GEN Brietling Colt Repairs

[redroom]

So this is one of those times I'm glad I only have reps. A colleague from work was wearing a nice Brietling Colt which I complimented. He told me that he didn't know much about watches but had picked it up on the cheap from a friend of his who needed to sell it. He said that although he likes it it was losing about a min a day. I asked him when the last time he got it serviced and he says he never has and didn't even know he had to. I told him to take it to the brietling shop and they'll be able to fix it up for him for a fee of course. He came back to me today and says he's not very happy because they said the watch needs a full movement overhaul, a new crown and a new caseback (??) and it will be $850 for all of this. Does this sound right to you guys? The watch appears perfectly fine so not sure why it needs a new caseback and the crown pulls out fine. My guess is maybe it got wet and or slightly warped somehow? He's going to go ahead and do the repairs but since he only paid $750 for the watch it seems a little ridiculous. Any advice I can give him?

 

[pabler]

Without any pics it is difficult to say anything. In any case, we know they can charge a fortune for anything.

[sneed12]

they said the watch needs a full movement overhaul, a new crown and a new caseback (??) and it will be $850 for all of this. Does this sound right to you guys?

Nope.

 

But they probably said a new crown and caseback GASKET. Those are service items that should be replaced.

 

The caseback is a hunk of steel, no way it needs replacement unless the threads are damaged.

[achang001]

Lost a minute a day is normal for mechanical watch, nothing to worry about. Don't waste money on this, just wear it until its totally slow down then service it.

[redroom]

hmm, thanks for the feedback. I'll tell him..I'm half thinking of offering to buy it off him for $500 or so...

[panerai153]

I had a couple of genuine Breitlings years ago. I found them to be very expensive, this was back in the early to mid 1990's. i had a couple of factory services (They had to send the watches back to Switzerland back then), the main complaint was they wanted to change out a lot of stuff that I didn't feel necressary, such as the Gold markers on the bezel at 3,6,9 and 12, crown. crystal as wel las a complete service, which was fine. even back then which was 25-26 years ago, the costs were up around 400-600 USD.

I believe that the fellow could have done a whole lot better taking the watch to a competent Breitling certified watchmaker. Probably got everything done for 50% or less than Breitling.

 

I got even with them however. Back in the early 1990's Breitling was just getting established here in the USA, they sent every owner a nice little Christmas gift, Chocolates, etc. Well, in 1995, they had a drawing for a lot of nice prizes. I entered , never heard anything for several months, one night,phone rang, daughter answered, said"Dad, it's some lady from Breitling" I got on the phone, she asked me my name, I told her, she said"You won the grand prize in our drawing, all expense paid trip for two to Switzerland for a week, round trip Business class on Swiss Air, first class hotels, and SwissRail passes. All we paid for was our food and what we bought to bring home. Even ate lunch at the Victoria Jungfrau,in Interlaken with the president of Breitling USA. We wanted to tour  Breitling, but it was getting close to August 1st, and they were getting ready to shut down for their summer holiday. Totally off the subject i know, but an interesting Breitling story!! 

[paule12]

That was lucky

[chronoluvvv]

haha

most of us would be lucky if we can even get a 99c lighter from Breitling these days

[redroom]

Wow! Thats awesome! But it's a good thing you didn't wear a rep brietling to your lunch! That would be the ultimate violation of the "Don't wear your rep at an AD" rule!

[panerai153]

I was indeed lucky, the next prize was a pair of his/hers  Breitlings SS/gold. and on down to caps and T-shirts. it must have cost Breitling a fair amount of money, because they never did anything like that again, and from what has been said here, and from other owners, they don't give anything away today!

[ExtraExtra]

I had a couple of genuine Breitlings years ago. I found them to be very expensive, this was back in the early to mid 1990's. i had a couple of factory services (They had to send the watches back to Switzerland back then), the main complaint was they wanted to change out a lot of stuff that I didn't feel necressary, such as the Gold markers on the bezel at 3,6,9 and 12, crown. crystal as wel las a complete service, which was fine. even back then which was 25-26 years ago, the costs were up around 400-600 USD.

I believe that the fellow could have done a whole lot better taking the watch to a competent Breitling certified watchmaker. Probably got everything done for 50% or less than Breitling.

 

I got even with them however. Back in the early 1990's Breitling was just getting established here in the USA, they sent every owner a nice little Christmas gift, Chocolates, etc. Well, in 1995, they had a drawing for a lot of nice prizes. I entered , never heard anything for several months, one night,phone rang, daughter answered, said"Dad, it's some lady from Breitling" I got on the phone, she asked me my name, I told her, she said"You won the grand prize in our drawing, all expense paid trip for two to Switzerland for a week, round trip Business class on Swiss Air, first class hotels, and SwissRail passes. All we paid for was our food and what we bought to bring home. Even ate lunch at the Victoria Jungfrau,in Interlaken with the president of Breitling USA. We wanted to tour  Breitling, but it was getting close to August 1st, and they were getting ready to shut down for their summer holiday. Totally off the subject i know, but an interesting Breitling story!! 

 

Servicing at Breitling largely remain unchanged.  They still do send it back to replace a lot of the parts, overhaul and polish.  If I recall correctly, it cost between 600-650 to get the maintenance done.