future.

Worst case at this point, I have a good case for small claims court.

If you want a generic Valjoux 7750 go buy one brand new for a few hundred bucks, don't take a movement modified by Breitling and turn it back into a generic one.

You are lucky in that you have the only independent watchmaker in the world with (legitimate) access to Breitling OEM parts. Your watch, your choice, just never try and sell it as a Breitling because that's misrepresentation - that watch is no longer a Breitling.

Unless he has a donor Brietling movement in the back room, his source of parts is the same as the rest of us. Generic ETA parts.

Can you make it a good timekeeper? Sure you can with a lot of extra work. But when you take the back off the case, there will be nothing that identifies it as a Breitling.

That possibility went into the trash bin along with the original movement. The first sin was offering it as a Breitling knowing it to be false.

_________________
1809 Cosmonaute
1903 Navi
Navi Olympus
Super Avenger