The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi guys,
Before I order a diamond bezel for my chronomat evolution, I want to be sure I can put it on without damaging the screws or bezel. I called my AD but they wont do it because its aftermarket. I also called a watchmaker, he was unfamilier with the breitling bezel system(makes me nervous!!!)

My eyesight is not that great, I assume using a magnifying glass works fine?

How do I go about changing the the bezels? Also, Is there a wire or some kind of attatchment on the inside of the bezel...(I thought I read a thread about this?)

Do the screws turn easily or is it sometimes tightly screwed in? I assume they turn left like most, is this correct??? how many turns are sufficient to remove?

And lastly, what size screwdriver do I use, do they make them with protected rubber coated ends (to prevent scratching) and where can I purchase one???

sorry for all the questunes but i need to be sure before buying
Thanks alot,
pete

It's a pretty easy job to change bezels on the Windrider and Aeromarine ranges.

Personally I remove them under natural or a bright artificial light without any magnification, but if you are used to working under a magnifying glass you should be fine. If you a low magnification loupe, that woudl do the job too. (Too high magnification and you'll be working too close).

It's simply a case of unscrewing the screws (they aren't usually too tight) and then either lifting the bezel straight off, or turning it very slightly to get it to shift a little. A little tip - you don't need to unscrew them all they way until they fall out. Take your time and go slowly so that you don't slip. (There are no special "rubber tipped" screwdrivers that I'm aware of, so just make sure you use a good quality AND CORRECTLY sized Bergeon (or similar) screwdriver. DO NOT try to improvise with a screwdriver that is too big!!!!! It WILL end in tears!

There is a wire in a little groove on the inside of the bezel, so carefully pry it out with a pair of tweezers. Again, another little tip is to retighten a screw or two (with the bezel off the watch) as this will push the wire forward a little and make it easier to pry loose.

Next, replace the wire in the groove on your new bezel, make sure the springy piece of metal that sits on the watch case underneath the bezel is seated correctly on the case, and then push the new bezel into place on the watch. You'll need to hold it down against the springing piece of metal onto the watch case as you retighten the screws. Et voilá! Job done.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Driver8,
Thanks for the detailed instructions!
some questunes: What is the function of the wire? and does it need to be put in the other bezel in the same exact position or is it symetrical? just trying to picture it....
and what is the correct size screwdriver?
cheers,
pete

Anything between a 160 and a 200 and you should be fine. Like Driver said, don't remove them all the way as it makes it more difficult to get them back in without using tweezers

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Thats what I say, but I guess if he is swapping bezels there is probably only one set of screws.

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-RJ

I can't say for sure, but the ones I've seen on eBay all come with their own screws. I picked up a stock bezel for a project I have in mind, and it too came with the screws. Not bad for $50

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Damn seriously? I needed some new screws and the AD wanted to charge me more than that for the screws alone.

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-RJ

The absolute most I've seen an SA bezel go for is $120 or so. You should be able to grab one for around what I bought mine, if you bid instead of buy now.

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