The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have an Avenger bought from an AD just under 2 years ago. I woke up this morning and my watch had stopped. This is the second time it's done that in a month. Once I set correct time and wound it, it worked fine, but shouldn't it keep good time. It's a self-winding automatic .

How often, and for how long, do you wear it?

It does sound as though it's simply a case of the power reserve winding down. If you aren't causing enough rotor movement while wearing it to keep the mainspring wound then it will eventually stop. It may also be that it's getting close to a service window and the power reserve is reducing - it may only be 2 years since you bought it but it could have been sitting at the AD for a while before that.

I wear the watch every day so it's always moving. Since it's under 2 years old, I think it's still warranted. Do you recommend that I send it back to have the power reserve checked, or should I just wind it more?? It's suppose to have a 46 hours reserve and it doesn't last more than a few hours at a time.

If I was you I'd try giving it a good 50, 60 or even 100 full winds before you get round to sending it in to Breitling. You can't overwind an auto so that'd be my first step. Personally I'd do that and then leave it on my nightstand and time how long it takes to fully run-down. This will check the mainspring and manual winding mechanism.

Assuming that's OK and within expectations, I'd then fully wind it again (i.e. 100 full winds) and then wear it as you usually would as this will check the self-winding mechanism.

If it's still stopping after that, then definitely send it in.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

That's what I'd do - take it off, give it 80-odd winds, put it down and see how long before it stops. Then you know exactly what the power reserve is. As it is you really don't.

I would go a bit further....

The power reserve should be 42 hours (not 46) so:

1) Wind the watch fully - as Driver8 says you can't overwind an auto so just go for it
2) Put the watch down and don't touch it until it stops. That will give you the amount of reserve that it has
3) Wind the watch fully at the start of a 'normal' day and then wear it
4) Take it off at the end of the day and don't touch it until it stops. The extra time that it runs for compared to number 2 is the amount of reserve that you have added by wearing it.

You will then know:

A) If the reserve is considerably less than 42 hours then it needs a service
B) If the reserve is the same between #2 and #4 then the auto winding is broken and it needs repairs
C) If the reserve is longer in #4, but by less than the amount of time that you were wearing the watch, then you aren't active enough to keep it fully wound and should give it an occasional wind
D) If the reserve is longer in #4 by the amount of time that you wore the watch then there is an intermittent problem that should be checked out under warranty

Wow. Good information. Thanks Roff! Should be a sticky (if not already).


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Thanks for all the advice. I'll perform those tests but probably send it in since I only have a few more months on my warranty.

Thanks again

Just to be clear, does the same apply to all automatic winding watches (incl. Omega?) - that they can be manually wound 100 times?

It is impossible to overwind any automatic watch. There has to be a slip clutch type mechanism in these movements because otherwise they could be overwound just by the motion of the rotor when wearing.

On my Omega, if you hold it very close to your ear, you can actually hear when it's fully wound - there's an occasional click on top of the normal winding-clicking which is the slip clutch doing its job. Not sure if that's the same of Breitlings. But the fundamental point as Roff says is that you can't overwind autos.

Funny how in life you notice things, but never bother thinking them through. I noticed my automatics don't stop winding like my manuals, but never thought more of it. Roff's explanation makes complete sense!