The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Does Breitling still exist or has this been left to some mob that is buying them out to clean the mess up???

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"It is just a matter of time!"

I stopped laughing about 30 posts back.....

Then take a look at the "Front Fell Off" video clip

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"It is just a matter of time!"

Yes, brought a smile.... but no consolation. As my wife said, I "paid too much for a toy that doesn't work".

Does anyone remember Pythons Norwegian Blue Parrot sketch?

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Jim

"You have Control".

I am not pining for the fjords, I am pining for my B50. If I hadn't had it shipped to the factory, it would be pushing up daisies. It is an ex-watch.

The last thread sort of diverged from my original posting, so I would like to see if I can get any numbers from fellow B50 Cockpit sufferers! As posted elsewhere, I am one of the many unlucky buyers who had the crown fall off the watch after a period of time; in my case, less than 30 days. Breitling USA in Connecticut told me that my only option was to take it to a Breitling Boutique, for shipment to Connecticut, and ultimate shipping on the next Friday to the factory in Switzerland.

My questions/requests: 1) If you have had to send a B50 sent back for servicing, what was the problem? 2) How long were YOU without your watch? 2) Has anyone actually had a store/AD/Breitling Boutique/Breitling swap out the watch?

You are asking exactly the same questions as you asked in the original thread, so merging it back in - to bring it back on topic you simply have to post in that thread, but as noted previously, the information available likely already exists in existing posts.

In case you have not read my previous posts on this disturbing subject, here is an overview: I purchased my B50 from an AD here in NJ in Oct. In December, before departing on a trip to Germany I attempted to charge the watch. Essentially, it overheated so badly I thought it would melt. And it went dead: the hands and readouts were shut down. I attempted to "restart" by turning the crown, and, guess what!? The damn thing came off in my fingers. When I returned from Germany I drove it to Breitling Service in Wilton, CT. They in turn Fed Ex'd it to Switzerland, the only facility in the world that can repair the B50. After four weeks and no response whatsoever from Breitling USA, I wrote a letter first to the CEO of Breitling expressing my outrage. It cost me $50 because I Fed Ex'd. And it took some hardcore research to get the right address. I waited a week and no response came. Called Wilton again and was advised to write to the president of BUSA. I did. Now, I'm into this with TWO letters and a dozen phone calls to BUSA in Wilton. Four days after the second letter, the very nice BUSA rep in Wilton emailed me and said the watch would be shipped to her in a week. Was told, too, that she had no idea if either letter had any effect. And I have no idea myself.

I drove to BUSA in Wilton again and picked it up. I jokingly asked if there would be any compensation--a hat, some small token to cover my inconvenience. Nothing. I got my watch back in one of those very nice watch cases. The compensation was, it was placed in a stylish Breitling shopping bag. A day went by and I figured they owed me something, so I wrote to my BUSA rep in Wilton and asked for a cap. I got it three days letter.

If your B50 crashes here in the US it will go from your AD to BUSA in Wilton, CT. Since I'm only 40 minutes from Wilton, I decided to skip the worry of shipping through the AD. Then, on the next Friday after your watch arrives at BUSA it will be shipped to Switzerland where it will get in line with all the wingless, inoperable B50s. Rare is the individual that gets a replacement. It will be fixed. Oddly, in my case, the receipt I got with the repaired watch says, cryptically, "movement overhaul." So...I have no idea if it was a software fix or a hardware swapout. Right now, it works. And the crown is still on it. This is probably a case of kicking a watch out of the factory before they got the wings on right.

Trust me when I tell you that it would be easier to get top secret info from the CIA before you get any updates from Breitling on your dead B50. Breitling is the King. It's good to the King.

Good luck!

Ok.

Reply To Vulipiano:
My B50 status: Watch into Breitling boutique 10 days ago on a Monday; shipped next day to Connecticut; sent out last Friday to factory; called Connecticut today (Thursday) and was told by Connecticut that they were able to confirm that my watch arrived in Switzerland Tuesday, two days ago, but that factory had not responded to Connecticut's request for timetable as to return. I will keep everyone posted!

This is the drill. BUSA here will not, despite efforts on your part, get any update on your B50. A month or so from now you or your AD will notify you that your watch is being shipped. And that's it. Remember what the Queen said from her perch in Paris during the French revolution? "Let them eat cake!" It's really awful how they treat customers. But I guess they know the ocean prevents the peasants from storming the gates.

I have another alternative: "let them get with the times and buy an Apple Watch" LOL.

I just saw a marketing professor from Harvard on TV, serving as a commentator discussing the future of watches. He pointed out that watches are now wanted for functionality; they are pretty much the same for accuracy purposes. At $300, the approximate cost of the Apple watch, people do not care if they have to replace the watch every three years. He said "legacy" watches are no longer wanted to be passed on to generations following, and that it appears that unless one is looking for an item of jewelry, the days of watches like the super accurate Breitling's and other luxury brands are numbered, and will be limited to a very exclusive market, upon which the manufactures cannot continue to exist. Certainly, if you factor in a complete disregard for the purchaser, as Breitling seems to be showing, Breitling cannot, and will not, survive. If one is only looking for jewelry and not reliability and accuracy, there are many luxury brands to choose from, that are beautiful as well as being pretty accurate, and these brands may care about their patrons.

Certainly, I feel that this, my third Breitling will be my last, unless something is done to change my mind.

Updates: Breitling USA indicates my watch is indeed at the factory, no information as to return date; The company that owns the Breitling Boutique has said they will contact their rep. to see if rep. can determine status; Other than that, nothing.... No offers of replacement by anyone...

Update: Today I was told by Breitling USA that my watch was to be sent back to the US by the factory in today's "Friday Shipment", and that I could have it as early as the end of next week, which will mean one month for the servicing. And hopefully, it will not have to go back again!