Reply With QuoteB1 by chance?
Hi Guys,
Sorry if this has been covered here before, I put in a search on TZUK but could not find anything.
I'm sending my Breitling to BUK tomorrow for an overhall, but Im also going to get the dial changed from blue to black. Nothing wrong with the dial, i just fancy a change.
My question is, if I request to have the old blue dail sent back after the service will Breitling do this, or do they have some odd rule that they can't?
Thanks!
Last edited by Speedie; 24th September 2017 at 18:54.
B1 by chance?
Chronograph A13352
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Try phoning Breitling Service - they should have the answer for you - details below:
BREITLING UK & EIRE
1 Royal Tunbridge Wells Trade Park
Longfield Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN2 3QF
UNITED KINGDOM
Phone: +44 (0) 1892 553 620
They generally don't but worth a try...
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Thanks guys, I'll give BUK a call first to confirm.
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I've always had great personal service from BUK whenever dealing with them by email or phone - so hopefully they can assist in this case. It's an interesting question.Originally Posted by Mathif
Martyn
I rang Breitling a couple of years ago regarding a dial change to my Chronospace, £1,100 IIRC and I wouldn'd be getting the original back.
I understand if they don't, Rolex don't either.
Asked the very same recently and was advised no. Not a new customer either, so expect that will be policy. My dial was damaged by an incompetent independent repairer, which was of no use to me, so didn’t mind, but asked anyway.
Thanks Sarky, I'll probably be told the same tomorrow so. I'll let the forum know the outcome
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Why wouldn't they return your property?
Rolex will return old parts I believe but at a massive premium on the new parts.
I think usbwatch nerds are weird (and I’m one!). I’ve never asked for my old oil filter to be returned following a car service.
Swapping a dial for a new one is fair enough (if you want that), but what would 'most people' do with just a genuine dial?
I'd imagine part of the reason is to prevent the proliferation of fakes/frankenstein watches...
If you want a watch to look original, presumably you wouldn't want a replacement dial in the first place.
M
I guess Breitling are trying to prevent parts getting sold on by the owner. All part of the Swiss 'control' culture?.....I sometimes think so.
I can`t see why they don`t let you keep the dial, and I can`t se a problem with genuine Breitling dials being puyt up for sale. However, I agree with the manufacturers when it comes to movement parts, hands sets and crowns. These parts could be offered up for sale as new parts, this happens on ebay with Omega stuff and it's not something to be encouraged. It's Ok if parts are described as second-hand but all too often that isn`t the case.
The simple answer is for the manufacturers to make parts readily available, thus killing the demand for second hand parts of questionable quality.
Paul
We're lucky there isn't a 'environmental disposal charge'.
Called BUK this morning, very helpful and polite lady on the phone. Gave me quotes on the service etc but can't get a quote on the dial until it sent to Switzerland. Ill post today and keep the forum up to date.
Turns out you can't keep your old dial and the cost of replacing it with another colour is not worth it. Im going to post a new thread in WTB for a a13352 dial if anyone has a black, great, white or mother of pearl dial lying around in their workshop....
I asked the same question 4 years ago as I couldn't find a white dial Seawolf anywhere where I live. Several ADs suggest to pick a different colour and to have the dial swapped as Breitling would have the white dial as spare part. I was told that I wouldn't be allowed to keep the previous dial though, as opposed to Rolex for instance whom allows you to keep it. Different brands, different rules. I guess it's a way of reducing the risk of counterfeits and frankenwatches.
Not only that, Breitling wanted to charge me 2.5 times the normal price for a dial because I was changing colour
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Outrageous! I don't understand what they gain by making customers unhappy. I mean we love watches and we are in a minority, shouldn't they care a little bit more, you'd think?
I can't remember how much I was quoted but refused as I wasn't happy with them withholding the dial. In the end I found the watch with the dial I wanted from a great dealer in Germany and cheaper too.
Last edited by VicLeChic; 7th November 2017 at 23:18.
i had a Dornbluth a few years ago that from new had a custom dial which when I bought it I wanted changed back to standard. i was quoted around 200 euros to change the dial and hands, different attitude from a very small maker who just wanted to do what the customer wanted.
Keith
Out of interest, how much did they quote you?
In euros they quoted a ridiculous €1950 for a different colour dial. If I stayed with the same colour €780.
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My god, that’s scandalous. How is that even justifiable?! And why the premium on changing colour than sticking with the same colour? Nonsensical.
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I know it's crazy! Reading between the lines they don't want to do it. The paperwork for the serial number would have to changed in Switzerland etc. So if I really wanted to go ahead I'd have to pay a premium.
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In some cases this is a good analogy, I don`t send old parts back because there's no point..........who wants a used mainspring or a scratched glass? However, with a dial swap or when hands are replaced as a matter of course (some do this) the parts have value and there's a good case for returning them.
What the watch firms don`t want is people selling returned second hand parts, or passing them off as new replacements. Up to a point I support this, there's far too many worn out movement parts floating around eBay thesedays but in the absence of new replacements they're getting bought. I`ve sometimes seen Omega hands for sale where it's likely they've been returned after service when Omega fit new hands as a matter of routine. I wouldn`t mind if the prices were modest but they're not, and folks are even claiming the hands to be new when it's clear to me they're not!
It's a crazy situation and part of the problem is the refusal of the big manufacturers to make parts freely available. If that was the case the demand for second-hand parts would be far lower and the overall situation for everyone would be a lot healthier. If an owner wants to swap his dial he should be given the old one back, it belongs with the watch.
Paul
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