Movements
What is COSC?
COSC stands for Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres and is the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute. A mechanical chronometer certified movement must be accurate to within -4 to +6 seconds per 24 hours. This amounts to a 99.99% rate of accuracy. The entire current Breitling line of watches, mechanical and quartz, is being submitted for certification.
Is my watch COSC certified?
If it was manufactured in 2000 or later, it definitely is. If it is older, an easy (but not guaranteed) way to find out is to look for the word "CHRONOMETRE" on the dial or case back. Also, you can check the model number on the case back. If the fourth character is a "3", the watch is certified. If not, the character is a "0". If it is a newer watch, a COSC certificate was also given to you at the time of purchase (if not, talk to your dealer).
Who is Kelek?
Kelek is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1896 and owned by Breitling. In addition to finishing and modifying Breitling's ETA/Valjoux/other base movements to high standards, Kelek develops in-house modules for them. You can find Kelek's official Web site at www.kelekwatches.com. There are reports indicating that Kelek has now been fully integrated with Breitling and its new name is Chronometrie Breitling.
Who is ETA?
ETA is a Swiss movement manufacturer owned by the Swatch Group. Its history goes back to the year 1793. The vast majority of Swiss watch manufacturers buy ebauches (raw movements) from ETA. Lower-end manufacturers use the movements as-is, while better firms such as Breitling modify them to their own specifications and requirements. ETA owns the Valjoux firm.
Who is Valjoux?
Valjoux is a company whose history goes back to the late 1800s. It is well known for its early column-wheel chronograph movements such as the Valjoux 72. In more recent history, the Valjoux 7750 has been used by a great variety of watch manufacturers including Breitling. Another common Valjoux movement is the 7751 which, in addition to the 7750's time/date/chronograph functions, has day and month indicators, a 24-hour indicator and a moon phase indicator. Valjoux is owned by ETA.
What is a 2824?
The 2824 is a mechanical self-winding (automatic) time/date movement made by ETA. It is a very rugged and reliable movement used by many manufacturers. In Breitling form, this movement is accurate enough to pass COSC certification tests. This movement is the base for Breitling caliber 17 used by the SuperOcean and other models.
What is a 2892?
The 2892 is a mechanical self-winding (automatic) time/date movement made by ETA. It is a reliable and fairly thin movement considered more refined than the 2824 workhorse. This movement is known for its great accuracy and is used by many different manufacturers. It can be fitted with a chronograph module.
What is a 7750?
The 7750 is a mechanical self-winding (automatic) time/date/chronograph movement made by Valjoux. It is a rugged, reliable, accurate and thick chronograph movement. Breitling caliber 13 is based on this movement and has proven very impressive in accuracy tests at an average of +1 second per 24 hours. Caliber 13 is used in many Chronomat and Navitimer models as well as in the Avenger. Also Omega's caliber 1164 is based on the 7750, used in the Seamaster Chronograph.
What is the difference between a mechanical movement and a quartz movement?
In a nutshell: mechanical movements use springs, gears and wheels while quartz movements use batteries and stepping motors. The mechanical movement dates back hundreds of years and has a very rich history and tradition. The quartz movement was introduced in a major way in the 1970s and nearly killed the mechanical watch industry. In the early 1980s, however, there was a mechanical revival and people could once again enjoy the rich history, tradition, quality and workmanship that go into the mechanical movement. Some describe the mechanical movement as having a heart and soul -- it is alive -- while the quartz movement is a cold piece of electronic circuitry. That is not to say that quartz watches can not be very useful and accurate tools. Oftentimes, quartz movements are more accurate than even the finest mechanical movements.
What is SuperQuartz?
SuperQuartz was introduced in Breitling's 2002 quartz models and is according to the company 10 times more accurate than standard quartz movements. It is a thermocompensated movement. According to the company, SuperQuartz is proprietary to Breitling.
How accurate should my watch be?
Your new mechanical watch should perform within the COSC requirements of -4 to +6 seconds per 24 hours. If it does not, you should have it serviced. A vintage watch may be less accurate but still be considered adequate.
How long does it take for the movement to "settle in"?
This period usually lasts a month or two, during which your watch may be less than optimally accurate. Eventually it will settle in and stabilize at a constant rate of accuracy.
Are the occasional vibrations and noises inside my watch normal?
Yes, what you are feeling and/or hearing is the winding rotor spinning around its axis. The 7750 is especially well known for this phenomenon.
What is the Aerospace "floating minute hand problem"?
Some Aerospace watches seem to have some "slack" in the minute hand. The hand will move a very small distance if you shake your watch, for example. Not all Aerospace watches have this problem, and word is that if you have the problem, it cannot be fixed. It does not cause any accuracy problems. Other manufacturer's quartz multifunction watches have had similar problems.