Got mine out as not worn it for ages
It's a beauty but battery has died now
So.... Midlands based
I'm not sending it to brietling as it's daylight robbery right?
Suggestions?
I struggle with all the settings too!
When mine needed a new battery a friendly independent watchmaker agreed to change it at my risk. You might find someone who can do it for you, or you might even be able to do it yourself.Originally Posted by Sweepinghand
If there is actually something wrong with the watch I think you should just send it to Breitling.
The B1/Airwolf is a very easy watch to change the battery on due to the large size of the battery and lack of any complicated securing mechanism on the battery. But if you're going to do it yourself be 100% sure of your abilities because a new module is nearly £800.
What you will need (I also use a case holder for this type of work):
Caseback opener needs to be the right size for the B1, that is a B037 opener for the airwolf, 37mm, from ebay for £5. Don't try to use a Jaxa or similar. A rubber ball or ball of sticky tape might work but didn't on that watch. Don't handle the battery with your hands. Use tweezers or finger cots. Before removing the sound chamber back blow it out with compressed air as it will be full of dirt and dust underneath. Also, you need to put the module in to battery change mode: rotate the crown until both displays are off, pull out the crown, the top display with show 'R'. Now press and hold the A button for a few seconds, the top display will now show BATT and the hands will stop moving, then both displays will go blank. This will give you about 15s between removing the old battery and inserting the new one during which time all settings will be preserved. It's not vital, and if you take too long, or your battery has completely died it just means you need to set the watch up again (date etc). After removing the sound chamber thoroughly clean the rear plate before lifting it off:
As you can see, the battery has no retaining clamps, it is just held in by spring pressure on the side. Carefully hook out the o-ring and apply a tiny amount of silicone grease to it before replacing it. Then carefully prise the battery out using a jeweller's screwdriver:
All the while you do this you must keep the watch face down. See that tiny gold thing under the battery? That's a spring and if you lose that you are fcked. Now just pop the battery in, put the case back on, press in the crown and it should all be fine inc all your previous settings and even the time.
This module has a test mode that you will see if you don't change the battery fast enough, or have a completely dead battery. Once power is restored hold the crown in for several seconds. The top display will show 21HC and the bottom will show 00. When you press the crown the module will cycle through the 20,30,40,50,60 test modes.
20 is display test. The whole display lights up segments, a does nothing, b cycles through 3 test patterns
30 tests the second hand motor, press b to advance to modes 31 and 32:
30 stopped seconds, a one step of the second hand
31 one turn, a one turn of the second hand
32 constant turns of the seconds hand,
40 tests the hour and minute hand motors:
40 a one minute
41 a 1 min forward
42 a 1 hour fwd
43 a 1 hr back
44 constant hand motion hr, min fwd
45 constant back
50 seconds fast, min stepping
51 secs only
60 whole display lights up, a-b no effect, crown goes to reset normal time mode
Ian
^^^
I don't have one, but think that's a great post. Thanks.
I couldn't do it myself
£90 for the maintenance service @ BUK, which would include battery, checking gaskets etc.
But wow, great post from Ian there - kudos.
90 pounds is very reasonable. If that is all it costs, then I think sending it to Breitling is a no brainer.
Brilliant post, Ian.
I certainly would only get BUK to change my B-1 battery - cost effective for maintenance service every 3-4 years at £90 with guaranteed work.
Different to the X-33 which I changed for cost of £3.00 battery instead of £400 full omega service
Martyn
Breitling would specify overhaul service every 5 years, effectively every second battery change, and that's £290 (or £350 if a B-1 is an 'Analog / Analog-digital chronograph' as opposed to an 'Analog / Analog-digital multifunctions').
Resurrection of this thread due to my own experience with a battery change on the B1. I didnt realise that B1 caseback comes with either 14 or 15 flats, mine is 14 and although I was loaned a case remover by a fellow member it turned out that his was 15 flats. Ive just received a 14 sided remover from Ebay, cost was £49 (nowhere could I find any for a fiver that is mentioned in the earlier post). The Renata cell cost me a couple of quid and following the instructions above the cell change took five minutes.
So if anybody has a 14 sided case back and wants to avoid paying the cost of having the battery changed mine is available to borrow if you cover the cost of postage. I would advise you to get hold of an Anchor Silicone sealant sponge applicator for the case back seal (about a fiver) otherwise its a doddle to change the battery.
Cheers Keith
That's a very generous offer, thanks. I will bear it in mind the next time my B-1 needs a battery change (although hopefully not for a while yet as it was done fairly recently).
Ian
Well done.
I think you gain a great deal of satisfaction from doing jobs like this yourself. Not only saving money but being careful not to scratch it and making sure the gasket is well greased etc as it is your own property and you are the one likely to take the most care.
Mitch
Great post - I had great satisfaction changing my SMP battery a few weeks back
Great thread thanks to all.
Sent on the run.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Bookmarked - my B-1 is going to need a battery change this year, I suspect. I was quoted "approx £600" for a full overhaul and battery change (inc UTC) at the boutique in London recently
Great post, illustrates the value of using a case clamp. I didn`t realise individual caseback openers for these were available separately. I can`t stress how important it is to clean the crud off the watch around the caseback seal, I use an old toothbrush initially and I do it again as the caseback starts to unscrew. The aim is to get the crap off before the seal is completely broken, you don`t want debris in the watch.
One thing I`d add: get a piece of rodico and use that to pick out any bits of crud that find their way in. Also be sure to use a magnifier of some sorts to inspect and see what you're doing. It's surprising what you can see, and a pointed piece of Rodico will pick up all the tiny specs of dirt. I guess you could use blue-tac but it leaves a residue behind so it's not the right way to do it.
When clamping a case up be sure to think about the crown and pushers. What you don`t want is to put force onto them whilst clamping or twisting. In some cases the strap/bracelet has to come off to allow the watch to be clamped between the lugs.....it's not hard, it just needs a bit of thought before wading in.
Paul
What a great thread this is. It has really given me more confidence to try and change the battery on mine as I anticipate that the EOL indicator will be flashing fairly soon.
Where can I get a caseback holder that is big enough to accomodate the B1 though? The caseback holder I currently have is way too small and I noticed that (as mentioned in the excellent post just above) one of the acrylic holding pins was putting undesirable pressure on one of the chrono pushers.
Thread resurrection, but I just bought a cheap caseback from eBay, which fits my early B1 caseback perfectly.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/34mm-35mm...72.m2749.l2649
It's the size 35 one I ordered.
Probably not as well made as the £50 one, but for £4, I don't care as it fits and opens the caseback, without damaging it.
An option, at least, for anyone thinking of DIYing the battery change.
M
Last edited by snowman; 14th January 2020 at 10:14.
It was my original thread and boy did I learn the hard way
Off to the jewellery quarter i went
£40 I think - done
However ages later water ingress - why? The AD said the deal had not been put back correctly
£1500 insurance claim later I still have the watch
Lol - maybe I was just unlucky
Just received a B1 from a Dutch dealer great shipping left yesterday Monday delivered today nicely packaged, outer box excellent inner bakelite undamaged, all paperwork AD dated 2003 doing good then the watch good if not excellent nick full bracelet then i look at the display it’s flashing run through and the dreaded battery end of life indicator so email either take it back at your cost and full refund or pay for a BreitlingUk change currently £140.00
So much for our “experts” waffle
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
B1 very envious, hard lines with the battery, can you get the seller to contribute to the new battery?
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
E mail is out that it’s either full refund or B UK replacement i am hoping we agree on battery replacement because the watch and it’s boxes and full paperwork is super
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Sounds like you're doing exactly what I'd be pushing for, really hope it works out, as I said very envious as the B1 is iconic.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
This morning, I noticed my B-1 was totally dead (analogue and digital displays), so I hunted out my caseback opener and the battery I had for it and set to swapping it.
Following the instructions from earlier in the post, I had no problems and 10 minutes later the watch was ticking merrily away again.
Thanks to marcus fenix for posting the instructions, which gave me the confidence to tackle the job - All I'd say to anyone sitting on the fence is that it's really no harder than swapping any quartz watch battery, in fact easier than many others, provided you can get a caseback opener.
Interestingly, the last battery change was in November 2016, so that's a pretty impressive lifetime.
Last change cost me £57 from a jeweller (plus postage, I think, as they were in Portsmouth). This one, with the caseback opener, cost me less than a tenner.
Obviously I've not pressure tested it this time (no idea if they did last time), but a B-1 isn't a watch to take in the water anyway!
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Love a dabble!
Anyone know if it is close to the same process, or of similar details for swapping the battery in an Aerospace? (42mm Avantage version, specifically)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
