The Breitling Watch Source Forums

There is something special about in-house movements, though I suspect an element of it is in my uneducated head. Imagination depicts the following:

In-House: White-haired craftsmen who actually worked for a Mr Breitling using their gnarled but steady hands to assemble a movement designed with gold ink on sheets of silk, all the while quietly sharing stories such "I built a pocket watch which sank with the Titanic. A dive team recently found it, wound it and still it kept perfect time. I built the dive team's watches as well." One by one, the movements are made, each as perfect as the last, made with so much love and care that the sight of the running watch brings a warmth to the ancient watchmaker's heart which makes him think of the dog he had as a boy.

Mass-produced: Grubby teenager takes ten identical movements out of a blue plastic box and throws them into an assortment of other boxes destined for various factories dotted around Switzerland.

The truth is probably somewhere in between for both. On this note, Roff, you've probably noticed I'm very interested in the movement of my new Blackbird, given you've kindly responded to posts about it. Now that I've had to think about someone who needs a bloody good wash manhandling it, please could you make me feel better by telling me exactly what Breitling do to the ETA to turn it into a Cal. 44? They say "heavily modified", but I could say the same for a few celebrities who aren't exactly masterpieces.

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Follow me through my Journalism degree

Breitling are very secretive about what they actually do, but we do know that they purchase ebauche movements, and they buy the highest of the three grades. This is effectively a kit of the parts that make up the drivetrain and the bridges. An ebauche does not contain the mainspring and barrel or the escapement. In addition, as the Breitling 44 is based on the modular ETA 2892 platform it won't contain the chronograph module - that comes from Dubois Depraz (if I remember correctly).

Breitling automatically replace some parts from the kit with pieces that they either produce or have produced by a 3rd party to tighter tolerances than ETA. They also test a number of other components and if they fail to meet Breitling standards they are also replaced.

The ebauche is then assembled with the mainspring and barrel, the escapement and the chronograph module and tested in house before being sent to the COSC for their tests.

All of Breitling's assembly facilities are clean room environments.

You lovely man. Thanks very much indeed.

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Follow me through my Journalism degree

I can only imagine the cost that would be associated with the White-haired craftsman's scenario and I too agree that a combination of both is ideal.

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Jerome