Bike Mike

I would get the Rep. I am not a big Tag fan, but I really loved the look of this watch. I asked my AD to get one in so I could check it out. When I saw the Gen. I liked it even more and thought I would buy it, until my AD advised against it. His words

MSRP From Breitling is $500 for steel and $900 for Ti.

The movement was removed. Is that the over engineered movement holder you are seeing?

Authenticwatches is WAY over priced on thier braclets and straps. As mentioned, hit up a AD as they should be able to do one for at least 20% off MSRP. Now that I think about it, let me check the AD near me that is going out of business. They have had ALL their stuff at 50%+ off. I picked up two Breitling Croc straps on deployment for less then $300! I know they have a Navitimer and a couple Pro2 bracelets left. I just do not know if they are for the 22mm or 24mm lugs. The SA is 24mm.

I like to know how many of those rider tabs have gotten away from the guy polishing them.

Gen Breitling parts a almost impossible to get. Typically you will find Dials for the SA, but that is it.

You can check out all their videos here on what happens to your watch when you send it to them for service. Breitling Service

That is how I ended up with the gen. Except I loved the rep so much, it was my GF (now Wife) that got it for me.

I am still kicking myself for selling my Red Ocean Racer. If I would have known Breitling was going to stop making this strap, I would have kept it! The Red Ocean Racer on the White Baton dial is killer!

Wow that is beautiful! I wish Breitling would come up with the deployment clasp like this for their leather straps as what they have now is very uncomfortable on my wrist and once they take a "set" there is no fine adjusting them as they work back into that set. Nice job!

Congrats DB2!

What the hell? I did not study, to answer any question to win!

Same here! Got my lucky # too!

Pick one and go with it. You are not going to know the difference until you hold it next to a Gen. As long as you enjoy it.

5.) You love the rep so much that the flaws no matter how minor drive you strap on a Gen. and you buy it. Or you spend a lot of time and money building some thing as close to the Gen. as you can. It started with a SOSF and the bottom fell out.

+1! Panerai makes the sexiest movements. I love how they do their bridges!

Contact our trusted dealers. Better yet, find out what dealer the watch was purchased from. Different dealers use different makers that have different parts. Some times these parts are not interchangeable with one another.

Grand Rapids, MI. Told you I was going up there just for Vodka! I know where this Amazing Glass place is, about 20-25 mintues from my house. It is like a flea market of sourts. all kinds of stuff there! Maybe if I hold this in my hands, I will warm up to it!

If you look at some of the elements of the B01 movement they look very ETAish. Like the micro-regulator set up. So I am sure there was influnce at the minimum.

Everything that I have read (Websites, magazines, AD info) is that Breitling developed the movement fully in house at their new facility to mass produce their movements. They all read like Breitling has invented the greatest movement, manufacturing process etc. since the creation of sliced bread. This is from QP magazine: "If you're in the market for a chronograph that comes with serious horological credibility, a price that is substantial rather than scandalous and a name on the dial that the rest of the world might have heard of, then the legion of choices that most watch buyers face narrows quite sharply and surprisingly to just two: Omega's Seamaster Broad Arrow and the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. Both have names that most people understand, reputations that have to survive volume production in the 100,000s and are equipped with movements that define the standards by which others should be judged. In terms of horological cred, the choice between the two comes down to the superior finish and sophistication of Omega's co-axial escapement calibre 3313, against Rolex's 4130, a movement designed and proven to be rugged, reliable and easy to service. There may be other chronograph movements equal to these two in terms of quality, but none in terms of price and volume of production. Until now. Breitling has just complicated that choice with the Chronomat B01, which features the new, in-house Calibre BO1. If not quite the size of Rolex or Omega, Breitling is a serious volume maker of watches and has the muscle and will to make up the difference. Until the advent of the B01, Breitling could never be thought of as having quite the same credibility as either Omega or Rolex - the general quality of the company's watches was certainly the equal of these two, while the genuine recognition of professional pilots has been of real value, but however well finished and modified, ETA/Valjoux bases are simply not valued as highly as an in-house movement. The B01 will be made in serious numbers, upwards of 50,000 a year and, at the launch, seems the equal of both the 3313 and the 4130, being designed from first principles to be robust, precise and easy to maintain. The COSC-certified, 70-hour running movement includes a new system for adjusting the chronograph control functions and is housed in a case that is water-resistance rated at 500m. With five years of development behind it, the B01 is not being released untested into the world; reliability being of serious importance in coming up against such well-proven competitors. So not just watch of the month, quite conceivably watch of the next decade - the Chronomat B01." Like I said, all the knowledge I have gathered is that the B01 is prue Breitling. My only question regarding if ETA developed it, is why? Since ETA is done supplying ebauche to anyone outside of the Swatch group. If you have some thing that says ETA helped or did it all, please PM me.

Thank you sir, that means a lot coming form you. Thanks for the info on the oilers. I am now in the process of deciding which ones I will need. Can't wait to do another movement....a soon as my right eye can refocus after looking through a loop for 8hrs....and hopefully complete the task in under 7hrs. this time.

You figure the rep. makers could do the Cockpit if they could source the ETA 2896 movement. Same for the Chrono Super Ocean as it uses a 7750. Skyracer would be cool, but would be pointless without a functional movement having the minute totalizer at center. Same goes for the Cosmonaute, again with the 24Hr. movement. Breitling developed the B01 in house over 8years from scratch, not taking anything from the ETA7750.

Machinist tooling stone. I have used files too, you just need a fine needle file. Any type of polish is not going to cut it.

I just fully service a friends rep DD under the watchful eyes of my watch maker friend. Of course listen to The Zigmeister on this one....Side note, being a engineering I am very well mechanically inclined, I wrench on my motorcycle and cars, however I was not expect to be humbled by my first movement overhaul..... Taking the movement apart and cleaning it was the easy part. Inspecting each part, every thing straight, not out of round and clean little time consuming but still no big deal. Assembling the movement seemed straight forward and not that big of a deal. Placed a small amount in the mainspring barrel, closed it up and installed it, followed by the gear train, escapement wheel and pallet fork. Okay time for a little oil.....WHAT A PAIN IN THE A$$! Little too much oil, take movement apart, clean with Rodico and reassemble. Not enough oil, the time set felt very stiff when turning the crown. Flipped movement over, remove all the fun stuff on the dial side, apply a little more oil to the cannon pinion and drive wheel and reassemble. Flip movement back over and install balance wheel (oh this is fun too making sure the hair spring is in tension while getting the jewel that engages the pallet fork on the right side (sorry forgot the name of it). Apply oil to all the jewels. Removing and installing the cap jewels springs was a World of fun. Winding bridge on, dial, hands, movement cased, rotor installed and sealed up. Total time: 8hrs! Love the experience, and I can not wait to do it again, but as The Zigmeister said, getting just the right amount of oil takes skill and patience. Zig, Relative to oiling a movement, which do you prefer, needle dip oilers or the micro-capillary oilers? Pros/Cons of each?

Don't know if this has been posted yet, feel free to crucify me if it has been, fore the search function has failed me. Maybe a good post for the Mods to pin for future reference??? This allows you to build your Ling with the available straps and bracelets to give you a feel if you like the look or not. I use it all the time before deciding on a new skins for my Breitlings or deciding if I want the matching strap from our rep. dealers. Enjoy Build Your Breilting