I bought my Aerospace from an authorized dealer in 1996 and had an authorized repair replace the battery in 1999 when the watch was three years old, figuring better to replace it before it had a low battery at a bad time. Then in 2002 the watch simply stopped and the digital display blanked, with no low battery warning. No blinking display, no skipping hands, nothing.
Breitling US really tried to convince me that nothing could be wrong with my watch "but it is old and needs a good cleaning". Well, as I understand the "movement" a good cleaning could not affect this. The minute hand is powered by a stepping motor and possibly a bit of dirt could block whatever shifts to make the low battery movement. But the digital display would still blink to indicate a low battery--that's strictly a product of the program in the electronics and cleaning can't affect it.

I had the battery replaced but did nothing else since and the watch still keeps excellent time. I have not contacted Breitling in Switzerland (yet) but I have to wonder...since this problem can only be caused by a defective program in the watch's electronics, surely if this is a defect it would affect a gross number of watches,not just mine?

Has anyone with a 1995-6 vintage Aerospace ever actually SEEN their watch indicate a low battery? (And if not, has Breitling ever tried to explain to you why the low battery function doesn't happen?)

If this is a common problem, indicating defective programming, I will take the issue to Breitling (Switzerland, not US) for resolution.

I'd be real curious to hear any possible explanation from a real watchmaker, as to how "a good cleaning" could affect the way a program runs in a computer chip in my watch.