[breitling] this will be the last breitling I ever buy. This is unacceptable imo.
![[breitling] this will be the last breitling I ever buy. This is unacceptable imo.](/api/ImgurImages?id=BViYylU)
Posted Jan 7, 2020, 4:58 PM UTC
60130
This is especially hilarious after seeing the post with the 34 year old quartz skx diver working perfectly.
44
To be fair, that watch was in fantastic shape and was probably worn less in its 34 years than OP's Breitling in its 6.
But still...😂
This should not have happened to a 6 year old watch that hasn't taken a significant hit or drop. Servicing or no servicing done in the 6 years owned. Seems like a defect.
3
I got this superocean in 2014 and I loved it. I wore it almost every single day and until yesterday, it was my baby. Now i’m just pissed. I didn’t drop it or do anything crazy. I work in a cubical and when i do work out i use my Gshock. (which i will be wearing as a daily now! sigh). if you tap the watch a few times on the upper right and left the dial rotates clock and counterclockwise. I guess there are these pins that hold the dial to the movement and they broke off which i don’t understand because I like I said, i didn’t drop it. Anyway, just here to vent. very disappointed. so much for their rigorous tests
17
Sure, it sucks, but the watch is 5 or 6 years old by now and as with anything you're going to get some issues as it gets older. If this had happened in the first few weeks then sure, I'd be pissed off. But things break off on a 5 year old car even if you have driven it like a careful old lady. It's just a drawback of owning... stuff.
Should be an easy repair, provided the foot/feet that have broken off haven't caused any damage by bouncing around inside the case.
-33
Yeah, no. The only thing that should be wrong with a watch at this level after five years is a little wear on the case and slightly reduced timekeeping accuracy. OP's watch has a manufacturing defect or had a major incident he's not telling us about.
16
I guess it's a thing https://breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=33296
4
Well yes, it shouldn't have something like this happen, but things like this happen to all sorts of products. Even luxury watches after several years of constant use. That's why they only offer 5 year warranties. Shit happens, unfortunately. Nobodies fault.
3
I feel like most quality watches should be able to last 6 years without the dial falling down though. And a Swiss Breitling no less. OP says it saw desk diving with no drops. Sounds like he got an unlucky lemon.
9
Lmao I have an 11-year-old Speedy and this shit has never happened to it. Get out of here. My S2000 is 14 years old and runs like new even though I beat on it like an angry alcoholic. Are you serious right now?
1
Cool, so your individual experience with just 2 watches must be the same as every watch ever produced by any watch manufacturer in the last 30 years?
Assuming your one experience is the same as everyone else is like saying that because you've never seen a Swan that means Swans don't exist.
1
Wow. All the blaming is getting ridiculous. I wore a $50 quarts watch every day for years in HS/college working outside every summer and only had regular wear and tear scratches. Thanks for letting everyone know.
13
Yea man. I would understand if the watch didn't keep good time, but the dial falling off the movement? Even cheap Chinese watches don't do that.
9
Quartz watches are more reliable and have less components that can go wrong. This is an apples to oranges comparison. Quartz watches keep better time too. They are all around easier to own.
I like mechanical watches because I appreciate the engineering necessary to keep time without electricity. They also generally have much finer finishes to the dial, case,and the rest of the watch.
-2†
apples to oranges
But you can still compare them.
7
I disagree for exactly the reasons stated. Less moving pieces = less complexity. That means you can move your budget around for reinforcing stuff or whatever.
Nobody will be able to make a mechanical gshock that you can literally drag through the mud while using the complications like the Mudmaster. It really is an apple and oranges comparison.
0
Not at all. Both analog quartz watches and mechanical watches use dial feet to attach the dial to the movement. I wouldn't expect this from a $50 Seiko, let alone a Breitling which is marketed as being durable.
1
Quartz watches are more reliable and have less components that can go wrong. This is an apples to oranges comparison.
Not at all apples to oranges at all. Quartz and mechanical watches both use dial feet to attach the dials to the movement. You might expect a really cheap (like Ali Express) quartz watch to have its dial maybe come loose. Not this watch which is far more expensive and marketed as being durable.
1
apples to oranges
But you can still compare them.
0
I think I did.
2
Doesn't matter much, but seems you aren't alone:
https://breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=33296
12
Wow. But I'm being blamed for not sending it in for a service when I was working perfectly until yesterday.
14
That’s because this sub is full of pathetic know-it-all’s. You’re in a shitty situation and should be allowed to vent a little.
26
Have you enquired with Breitling about the warranty ? It’s just out of warranty, I’m aware, but it’s worth asking before you swear off Breitling as a brand. They may fix it under warranty
2
1
So rather than simply contacting Breitling and enquiring, you’re going to not even ask ...?
9
I have a friend who got this watch 2012 and he had the same issue a few years ago. Same model as OPs.
3
What did he do? Send it in to breitling?
2
I believe so. He wore it through all of college and it’s the only “complaint” he’s had about the watch. He loves it and wears it every day.
And from what I’ve read, having the dial feet fixed shouldn’t be a costly procedure by an independent watch maker as they won’t need to replace the dial.
5
Looks pretty cool though
11
Lol. Thanks I guess
3
Dude I know you say you mostly wear it in a cubicle and don't work with it on, and I know it's your daily and it's five years old, but that looks pretty beat up to me, even with all that said. Look at all the scratching on the lugs and bezel, especially the inner part of the bezel between the coating and the crystal.
It looks like you're pretty hard on your watch. Nothing wrong with that, but you can't expect it to last forever with consistent abuse. Maybe your next strategy should be to buy a few slightly less expensive watches to rotate in, that way they don't wear out as fast.
9
Was thinking the exact same thing. It is meant to be a diver’s watch and take a bit of abuse, but there is no way my SOH2 will look like that after 5 years. I don’t know the inner workings of the dial, but that watch has had a hard life.
11
It looks totally beat to shit lmao
6
Oof
7
Same thing happened to my father in laws Breitling. He bought it at AD in Manhattan, and they treated him like broke it. Happened twice to the same watch. Oh well, at least it was expensive.
7
Bummer! I’m sorry! Have you contacted breitling?
5
I have not. I'm sure they will want me to send it in after 600 bucks and 6 months I'll get it back fixed. I'll just buy a new Oris from Amazon I'll be here tomorrow. 😂
1†
Take it to a non authorized watch repair shop and have it serviced for $200-$300 then. It is an ETA based movement, anyone who is a watchmaker should be able to service the watch. Re attaching the dail shouldn't be hard either. It's worth getting fixed at least right? It's probably perfect timing for this to happen because it needed a service anyway. Even if you buy another watch, don't just give up on this one because something happened after 6 years if owning it. Just because it cost a lot doesn't mean it's the watch's fault if something becomes detached after 6 years. Shit breaks some times and it's nobody's fault. Get back on that house and fix your previously beloved watch.
4
It's not just me. It looks like they had a bad batch or shitty design. https://breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=33296
4
I think you can find anything online that verifies your beliefs on any topic online, so this link means virtually nothing. I work for a Breitling Authorized dealer as a watch buyer and oversee the watch repair department for my company as well. I don't work for Breitling, so I have no reason to defend this company specifically. I do however find it necessary to defend this industry from people that think a watch should last forever because they spent a bunch of money on it and complain when something goes wrong after 6 years of daily use. My clutch just went out on my car last month and it cost me $1,400 to fix it. It isn't the car's fault. I drive it everyday and it needed repair after being used so frequently. Mechanical watches need similar service as other mechanical items. It is the cost of owning something so incredible. I am sorry the person selling you the watch didn't tell you this.
In my 5 years at my position I have never seen a Breitling watch have the problem that yours has. I'm not saying it isn't possible, I'm saying it isn't an epidemic problem with these watches. You have loved your watch for 6 years. It was your favorite watch up until last week when the dial went sideways. Just get it fixed and move on. If a watch goes 6 years and you need to put a little bit of money into it to keep it going, I'd do it if it brings you joy. If you go through authorized repair locations in the US, you are in for between $600-$900 to service the watch and replace the dial. A non authorized shop could do the service for $200-$300 and might be able to re attach the dial feet to the existing dial and not charge much more than a regular service. Blaming a brand for something going wrong is not the way to go here. You will be in here in 6 years complaining about the Oris you bought because the Breitling was a POS. Just take care of your watches, enjoy them, and keep up on services so you can have them forever. It might serve you better to buy another watch or two and rotate them rather than wearing the same watch every day. They will still need service on the same schedule, but things like this would be less likely to happen. Are you in the US? If so, what area/market are you in? I may be able to recommend someone for you to go see to get this fixed.
PS: Try Breitling's Aero Rubber rubber strap on this watch. I think it would look better, give you that new watch feel, and would only cost about $150 at the local AD if you go to the tang pin buckle option.
7
There is a 2 year warranty on this watch, and that's only if it was purchased through an authorized dealer. This isn't a hard fix and after 6 years the watch needs service anyway.
-1
Shit happens, send it in for service and they will fix the dial feet. A good independent shop can also fix the feel, but at some risk to the dial, so the AD repair facility is the best bet.
And yeah, sure you can buy an Oris or another watch for service cost, but whatever you buy wont be a Brietling. Ever.
5
won't be a breitling
Hope not.
5
This is the driver's version right?
3
yes.
2
Cool! 2nd time zone for free!! 😂😂
3
But it keeps moving hahhaha
4
This is very off topic but where did you get that strap? It’s literally the most beautiful strap I’ve ever seen.
2
I make my own straps. See my other posts.
2
Well with watches selling for luxury money and having this shit happening, I guess they diserve the low sales they are having
2
I didn't know about their low sales but that means I'm def not getting a actual customer service except (send it in, we'll fix it for half a grand)
1
Low sales? Breitling is a privately-owned company, they don't disclose their sales figures. So unless you're a Breitling exec talking shit about your own brand, I don't think you know what you're talking about.
1
I do :)
1
Then would you care to explain how do you know their sales are declining?
1
That's confidential like you said Breitling does not disclose sales info.
1
Yo, totally off topic but I love that beat up old strap. Is there a story behind it or what?
2
I made it a few years ago and it's super comfy so i've been wearing it.
here is the pictures from when i made it before it got beat up like the watch :I
4
It's a bit small for the lugs. Wear what you like, but I've heard that there is a possibility that a strap too small for lugs can catch a spring bar funky and make it pop out. Just a word of warning from what I've read but never experienced.
Good luck with this watch too. I'd try to get Breitling to cover it and see what they say. Let them know you've seen it being a common problem with the model if they won't cover it and how it might keep you from buying form them again. Then after their response you can figure out what you want to do. Either get it done for free, send it in for an expensive service, have it done by a third party for cheap, and then decide to keep it or sell it when it's fixed.
3
Happened to me with my Speedmaster while stood on the tube in London. Luckily as my arm was up holding onto the overhead bar at the time the watch just fell down my sleeve. I swapped out the strap as soon as I got home and will never wear a strap too small for the watch again. This was only 1mm out too, but it was enough to grab the springbar and have enough wiggle-room to pop the bar out the lug. If the strap has no room to slide along the springbar then that's not going to happen.
2
Why is the top so small/short? Looks bad to be honest.
1
I'm not a pro
1
This is 🐂 💩.
Breitling has had so many problems —- hardly surprising
2
Breitling warranty for mechanical watches is 5 years (in the uk at least, but worldwide I think also), if you have the warranty cards then contact Breitling and explain, I know it’s just out of the 5 year period but they’re usually pretty good about stuff like that- in my experience at least
1
Did the dial feet brake or did the stem brake due to the movement holders being loose and a good hit?
1
Stem is fine. Still keeps good time. I should just remove the dial and have a skeleton mod b
2
Really sad because it's a pretty watch.
1
LMAO at the victim blaming here. Imagine if you didnt change your oil for 5 years, and not only did the engine stop running well, but the axle fell off. This is not a vintage piece. A catastrophic failure like this should be saved for china specials, not watches running hundreds to thousands of dollars
For. REAL. The watch is 5 years old. It should have another 50 years in it before shit starts actually breaking.
No mechanical watch lasts 50 years with nothing breaking if not regularly serviced. That’s the cost of upkeep of mechanical watches. Breitling warranty is for 5 years also
Breaking is not the right word to use here. A watch might not run accurately when it hits 50 but parts aren’t going to just start breaking on it. They’re not that fragile. Maybe a cheap mechanical is but not a Breitling or say a Rolex. Obviously OP’s watch is an exception to this but it’s just that.
That’s fair, and as I stated above, your watch shouldn’t just break. I’m not disputing that
I would first of all go to Breitling, explain the situation, even though it’s just out of warranty, I’d expect them to handle it. They’ve always been great to me. If they don’t, then okay, fine, get out the pitchforks and swear off Breitling as a brand
5 years for in house movement watches. A little more than half of the Breitling line features ETA based, non in house movements, that carry a 2 year warranty. This watch is one of the 2 year warranty watches.
https://breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=33296
This is false. You shouldn't add to this sub if you are just going to spread false expectations.
Mechanical watches need lubricants changed every 5 to 7 years. The watch may work without the service, but you're putting yourself at risk of needing to replace more parts or maybe even the whole movement if service is neglected over 10 to 12 years. You're about 40 years short of your 50 year benchmark. These watches are made with fine Swiss watch parts that will need to be replaced occasionally, only the case is made out of thick steel.
The oil in these pivots dry up and pivots start to wear on each other making them thinner and thinner until they finally break. When something like this breaks the movement needs to be disassembled with all worn parts replaced. There are usually worn parts replaced on a 5-7 year service.
If you're talking about non-mechanical parts of the watch such as the dial feet, they can come loose from being dropped, banged into something, or vibration. This is not a statement on how OP took care of this watch, but it is generally not unusual to have to fix something like this after 6 years. The watch is still functional, and with a little bit of reinvestment should work until it's next service.
As of late, Rolex suggests that 10 years is an acceptable service interval. That's what I plan on following.
The OP posted about an ETA based Breitling movement. That was the movement I was talking about here. If you want to talk about modern Rolex movements, then 10 years is probably fine. Even with ten years, we are still 40 years shy of what this post is suggesting we wait before service.
These aren’t false expectations. These are proven facts in regards to mechanical watches. Plenty of people have stories of their watches going 30, 40, or 50 years without a service and still running just fine. If they are being worn every day they can last much longer than 5 years without being serviced. The lubricant only starts to dry up or deteriorate if the watch is being stored improperly or sitting unworn for long amounts of time. And we’re talking years of sitting. Not months. Sure it’s not recommended that you go any extended amount of time without servicing a watch for the sake of preserving its function but they’re built to last. They’re not as fragile as people try to chalk them up to be.
This is just not true. Do you have anything to back this up? I work in the industry, I speak with watch makers daily, I'm telling you it isn't true.
Thank you.
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I dont know if you work for Breitling, but do you realize what happened here? The dial somehow separated from it's mounts on the movement. This isn't "oh lets add a dab of oil here". Unless OP wears this every day while riding a Triumph for an hour for the last 5 years, there's no reason for this to have failed. This speaks more to "QA was drunk during inspection". I think the only thing worse would be the rotor somehow breaking apart
Given the money spent on this, the OP has every right to drop the brand and move on.
[deleted]
Imagine this happening to a Rolex, this sub wouldn’t let it slide at all. Not that it ever would happen but y’know.
Breitling only offer a 5 year warranty on their watches. That means they basically guarantee everything will be fine for 5 years, but can't guarantee things won't go wrong after that. Same as most companies. It's not victim-blaming to say that things don't last in pristine condition forever.
I think you guys taking the "get it serviced" stance don't quite understand that the part that failed is not a part you expect to fail. While a watch needs servicing to keep running smoothly (and even then, need is a strong word. Plenty of rolexes and seikos that last decades without anything), this is a structural component. You're basically telling the OP he should plan with any watch to replace the dial every 2 to 5 years. That's just wrong
My comment isn't to do with servicing. I doubt regular servicing would've prevented the anyway.
This isn’t how luxury companies work though. The point of a 5 year warranty is to expect failure (in this case catastrophic) or malfunction from defects or issues out of the box. That doesn’t mean they’re actively building shit watches that are only going to last for that 5 years they promise. If that was the case the company would have a terrible quality rep. This might be the case for cheap companies that use planned obsolescence to push sales but it certainly isn’t going to be the case with a company like Breitling. They’ve proven themselves with quality products.
I wouldn't class this as a 'catastrophic failure'. The watch has been worn every day for 5 years and something small has broken off. It didn't explode, and dial feet are intentionally small. This is just a 'shit happens' issue that could happen to any product out of warranty. It shouldn't happen, sure. And it's annoying, yes. But it does.
I'm not blaming OP for anything, nor Breitling. But things break if you use them every day for 5 years, even if not used aggressively. Bike chains break, door keys snap, zips break on clothing. Shit happens.
If OP expects any company to be able to guarantee nothing random is going to happen in the first decade of ownership then nobody is going to do that. All they can do is say that for 5 years if anything does then they'll fix it for free.
Sometimes you've just gotta say 'aw shit' get it fixed and move on. Not every event that happens is anyones fault.
I agree with your take here.
The only company I've experienced that will repair/replace pretty much anything for any reason is Patagonia. I just had a jacket's liner start to separate after nine or ten years use, and my wife brought it in and they exchanged it for a new design.