The Breitling Watch Blog

Finally posted my video review of the Omega Seamaster 300m. This is the non-Bond version, black dial and black bezel. I accidently called it a unidirectional Crown in the video.. DUH.. i suppose the crown is unidirectional when its unscrewing too 😀 but yeah, i meant bezel. Anyway, hope you enjoy the video. This is one of my favourite seamasters, not counting the Planet Oceans.

Check out my latest video review on the Breitling Super Avenger behemoth watch… the big 48mm+ Watch live on video!

Some say it is tacky and overdone, but I like it. Its still a bit big for me to be wearing every day but I think its someting that can be pulled off. Definately has overtaken the Chronomat Evo as the most popular Breitling in my opinion. Even the AD’s I’ve visited have said that.

Happy New Year guys! We’ll kick this year off with a youtube video post of one of my rambling reviews of watches.. some informed, some not so much.. but either way they’re good fun.. right? 😉

This is a Solid Gold Rolex Day-Date model with Diamonds all over it. Nice watch.. looks good and really stands out on the wrist like a solid gold Rolex should. Cost a pretty penny too!

Check it!

You guys are lucky today.. you get 3 new posts. I haven’t had the time to make a bunch of posts, but had a few ideas started so completed them today, and also decided to post up a Breitling watch video review for you guys too. Check it out and enjoy!

Breitling B-2 Automatic watch.. now discontinued, but still a fantastic watch, great size, and lots of complicated looking things on the dial give it a wrist instrument look that appeals to pilots and professionals.

After using several Rapport Cherry Double watchwinders for about a year, I figured it would be time to post a review finally of how these guys have held up. I ran 2 of them, and I gave one to my father about 1 1/2 years ago. I recently sold one of mine however so I only have 1 now. The reason for the sale was simply because I no longer needed to have six watches winding all the time. I now use a double Rapport and 2 Orbita Sparta deluxe winders. The photo below is of a Mahogany one.. the Cherry is a bit lighter.

Noise
These winders are nearly silent. I did have a problem with one of them making a very slight ticking noise, to which I called their 1-800 number and spoke to a friend fellow there that handles the repairs. He immediately sent me 2 motors and told me to call him when they arrived and he would explain how to install them. The option of sending the winder back was also given to me, but that would have taken a long time and it was not broken.

The procedure was painless, and the winder was restored to its original quiet operation. One thing might need to be said here.. I am VERY picky about noise from a winder. Most people I have talked to tolerate a lot more noise than I do, so when I say a watchwinder is noisy, it is very slight.

I know Norman likes to talk up the Garinin winders as being silent, affordable and reliable, but I do not know how to compare the noise levels so I can’t compare. Maybe when I visit him in the spring!

Finish/Construction
First Class all the way! The Finishing on the Rapports comes very close to the Orbitas, which is just about perfect. My Orbitas have an inlaid design on them so there might be some sort of bias there, however the wood is solid, heavy and lacquered very nicely. The lacquering is smooth and done with care. The boxes are lined well, and the interior frames are of metal construction, same as Orbita.

The watches mount on pillows, like Orbita and Wolf Designs and Scatola, which is the only way I like it.

One small complaint would be the peice behind the pillow that covers the bottom of the cup holder should be made of foam rather than furry cardboard.. when i removed the peice to replace the motors, I realized that it was cardboard backing. This isn’t noticeable from using it, but now knowing that, I wish it were foamed, like the Orbitas. Seems more high-quality.

Usability/Function
The Rapports have limited controls for keeping the watches wound. The is simply an on-off switch, and a timed or constant mode. The timed mode runs at intervals (i’m not sure exactly what the timing is) and constant just keeps running. The winder alternates between clockwise and counter clockwise. The only problem I’ve had with it is that single directional movements (valjoux 7750) only last about 1 week on it if I do not wind them prior to putting them into the winder. If I fully wind the watch before placing it in the winder, then there is no problem – at least not after a few weeks.

Reliability
The winders have run faithfully (though with the slight noise problem), and I can’t complain that they don’t work. They were making a ticking sound about as loud as a wall clock in a quiet room at night. They have a 2 year warranty and the service from Rapport was exceptional. I actually dealt directly with windyourwatch.com as they were the Canadian distributors for the product. Motors are very heavy duty and the insides of the units are very nicely done.

Conclusion
The Rapport winder is a decent winder for the money. There aren’t a lot of winders out there that give you this level of finish and quality for the amount of money. However, the winder is not perfect, and I have heard some people say that the Official Time winders that have a similar design are a bit cheaper and better on ebay. The Official Time winders are about $50 cheaper, but come in strange colors.. a little less traditional (and less aesthetically pleasing) than the Rapports. But perhaps they are more reliable or run better. I have not tried them yet.

I would recommend Rapport to someone looking for a dual winder in the $350-$400 range, however, I would also say that you’d be better off getting an Orbita if you can spend the money.