# My Breitling B50 has died, like apparently, many others



## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

I went to charge my B50 tonight as the power was down below 80% and I always like to keep it charged with small charges, as that is supposed to better for lithium batteries than a few big charges. I connected it to the charger (Breitling's own one not a third party USB charger) and it very briefly showed charge then the lights went out and the second hand stopped. The watch would appear to be totally dead, with either a battery or motherboard failure. Reading around the various forums, the failure rate on the B50's from both the crown coming undone or the mysterious sudden death syndrome seems disturbingly high. One poster on the TimeZone forum is on his 4th replacement. What worries me is what happens when my warranty runs out in 15 months time. Will I then be left with a very expensive titanium paperweight or a watch which needs an expensive repair every year. The EU says that expensive items like luxury watches or professional cameras for example, should last at least 6 years without needing a repair and a manufacturer should repair any faults arising from its manufacture within that period, at their expense. 

I have always thought that above everything, Breitling watches were reliable, which is why I have 4 of them. This comes as a distinct disappointment. 

Wilson


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## arcadelt (Apr 25, 2010)

Sorry to hear that has happened. I think your concern about the post warranty period is very valid, and judging on the quote to have my B-1 repaired after a failure, will be very expensive. Mechanical watches can often go to independents to be serviced and repaired, but Breitling largely has a monopoly when it comes to their quartz watches and it charges a significant margin as a result.


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

Concerning to say the least. My B50 has been great and no issues or anomalies to report. Battery currently at 40% and don't plan to fully charge until it goes down to 20%.

Lithium batteries don't like to be topped off so I have been told. That shortens their life span. Allow the battery to run down to around 20% as recommended in the manual.

To make the thread more helpful, do you know when your watch was manufactured? For being an in house movement Breitling only gives 2 years warranty when it should be 5 as they do with their in house B0x mechanicals.

Keep us posted and let us know. While there have been problem B50s (and presumably B55s but there are not many in circulation so it seems) there are watches that have been reliable. Hopefully mine stays that way.

Keep us posted.


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

Enforce the warranty and get on the phone with them. Prior to this issue, have you encountered other problems? The B55 Exospace owner's manual lists an emergency procedure should the watch goes dead. I would encourage you to follow the steps listed there that I am sure would also apply to the B50 since they are basically the same movement sans the low energy Bluetooth chip.


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## Toothbras (Apr 19, 2010)

That sucks. I have no advice but can offer some sympathy if that helps


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

Apart from anything else, I suspect Breitling like many other Swiss watch makers, as they are outside the EU, refuse to sell parts to independent watch repairers. Just another little thing the EU did for us with car manufacturers, that the Little Britainers who voted us out, have forgotten about. I have a Chopard Mille Miglia Rosso Corsa numbered special edition chronometer/chronograph, that supposedly were only given as prizes to winners of a round of the Ferrari Challenge Cup races. When you get presented with something like that, you don't scrabble about in the bottom of the box and say "hey the warranty certificate has not been stamped by the dealer or manufacturer." About six months later the date stopped being adjustable, so I sent it to Chopard UK, who returned it with a note saying "no stamped warranty cert - no warranty repair." I took it to my excellent local watch repairer, who had done the full 7 year apprenticeship at Jaeger le Coultre and ended up before setting up on his own, as service manager of Rolex UK. He had a look inside and told me that a little plastic cog (yes in a Chopard Chronometer) had a broken tooth and it would take him about 10 minutes to repair after he had a replacement cog. Chopard would not sell him the cog, so I just put it in a drawer. 

About a year later I was doing a classic car rally in Switzerland, which was sponsored by Chopard, so at the final dinner, I button-holed the Chopard representative and complained about having a broken watch which Chopard would not repair. He arranged for it to be picked up from my UK house by UPS to go back to Switzerland and it came back repaired all free of charge with even a new strap fitted and a stamped warranty certificate. I hope my experience with Breitling works out as well in the end.


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

They obligation to you is to fix your watch. I am interested in finding out the root cause of the failure. Was it plugged to the computer or AC power adaptor?


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

AvantGardeTime said:


> They obligation to you is to fix your watch. I am interested in finding out the root cause of the failure. Was it plugged to the computer or AC power adaptor?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I was using the Breitling AC power adapter. I checked after the watch incident if their was a problem with the adapter by plugging it in to an old Kindle but it has charged that with no problems.

It will have to wait until I get back to the UK in three weeks, as the warranty thing (the black plastic oblong that looks a bit like a pocket calculator) is in my desk there. Also French sorting offices seem to have employed Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. I bought a mint condition 60 year old Leica screw mount Canon lens to use on my 1950's British Reid and Sigrist III camera about 4 weeks ago, from Japan. It reached Paris Roissy Airport very quickly within 3 days and there the tracking froze. French post are supposedly investigating but I doubt if that means anything is actually being done. I suspect it is stolen and has already appeared and been resold on Fleabay. About 20% of CDs or Blu-Ray discs I buy in France, vanish. In the UK I only live about 45 minutes from Breitling UK service centre in Tunbridge Wells, so I might drop the watch there personally.


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

The next bit of fun. It would appear that the dealer, in spite of confirming in writing to me, has not had the warranty registered with Breitling UK, so as far as Breitling are concerned, there is no warranty. I am waiting for the dealer, who is not an "official" Breitling agent to get back to me, after he has spoken to the "official" Breitling dealer from whom he got it. Breitling are operating a resale price maintenance agreement with their dealers, which is actually illegal in the UK, so no "official" Breitling dealers offer discounts. They get round this by selling the watch as a trade deal to another jeweller, who then discounts to the client. All perfectly legal and above board, as long as the original dealer registers the warranty, which does not appear to have taken place in this instance. I can see this all heading towards the lawyers.


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

Is the electronic warranty card activated? Does it show the watch model, serial number, retailer and sale date? Or rather, is it an unregistered blank card?


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

AvantGardeTime said:


> Is the electronic warranty card activated? Does it show the watch model, serial number, retailer and sale date? Or rather, is it an unregistered blank card?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I can't check at the moment as I am about 1000 miles south of the warranty card, which is sitting either in my UK desk or in the original box and I am at my other house in the south of France but I am back to the UK in about three weeks. My memory is that the gold figures are showing, which should indicate it was registered. I have a feeling however that the original dealer was Italian not British, so it may have been registered with Breitling Italy. That should not matter as my Avenger Blackbird, registered in Taiwan, showed up on Breitling UK's system, when I asked for it to be regulated under warranty.

However has some clever clogs found a way of hacking the Breitling warranty cards, so that they show the details but have never actually been registered with Breitling central? It would not surprise me. I have contacted the dealer, I bought from, who understandably is in panic mode, as they were told by the original Breitling dealer that it had been registered in my name, which they confirmed to me. They are currently contacting the original dealer for some sort of explanation. They better sort something out quickly.


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

Yes the warranty is worldwide no matter in which country it was originally registered. I would be surprised if they issued a yet to be activated card.


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## Clockit (Jul 28, 2015)

Like AvantGardeTime I recharge my B50 when it gets to 20%. If I go any lower the energy management does not function as outlined in the manual. Given that the battery lasts ages I don't see this as an issue.

I am very sympathetic to your situation and are sure Breitling will soon resolve it for you. Not that I know anything about watches or how the charging circuit is designed but is it possible that somehow the charger has fully discharged the battery. Have you checked the charger voltage at the magnetic connection plug or tried connecting to a different charger at an AD?

Please don't shoot me, just a thought!

Please let us B50 owners know how you get on.


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

The charger was only on for a second or so when it died. If the charger or lead had short circuited, that would have produced noticeable heat which it didn't. The watch was not hot either. I tested the charger afterwards on an old Kindle which if it was damaged, was no great loss and the charger worked perfectly. I think the battery or the circuitry associated with it, has open circuited rather than short circuited. 

The dealer I bought from says he will take total responsibility and get it sorted but that is not really good enough. Reading between the lines, Breitling is having an argument with its dealers who sell trade to other non-Breilting dealers, who can then discount. The warranty registration device was definitely completed, as the dealer I bought from, checked that the original dealer had completed the registration as requested. If Breitling do not repair the watch under warranty and confirm to me the continuing warranty, I will set UK Trading Standards on them and as I know some of the people who are involved in production of the BBC consumer program "Watchdog", I will make every effort to get Breitling named and shamed on it. I am not prepared to be messed around with by some company that is having some sort of internal spat with its dealers. Breitling is being really crass, treating a customer who has bought 4 Breitling watches, two of them new in the last three years, like this. I am also going to write to the MD of Breitling setting out in crystal clear terms, my views of a company who behaves like this.


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

Why make things more complicated of what they need to be? Save the threats for when all possible avenues of resolution have been exhausted. 

It seems to me you don't need to involve the selling dealer for as long as you have a valid and active e-warranty card in your possession. Upon your return all you have to do is send the watch directly to BUK and let them sort it out. Involving this grey reseller is not going to do you any favors. The last thing you want is to have the warranty revoked. Tight lips is my advice. BUK doesn't need to know how you sourced the watch.

My point is: Give BUK the opportunity to fix or replace your watch by the proper channels of resolution. Escalate as necessary.

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## O2AFAC67 (Feb 8, 2006)

AvantGardeTime said:


> Why make things more complicated of what they need to be? Save the threats for when all possible avenues of resolution have been exhausted.
> 
> It seems to me you don't need to involve the selling dealer for as long as you have a valid and active e-warranty card in your possession. Upon your return all you have to do is send the watch directly to BUK and let them sort it out. Involving this grey reseller is not going to do you any favors. The last thing you want is to have the warranty revoked. Tight lips is my advice. BUK doesn't need to know how you sourced the watch.
> 
> ...


Hmmmm... :think: Well, AVG... Don't you think that by now there are some Breitling marketing associates (who do indeed read this and all the other Breitling fora :roll: ) who are aware of a possible incoming B50 warranty claim which may well be invalidated due to a grey market purchase? :-s Hopefully the two new Breitling watches which Wilson purchased in the last three years were purchased from a valid AD which will perhaps mitigate the results of his B50 warranty claim. :-s Stay tuned to this channel for further information regarding same... ;-)
Best,
Ron


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

Ron, I couldn't agree more ;-)


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## Clockit (Jul 28, 2015)

It is preciously for this reason above that I purchased my B50 from an AD. My logic being that they have to eat, they gave me a discount, they are in my local town when I need them. Kit like a B50 will have to be supported by the OEM, unlike a normal mechanical with a good Blacksmith can service.

Technical issues like are this as part of our everyday life, easy to deal with and are not worth worrying about, just ask anyone with a serious health issue!

I still love my B50 which gets more wrist time that all the others (including IWC & Rolex etc) put together. Breitling will support this I am sure.


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

If the UK AD's were not being blackmailed not to discount, I would have no problem buying from an AD. However Breitling seems to be leaning on them to the effect: "if you discount, your dealership will be cancelled," so they don't. How Breitling get away with this in the EU escapes me, as this sort of behaviour was made illegal about 30 years ago (it is called operating an RRP cartel). I bought my other new Breitling, an Avenger Blackbird, outside the EU from an official Breitling dealer. He offered a discount before I even had a chance to ask him and in the end, I negotiated about 35% off that country's list price plus I reclaimed the tax when I left the country. I had no problem with the warranty on that watch, with Breitling UK. 

I believe the UK mark up on many Breitling watches is over 75% which to be frank, is obscene. I have no objection on their earning enough to eat but not caviar and filet mignon, washed down with Cristal every day. The UK dealer I actually bought from is an old established, very respectable high street jeweller, not a fly by night back street grey market trader.


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## ronalddheld (May 5, 2005)

It seems likevthe B50 and B55 Need to be bought at an AD to avoid any problems like this one being handled incorrectly.


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## Kurt Koerfgen (Feb 10, 2006)

I have two B50s and appreciate their versatility.
So far, neither one has given me any reason to complain, but I bought both from the same Authorized Dealer who knows me as collector (and thus tries to keep me a satisfied customer) and I made sure that I bought the updated models that incorporated changes that Breitling had introduced after well documented earlier troubles.


K.


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

Kurt can you PM your dealer contact? I am considering selling my Aerospace and getting a second B50, this time the mariner blue dial on Ti pro iii bracelet.


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## Kurt Koerfgen (Feb 10, 2006)

AvantGardeTime said:


> Kurt can you PM your dealer contact? I am considering selling my Aerospace and getting a second B50, this time the mariner blue dial on Ti pro iii bracelet.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


PM sent.

B.

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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

PM received, thanks.


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## Sgt10p (Dec 21, 2010)

When you cut a deal like this you roll the dice, irrespective of the rights and wrongs of the matter.


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## tke743 (Apr 17, 2016)

AvantGardeTime said:


> Concerning to say the least. My B50 has been great and no issues or anomalies to report. Battery currently at 40% and don't plan to fully charge until it goes down to 20%.
> 
> Lithium batteries don't like to be topped off so I have been told. That shortens their lifespan. Allow the battery to run down to around 20% as recommended in the manual.


Interesting that they keep old tech notes in the new watches. This watch has a Lithium Polymer battery, not Lithium Ion. With Lithium Polymer the greatest threat is running it down too far, hence the watch will shut down instead of running the battery fully down. Lithium Ion is the one that you want to run down to 20% occasionally to prevent "Memory".


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## SecondHandSwiss (Dec 15, 2011)

I have a coworker with the same issue...


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

When I got back from France two weeks ago, I decided to visit the UK Breitling service centre in Tunbridge Wells to sort out the problem in person, armed with the paperwork and e-warranty registration for the B50. My Avenger Blackbird (also under warranty) had a problem as well, with the screw down crown, so it was due a second visit to Breitling, the first being for regulation. It is amazing the difference that finding the right person, a very pleasant and helpful lady, who set out to help rather than the young lady I had spoken to on the phone, who only seemed determined to obstruct and in a very snotty manner. 

I was all prepared for a major argument but fortunately, it was not necessary. She looked at the e-warranty registration and immediately confirmed it was valid. She said that if they could not find the serial number on their system, it was Breitling's problem not mine and apologised for what I had been told previously. It is possible that Breitling Italy is not communicating properly with Breitling head office, so warranty registrations are not being forwarded for central registration. I have now had a letter confirming that the B50 will be repaired under warranty. 

The same lady then felt the "crunchy" to unwind crown on the Avenger plus the screw down, which has reduced to only half a turn and immediately said: "oh that does not feel at all right to me". It may have to go back to Switzerland, if it needs a new case. In any case, I should have both watches back repaired by the end of next week FOC. 

Wilson


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## Donsaimon (Sep 15, 2016)

WilsonLaidlaw said:


> When I got back from France two weeks ago, I decided to visit the UK Breitling service centre in Tunbridge Wells to sort out the problem in person, armed with the paperwork and e-warranty registration for the B50. My Avenger Blackbird (also under warranty) had a problem as well, with the screw down crown, so it was due a second visit to Breitling, the first being for regulation. It is amazing the difference that finding the right person, a very pleasant and helpful lady, who set out to help rather than the young lady I had spoken to on the phone, who only seemed determined to obstruct and in a very snotty manner.
> 
> I was all prepared for a major argument but fortunately, it was not necessary. She looked at the e-warranty registration and immediately confirmed it was valid. She said that if they could not find the serial number on their system, it was Breitling's problem not mine and apologised for what I had been told previously. It is possible that Breitling Italy is not communicating properly with Breitling head office, so warranty registrations are not being forwarded for central registration. I have now had a letter confirming that the B50 will be repaired under warranty.
> 
> ...


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## Donsaimon (Sep 15, 2016)

May I ask you what type of regulation you had on your avenger?


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

Donsaimon said:


> May I ask you what type of regulation you had on your avenger?
> 
> Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk


My Avenger Blackbird, when I bought it, was gaining about 8 seconds a day. I thought it best to leave it to settle down and it did but it went too far. It ended up losing about 10 seconds a day. I sent it to Breitling UK and it came back gaining about 1 second a day, which is better than you can expect from any mechanical watch COSC or not. In the south of France over the summer, it was not doing quite as well as that and was gaining nearer 5 seconds a day. I think this may demonstrate that the thermo-compensation is perhaps, not quite as good as it should be. I suspect it will be regulated again by them before it comes back to me again. With electronic regulator read outs, this is much easier to do than it used to be.

Wilson


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## ronalddheld (May 5, 2005)

Is there a takeaway is that check carefully as to the dealer's support and papers?


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

ronalddheld said:


> Is there a takeaway is that check carefully as to the dealer's support and papers?


I think the thought is that if the e-Warranty registration is active and showing the serial number of your watch, the warranty is in force. If you look at my OP, the unhelpful first lady I spoke to at Breitling UK implied that notwithstanding an active e-Warranty, if Breitling cannot find the serial number on their system, there is no warranty. After my visit, we now know that the latter is wrong. An active e-Warranty in date and Breitling will repair your watch.

However I don't know how long it will be before some back street electronic shop in Shenzen starts to make Breitling e-Warranty cards, which are then coupled with fake Breitlings and sold to the unsuspecting public. That is one good point about the Aerospace/Professional series of Breitlings, as far as I know, nobody has faked them to date, unlike all the mechanical watches. I was sitting next to someone in an Emirates plane, when I was wearing my Avenger Blackbird . He leaned over and said: "That is a really good copy of a Breitling, where did you get it?" He seemed rather surprised when I told him it was a real one and that I don't think any of the fakes so far use a 28,800 bps movement.

Wilson


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

Something is fishy, but we'll see...


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

AvantGardeTime said:


> Something is fishy, but we'll see...
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I don't think there is anything fishy at all. The B50 was originally bought for me from Vaggi e Figli in Firenze, who are official Breitling agents. I phoned them after the problem became apparent, when they were very helpful and confirmed that they had registered the B50 with my serial number, as evidenced by the e-Warranty, which shows their name as the selling agent. I had a UK based agent buy it for me and register the warranty in my name as the original owner. Breitling UK have obviously sorted the missing serial number in their system, as they have now written to me confirming that the B50 has a valid warranty and will be repaired under warranty. I suspect the battery has gone open circuit and only needs replacing, to reactivate the watch.


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## COZ (Sep 7, 2011)

WilsonLaidlaw said:


> My Avenger Blackbird, when I bought it, was gaining about 8 seconds a day. I thought it best to leave it to settle down and it did but it went too far. It ended up losing about 10 seconds a day. I sent it to Breitling UK and it came back gaining about 1 second a day, which is better than you can expect from any mechanical watch COSC or not. In the south of France over the summer, it was not doing quite as well as that and was gaining nearer 5 seconds a day. *I think this may demonstrate that the thermo-compensation is perhaps, not quite as good as it should be.* I suspect it will be regulated again by them before it comes back to me again. With electronic regulator read outs, this is much easier to do than it used to be.
> 
> Wilson


:-s


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

COZ said:


> :-s


This explains thermal effects on watch time keeping much better than I could. Temperature effects in watch movements

Wilson


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## ronalddheld (May 5, 2005)

If your watch does not meet spec, and is under Warrenty, send it back.


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

ronalddheld said:


> If your watch does not meet spec, and is under Warrenty, send it back.


My Avenger Blackbird is at Breitling UK at the moment but for the screw down winder problem. +5 seconds a day is still within COSC limits (-4/+6 secs per day), so you can't ask Breitling to do anything about that. I am sure that Breitling like all the good Swiss makers, will regulate a watch as a matter of course, when it is back with them, especially as in my case, it probably has to have the case replaced, if as we think one turn of the male screw on the case has broken off and is sitting in the crown.

Wilson


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

Both my B50 Cockpit and Avenger Blackbird came back a couple of weeks ago from Breitling UK perfectly repaired. When I got up to Breitling UK and spoke to the right person, it turned out that after all, there was no problem at all with my B50 warranty. Contrary to what I was originally told, the serial number does show up on their system, as it should, with a proper dealer registered warranty. As usual, both watches came back gleaming clean. 

Breitling have supplied a new charger cable for the B50, which is somewhat different to my original cable. I took the original cable to Breitling UK with the dead watch. It is considerably more flexible, has a different shaped contact head, a stronger magnet and a protective cover for when not in use. It sits far more firmly on the watch and the cable lies flatter on the surface, on which you are charging. A useful improvement.


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

What was the root cause? Beside the new charger, what else was replaced?


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## WilsonLaidlaw (Nov 10, 2014)

Breitling UK did not say on the return paperwork - just "repaired under warranty". It was only a new charger cable, the charger itself appears the same. When I took it up to them, the lady I gave it too said it was most likely battery failure. Luckily it did not do a Samsung Note 7. 

Many years ago, my son had a lithium battery in his old "hand-me-down" Canon digital (1.6 megapixel!) camera go up in smoke. It used 2CR5 non-rechargeable lithium batteries and I got fed up buying these quite expensive batteries for him, so bought a rechargeable lithium version and charger. While it was being used in the camera, the camera started gushing very acrid smoke and getting extremely hot. Amazingly once it had cooled down and we had scraped out the melted remnants of the rechargeable battery and put a non-rechargeable battery back in, the camera still worked. 

Wilson


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## AvantGardeTime (Aug 23, 2013)

It would have been helpful to fully understand what went wrong with your watch. I would hope the repair involved just replacing the battery cell vs a full movement swap.

Seems to me that we are quickly hitting the proverbial ceiling with current battery technology and this is why we are seeing all this sudden and sometimes explosive battery failures in cell phones, EV cars, laptops, watches, etc.

Hope your issues are resolved. A bit disappointed that Breitling has opted to keep the root cause to themselves and yet keep shoving us B50/55 owners with a measly 2 year warranty.


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