The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Just an experience to share with you folks.
I recently had my 10-year-old Breitling SuperOcean serviced, it now looks like new. Unfortunately, one of the links on the original stainless steel strap (PRO I) broke, and is unable to be mended. I opted for a new rubber strap, instead of paying over $400.00 for a new PRO II. The watch looks wonderful with the rubber strap, and I was thinking also of trading it at the local AD for a new Windrider Cockpit. I would get a credit for the old one of over 25% off the price of the new one.
I'm so impressed with the old one still, I was thinking of keeping it, and getting a new entirely different make. I had my mind set on the Baume & Mercier Classima Executive Contemporary with dial "silvered with guilloche line decor open on the balance wheel"". I was almost going to order one, when I stopped at another store and looked at the Tissot collection. When I looked at this watch up close, I could not believe the fine detail it had, also an automatice movement, with a beautiful stainless steel bracelet with butterfly clasp, which fits very comfortably on my wrist. The kicker was the price: $625.00CAD. I kept looking at this beautiful watch, and trying to find any flaws. The dial also has beautiful machining and roman numerals which give it a very classic look. The back is also beautifully finished, with the movement visible, and some lovely engravings. I understand the movement is shared with Breitling and Tag. I ended up getting the watch for $565.00 as I paid cash, so I saved $2000.00 over the Baume & Mercier, which still appeals to me very much. The stainless steel strap on this Tissot is about the most comfortable I have worn, not quite as flexible as the Breitling Pilot bracelet though. It attaches to the lugs so that it actually looks like the watch and bracelet are one. I am very impressed at the value of this watch, which inspires me to keep looking at more Tissot models.
I am wondering if anyone else has had experience with the Tissot line?
Cheers,
Carl

I had a Tissot Seastar 1000m Automatic. Its an amazing watch for the money. For 1/10 the money of a Breitling, you get 75% of the watch. Good bang for buck. Their watches are nice. An aquantance of mine has one of the Rose Gold models limited edition.. got it as an engagement gift. Was not cheap though... same price as a big steel Breitling chronograph.

I think the Baume et Mercier Classima is an amazing watch. I know someone selling a white dial one 39mm size for a damn good price, but im not sure if it's the same one that you are talking about. PM me if you are interested.

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The one I am interested in is the 42mm, with a silver dial, the balance wheel is visible through the dial, a crescent shape cutout near the top half of the dial. The hands are blue as well as the second hand, a tremendous looking watch. Now that I have the Tissot Le Locle, though, I will probably look at the Hamptons Square, with the dual timezone and large date. I went into Birks today, and had about an hour-long discussion about watches with the guy there. They are tremendous at that store here in Vancouver! They have a promo now, where you get a Birks card for any watch over $4000.00, and you can pay it back over 20 months with no interest! That sounds like a great deal to me. The chap almost had me talked into buying a Gevril, which is an absolutely fabulous timepiece, website www.gevril.com . Each watch has a Limited Edition of only 500 pieces, except the gold ones which are limited to 50 or 100. Birks is the only AD in Canada who carries them. The one I like is the stainless with day, month and moonphase. An awesome watch! However, $6995. is a bit rich for my blood at this time. Check out the website, though, these are definitely watches you will not see every day. As a matter of fact, they are so unique that if you ever get to Birks check them out.
Cheers,
Carl

I have one of these watches, and I love the look of it. Of course it looks tiny next to my chronomat. The problem is that it is only 30 m water resistant, and I got it wet rinsing off some polish after it was 6 months old. Before it got wet it kept time at about 10 sec fast per day, now it is 30 sec slow. I dried it by placing it on the vent of my car's dash heater on a 4 hour road trip, which worked for drying but may have also dried some of the lube. I don't really know if it can be fixed or not.

Odd that it would be damaged just getting it wet, maybe the crown was open by mistake? I was told that I could even wash mine in soapy water, which I haven't done yet.
Cheers,
Carl

I always make sure the crown is tight when I have any watch near water, and the time that I described earlier was no exception, thus my disappointment with the watch. It looks great, I just don't consider it very rugged.

Sorry, it was early when I replied to your message. I was thinking of the Tissot, but it's the Gevril you have or the Tissot?
Cheers,
Carl

I have the Tissot le Locle automatic. I don't know that it really is broken, it just runs unusably slow now, like I said previously, about 30 seconds a day. I am guessing that I dried some of the lubricant when I dried out the water . I am pretty sure that it didn't rust, because it was dry within 16 hrs of getting wet. For a watch that only cost $380 new, I don't know if it would be worth it to spend any money getting it re-lubed/regulated. Does anyone have any experience with fixing this sort of problem? Is it expensive? Since I have the Chronomat, I am not in too much of a hurry.

They charge you less to service the movement in the Tissot, simply because it is a Tissot at many shops.

I've seen lots of Gervil watches, but they are just too strange for my tastes! They are nice feeling and looking but just can't see myself wearing one.

Too bad the B&M isn't the one you wanted, cuz he had an awesome deal on it. I saw a similar one at Costco, black dial, for $1250.

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I'm sorry chronomatter, but I'm somewhat puzzled here.

Are you saying that water actually entered the watch when you were just rinsing polish off it?

How old is the watch? Is it still under warranty? If not, when did you last have the seals checked?

Drying it on the dashboard heater vent is NOT a good idea

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Best Regards

Peter

I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own

There is nothing to be puzzled about for most of the information you request is in my previous posts Just to be crystal clear:

Yes, my Tissot le Locle automatic watch had "the fog of death" across the crystal after I rinsed some polish off of it under running water in my kitchen sink. I guess that must mean that water actually entered the watch, which is what I meant when I said it "got wet" earlier. In fact it was more than just fog, there were small droplets visible as well. I know drying it with hot air wasn't the best solution, but at the time it was all I could think to do. The watch was about 6 months old at the time of the incident, which was a year ago this month. I suppose it was still under warranty, but I also assumed this damage wouldn't be covered because it is only rated at 30m and it was kinda my fault for taking it anywhere near water. To be honest, that was one of the reasons I started looking for a better watch, one that would be more rugged and wouldn't get wet as easily: my chronomat (300m rating). I am still careful about keeping water off of the face of my Ling, I just don't trust those water resistance ratings after my Tissot experience.
I am buying my wife an oceane II in large part because it is rated at 500m. I want that high a rating because I know she won't take it off for doing dishes, watering the yard etc. Better safe than sorry.

If its not under warranty you could just open it up and stick it in a ziplock bag with a whole bunch of those moisture absorbant packs for a week. I fixed an old Casio that way

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Ah, I better understand the situation now, and yes, whilst your watch was only 6 months old, they probably wouldn't have fixed it under waranty as water at pressure coming from a tap directed onto a watch that is water resistant to 30 metres may well leak into it, as it would when diving or swimming vigorously at any depth, even on the surface.

The water resistance figures quoted by manufacturers is often quite misleading, even though they are covered by two ISO Standards: ISO 2281 and ISO 6425.

The following, (borrowed from a post on TZ-UK), is a useful summary of those standards.

Watches are usually marked with one of the following ratings:

30 Meters/100 Feet
50 Meters/160 Feet
100 Meters/300 Feet
150 Meters/500 Feet
200 Meters/660 Feet
1000 Meters/3300 Feet

These however, do not generally indicate the point at which a watch's resistance to pressure is expected to fail. For example, a watch rated 30 Meters would not be expected to survive Scuba Diving to 30 Meters, but would be expected to survive light splashing, for example wearing in the shower.

The reason is that the rating describes the static water pressure that the watch will survive. However, any motion of the watch underwater will increase the water pressure on it.

A watch rated 50 Meters is expected to survive immersion without pressure such as being worn while washing up dishes.

A watch marked with 100 Meters should be able to survive surface swimming.

A watch marked with 200 Meters should be able to survive Scuba Diving to a depth of 30 meters.

A watch marked with 1000 Meters should be able to withstand pressure greater than 500 Meters which is at the edge of the limit of human endurance.

Because of the historical disparity between what watch makers claim, and what watches are actually expected to be able to survive, the ISO Standard specifies a complex testing procedure for each mark. For example to receive the "Water Resistant 30M" mark, the watch must be able to survive 30 minutes under water at a depth of 1 m (3 feet) followed by 90 seconds under a pressure corresponding to 20m (66 feet).

So you are right to err on the safe side.

Oh, and even with a watch having a high water resistance rating it's worth having it tested regularly, yearly if used for diving, two or three yearly otherwise. The seals and O rings deteriorate with time.

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Best Regards

Peter

I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own

You still have warranty on your Tissot!!!!!!
Take it in right now, and get that fixed UNDER WARRANTY! I'm serious, they give 2 years warranty on water resistance and the working of the movement! It might take 12 weeks to get it back, but THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF IT! If your AD doesn't want to, go to another one, because they HAVE to! I am not kidding you, but don't wait! And take your warranty card and receipt with you!!!

Vanessa

I will take it in today! I had no idea they would cover this type of thing.