Breguet service - Final Update

[Tinker]

The cap of the lower chronograph pusher on my Breguet Type XX has come off and is lost. Phoned Breguet yesterday. "We'll send someone to collect the watch." At 10.15 this morning, a man from Breguet knocked on the front door. So far, very good.

The next step, however, is to see if Breguet insist on servicing the watch when they put on a new cap. If they do, I'll argue against it.

Whatever, I'll keep you informed ...

UPDATE

So, Breguet phoned today, 6 days after collecting my watch, and then emailed to confirm our conversation. The upshots are:

1 "We recommend a service. However, we will replace the lost chronograph pusher without one."
2 "The cost of the replacement (£30 for the part, £85 for labour incl. VAT) will include new case-back & crystal gaskets."
3 "The full service charge is £595 incl. VAT. (This price has not increased since 2011 and will not do so for at least a year.) It includes, among other work, total disassembly and replacement of all worn parts."
4 "If you choose to have the watch serviced now or in future, please stipulate that the hands are not changed. The match between the beautifully aged luminous compound of the dial, hands and bezel triangle is excellent."
5 "Return carriage is £12."

So far, so very good.

[Tinker]

Just received email confirming arrival of my watch at Breguet centre in Southampton.

[alfat33]

Thanks for the update. I have this thread tagged now.

I’m hoping for something like it being dropped back off at your house in a few days time, working perfectly at +1spd, freshly cleaned, with a cheery ‘You’re very welcome Sir, certainly no charge at all Sir, thank you Sir’.

[Carlton-Browne]

I’m hoping for something like it being dropped back off at your house in a few days time, working perfectly at +1spd, freshly cleaned, with a cheery ‘You’re very welcome Sir, certainly no charge at all Sir, thank you Sir’.

Have you been drinking the Helvetia lube again?

[stefmcd]

Have you been drinking the Helvetia lube again?

Sprayed my tea.

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[amcneill]

Amazed they sent someone around to pick up watch....is this normal?

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[alfat33]

Have you been drinking the Helvetia lube again?

I think all the radium has probably addled my brain.

[WillHarris2306]

Just received email confirming arrival of my watch at Breguet centre in Southampton.

I live in Southampton and that's the Swatch Group UK Service Centre. I've been there personally and it's like something out of a James Bond film. Good service on my Omega's but i would imagine their Breguet service will be something else.

[Gerald Genta]

I live in Southampton and that's the Swatch Group UK Service Centre. I've been there personally and it's like something out of a James Bond film. Good service on my Omega's but i would imagine their Breguet service will be something else.

You would hope so given the price of a service!

[Motman]

When I was thinking of buying a secondhand Breguet, I went to the dealers in London to try the same model on, an ultra slim, (the one I was considering was In Iconic watches, a good few hundred miles away) and I asked how much a service was. 'About £800' I was quoted. Oh, and they also had some watch winders in at a 'very reasonable' £2K. I never got it as Iconic refused my offer just £150 shy of the asking price and it was last seen for sale at £250 less than my offer!

[WillHarris2306]

You would hope so given the price of a service!

Haha yes. Also just to clarify what i meant when i said 'like a James Bond film' that is perhaps a bit of an exaggeration but it still was quite surreal, i don't know if anyone else has been there?

Firstly it's appointment only of course. The building is hard to find due to the fact that it's tucked away but primarily because it looks completely unassuming with no signage whatsoever. You could also suggest the building looks quite 'tatty' from the outside. I called back and the very nice woman on the phone guided me in over the hands-free (ooh err). This is of course deliberate as the person that met me confirmed when i asked her, as a) they don't want people dropping in without and appointment and b) due to the value of stuff inside it's in their interest to be slip under the radar so to speak.

When you go in through the airlock security doors it's all white walls and polished marble, with glazed recesses built into the walls with the group's watches on display. There's a customer services desk there with some nice Zeiss loupes on top and that's as far as you go. You're dealt with by the very pleasant customer services assistant and you leave. I didn't go back as they very kindly posted my Speedy back FOC as it was warranty work.

I guess most of the luxury brands have similar set-ups but that was my first experience, and i guess the pricey servicing helps pay for all that.

There were no mono-rails or shark tanks though.

[Tinker]

Original post updated ...

[Andyg]

The cap of the lower chronograph pusher on my Breguet Type XX has come off and is lost. Phoned Breguet yesterday. "We'll send someone to collect the watch." At 10.15 this morning, a man from Breguet knocked on the front door. So far, very good.

The next step, however, is to see if Breguet insist on servicing the watch when they put on a new cap. If they do, I'll argue against it.

Whatever, I'll keep you informed ...

UPDATE

So, Breguet phoned today, 6 days after collecting my watch, and then emailed to confirm our conversation. The upshots are:

1 "We recommend a service. However, we will replace the lost chronograph pusher without one."
2 "The cost of the replacement (£30 for the part, £85 for labour incl. VAT) will include new case-back & crystal gaskets."
3 "The full service charge is £595 incl. VAT. (This price has not increased since 2011 and will not do so for at least a year.) It includes, among other work, total disassembly and replacement of all worn parts."
4 "If you choose to have the watch serviced now or in future, please stipulate that the hands are not changed. The match between the beautifully aged luminous compound of the dial, hands and bezel triangle is excellent."
5 "Return carriage is £12."

So far, so very good.

and they will also throw in a Breguet Travel Case as well.

Personally I think I would be tempted to go the whole hog and get the full service.

[amcneill]

Doesn't seem too bad a price to service a breuget. And you will save the £85 labour charge for the pusher replacement/gasket job on its own.Says something for how much I've spent on watches that £600 seems reasonable....

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[thegreatdogwood]

Wow great service to date.

[hughtrimble]

I particularly like point 4. That shows they've really been looking at your piece as an individual item rather than 'just another Type XX'.

[Sunnie]

When I contacted Fortis regarding the lost (fallen off) screwdown chronograph pusher on my Cosmonaute, they immediately said it needed a service. Then put me through to the totally-not-confidence-inspiring 'UK service centre' a la Page and Cooper, who also robotically insisted on service. I said I just wanted the pusher replaced and the watch was running fine and I didn't want a service; or that they could send me the pusher at my cost and I'd find someone to install it. No real conversation from either Fortis or P&C: just an insistence on extracting money from an owner by foisting a service as the only option. Over a missing pusher. Totally puts me off a brand when they behave like this and doesn't encourage me to ever buy from them again.

(I'd forgotten about my Fortis, and it must be tucked in a drawer somewhere; this has reminded me I need to decide how to get it fixed.)

All credit to Breguet for classy service in your case, OP. That's definitely how to treat a customer. I always loved Breguet chronographs, and this encourgages me to get one someday.

Sunnie

[DaveH]

Thanks for the info OP. Nice to hear a positive (if pricey) service story! I wonder what their reaction would be to a foreign sourced watch?

I was at the Sinn factory on Monday and they were (gently) grilling me as to the provenance of my U1 (bought on here). They were simply checking why there was a difference in registered owners between my (owned from new) Arktis and the U1 but it set me thinking....

Dave

[Andyg]

Thanks for the info OP. Nice to hear a positive (if pricey) service story! I wonder what their reaction would be to a foreign sourced watch?

Dave

Hi DAVE, in answer to your question, unless the watch is under warranty, I very much doubt they would care. I recently had a similar experience with Blancpain (all part of the same Group) with my vintage Fifty Fathoms and at they never asked the question. My watch originally came from France.

Rolex didn't care either with a GMT which came from the US or my Submariner which came from the US via Argentina and Chile.

[Tinker]

Thanks for the update. I have this thread tagged now.

I’m hoping for something like it being dropped back off at your house in a few days time, working perfectly at +1spd, freshly cleaned, with a cheery ‘You’re very welcome Sir, certainly no charge at all Sir, thank you Sir’.

Received this email today from Breguet, 15 days after they collected my watch:

"Good afternoon, Mr Tinker.

I hope you are well? Please be advised that your timepiece is being passed to quality control this afternoon. All being well, I will be in contact tomorrow to arrange delivery.

I remain available should you require any further information.

Kind regards,
G.M.
Luxury Workshop Administrator"

[alfat33]

Received this email today from Breguet, 15 days after they collected my watch:

"Good afternoon, Mr Tinker.

I hope you are well? Please be advised that your timepiece is being passed to quality control this afternoon. All being well, I will be in contact tomorrow to arrange delivery.

I remain available should you require any further information.

Kind regards,
G.M.
Luxury Workshop Administrator"

Well, not too bad at all. Sounds like they have really been very good. Thanks for the update, hope all goes well with the delivery.

[Tinker]

Breguet returned by courier this morning, 16 days after my first call.

Invoice for:

Pushpiece steel
Gasket O-Ring
Gasket Glass
Gasket 035
Rack
Pawl
Labour & carriage both ways

£115.16 inc. Breget travel case & 2-year guarantee.

[MattH]

That is lovely !

cheers

matt

[Strnglwhank]

Properly love this watch

Breguet returned by courier this morning, 16 days after my first call.

Invoice for:

Pushpiece steel
Gasket O-Ring
Gasket Glass
Gasket 035
Rack
Pawl
Labour & carriage both ways

£115.16 inc. Breget travel case & 2-year guarantee.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[Andyg]

Ecellent result and a very nice watch.