# Emergency Battery change



## offshoremike

Just thought i'd replace my own batteries in my emergency. it's been dead for about a month (sorry for neglect but other watches to wear). I opened the back, put in batteries in, put it back together, and no movement. hands, display, nothing. If I put it on the EPIRB tester it transmits signal like normal. Do the 2 Retna cr2025's power the locator only? Is there another battery inside the sealed movement? Battery placement seems straight forward any help out there?


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## Broker

How did you know what battery to put in it?

Todd


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## SnapIT

From what I recall there are batteries for the epirb and a seperate one for the watch movement. You want the fully charged batteries to be preserved for the beacon so you can get max broadcast time in case you have to trip the switch in an emergency.


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## findo-400

Going from the Chronolog, the 2x RETNA cr2025 3volt lithium batteries are the independent power cource for the ELT.

The movement is powered by (I think) 2x 339 type batteries. However, as usual, I bow to those with first hand experience.


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## offshoremike

brokerrookie said:


> How did you know what battery to put in it?
> 
> Todd


 Todd, I called Busa regarding the Epirb change to 406 and they sent me a book on the emergency showing a picture w/ the movement out of the case. It shows the batteries w/ the model number on them. These are the batteries for the epirb. Someone replied to this post and told me that there are two other batteries that power the movement.


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## offshoremike

Just to let everyone know it was not as complex as one would think to change the batteries in the Emergaancy. You do have to go in through the bezel and remove the crystal and be careful with the gasket but with the correct tools and capable hands , success! thanks findo 400 for the battery info.


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## letsjet

Did you take any picts or could you post the procedure? Did you reuse the gasket or use a new one? What tools did you need?


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## letsjet

Does anyone know the proceedure? Can you do this without having to worry about the hands or stems?


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## davey vermaak

Dude.....

You are a braver man than I.

Bezel...crystal....nahhhhhh

:think:


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## offshoremike

letsjet said:


> Does anyone know the proceedure? Can you do this
> without having to worry about the hands or stems?


sorry for waiting so long to reply. The Battery change went smoother than I thought. I unscrewed the movement the case which is very easy and replaced the batteries for the locator which i recommend to do every 6mo to ensure max life incase of an Emergency. The movement required going in through the glass by removing the bezel then crystal. No hands or stem to worry about. It's nothing a qualified jeweler can't do. At first I thought it was scary because of the locator but the movement seperated and is essentially a quartz watch.


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## letsjet

Does anyone know how to remove the bezel?


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## helderberg

davey vermaak said:


> Dude.....
> 
> You are a braver man than I.
> 
> Bezel...crystal....nahhhhhh
> 
> :think:


Man, I am with you!!! I would not do this on a bet.
I would gladly wear one of my others for a while while more quailified hands did the job. More power to him but not for me.
EGH, Frank


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## GoldenBear

Why would anyone fix/repair their own watch? Much less an expensive, delicate one like a Breitling? To me, it is like dentistry or heart surgery. It's so much better to have someone who knows what they are doing, do it. I even bring mine in and they swap my bracelets for free. I guess maybe it's just me...


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## Roffensian

GoldenBear said:


> I guess maybe it's just me...


Nope, not just you - I too have the AD do everything - I figure I effectively paid for it in the price of the watch anyway so may as well make use of it. Besides, it's another excuse to visit the AD :-d


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## Broker

GoldenBear said:


> Why would anyone fix/repair their own watch? Much less an expensive, delicate one like a Breitling? To me, it is like dentistry or heart surgery. It's so much better to have someone who knows what they are doing, do it. I even bring mine in and they swap my bracelets for free. I guess maybe it's just me...


My AD lives over an hour away. Not time effective for me to swing by the AD every time I want a strap changed (which is like every 2 weeks). Repairing is one thing I don't have the guts to tackle.

Todd


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## letsjet

GoldenBear said:


> Why would anyone fix/repair their own watch? Much less an expensive, delicate one like a Breitling? To me, it is like dentistry or heart surgery. It's so much better to have someone who knows what they are doing, do it. I even bring mine in and they swap my bracelets for free. I guess maybe it's just me...


I'm not even talking about fixing. We are talking about a battery change. Only BUSA in Ct. have the tools to be authorized to do the refurb. on the E. So #1, I need to send it via carrier where it can get stolen (18k yg) ........and #2, BUSA will have it for 6 weeks (I don't want to be w/o).

I enjoy doing things for myself when I can.

BTW - I told my wife to take her watch to the authorized dealer to get her SS band resized and they couldn't do it. Seems when they polished the links some polish worked into the pin hole and made it very tight. So they said it needed to go back to BUSA. It took me 30 min to do it myself after I figured out how to loosen it up.

Frankly, I don't understand doing nothing for yourself.... I prefer to be fairly self sufficient....esp. today when it's hard to find anyone to take the time to do the job right.

It would have been nice if the guy that started this thread gave detailed pictures of the process. It would also be nice to have some guys that like to work on things here post some threads, other than the same look at my pretty watch thread. Those threads are just fine but (I know this isn't going to come out right) it feels a little girly to have almost every thread some beauty shot.

Hell, maybe we should start putting hot girls in our picts too.......... That would liven it up.....


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## O2AFAC67

*Stolen?...*



letsjet said:


> #1, I need to send it via carrier where it can get stolen (18k yg) ........and #2, BUSA will have it for 6 weeks (I don't want to be w/o).


#1. Insure it. #2. Don't you have a 2nd "E" to wear while the 18K is away? 


letsjet said:


> I enjoy doing things for myself when I can....
> Frankly, I don't understand doing nothing for yourself.... I prefer to be fairly self sufficient....esp. today when it's hard to find anyone to take the time to do the job right.


Many of us agree with you and work on our watches to the limit of our capability.



letsjet said:


> It would have been nice if the guy that started this thread gave detailed pictures of the process. It would also be nice to have some guys that like to work on things here post some threads, other than the same look at my pretty watch thread. Those threads are just fine but (I know this isn't going to come out right) it feels a little girly to have almost every thread some beauty shot.


Some informative and helpful posts in our "articles" section above this forum. Detailed process pictures are included as well. Check mine on springbars for example. BTW, *look at my pretty watch... * ;-):-d
Ron


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## letsjet

*Re: Stolen?...*



O2AFAC67 said:


> #1. Insure it. #2. Don't you have a 2nd "E" to wear while the 18K is away?
> Many of us agree with you and work on our watches to the limit of our capability.
> 
> Some informative and helpful posts in our "articles" section above this forum. Detailed process pictures are included as well. Check mine on springbars for example. BTW, *look at my pretty watch... * ;-):-d
> Ron


LOL

Yes, I have another E....... and this is one of the reasons why I kept it. But, it still isn't easy to let the YG go as I thought it would be. Maybe I need two of these? (!!!)

I'm almost afraid to insure it for value as it might just peak more interest. How high can you insure a package?

I guess I better look into that......

I figured I'd do the bat. change this time and let BUSA handle it the next time approx. 2 yrs. from now. But, since I can't seem to get any real info on how to do it, seems I'm out of luck.

NICE PICTURE!!! 

Edit: There are some helpful posts in the "articles" section above this forum. Thanks for pointing it out as I typically just scroll through the new posts to see if I can answer any questions.


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## helderberg

I have changed my own oil, gutted my home back to the studs, insulated, wired, sheetrocked, taped, tiled, hung two new kitchen's, did all the new plumbing for the kitchen, and both bath's, duhh, poured slabs, dug ponds, set waterfalls, paint, auto body and drivetrain, polished the ss straps on my B's, brush finished the sides of my SOS, *BUT*, I would not go inside the watch for any reason. I respect the craftsmanship of the builders and know what my limits are. That comes with age. When I was young I would have pryed open the thing with a flat bar, Hell, when I was 21 I knew everything. 
Frank


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## miroad

letsjet said:


> I'm not even talking about fixing. We are talking about a battery change. Only BUSA in Ct. have the tools to be authorized to do the refurb. on the E. So #1, I need to send it via carrier where it can get stolen (18k yg) ........and #2, BUSA will have it for 6 weeks (I don't want to be w/o).
> 
> I enjoy doing things for myself when I can.
> 
> BTW - I told my wife to take her watch to the authorized dealer to get her SS band resized and they couldn't do it. Seems when they polished the links some polish worked into the pin hole and made it very tight. So they said it needed to go back to BUSA. It took me 30 min to do it myself after I figured out how to loosen it up.
> 
> Frankly, I don't understand doing nothing for yourself.... I prefer to be fairly self sufficient....esp. today when it's hard to find anyone to take the time to do the job right.
> 
> It would have been nice if the guy that started this thread gave detailed pictures of the process. It would also be nice to have some guys that like to work on things here post some threads, other than the same look at my pretty watch thread. Those threads are just fine but (I know this isn't going to come out right) it feels a little girly to have almost every thread some beauty shot.
> 
> Hell, maybe we should start putting hot girls in our picts too.......... That would liven it up.....


Boy, ain't it the truth and it did come out right. Although I've read posts in this forum dozens of times this is the first time I've felt compelled to answer. Although often a good resource this forum seems to be more an outlet for little boys who want to show off their toys for most users. These guys who need to go to an AD for a battery change, bracelet adjustment, case or bracelet polish etc. probably would be hard pressed to change a light bulb, much less a strap, despite thier dubious claims of high technical skill in other arenas.


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## rbt

miroad said:


> Boy, ain't it the truth and it did come out right. Although I've read posts in this forum dozens of times this is the first time I've felt compelled to answer. Although often a good resource this forum seems to be more an outlet for little boys who want to show off their toys for most users. These guys who need to go to an AD for a battery change, bracelet adjustment, case or bracelet polish etc. probably would be hard pressed to change a light bulb, much less a strap, despite thier dubious claims of high technical skill in other arenas.


Thanks, Miroad. What a wonderful contribution. You use your third post to dredge up a 6 month old thread and bash the forum members. Very nice. You may go now. Cheers, Bob


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## jimmoose

miroad said:


> Boy, ain't it the truth and it did come out right. Although I've read posts in this forum dozens of times this is the first time I've felt compelled to answer. Although often a good resource this forum seems to be more an outlet for little boys who want to show off their toys for most users. These guys who need to go to an AD for a battery change, bracelet adjustment, case or bracelet polish etc. probably would be hard pressed to change a light bulb, much less a strap, despite thier dubious claims of high technical skill in other arenas.


Its really a shame that everyone can't have the technical prowess
of a genius like you. Thanks for being a fine contributing member
of the forum. Making friends one insult at a time, I see, and only 
took you 6 months to respond.
By the way, learn how to spell "their".
jim


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## Broker

Keep in mind that everyone has a comfort level on technical things. I just got finished changing all of the straps on my watches and replacing a battery in a Casio. I'm not comfortable enough to tackle changing the battery on my Emergency simply because it is such a prized posession. Also keep in mind that insulting members will never lead to any productive discussion. With that said, I wish there was a step by step illustration of how to change the batteries. I might be inclined to give it a shot.

Todd


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## GoldenBear

Does doing this stuff yourself really makes you a manly man? If so, I must not be one. I have never changed my own oil, rotated my own tires. Never added or taken out plumbing or built anything. I have changed a lightbulb or two, but that is about it. That is what service people are for. I will gladly pay the professionals to do what they are trained to do. I don't need to prove anything by doing it myself.


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## Broker

The point has been made so we need to keep this on track by only discussing the merits of the E battery change. Thanks.

Todd


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## Spacer

Having just got my E, I wouldn't really fancy opening it at all. I would rather just leave it up to my AD to send it on... There was a thread on another forum I frequent (pprune.org if I am allowed to say what it is), that discussed the merits of doing your own battery change. I think people eventually surmised that why buy a watch that is so expensive and not get the battery change/service done by Breitling?

PS: I apologise if I'm not allowed to name other forums here


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## 3.3TURBO

offshoremike said:


> Just to let everyone know it was not as complex as one would think to change the batteries in the Emergaancy. You do have to go in through the bezel and remove the crystal and be careful with the gasket but with the correct tools and capable hands , success! thanks findo 400 for the battery info.



Hi I just joined the Forum because I was looking for some help regarding the battery change on my emergency, when I opened it I realised that the two Batteries in sight were for the epirb. Hence to my question: how do I open the watch itself to change the batteries for the movement? I work at jet aviation in Basel, so I have access to appr tools out of our instrument shop (avionics instruments A/C cockpit). The story unfortunately doesn't end there, my emergency was a present from our senior boss for deeds well done. I didn't get the instruction book
for it, he can't find it, so I could use some help here too. Although it isn't new I would never think of complaining it's just such a fantastic watch!!
It is a great compliment to my HEUER Monaco (ineherited from my Dad)
an original out of the 60's, actually the same one McQueen had, only mine has the Stainless steel band on it.
thanks for all the help Patrik H (3.3TURBO):thanks


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## Spacer

Eh, I'm not sure. I believe it was covered earlier in this post. It seems to involve taking the bezel off and going in from the front. But, you'd be a braver man than me!


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## Alex**

there is or was an instruction manual for an E on ebay in the last week, might be worth a look


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## 3.3TURBO

I just joined the Forum and thank god I'm not the only person that wants to tackle the task of changing the batteries on an Emergency. I got a used one as a gift from my Boss last year Nov. and in April the batteries for the movement went dead.
I decided to do the change myself, and was surprised how easy it was to open and take the big batteries out, but then I realised they were only for the ELT. After studying long hours I can't figure out how to open the case of the movement to chang the other two batteries, desperately need some tech advice on this one. I have the tools necessary as I work in an Aviation company that happens to run an Instrument repair shop for Avionics instruments, so the right tooling shouldn't be a problem at all. Also when I got my super present I unfortunately got it with a little surprise, my Boss doesn't have the case that it came in (apparently got thrown away when they sold there house). This brings me to my second query I hope someone can direct to an instruction manual Pdf format or so... I'm grateful for any help or info, this Emergency is absolutely fantastic and makes a great compliment to my 60's Heuer Monaco.


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## jimmyiosis

If the Emergency has never been sent to Breitling for a service then the first one is free, even if its out of warranty, so I'm told.


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## jiber172r

jimmyiosis said:


> If the Emergency has never been sent to Breitling for a service then the first one is free, even if its out of warranty, so I'm told.


Yep, that's what they told me a few weeks ago when I purchased my blue Emergency. I phoned Breitling before I bought the watch, because the warranty expired later this month, and they told me not to worry, as the first service, even out of warranty, is free for the emergency...but every service after that (approx every 3 years) is $550!!! Yikes!!! :-s


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## jimmyiosis

jiber172r said:


> ...but every service after that (approx every 3 years) is $550!!! Yikes!!! :-s


I hear ya there. But I figured it was around a quarter a day to pay for the service, if I break it down like that it's easier to swallow. But what an Iconic Piece, worth it totally!!


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## GoldenBear

Small price to pay considering it may save your life. Think of it as a life insurance premium. You hate to pay it, b ut glad you did when you need it...


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## nanattache

o|hello,

i also looked into the forum, for a good idea , because my emergency mission clock moovement didnt work any more.:-(
so i cecked the transmitter ,wich worked quiet well.
so i went to my breitling dealer, who told me a price for the batterie change: 490,- euros !!!








so i took the watch back home, bechause i am crazy about watches,
but not so crazy to pay 500, bucks for a battery change.
i am working in an aviation company and i can tell you, its not so a big thing to open a elt transmitter.
we do that job every day in our planes.
after i had opened the watch, i changed the 2 cr 2025 batteries from the transmitter, but the movement doesnt work anyway.
after i realised that there are seperate batteries for the clock,
i tried to open the case, but for that, you need special tools, otherwiese
you risk to damage the case .








jesterday i took the movement to my watchmaker ( not an AD for Breitling)
and he changes the batteries in 10 minutes.
the price therefore : 9 Euros :-d


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## Alex**

so for 9 euros did he do all the checks that breitling would do?

i just think you spend £3850 on a watch and moan about a few hundered quid for a battery change and maintenance service just seems really short sighted to me.

but that my opinion and like someone said earlier we all have different levels of techincl comfort and i know im not patient enough and would probably break it so ill just pay to let the pros do it.


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## Lou

Thats the price you pay, for high end watches come high end prices, Each to their own, but I know what i would do.


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## RJRJRJ

Ive tried fixing things on the outside of my watch, and only managed to screw them up more. I like to try, but I know my limits, and there is no way id even attempt to get inside. Lord knows the havoc I would wreak.


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## txturbo

I found a couple exploded view pictures in the 05 chronolog. It looks like you need to remove the bezel and you can get at 4 screws that pull the top of the case apart. I am assuming that the bezel is pressed on because there are no screws.


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## Lou

The bezel is in fact screwed on at north south east and west positions. Although i wouldnt want to risk damaging the watch.


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## txturbo

I did not see any screws on my watch but it is a nearly 10 year old 18K model so maybe it's different.

I think that if you can unscrew the bezel you will be able to get at the other screws. 

My watch just came back from service at BUSA a week ago so I won't be doing surgery on mine. 

The fact is that the watch is electronic, no moving parts. As long as you don't disturb the antenna set up I can't imagine that replacing the battery would be all that difficult. If I had a dead watch I would try it and save the 550 dollars. Three watch batteries have to be less than 10 bucks.


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## txturbo

I can see the screws your talking about in the photo at 12,3,6 & 9. I just looked at my 18k version and it does not have any screws, it must pop on and off. I could just pry it with a butter knife  

I can see the gap between the main case and the upper case that the movement is contained within. 

It looks like you would just need to remove the bezel, access the upper case screws and remove the upper case. Replace the batteries and you should be good. Of course new gaskets would be a plus. 
Jeez... I wish I had an emergency with a dead battery to give it a shot. :-!


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## garyemerson

I just changed both the ELT batteries as well as the watch battery in my Emergency. You do NOT go though the crystal/bezel as one of the earlier posters suggested. I took the time to take some pics and write down the instructions of what I did.


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## rvpilot

Success! Ok, folks this guy Gary wants $10 for the instructions, so I figured I'd give it a try. He e-mailed me the instructions and in 10 minutes I had new batteries installed. It doesn't take any special tools, but if I didn't know what I needed to do I don't know if I would have had the courage to give it a try on my own. Ten bucks will save you hundreds. What a relief to know I don't have to send in my watch again.


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## O2AFAC67

*Hello rvpilot and welcome aboard...*



rvpilot said:


> Success! Ok, folks this guy Gary wants $10 for the instructions, so I figured I'd give it a try. He e-mailed me the instructions and in 10 minutes I had new batteries installed. It doesn't take any special tools, but if I didn't know what I needed to do I don't know if I would have had the courage to give it a try on my own. Ten bucks will save you hundreds. What a relief to know I don't have to send in my watch again.


Hmmmm.... :think: Well, I'm pleased you were successful with the attempt and that it was apparently not a difficult task. That said, I certainly would not bet $10 that your E would pass the hermeticity test now. Further, although I'm all for capitalism, I know that a great many members here and on other fora have freely contributed time and assistance to many other members without requesting remuneration for their sometimes quite extensive and exhaustive efforts. IMHO, ten bucks is probably about ten bucks too much to ask :-( :rodekaart when assisting others in the spirit of this forum's good fellowship.  We have members who have authored some amazing articles here and others who have dedicated web sites of their own (Don Indiano) offering free assistance and information on the brand. Sarcasm intended, if one can afford a Breitling Emergency, isn't ten bucks _*WAY*_ too low a fee to provide or receive such helpful information? Shouldn't the fee be more like a couple of hundred bucks which is still such a fantastic bargain compared to having the job done by a facility able to provide and change seals and then hermeticity test the piece? I may well be flamed for expressing this opinion, but I am open to listen to opposing views which will likely be summarily dismissed anyway... ;-)
Cheers,
Ron


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## gooter

*Re: Hello rvpilot and welcome aboard...*

Mods should ban this "gary" fellow, delete his posts/email address. Charging $10 to forum members simply for information is ridiculous in a place where technical discussion and information is exchanged freely between members. Feel free to do battery changes etc on your own piece, I'm not getting into that discussion, however, charging someone simply for information ala ebay should NOT be permitted on these pages.
/rant


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## O2AFAC67

*Re: Hello rvpilot and welcome aboard...*



gooter said:


> Mods should ban this "gary" fellow, delete his posts/email address. Charging $10 to forum members simply for information is ridiculous in a place where technical discussion and information is exchanged freely between members. Feel free to do battery changes etc on your own piece, I'm not getting into that discussion, however, charging someone simply for information ala ebay should NOT be permitted on these pages.
> /rant


Hi, gooter. Well, if Gary Emerson reads this, agrees with our viewpoints and freely provides the information to our members albeit with the caveat "perform at your own risk", then I would not urge the mods to ban the gentleman. If he takes issue with our opinions, then I would suggest he peddle the information package on Ebay. He would likely realize a much nicer profit doing that I suspect... ;-)
Cheers,
Ron


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## rbt

*Re: Hello rvpilot and welcome aboard...*

This struck wrong also. I PMed a mod awhile ago and asked about it. He apparently hasn't been on-line yet. That being said, and in addition to the instances Ron gave of our charitable members, let me add that a member here GAVE me an OEM Breitling bracelet. Let me say that again. He GAVE me a bracelet. Didn't even charge for shipping. Come on Gary, if you need money that bad, email me, I can put you on to several social services agencies who may be able to help until you can get back on your feet. This is a very giving, caring place. Charging for information is just unheard of here. I do realize you are a new member and maybe didn't quite get what WUS is all about. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt if you'd care to rectify the situation. Thanks. Bob


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## jimmoose

*Re: Hello rvpilot and welcome aboard...*



rbt said:


> This struck wrong also. I PMed a mod awhile ago and asked about it. He apparently hasn't been on-line yet. That being said, and in addition to the instances Ron gave of our charitable members, let me add that a member here GAVE me an OES Breitling bracelet. Let me say that again. He GAVE me a bracelet. Didn't even charge for shipping. Come on Gary, if you need money that bad, email me, I can put you on to several social services agencies who may be able to help until you can get back on your feet. This is a very giving, caring place. Charging for information is just unheard of here. I do realize you are a new member and maybe didn't quite get what WUS is all about. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt if you'd care to rectify the situation. Thanks. Bob


What a standup forum guy and what a really nice thing to do. Charge a
forum member 10 bucks for a little information. A great way to win friends
and infulence people. Me thinks this guy would probably be the only one
that Dale Carnegie ever punched in the mouth.
The word "greed" comes to mind first. Slimeball is a close second.
Heaven forbid this jerk ever needs any help.
I'll probably get flamed for my thoughts, which is OK, bash away, but
I'll stand behind it. Excellent call as usual Bob.
jim


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## M4tt

*Re: Hello rvpilot and welcome aboard...*

This is a community for Heaven's sake: would you really charge your neighbour for a cup of sugar?

Refund and apology time.


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## DMB

*Re: Hello rvpilot and welcome aboard...*



rbt said:


> This struck wrong also. I PMed a mod awhile ago and asked about it. He apparently hasn't been on-line yet. That being said, and in addition to the instances Ron gave of our charitable members, let me add that a member here GAVE me an OEM Breitling bracelet. Let me say that again. He GAVE me a bracelet. Didn't even charge for shipping. Come on Gary, if you need money that bad, email me, I can put you on to several social services agencies who may be able to help until you can get back on your feet. This is a very giving, caring place. Charging for information is just unheard of here. I do realize you are a new member and maybe didn't quite get what WUS is all about. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt if you'd care to rectify the situation. Thanks. Bob


Hmmm .... funny this Gary guy and rvpilot both joined at almost the same time. Both have 1 post. Not to kick off any conspiracy theories, but maybe rv and gary are one in the same, and it's a little exercise is shilling, as in "Hey, this guy just saved me a bundle. For the low price of $10 you can change your own battery". No biggy, as I doubt we'll be hearing much from either as regular posters and contributers. Just a thought. - David


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## spogehead

*Re: Hello rvpilot and welcome aboard...*



DMB said:


> Hmmm .... funny this Gary guy and rvpilot both joined at almost the same time. Both have 1 post. Not to kick off any conspiracy theories, but maybe rv and gary are one in the same, and it's a little exercise is shilling, as in "Hey, this guy just saved me a bundle. For the low price of $10 you can change your own battery". No biggy, as I doubt we'll be hearing much from either as regular posters and contributers. Just a thought. - David


Looks like for the first time since I've been reading your posts that you might be right! ;-)

Regardless......

If everybody charged for their info/advice, there would be no forum,......or i'd be bankrupt...... Gary whoever the f you are please do one


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## trueblue40

rvpilot said:


> Success! Ok, folks this guy Gary wants $10 for the instructions, so I figured I'd give it a try. He e-mailed me the instructions and in 10 minutes I had new batteries installed. It doesn't take any special tools, but if I didn't know what I needed to do I don't know if I would have had the courage to give it a try on my own. Ten bucks will save you hundreds. What a relief to know I don't have to send in my watch again.


I first read this at work just as i was leaving and immediately thought, "something dodgy going on here".

Now i have a chance to reply, i see that many others have beaten me to it. This forum and it's members have given advice, technical information and all round Breitling knowledge FREE to, basically, anyone that asks.

Charging ten bucks for any sort of help is pretty poor IMO.

I wonder what the instructions would have consisted of though. Something along these lines maybe:

"Remove caseback, remove old batteries, install new batteries, replace caseback". Job done, that'll be......

Nick


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## Broker

Gary and I are discussing this matter by email. 

Todd


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## RJRJRJ

*Re: Hello rvpilot and welcome aboard...*



M4tt said:


> would you really charge your neighbour for a cup of sugar?


If his name was Gary, I just might.


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## DMB

Broker said:


> Gary and I are discussing this matter by email.
> 
> Todd


How much is he charging you? ;-) - David


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## findo-400

Todd

I hope you are charging him dearly for your advice.:-!

Of course the anagram of Gary Emerson is.......... my anger rose.o|:rodekaart


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## watch-man7777

And I thought Omega service was expensive...


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## Trojan

Quote:
Originally Posted by *Broker*  
_Gary and I are discussing this matter by email.

Todd_

How much is he charging you? ;-) - David

Now that's Funny! So's charging ol' "Gary" for a cup of sugar! Good for a few laughs. 
"Gary" may be living proof that there are more horse's asses on the planet than there are horses.... 
John


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## GavH

Surely if this was gen up, rvpilot now in receipt of his emailed $10 worth of instructions from 'Gary' would be attempting to sell them on at maybe $5, undercutting 'Gary' and benefiting in more ways than just helping folks change their own battery.:think:
Or maybe rvpilot is 'Gary' and a more blatant attempt at self-promotion I've never in my life witnessed.:rodekaart

I wonder how much he sells instructions on how to make the lume on my watches brighter??


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## Broker

Discussion is complete. Gary is free to charge for his information that he kindly sent me to review. He just won't be doing it on the Breitling forum. This isn't the place for selling or buying anything whether it is a watch or information about a watch. I don't agree with the principle but it is what it is. The only thing I wasn't pleased with (at all) was the shill post as DMB noted. 

Todd


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## Broker

One other thing. Gary charging for this information is subject to multiple interpretations of right and wrong. Let's not get into the merits of it on this forum.

Todd


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## O2AFAC67

Broker said:


> Discussion is complete. Gary is free to charge for his information that he kindly sent me to review. He just won't be doing it on the Breitling forum. This isn't the place for selling or buying anything whether it is a watch or information about a watch. I don't agree with the principle but it is what it is. The only thing I wasn't pleased with (at all) was the shill post as DMB noted.


He won't be doing it on this Breitling forum but there are others which may be receptive to his "generous" offer. Good thing I belong to probably most all of the other Breitling fora as do many of us here. When he attempts to ply his trade elsewhere one of our vigilant members will call his hand immediately I'm certain. Todd, did he really pull the shill post scam with the "rvpilot" screen name? If so, ban the sleazeball forever and when we see him elsewhere we'll request the mods to do it there as well. BTW, unlikely the sleazeball copyrighted the material. What do you think of posting the information here with all appropriate cautions?
Cheers,
Ron

BTW. I watched the videos and WILL show them to wifey this evening when she gets home. I'll let you know what happens...


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## DMB

Hey Ron, I was born in South Louisiana, but grew up in Houston. We are no strangers to hurricanes, having lived in New Orleans, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge. My parents still live in Houston and are taking this thing very serious. My dad paid $1600 today to have 2 big pine trees removed from the backyard on a rush basis. Trust me, if you can leave .... leave. Todd and I had hell after Gustav. I'm a cop so I had access to gas for the generator, but if this thing had been a little worse it could have gotten much harder to get supplies after the storm. Hope you make out ok. - David


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## SnapIT

Little more needs to be said on my part. Its not in the spirit of our forum to charge for information of this sort. 

For one, the person charging also accepts liability for the consequences if his information proves to cause harm or damage even if unforeseen. Whilst dealing with an instrument with the intended purpose of the Emergency one has to be mindful that one maybe relying on it to save one's life. What if your actions while replacing the batteries starts off a corrosion event that renders the watch or transmitter unserviceable months after the change over? Who is going to pick up the pieces if it doesn't preform as required at the time its needed? Your call. 

Lastly, if the proponent had a little respect for our forum he would have informed the mods and asked for the OK. As such, Broker has handled this and I back his decisions.


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## txturbo

I just put an end to it forever...

Check the articles section.


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## groundhog

WOW! 10$ eh?
Most would have given their $.02 worth, for nothing.


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## drgreenthumb

this is a nice thread and glad somebody started rolling the ball.

I was interested on the average pricing for a battery replacement for the E specifically and came up to the thread.

What Ive noticed:

1) Many people are reporting different prices for E's battery service. The official Breitling maintenance guide shows that it is actually a flat rate of $380 in the US.

2) Mostly because of costs concerning battery replacement, several people expressed interests on doing their own service. That is fine to me and some people are inclined to do this type of work. But Breitling's cost of $380 covers polishing (case and bracelet), gasket replacements (at the transmitter's antenna, and the 2 housing units), lubrication, and checking all the parameters of the mov't, possible replacement of components and parts, etc...

I would like to do the battery,mostly because I like tinkering with things (I have pulled engines out, troubleshoot lab automation robots, etc) BUT the service includes other things besides replacing the 2 batteries and considering the price of the watch and a 12 month warranty coverage after. That this service is NOT so bad at $380.

Here is the link from BUSA: http://www.breitling.com/multimedia/docs/2009/03/sav-1219.pdf


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## usurp

I've had my emergency battery swapped twice since I've got it back in 2001.

Both cases it cost me around $300-$350 via the authorized dealer. They don't replace the batteries locally (in Kuwait), they mail it out to Switzerland and the process takes 1-2 months. What I like about it though is when you get the watch back it comes back looking brand new.

For example the last time I sent my emergency for a battery replacement they fixed the following issues:

- all scratches gone

- some of the numbers on the bezel had lost their black paint, they were repainted (or the bezel swapped not sure but it looked new again)

- my minute hand has specks of luminous paint missing, they fixed that

- The little plastic ring that breaks when you try to open the antenna compartment somehow broke with me, probably with age. They swapped it with a new one

- They sent my Brietling back in a very nice black service case which I now use to store my watch when I am not wearing it

Sending out my beat up falling apart watch to get a battery change and to get it again brand new is worth more than $300 easily


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## drgreenthumb

usurp said:


> I've had my emergency battery swapped twice since I've got it back in 2001.
> 
> Both cases it cost me around $300-$350 via the authorized dealer. They don't replace the batteries locally (in Kuwait), they mail it out to Switzerland and the process takes 1-2 months. What I like about it though is when you get the watch back it comes back looking brand new.
> 
> For example the last time I sent my emergency for a battery replacement they fixed the following issues:
> 
> - all scratches gone
> 
> - some of the numbers on the bezel had lost their black paint, they were repainted (or the bezel swapped not sure but it looked new again)
> 
> - my minute hand has specks of luminous paint missing, they fixed that
> 
> - The little plastic ring that breaks when you try to open the antenna compartment somehow broke with me, probably with age. They swapped it with a new one
> 
> - They sent my Brietling back in a very nice black service case which I now use to store my watch when I am not wearing it
> 
> Sending out my beat up falling apart watch to get a battery change and to get it again brand new is worth more than $300 easily


Thats what I thought that even if i felt comfortable changing the battery, polishing the entire watch-bracelet, replacing the gasket (important to me since I take them down to 60-70ft diving), and other services that is included with the "flat rate", isnt really too bad in my opinion.

Not too mention calibrating the movements (mechanical and digital) requires more skill.

Replacing your own battery on a $6-7K$ watch would be like driving a Ferrari and putting $10 floor mats (unless you are certified for watch repair).


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## txturbo

drgreenthumb said:


> Thats what I thought that even if i felt comfortable changing the battery, polishing the entire watch-bracelet, replacing the gasket (important to me since I take them down to 60-70ft diving), and other services that is included with the "flat rate", isnt really too bad in my opinion.
> 
> Not too mention calibrating the movements (mechanical and digital) requires more skill.
> 
> Replacing your own battery on a $6-7K$ watch would be like driving a Ferrari and putting $10 floor mats (unless you are certified for watch repair).


If your watch is trashed out and all scratched up it's worth it. 
To simply change the batteries is $10 dollars and 10 minutes for someone with minimal mechanical skill. If your really handy you can clean up an E with a titanium refinishing pad (I think it's just scotchbrite).

Do you really dive with your Emergency or do you have the Emergency mission?


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## drgreenthumb

txturbo said:


> If your watch is trashed out and all scratched up it's worth it.
> To simply change the batteries is $10 dollars and 10 minutes for someone with minimal mechanical skill. If your really handy you can clean up an E with a titanium refinishing pad (I think it's just scotchbrite).
> 
> Do you really dive with your Emergency or do you have the Emergency mission?


I understand during this tough economic times its hard to justify a ~$500 service charge for taking your E in for service. That price includes more than just a battery change though. The technician actually does through a protocol of checks and measures.

I have a few Es (the only Breitlings I have). I have dove with them several times at 70-80ft. One of the unique dives was lago atitlan (1500m-high altitude lake dive in Guatemala) and lake titicaca in Bolivia (3000m).

Not too mention, It also withstood sand storms in southern Jordan when I had a 2 week trek with the Bedouins. When I took it in after ~1yr for service, the technician had mentioned that there was not a single sand speck under magnification :-!


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## txturbo

drgreenthumb said:


> I understand during this tough economic times its hard to justify a ~$500 service charge for taking your E in for service. That price includes more than just a battery change though. The technician actually does through a protocol of checks and measures.
> 
> I have a few Es (the only Breitlings I have). I have dove with them several times at 70-80ft. One of the unique dives was lago atitlan (1500m-high altitude lake dive in Guatemala) and lake titicaca in Bolivia (3000m).
> 
> Not too mention, It also withstood sand storms in southern Jordan when I had a 2 week trek with the Bedouins. When I took it in after ~1yr for service, the technician had mentioned that there was not a single sand speck under magnification :-!


That's allot of water for a watch that's not rated for diving. :think: Seems like you need the Mission model.


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## letsjet

Nice to see this thread still alive.

There are all kinds of E owners. Some might want to do their own battery change, others might think it's taboo. Either way, no problem.....

I can tell you that, for me, putting a set of batteries in and having up and running in a matter of minutes is pretty nice instead of losing it for a few months. A qualified tech can check the seals and you can check the elt easily with the tester or scanner. So, I'll probably alternate every other battery change.

If you're an owner and on FB you should join the Breitling Emergency group.


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## limbo

Having just sent my E in for service, I appreciate the earlier post linking to service rates; somehow I wasn't able to find those online previously, and BUSA was decidedly noncommital about rates when I called them on the phone.

Anyone had their dial/hands re-lumed as well? If so, what'd it cost?

MB


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## txturbo

limbo said:


> Having just sent my E in for service, I appreciate the earlier post linking to service rates; somehow I wasn't able to find those online previously, and BUSA was decidedly noncommital about rates when I called them on the phone.
> 
> Anyone had their dial/hands re-lumed as well? If so, what'd it cost?
> 
> MB


Every time the watch is serviced they discard the old hands and replace them. As for the dial they do not relume it they replace the entire dial. They are servicing a watch for me now and replacing the dial. I think the cost was 100 USD but some cost more.


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## limbo

Thanks for the feedback, nice to know what to expect.

MB


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## drgreenthumb

txturbo said:


> That's allot of water for a watch that's not rated for diving. :think: Seems like you need the Mission model.


I agree the mission E will allow me up to 330ft but I already have a dssd for deep sea diving.

Just an FYI, The E is actually rated for 3bars or 3 atm (see the back of the watch). A special note not to engage the buttons while diving is mentioned on the manual (this might cause leaking through the gasket).

1atm=33ft. 3bars=99ft to be exact. During the dive briefing/planning, the depth and time in water is a std discussion so this tells me whether the E is within limits. Since I mostly dive recreational and at 75ft for the first dive (2nd and 3rd dives will be equal or less than the 1st dive) with an E, it gives me a 25% deviation from Breitling's' rating.

When you have your watch service they will warranty their work so this gives you peace of mind.


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## txturbo

drgreenthumb said:


> I agree the mission E will allow me up to 330ft but I already have a dssd for deep sea diving.
> 
> Just an FYI, The E is actually rated for 3bars or 3 atm (see the back of the watch). A special note not to engage the buttons while diving is mentioned on the manual (this might cause leaking through the gasket).
> 
> 1atm=33ft. 3bars=99ft to be exact. During the dive briefing/planning, the depth and time in water is a std discussion so this tells me whether the E is within limits. Since I mostly dive recreational and at 75ft for the first dive (2nd and 3rd dives will be equal or less than the 1st dive) with an E, it gives me a 25% deviation from Breitling's' rating.
> 
> When you have your watch service they will warranty their work so this gives you peace of mind.


I thought that a 3bar rating was not suitable for diving. Good to know that the E can go deep!


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## goneontheroad

did someone say they dive their Emergency (not mission) down to 80ft?!

i swim with mine all the time, but always worry about it. one always reads how a watch with 30M WR is good for splashes, handwashing. not even recommended for fishing. 

and it seems all too easy for water to get into that rotating crown.


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## drgreenthumb

goneontheroad said:


> did someone say they dive their Emergency (not mission) down to 80ft?!
> 
> i swim with mine all the time, but always worry about it. one always reads how a watch with 30M WR is good for splashes, handwashing. not even recommended for fishing.
> 
> and it seems all too easy for water to get into that rotating crown.


Definitely dont recommend it with fishing unless you like your watch smelling fishy! But I do dive with them. I have used both of my Es (not Mission, B1 or anything else) up to 75ft. The E is actually rated for 3atm (99ft) but didnt want to push its limits. But when Im at those depths, I dont rotate the bezel, push or move the buttons and tunr off the digital mode. I believe a guy named Davey Vermaak also dives with his E.

DISCLAIMER: DONT TRY THIS AT HOME
On another note, I bought an underwater Olympus point and shoot cam from Costco that I just wanted to see its depth tolerance (the margin of error). The cam was rated for 15feet only but I have a good friend that works for Olympus and can easily fix any cams including dslr. Anyway, I thought that since it was only rated for 15mins I wanted to see at what exact depth it would start mafunctioning. Since I was taking underwater photography, I brought it along with me during a two week of diving in Belize. my instructor just mentioned that the cams the exceeded their limits would just cause the shutter to stop working.

Long story short, at around 50ft, the shutter worked intermittently! at 70-80ft the shutter totally stopped working on all occassion. When I surfaced, the cam worked fine without any issues. i also checked my digital images if there are any artifacts. I was able to take numerous pics during the first 7 days of diving (2 dives/day avg). After logging in ~20dives with the toy point n shoot digicam, the lcd appeared to have water and would power on at surface intervals. i tried to dry the came under the sun and blow dry the seams. The cam completely died but I was able to recover all the images I have taken when the cam worked underwater!

Although the gaskets and sealing are different on watches, IMO there is a built-in depth tolerance range (i.e 3bars could be conservative but it might withstand of up to 30-50% of its ratings). The digicam cost me 250$ and was fixed because of a friend but definitely would not try to push the limits of the E.


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## billsquare

I change the batteries on my Emergency and took some pictures. You can see them on www.matapi.com/breitlingemergency. If you clic on the bottom of the pic you will have full size, high definition pictures. The only tool I used was a "watchmaker" swiss knife (see on the pics) with a Bergeon tools set. Hope this will help other risklovers !


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## Lemaniac40

helderberg said:


> I have changed my own oil, gutted my home back to the studs, insulated, wired, sheetrocked, taped, tiled, hung two new kitchen's, did all the new plumbing for the kitchen, and both bath's, duhh, poured slabs, dug ponds, set waterfalls, paint, auto body and drivetrain, polished the ss straps on my B's, brush finished the sides of my SOS, *BUT*, I would not go inside the watch for any reason. I respect the craftsmanship of the builders and know what my limits are. That comes with age. When I was young I would have pryed open the thing with a flat bar, Hell, when I was 21 I knew everything.
> Frank


I always try to do simple procedures myself. Of course I have had much practicce on Citizens and Seikos............

Good Man and Good Post!


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## terryjd

I just wanted to say thanks for the pictures, I have just completed changing the batteries in my Emergency and all went well.

A couple of tips (apologies if I use incorrect terminology):

The first stage of the removal with the unscrewing of the four screws and removeing the watch from the ELB is quite straightforward, but the second stage where you use the knife/tool to separate the watch from the backing is slightly more tricky until you get the gist of how the back is attached to the watch.

I found that took some time to get the knife positioned correctly to get it to open and how much pressure and the slight twist needed to be exerted. Once it is off you realise that it clicks back into place with a firm but even downwards pressure.

The first attempt at closing the back meant that the four screw holes were a fraction out of alignment so I took the plate off again and then lined it up by putting the four screws through the plate and into the main part of the watch case. This made the backplate line up perfectly and replacing the back/plate was straightforward.

So yes, I am not the most dextrous of people but with the correct knife it was a fairly straightforward (if nervy) excercise. The next time should be less daunting.

So thanks again for those images Bill, I couldn't have done it wihout them. Or wouldn't have thought to do it and paid anoth £3xx to get them to do a five minute job. The only thing that I couldn't replace was the gasket as I am not sure where to source these. Is there a supplier in the US?

Regards - Terry



billsquare said:


> I change the batteries on my Emergency and took some pictures. You can see them on www.matapi.com/breitlingemergency. If you clic on the bottom of the pic you will have full size, high definition pictures. The only tool I used was a "watchmaker" swiss knife (see on the pics) with a Bergeon tools set. Hope this will help other risklovers !


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## Ka Ora!

terryjd said:


> I just wanted to say thanks for the pictures, I have just completed changing the batteries in my Emergency and all went well.
> 
> A couple of tips (apologies if I use incorrect terminology):
> 
> The first stage of the removal with the unscrewing of the four screws and removeing the watch from the ELB is quite straightforward, but the second stage where you use the knife/tool to separate the watch from the backing is slightly more tricky until you get the gist of how the back is attached to the watch.
> 
> I found that took some time to get the knife positioned correctly to get it to open and how much pressure and the slight twist needed to be exerted. Once it is off you realise that it clicks back into place with a firm but even downwards pressure.
> 
> The first attempt at closing the back meant that the four screw holes were a fraction out of alignment so I took the plate off again and then lined it up by putting the four screws through the plate and into the main part of the watch case. This made the backplate line up perfectly and replacing the back/plate was straightforward.
> 
> So yes, I am not the most dextrous of people but with the correct knife it was a fairly straightforward (if nervy) excercise. The next time should be less daunting.
> 
> So thanks again for those images Bill, I couldn't have done it wihout them. Or wouldn't have thought to do it and paid anoth £3xx to get them to do a five minute job. The only thing that I couldn't replace was the gasket as I am not sure where to source these. Is there a supplier in the US?
> 
> Regards - Terry


Welcome to the Forum, I believe if you want a gasket change then it's off to Breitling with it as gaskets are changed as standard on a service. AD's are not meant to open the watch even if they are an authorised service centre it's back to the mothership to ensure all is well they can't order parts for the Emergency. I stand to be corrected if others know better like, ;-)


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## amnesia

The battery change on my Emergency Mission is about to cost me £322... 



...but I get a case & bracelet refurb, new hands & gaskets, and a travel case too :think:


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## fstshrk

I just got my Orbiter 3 back from service in CT. Unlike Rolex, Breitling customer service is amazing. They got the watch and I had an estimate the same day they received the watch. I approved the estimate and 4-5 weeks later, I am wearing it and it looks like new. Kudos to Breitling. They even set the watch to the correct timezone (West Coast)  but did not set T2 to UTC which is what I have mine set to. Maybe Rolex can outsource their service to Breitling. It took 3 tries to get them to service my Explorer II properly.


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## BlueSkye

fstshrk said:


> I just got my Orbiter 3 back from service in CT. Unlike Rolex, Breitling customer service is amazing. They got the watch and I had an estimate the same day they received the watch. I approved the estimate and 4-5 weeks later, I am wearing it and it looks like new. Kudos to Breitling. They even set the watch to the correct timezone (West Coast)  but did not set T2 to UTC which is what I have mine set to. Maybe Rolex can outsource their service to Breitling. It took 3 tries to get them to service my Explorer II properly.


Hi, I have an Orbiter 3 as well and have had BUSA do a service but, unfortunately, had to send it back two additional times for them removing most, if not all, of the black paint on the bezel (the watch was mint when I sent it to them) and the minute hand was 1/2 minute out of sync with the digital display and I couldn't restore normal operations by myself. I am considering doing the movement battery myself this time around.


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