The Breitling Watch Source Forums

My chronograph had run faultlessly for four years and died on return from a business trip. I posted the watch off for service, polish and battery. I've heard today that the battery has leaked and I will be taking a fair hit in the wallet to fix the damage including new hands.. So be it, that's life, but I wonder if there a recommended "service life" to the battery; should I have posted the watch off after, say, three years when it was still running perfectly rather than waiting for the watch to expire. I can only guess that the leakage has damaged the hands but I think I would have noticed this myself.
Has anyone been here before, any ideas? Incidentally, I attended an airline meeting a month or so back and 15 of us wore these watches so I'll share the experience with my colleagues if anyone comes up with anything constructive.
Thanks
Steve

I'm not a battery expert, but you should be fine if the watch is still running, you shouldn't need to change the battery when it still runs - that sounds like a faulty battery.

Thanks Roffensian, appreciated.
I knew it was the battery and just sought some broader general advice regarding battery life, leaks and servicing intervals. Personally, I will not go beyond two years between services in future. Reading here there seems loads of sound advice based upon experience that's quite contrary to the quality/reliability/robust image normally associated with this brand.
ATB
Steve

If it is a full service (and it sounds like it would be) my understanding is they always change hands as they are one use only.

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Al

“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"

The hands aren't really one use hands. I've had many different B's serviced elsewhere and returned with the same hands. It's just BUSA standard operating procedure to replace the hands and gouge the customer. I'm surprised they didn't get you for a crystal too.

One of the experts here probably knows for sure, but my understanding is they are single use for the purposes of complete disassembly of the movement, including dial and hand removal. Once they're removed, they cannot be reused, as they would be too loose after reassembly. Hence Alan's comment regarding "full service." Is there a chance that when you got your Bs serviced at places other than BUSA, they didn't take the movements apart completely? That might mean they wouldn't need to replace the hands.

The hands are designed to be single use - that is they are press fit and if reused they will be looser fitting than previously. Breitling therefore determine that they should be replaced during servicing, and I agree with that determination. However, as Paul (vintage) correctly states, it's not impossible to reuse hands and many of his and my vintage pieces would be lacking hands if it were.

See, I knew an expert would know. I hadn't thought about the vintage watch situation, but that makes total sense.

The process of taking the hands off is just that, taking the hands off. What happens to what's behind the hands after that doesn't have anything to do with the hands getting replaced. As for replacing the hands, liken it do taking your car into the dealer for an oil change and then getting a complete shopping list of what needs replacing when you go back to pick it up. Yeah it would be nice, but do you really need it? Nah.