Servicing a quartz Breitling.

[Mother Theresa]

A little knowledge is dangerous and / or worrying. Reading around here one picks up alarming snippets like Brooklyn, from whence I have just ordered a Blackbird Blacksteel is a hotbed of fake watches (- oops, I hope some are decent) and that watches are supposed to be serviced.

My 1996 Colt quartz has never been serviced.

Is this likely to be a problem in the longer term? it keeps on ticking just fine for now.

[CaptRimmer]

Brooklyn the city or an AD or something else? A hotbed of fake watches....well, that depends on where you purchased it from. Man on the corner of the street or an authorised dealership? Man on street...probably fake with no come back. AD...almost definitely real with lots of come back.
As far as your Colt goes...two trains of thought...if it ain't broke, don't fix it or get it serviced every 4-5 years irrespective. However, in this case, even the "if it ain't broke" guys must be feeling it's time for a trip to Breitling.
Post some pics of your new BBBS.
Cheers,
Andy

[sa-ora]

I thought that quartz watches did not need a service. Just a battery change every 3-5 years. Have I got this wrong?

[CaptRimmer]

It is true that a quartz movement has less moving parts and generally require less servicing. However, the rubber gaskets will wear our at the same rate as a mechanical movement so water resistance may be compromised if the seals aren't changed.
If you send the watch in to Breitling, not only will they change the battery but they will change the gaskets too.
Cheers,
Andy

[Mother Theresa]

The seller in Brooklyn is a collector he says, he has a long ebay history at 100% so should be OK - I hope. The watch should arrive today, the delay due to a Fedex cock-up as it has sat in Stansted for a week. I might do a short write up for noobie importers as the net and Fedex's site have not been particularly useful in this regard.

No more sleeps...

[Mother Theresa]

Some piccies for those interested...

[Doc J]

Nice find!

And I'd be sending your Colt in, due for a service after 16 years!

[EJC]

Here's the '95 Colt I picked up for my kid, 7 yrs ago for his 16th B-Day
It had never been serviced, and was in rough shape.
The Gaskets were shot, it had rust in side etc.

Breitling did a rehab and the watch came back like new. I would not send to BUSA for every battery, but probably every other so that some of the problems we found could be avoided