The Breitling Watch Source Forums

So how would you old vintage pros describe your 810's crown? I am wearing mine just a couple of times a week so it always needs winding and setting. Every time I pull it out to set it I am afraid I am going to break it. It is hard to pull out and sort of wobbly feeling once out. When in, it is somewhat hard to wind all the time, but I do feel it getting harder once I have given it several twists so I stop there. Am I doing anything wrong? Keeping pretty good time but does not last more than a day. What is typical run time on a full wind. I am trying to figure out if I am winding enough. If not super obvious this is my first manual wind watch.

It sure looks pretty but my aging eyes are having a hard time telling the time with its silver/white face and the skinny hands. Any easier on the black face?

I assume its a Top Time long play 810?

I don't have one of these, but there are plenty of experts here who probably do. By the age of these watches I would assume its a Venus movement (maybe?)

By the sound of it though, I would get it into a service centre ASAP. Could be gummed up, as I would think these watches are not that waterproof or capable of keeping body oil and dirt from getting into the mechanism over time. Or, it could be a movement issue with the crown and stem being affected by the fault. Your right not to force the crown as it will probably break at the stem, and if its keeping time when you do get it wound, then I think it’s on the wind up side of the watch accounting for the short autonomy.

Great watch though, so worth getting it looked at so you can use it a bit more than at the moment. Someone here will have a recommended service agent n your area, I am sure.

Later

Jim

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Jim

"You have Control".

Rich, just saw this post. The Top Time 810s with Venus 178 (Jim, not called Long Playing, started post Top Time w/ the V7736 815s) have a split crown stem that does feel a bit wobbly; this is normal; after how many winding turns do you feel that resistance, this sounds a bit strange ?

As the watch just was VERY expertly serviced you might contact Craig what he thinks ?

regarding your aging eyes I can offer little support, though my eyes are probably older than yours; the best in readabilty are the early TT810 in black, as they have white hands - but no orange second hand ?

Guess I should have noted that it was just serviced by vintage Breitling guru Craig - thanks Fred. New mainspring full service etc. So no concerns that it is in need of anything. Just that it is a lot different than my "modern" watches...as would be expected much like my current car is a lot different than my 1968 Camaro.

I don't have it on my wrist today, but I say after 12-15 twists of the crown it starts to feel harder to wind. It is my understanding that there is a limit to winding older watches, is that correct? Unlike new automatics that have a mechanism to prevent over winding. I am actually more concerned about how fragile it feels to pull the crown out. Seems to take a lot of force and it seems much more delicate than my others. Probably just inexperience on my part but wanted to check with you all. Fred I do remember Craig saying something about a two-piece crown perhaps that is what I am noting.

Just wanted to make sure it is OK to wear/use/wind/etc. it a couple of times a week and not have to put it in away and only bring it out 2-3 times a year.

Rich, the moment u feel resistance, stop winding. the 810 crowns have that slight wobbl feeling sometimes, should not be an issue.

am so used to winding my watches that I never notice what I'm doing; I'll count the 178 winds for u on one of mine to see how many winds it needs when run down; I just put on a watch, wind it a little & set it, I then just keep it wound as long as I wear it, a wind here, a wind there - when u are used to this u do it without paying attention - I also wind my automatics would wind Quartz if I had any.

Not older watches, manual wind watches. The mainspring of a manual wind watch is fixed at one end so overwinding it causes resistance as the watch says "oi buddy, keep doing that and you are going to snap the mainspring"

Rich, don't go CivilLawyer on us. wind it, set it, ENJOY it. that watch will survive as all, survive our children.

edit: just wound one of the siblings, 1964 ref.810; 18 conscious winds until I feel relevant resistance, beware, this depends on the lenght of the mainspring used, no idea if all are the same length for the V178, so just find your personal winding optimum.

Hear that? The sound of my hand slapping forehead. That makes so much sense how could I not think of it? It is as if I thought I was only allowed to wind it when I first put it on.

Ah, thanks for that correction Fred.

Short or long amplitude springs, of course. Yep, that could be the issue here.

Later

Jim

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Jim

"You have Control".

Small update, I wound it up today and it took about 25 turns to start to feel "tighter". Guess my memory is way off thinking 12-15. I'll put my wobbly fears aside and just enjoy it. Thanks!

I guess I better chime in here. I installled a new mainspring yesterday in a V178 so I went down to the shop to see how many "twists" it would take to fully wind it after letting the mainspring all the way down. The number was 37 - not too far off of my general memory of around 35. What I advise (and other watchmakers advise also) is.... wind it fully every morning until it stops winding - full pressure stop - you won't break it unless you put WAY TOO MUCH pressure on the crown. As for hard to wind and hard to pull out - get used to it - it goes with the movement design. Same with the wobbly crown - bad case design. Think of it as compared to a 50s Ford with a 6 volt battery! Craig

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S. Craig Bergsma