Discussion
justpen's original post delves into a common frustration among watch enthusiasts: design flaws that hinder usability. His experience with a poorly designed Breitling crown sparks a broader discussion on the subtle yet significant annoyances that can detract from the pleasure of owning a luxury timepiece. This thread highlights how even high-end brands can sometimes miss the mark on practical ergonomics, prompting collectors to share their own 'pet hates' and design critiques.
Disappointment is often not far from pleasure and sometimes we make bad decisions and while the world’s best watch maker’s produce ever amazing and complicated fine pieces...there still seem to be some disappointments that bug us as end users.
Is it the watch ...or is it our individual inability to operate it as designed.
I have a “Pet Hate” with a watch I bought a couple of years ago from Breitling.
It is the Crown...but I would not call it a crown... more a Dome.
It is the most useless design that I have ever encountered. Why?
Well for a start the movement is very stiff to turn.
Secondly the Crown is very smooth. .....but the shape and being partly hidden by the protecting risers, it is such, that my fingers can’t get enough grip on it to wind it ....and Thirdly, because of the dome shape it tends to slip in as I grip it.
The harder I try to grip it..... the more it slips in and then starts to engage the locking screw thread and has to be wound back to disengage and then start again.
Is it me???.....I don’t think so...just bad design...but who knows...I am never too old to learn...is there some trick to winding a stiff and dome shaped winder which only partly comes clear of its protectors on this Breitling.
What amazes me is that Brietling must have made thousands and thousands of this model.
Let’s hear what really disappoints you about a watch you have owned.....but please...to be fair to the makers...keep it to watches you have actually owned and have personal and firsthand experience with.
Kindest regards,
Jack
Such as PAM's. I owned several Panerai watches for a Few years, these days everybody’s got one. Definitely dislike trendy watches.
the crown being too small to operate by people having average-sized fingers! Regards, Joe
Hi Joe, I agree on this .....The Breguet 5817 would have to be the nicest crown to use. It is large. It is well groved...and The winding is easy, soft and silk smooth. Unfrtunatly many makers are still using 1950' s style crowns that are just too fiddly. Plus they look bad as well. Kindest regards, Jack
looks wrong out of place not really into gold or diamonds as well, i must say all the time pieces i own or have owned i have loved or at least been very comfortable with but its very easy to buy a piece and find features that you dont like thats why i think its important to buy what you really like as only then you will be happy , impulse buying can lead to regret as after you bring it home you realise it might not have been what you really wanted, i have nearly bought certain pieces which im gl
This is my only Bling watch and I thought it a good Saturday afternoon bar-b-Q piece but every time I put it on I curse it. Nice watch...modest Bling....stainless and rose gold...looks good but don't let it run down or it drives you crazy.... What i can't undestand is that sooo many must have been made and nobody at Breitling has picked up on this. Maybe they wear them 24-7 and never have to wind them? Thanks for your reply, Jack
no matter we all make purchases like that once or twice in life at least you can find the humor to it even though a costly one.
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