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After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible"
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Author:  afzalb [ Wed Jul 21, 2021 12:26 am ]
Post subject:  After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible"
Hi all. I'm looking for some feedback and advice.

I have a Chronomat B13048 that I purchased from a Breitling dealer in Geneva (where I lived) circa 1993. I regularly used it in the 90s, and had it serviced by Breitling a few times (at least twice).

Image

I moved on to other watches after that and boxed it up. Recently, I took it out and decided to get it serviced and give it to my son.

Imagine my surprise when Breitling came back and said to me that the bezel had to be changed as it is "incompatible" and has to be replaced to get the watch serviced!

I asked them it what way it is incompatible, and how is it possible that I was sold a watch by a Breitling dealer that had an "incompatible" bezel, and nobody mentioned anything when it was serviced in the 90s.

They have ignored those questions, simply reciting their previous " the bezel is incompatible and needs to be replaced". They have also said that they have no service records for the watch and asked me to provide proof, but I don't have such documentation from the 90s, and I always went to Breitling dealers to have the watch sent to them for servicing.

Has anyone else ever had an issue like this with their watch? Shouldn't Breitling have records, even though the servicing was in the 90s?

Any advice on how I should proceed?

In terms of costs, by the way, here is what Breitling is quoting me:
  • Service - CHF 730.30
  • Crown replacement - CHHF 50.40
  • Bezel replacement - CHF 666.40
  • Dial replacement - CHF 231
  • Height ring replacement - CHF 32.10
  • Glass replacement - CHF 126
  • Pusher replacement - CHF 126
  • Center section replacement (not sure what this is) - CHF 502.60
  • Bracelet replacement - CHF 105
  • Buckle replacement - CHF 270
  • P&P - CHF 9.70

That's a total of CHF2,849.50 (about $3,100)

Thanks in advance everyone
Author:  arcadelt [ Wed Jul 21, 2021 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
Sound like something has been lost in translation.
Author:  afzalb [ Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
arcadelt wrote:
Sound like something has been lost in translation.


I'm not sure I understand. Could you explain?
Author:  arcadelt [ Thu Jul 22, 2021 2:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
afzalb wrote:
I'm not sure I understand. Could you explain?


I'm just wondering if the English word "incompatible" might have been chosen incorrectly when translated.
Author:  afzalb [ Thu Jul 22, 2021 2:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
arcadelt wrote:
afzalb wrote:
I'm not sure I understand. Could you explain?


I'm just wondering if the English word "incompatible" might have been chosen incorrectly when translated.


Ah, I see. In case you speak any German, the original phrase is:
"Bitte beachten Sie das Breitling die Lünette austauschen muss da diese nicht Werkkonform ist."

and then
"Die Lünette ist aus der falschen Serie und daher nicht Werkkonform und muss ausgewechselt werden das gleiche ist betreffend dem Zifferblatt welches aber Optional ist."

Any idea what the "center" is?
Author:  arcadelt [ Thu Jul 22, 2021 3:33 am ]
Post subject:  After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible"
afzalb wrote:
Ah, I see. In case you speak any German, the original phrase is:

"Bitte beachten Sie das Breitling die Lünette austauschen muss da diese nicht Werkkonform ist."

and then

"Die Lünette ist aus der falschen Serie und daher nicht Werkkonform und muss ausgewechselt werden das gleiche ist betreffend dem Zifferblatt welches aber Optional ist."

Any idea what the "center" is?


My German is not what it once was, and has never been technical anyway. However, Google translate turns that into:

Please note that Breitling has to replace the bezel as it does not conform to the factory. The bezel is from the wrong series and therefore does not conform to the movement and has to be replaced. The same applies to the dial, which is optional.

So maybe they didn’t mean "incompatible", but that it doesn’t conform to their configuration tables. The major difference between your previous services and this one, is that Breitling is under different ownership, and under the new ownership there seems to be a far greater appreciation of the history of their watches. Although, it is also quite possible that they are just more officious or risk averse than before.

You said you bought it from a Breitling dealer, but didn’t say whether it was new or secondhand. If secondhand, it is quite possible that a "wrong" part was fitted. I've just looked at hundreds of images of that reference, and only found two that had a gold bezel with stainless riders. All the others are the other way around. However, of those watches that were configured the same as your, I couldn’t see any aesthetic difference in the bezels, so I'm afraid I've exhausted my consideration.

Image

Image

Oh, and I don’t know what you mean by "center" as I didn’t see that word at all.
Author:  Hunterfate [ Thu Jul 22, 2021 4:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
Maybe just adding the noise here, but there were many possible configurations for early Chronomats, maybe even custom ones, so I wouldn't say that it is so incompatible that it must be replaced.

Same for the dial. But they are in less then perfect shape :).

I doubt that they have the same parts available, so they intend to put what is available now and your watch will look different after service.

BTW here is the explanation about Breitling ref numbers

https://www.breitlingsource.com/articles_refnos.shtml

For B13048, first letter B = steel bezel/case/gold riders

Regarding center section, maybe they are intending to replace the body of the watch. Maybe it is over polished or has some deep dents ?

In the end, only mechanism and back of the watch would be saved of original watch :shock:

Regarding advice - I don't know what to say. For CHF2,849.50 you will have new (and different looking) watch. If you like the watch the way it looks now it would be enough to service the mechanisam (classic 7750) and clean it at independent watchmaker and wear the way it is. And it would be way cheaper.
Author:  arcadelt [ Thu Jul 22, 2021 5:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
Hunterfate wrote:
For B13048, first letter B = steel bezel/case/gold riders


Quite right, that explains why they see the bezel as wrong.
Author:  afzalb [ Thu Jul 22, 2021 5:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
OK, interesting. I bought the watch new, so I've asked them to explain how this could have happened. I'll see how they answer.
Author:  TomP [ Thu Jul 22, 2021 7:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
Alas I think it's quite common for the big Swiss watch companies - or at least their service departments - to be, ahem, dogmatic in this way. I saw a similar thread re a Rolex (Lady Datejust I think) on another forum not too long ago: bloke had bought his wife a Rolex at an AD back in the 1970s or something (with paperwork to prove it); the AD had at the time offered to swap the dial to something his wife preferred; and now Rolex are refusing to service it as the dial was not original to the watch. However hard he tried to show them the paperwork which demonstrated that it had been supplied that way by a Rolex AD, computer said no.
Author:  afzalb [ Thu Jul 29, 2021 6:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
Absolutely terrible customer service.

Since I asked them what type of bezel they propose replacing mine with, they have not answered (I've tried 4 times now to get a response).

My guess is that they are too embarrassed to say that they want me to pay nearly $700 to replace my gold bezel with a steel one.
Author:  bnewbie [ Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
afzalb wrote:
In terms of costs, by the way, here is what Breitling is quoting me:
  • Service - CHF 730.30
  • Crown replacement - CHHF 50.40
  • Bezel replacement - CHF 666.40
  • Dial replacement - CHF 231
  • Height ring replacement - CHF 32.10
  • Glass replacement - CHF 126
  • Pusher replacement - CHF 126
  • Center section replacement (not sure what this is) - CHF 502.60
  • Bracelet replacement - CHF 105
  • Buckle replacement - CHF 270
  • P&P - CHF 9.70

That's a total of CHF2,849.50 (about $3,100)


I would tell them to shove it up their asses.
Author:  afzalb [ Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
So, they eventually came back to me. They don't know how this could have happened and don't care, it's not their problem.

And yes, they want me to pay $700 for them to rob my gold bezel and replace it with a steel one!
Author:  bnewbie [ Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
Gypsy business (translated from my language).
Author:  jerhal [ Sat Jul 31, 2021 5:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: After 28 years, Breitling says my bezel is "incompatible
Try a Breitling authorized repair center like Govberg and see what they will do.
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