The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hello, I am new to the forum.

I have had the Breitling Reveil for the past 18 years or so. Every three years when the battery died, I would send it to Breitling (CT), they would charge me $80 and replace the battery, then send it back to me. One time they charged me something like $400 for what they called a major service. A few years back, I sent it in for the battery again, and they bounced it back to me stating they don't repair that watch any more. They offered to sell me an Aerospace at full list price if I wanted.

I had a somewhat nasty exchange of emails with the main Breitling headquarters in Switzerland but nothing came of it.

I always thought that a watch such as mine should be passed down to children and grandchildren.

I personally don't think Breitling has done right by me. I brought a new watch from an authorized dealer, they took my $80 five or six times then they pretty much dumped me.

I have now been going to a generic albeit high end watch repair place to have the battery changed.

Did they really think I was going to buy the Aerospace from them at full list price (or any price) only so they can do the same thing to me again in 15 years?

Totally lousy service if you ask me. If they were to tell me when I bought the watch that parts will no longer be made after 15 years and service would not be available, I would not have bought it.

I would be curious to see how other board members feel about this.

Thanks, Aristotle

Welcome aboard.

I was under the impression (certainly here in the UK) that Breitling tended to offer a new watch at around a 30% discount if a customer's watch was obsolete and couldn't be serviced, not full price. I've never been in that situation myself as I'm not into quartz watches as a rule, but I know others here have been in the same situation, so I'm sure they'll chime in shortly.

Talking of quartz, it's the fact that your Reveil has a quartz movement that means it unfortunatly can't be serviced indefinitely. Quartz movements are circuit boards and batteries, and just as you wouldn't be able to service a Commodore 64 computer nowadays, so it is for quartz movements after a number of years. The technology is transient and it moves on.... and companies just cannot continue to make obsolete technology forever. I can guarantee that Apple already wouldn't able to do anything for a broken iPhone 1 for example.

Contrast that to mechanical watches, and in theory you can service them forever as they are just cogs, wheels and springs. Manufacturers are way more likely to keep stocks of wheels and cogs for much longer as the technology in mechanical watches hasn't really changed in over 400 years. Plus if a cog breaks sometime in the future and for some reason the manufacturer doesn't hold spares, you could always find someone with a lathe and some metalworking skills to make one for you. This is why 16th Century pocket watches can still be serviced to this day.

Unfortunately (and I realise this doesn't help you now) if you want an heirloom and something with longevity, then mechanical is really the only way to go I'm afraid. With that in mind, personally I'd press Breitling for a better discount and then I'd go for a mechanical piece.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

I understand what you are saying and I certainly appreciate your feedback.

What makes me angry is that the watch is not broken. They don't even want to change the battery. I even told them I would be willing to sign something that stated they will not be liable for any damage, etc. They declined.

If there is a shortage of obsolete parts, why offer the customer another quartz watch? How does the saying go...fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me?

I understand the analogy to the commodore 64 but in the interest of customer service, they should offer a more modern quartz insert as a replacement (for a fee of course), since their insert is obsolete.

The bottom line is although we managed to put a man on the moon, fixing a 15 year old watch has proven to be too much of a challenge for Breitling.

I really believe that if this is the way they want to run their business, they should make it SUPER CLEAR when they sell a quartz watch to customers that, this is going to be a 15 year investment. After that, no promises.

That's unfortunate. That's the first time I have ever heard of them not fixing a watch that may not be broken but just needs a battery.

At least the watch isn't broken and can be run with just batteries for I would guess another 15 years or so.

It's different with modern quartz, Breitling has publicly committed to support contemporary quartz movements for at least 20 years beyond the point they stop using them in new pieces. They can do that because quartz technology is relatively stable. When you bought your watch no one knew it would be obsolete in 15 years or so because no one foresaw the rapid rate of technological advancement that would occur.

Your Intruder went out of production in 1999. It used a Japanese Miyota movement which is the primary reason Breitling stopped using them. Luckily for you that movement was used in many different brands from that era so it's easy to find a cheap replacement when the need arises. Breitling's Aerospace went into production in 1985 and most of the early models are still supported by Breitling when you send them in for repair (upgraded movements if needed). That might be because they use the Swiss ETA movement. It takes about 5 minutes to change the battery in your Intruder and about that long to find a replacement movement if needed.

My Breitling Intruder failed and BUSA offered 30% off any factory new model (except precious metal versions); BUSA direct - not through the AD.

Ask for it, and Good Luck.

BTW, I was very sad to see the Intruder go....it was bashed and battered but an excellent companion. Its role has been taken over by 3 new Breitlings, so be careful!!!

Desert Hiker

Guys, thanks for all the replies.

I was not expecting any real solutions to this but the feedback was great.

Personally, if Breitling was foolish enough not stock enough parts or they were not able to secure replacement inserts (both complete failures of management IMHO) the replacement Aerospace should be free as a courtesy since "They" can't fix "Their Own" watch.

Its really embarrassing if you ask me. I would expect it of Casio, I would expect it of Timex. Not of Breitling.

Cheers, Aristotle

Aristotle, are you suggesting Breitling should service their watch indefinitely?

I have had it 15 years and have been loyal 100%. They have let me down big time with crappy service. Guys please let's call a spade a spade the Breitling service is absolutely horrible please don't try to support a company that offers crappy service their service is crappy 100% they have let me down over and over again. I am not asking for free service I am asking for the manufacturer of the product I purchased to offer parts for a reasonable amount of time 15 years is not a reasonable amount of time. If you guys are in bed with Breitling that's fantastic but you know what the service stinks and you know you have to realize that when they don't offer parts for an expensive watch that I purchased from them. I expect the same for Mercedes from BMW and I expect the same from Breitling and I didn't get it and I am very very very upset about it if you guys don't empathize with me I totally understand but that doesn't change my feelings. It's a bunch of hogwash when a company doesn't support their product it's only fifteen years old for God's sake that is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable.

Well if we're going to call a spade a spade.....

Your watch isn't 15 years old, it went out of production 17 years ago so is at least that regardless of when you bought it. Let's also call it what it is, a close to 20 year old piece of electronics. What other 20 year old electronic products, where the electronic module is sourced from a 3rd party who no longer produce it, is still serviceable?

I can understand your frustration, but don't let it blind you to reality. And if you think I'm in bed with Breitling just read some of my 9 years of posts. If you want a watch that will last forever, PM me, I'll do you a deal on a 150+ year old pocket watch that will be ticking fine in another 150 years because it doesn't rely on electronics.

A fine watchmaker has a responsibility to their customers to keep their time pieces going. 15 years (or 17 or 20 or whatever) is not even enough time to pass it on to your children. Why would anyone spend $2000 on a watch to have only last 15 years!! Do the math. I paid $175 per year for a watch (including all the service I paid to Breitling) that does not even keep accurate time!! That's a bunch of bull crap. What does the 1884 under the Breitling name mean to you? To me it means accuracy, precision, attention to detail, and the most important perpetual, fabulous customer service. When I take my watch to the boutique Breitling store in Manhattan and the guy looks at it and tells me "uh, that's one of the ones we don't service any more" how do you think that makes me feel?

I am ok with paying for the service, I can understand that service cost can and will increase with age, but not offering service is unacceptable. Not to make comparisons but I have a older Swiss Army watch (quartz with electronics) and every three years I send it to the Swiss Army factory service and they gladly take my money and perform the service. How can they do it and Breitling can't? Please, someone answer this question. Why do I get better service from a company for watch that cost 10% of a Breitling?? They were also established in 1884 as well BTW.

Guys, I am clearly outnumbered here since you all seem to be in the same clique and I am 'the new guy complaining.' If you guys are ok with getting bad service, please continue doing so. I , on the other hand require and demand excellent service and when I don't get it, I take my business elsewhere.

So you are aware, Breitling today was not founded in 1884. They bought the rights to the name when the original company stopped producing watches in the late 1970s - killed off by quartz.

Nothing anyone is going to say is going to change your mind and or opinion of Breitling and their service. That is unfortunate, however do me a favor and give Sony a call and see if they can send me some parts for my Betamax player! Electronics life cycle is extremely short, there is something newer and better by the time you finish paying your credit card bill! To expect a company to service an item of this nature after twenty years is unrealistic, you may not like it but it is the reality of the situation. And no, we are not in the same clique here, there is a wide variety of opinions here both pro and con with respect to Breitling and their watches, that is what make this forum a great place to visit. Unlike other forums, where if you don't own that particular watch you opinion is worthless, here you can say what you like, regardless of its implications. (within Reason!!)
As far as the NYC Boutique is concerned please don't blame them for what is a corporate decision. I happen to live in the metro NYC area and they happen to be a great bunch of people! They are friendly, helpful, and would go out of there way to help you any way that they could, more so than a lot of other salespeople at other watch stores. Believe me I know, I have been to almost every boutique in NYC to look at watches and they are some of the best around. I hope that you hang around for awhile and continue to contribute, it is always refreshing to have another opinion voiced!

I don't mind staying on the forum and I appreciate the offer.

The comparison that I am hearing to Sony Betamaxes and Apple computers are simply not accurate. These devices you are referring to have thousands of circuits, software and engineering in them. They are also part of ever fast changing consumer electronics. The inside of a quartz watch is in no way shape or form like any of these electronics. Nor is considered consumer electronics. Its a timepiece meant to keep time.

I know I may come across like a jerk to many of you but I can assure you I am not. The positive effect of the box of chocolate I received when I got the watch has been negated by this bad experience many times over.

Breitling could have stocked more parts (from the beginning) for this watch but they have chosen not to do so.
Breitling could have offered an alternative insert (as one of the members mentioned exists) but they have chosen not to do so.

What they have chosen to do is offer me ANOTHER quartz watch as a replacement for an inflated price.

If I was that much off a sucker to take that deal after they put me through this hell, I would also be willing to buy a bridge in Brooklyn.

If I find the letter that Breitling sent me 5 years ago trying to explain why they could not provide service I will post it here for entertainment purposes. Again, do the math, 5 years ago my watch would have been only 10 years old. I start counting from when I bought it, not when it was manufactured, or when it was designed, or when it was shipped.