So many of you are aware of my ongoing saga for the new bezel insert on my newly acquired Super Ocean Heritage 46.
Sent my watch off in their prepaid box, all going well, today i get the quote and the part is only £55 :)
Unfortunately, this was the only service I required, but according to Mr B it has never been serviced and requires a case refurb, bracelet refurb, seal and service, plus the part I actually wanted and the VAT and delivery.
£499.07 ARGHH
The only optional tick box was the one for the part I actually sent it off for. the service elements were non negotiable, is this the norm?
Would the generous response be to assume that its a case of Breitling's hour hand not knowing what its minute hand is doing?
Armed with a robustly good-humoured frame of mind, I would phone them up and ask them to talk you slowly through how come a scratched bezel insert is going to cost £500. And then see what the person on the phone says as they take on board the absurdity of the situation.
I'm sure they have this sort of conversation every day.....water off a ducks back.Originally Posted by Der Amf
This happened to me.
I bought a Ti Seawolf off kevkojak with a stripped crown.
Sent it off to BUK who gave me two options.
Crown replacement was circa £95 , full service and Refurb was North of £450. I took the cheaper option as it was only ever going to be a beater but the new response told me Id have to have the full service . They wouldn't touch the crown issue without the rest being addressed and as they already had the bloody thing, I let them bet on with it.
I had similar. Chronomat went in for a service and refinish. Clasp needed replacement which was about £400. I sourced one from elsewhere so the other two thirds of the bracelet got no attention at all. Not even thrown in the cleaner. Luckily the AD I used as the go between refinished the bracelet for me. In fact they somehow managed to tighten up the clasp too so the new one hadn’t even been fitted 18 months later.
That's disappointing but when Breitling's watches are so cheap I guess you have to make your money somewhere, right?I thought they just did this kind of thing with inkjet printers...
Perhaps in this case, does the initial in Mr B stand for something else?
You may be right, the other thing that crossed my mind is many of us have £20,000 to £30,000 cars, would you spend £5,000 to service your £20k car, as it seems I'm paying £500 to service my £2k watch!That's disappointing but when Breitling's watches are so cheap I guess you have to make your money somewhere, right?
Perhaps in this case, does the initial in Mr B stand for something else?
Have you enquired through an AD if they can source just the Bezel insert for you?
My AD, offered to take the watch and send it to Breitling, so I cut out the middle man.
I guess they are covering their arses. Let’s say the bezel is replaced and watch returned to you. You jump in the sea safe in the knowledge it had been checked out by Mr B. It leaks - you jump up and down and demand it is fixed by Mr B.
You would probably get the reaction from any manufacturer (Omega, Rolex, Patek, Blancpain) - they won’t touch it unless it’s serviced.
Have you tried an Indie?
Martyn.
Parts are not available Martyn, it seems they don't release these to any ADs or indies :(
I've bit the bullet now and agreed to pay 25% of the total watch value !
I would if they completely reconditioned my car, with all new internal engine parts, brakes, exhausts, and interior etc.
Are there no Breitling accredited servicing agents in the UK that could get hold of the parts?
Edit, I thought Rocco was Breitling accredited ??
Last edited by Omegamanic; 22nd May 2018 at 18:35.
It's just a matter of time...
Seems a bit steep
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That's cheaper than what I was quoted for on my aerospace!
Fish
Is it really impossible to get hold of new bezels outside of Breitling? For example, Omega parts are dead simple.
my chronomat had a smudge in the anti glare coating not even a scratch on the crystal.
replacement crystal £150
full service £600
I told them to shove it up their breitling boutique.
If Omega parts are dead smple to aquire that’s news to me! Pray tell where they’re simple to aquire from and I’ll buy a few.
Breitling are taking the piss, why does the watch need servicing? Sheer profiteering, they’ve got the owners over a barrel and they’re taking advantage at every opportunity.
Paul
My spring went in my clasp a couple years back and they sent me the spring for about £15. I had had it serviced by them in the past, no idea if that made a difference.
Similar thing with Tag some years back. Crown fell off while setting the time. Crown was free but could only be done as part of a full service. £250 didn’t include a polish.
I think you did the right thing. I was checking back on your posts about the watch. As it has an uncertain service history then it seems Breitling could have a point. I have to say BUK customer service have treated me well over the years. Your watch should come back like new. Some people send their watches in for a service on buying second hand if the service history is unknown.
We (guys on the forum) tend to forget the running costs of our watches. And some of the watches are like ‘pass-the-parcel ‘. Someone ends up servicing them.
M
To be fair Paul, they have the watch and you don’t - maybe, just maybe, it does need a service!?
It's just a matter of time...
Agreed, that's a fair point, but that's not coming across in the communication as the OP describes it. Even so, they should be prepared to advise the owner that it needs servicing but still be prepared to fix the bezel problem as a totally separate job. I`ve had watches sent to me under similar circumstances, I`ll fix what needs fixing if it's external to the movement and it's down to the owner to accept the advice to have the watch serviced, but insisting on servicing the watch is wrong. Ideally, this should be discussed fully with the owner but everyone seems to prefer to e-mail each other thesedays.
The watch belongs to the owner, it doesn`t belong to Breitling, Perhaps they need reminding of this!
Paul
I tried something similar with a Superocean Heritage. The crown came out, and I could not find a replacement anywhere. Breitling insisted on a full £400 ish service on a three year old watch instead of just replacing the part. They claimed it was long overdue a service. I then showed it to a couple of independents who said it was perfectly fine and not in any way in need of a service. However, a crown was nowhere to be found, so Breitling had their way. I sold the watch immediately after and have not even considered a Breitling since.
Rolex changed the bezel on my GMT Master in an hour; they will also replace the crystal on it, which has a small scratch, without doing any other work.
OTOH, when I wanted the dial on my Bling M1 replacing, Breitling Australia insisted that I needed to have the whole watch serviced. Since the watch was running at 1sec/ month and the movement had already been checked by my own watchmaker, I declined their kind offer and I insisted on speaking to the Australian head of the business, an insouciant member of the family which used to own the business before selling to a private equity firm. He told me that I was at liberty to buy a dial and have it fitted by whosoever I wanted to have it fitted. And no, they wouldn't sell me a dial.
I ended up buying one, used, and had it fitted by an independent. Breitling make, and have made, some great watches, but their monopolistic approach to exploiting their customers and their total disdain for those who buy their watches, IMO, sucks.
Exactly this, I took it in as it had a dent in the bonnet, I didn't ask for a full service, oil change, 4 new tyres and a valet, I just wanted the dent fixed. Seems very odd that me as the customer gets dictated to by the manufacturer.
The service was not an optional item, only the actually issue I had sent the watch off for was an optional item.
I can understand them insisting on a service to some extent if the problem they'd been asked to fix had some functional aspect to it relating to the movement, timekeeping or sealing of the watch. However, a bezel insert is purely a cosmetic item, having nothing to do with actual timekeeping or reliability. If they'd come back and said "we've evaluated the timekeeping and we recommend a service because of xyz" giving you the choice, then fair enough, but in effect they are withholding a part unless you have a service that is unrelated to that part itself. To use the car analogy, it's like being told "we won't provide you with a new windscreen unless you have 4 new wheels & tyres along with new brakes and pads". Legally I actually think they would struggle to make that one fly. Trying to pressure owners into having unnecessary work done will not serve Breitling well in the long term will it, and I say this as owner of a Superocean. Omega's handling of independent watchmakers a few years ago put me off that brand.
Last edited by nr73; 23rd May 2018 at 12:23.
Could be worse. Case and bracelet refinish, service and replacing three bridges on my Breguet is £1500. I'll be out on the game tonight again to help pay for it.
Remind me not to go into Birmingham tonight......!
Servicing costs are, in some instances, ridiculously high. I do think that it is easier to keep tabs on it if you have had the watch from new, but when HappyJack says that after 3 years Breitling were saying it is long overdue for a service they are surely taking the p***.
What is the warranty on a new Breitling these days? 3 weeks?!
There can also be an element of hypocracy to this issue as if something goes wrong with a watch still under warranty and it does not actually require a full service at their time and expense, then they simply fix what needs fixing and no more.
Also the idea that Breitling have to protect themselves in case the watch has a problem later after being in their hands so needs a full service is not really acceptable. Once they have recommended it needs a service and the owner declines, they are relieved of responsibility if it sudsequently has a problem such as leaking seals.
Chances are that the average layman, who knows nothing of watches, just accepts their terms. As far as Breitling are concerned, they make adequate money from those people and don’t need the custom of more difficult customers who either know too much or think they do. Breitling, like Tag, are more popular with the fashion concious than WIS anyway.
As regards service costs, they are acceptable if the standard of work is high and carried out in a high labour cost country. Denying spare parts seems like a policy that has already been found unacceptable in the car industry so surprising that no one has legally challenged the practice.
I bet the average Joe who buys a decent watch has no idea of on costs associated with ownership.
Cheers..
Jase
True, I remember the first time I got a quote for a Breitling service. I thought it was crazy at the time until I watched the service video on Breitlings website which put it into perspective a bit.
No, your initial instinct was correct. Don’t be taken in by the bullshit.
Paul
Add Patek to the list. I won’t go into details.
M
With all luxury watches, there is going to come a time when you will be financially violated. Although it goes with the territory, some brands are more reasonable. Rolex have 10y service intervals, and will supply parts to independents. I recently got a Breitling Aerospace, and although the watch is lovely, their service policy gave me very serious pause for thought. It is shear exploitation, although I’ve taken the decision to put some money aside regularly, so when the inevitable violation comes I will be prepared.
It’s really no wonder people put their money into Rolex.
Dave
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Once sent my titanium Avenger Seawolf in to BUK for a case swap, price was eyewatering enough but then they refused point blank to return the old case to me.
I sold the watch and have never been back.
This is exactly their thinking. I once enquired about why one of my Breitlings needed a full service for a smaller part-job and they said the whole watch needed to pass their quality control before being sent back, so therefore no fixing of individual things without the service.
That’s not logic or fear of litigation, it’s exploitation. Otherwise no one would agree to fix the chip in your windscreen without also replacing brakes and tyres and rebuilding your engine. In the wider world of ordinary families going about their lives it would be regarded as gouging and market / monopolistic abuse. Here, there will always be a few Watch Idiot Ignorami, willing to justify it as part of the privilege of being allowed to own a particular manufacturer’s watch. It would be very easy for Bling to recognise that replacement of a bezel insert has no impact on waterproofing of the case. That analogy is unhelpful.
There is a legal standard here which has been discussed before.Basically a company cannot refuse to carry out reasonable work requested by an owner unless far more costly extras are included.They may make a recommendation which when refused gives them the grounds to state in their receipt that the client has accepted liability if the watch goes wrong in the future.
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I think the first response would have been my approach as it should be me who decides whether a service is needed following a request for a bezel only. OP - did you pursue this line or simply decide the watch was better serviced so not bother? I'd have offered a link to this thread too and maybe to post to their Twitter and Facebook accounts.
I'm an admirer of the Heritage Superocean and the Night Mission but stories like this mean I'll stay an admirer rather than an owner.
Another bad experience here. My g/f sent her mid-90s quartz Colt into the Breitling boutique in Manchester.
We were told the price which was accepted and off it went. After three weeks or so we were contacted to say that they had advised a service and wouldn’t change the battery without us agreeing to one. Quoted over £400 which is way more than the watch is worth.
We told them to do one and took it to Goldmann’s round the corner who changed it in 20 minutes.
There are others out there that will service Breitling so mine for one won't be going back to them.
I sent in my Blancpain FF since the bezel stopped clicking.
Got it back with a service quote for €800. That kind of messed up that day.
Having a nice watch is a bit like having a mistress. There's always a price to pay.
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
That's why it's worth swapping them for a younger model before they get too old.
Yes but vintage luuuuuume
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
Interesting point about ownership Paul.
In the past PP and VC have said that if you want to change to a different dial or hands on one of their watches, the watch is in fact still their property and not allowed !!
I don't think that this has been tested in Court however.
I had similar with a JLC once. I asked if I could have different hands on a watch from another variant of that model. I was told no because they register each model as copyright or similar so any deviation means it wouldn't be considered a JLC anymore. Imagine that in the car world, no options on any model variant, you get what you are given for that specific version.
Even if I said fine, it's not a JLC anymore, they wouldn't do it.
Strange world, watchmakers
Tim
A fine point, but it's not exactly the watchmakers. It's the complacent and arrogant board room executives who direct them.
Yet these seniors are quite content to legitimately describe a watch with half it's parts made in the far east as 'Swiss made'.
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