The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Breitling Watch Information Forums, Navitimer, Chronomat
It is currently Sun May 04, 2025 7:52 pm

All times are UTC - 8 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 3:43 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member

Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:36 pm
Posts: 14216
Likes: 1471 posts
Liked in: 1728 posts
Location: Vienna, Austria
During the weekend I communicated with Robert-Jan Broer, publisher of the Fratellowatches.com blog; he asked
me what I thought of the Navitimer Aviastar, a watch he liked very much, but found very little about.

And it really is quite surprising, the Navitimer Aviastar - for me - is one of the nicer "New Breitling", based on the
case and Cal. 13/Valjoux7750 movement of the Old Navitimer II, it was launched in 1996 and produced until 1998.

The Aviastar (quite surprisingly named Navitimer, as it has no sliderule bezel) actually were the modern
incarnation of the highly desired AVI and Co-Pilot and carry the very proud heritage of the "Breitling 8" division,
established in the late 1930s by Willy Breitling to build watches for Air Forces - with special testing procedures,
turning out watches of highest reliability and accuracy, the ref. 734 and 765 were the first built by that division,
in the early 1950s the AVI versions w/ turning bezels were added - and built until the early 1970s.

Same AVI and Aviastar history, by Alan Trott:
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f39/breitl ... y-112.html

As even on this site I found not even one decent pic or wristshot of a Aviastar, I took some pics of mine;
would any other members that have one maybe add their pics, maybe someone has a blue - or even
a Havana brown dial ? The dial of the Aviastar is really quite pretty, with a threedimensional construction
and nicely sunken subdials.

Aviastars pop up on the sales sites infrequently, but often fail to reach the same price levels as the
abundantly available Old Navtimers, quite strange ?

Hope you like it, I decided to give it a bit more wrist time - even took a pic on a bracelet for those
who scoff at straps ....

An ancestor, a 1969 AVI:

Image

Voila, meet the Aviastar; on bracelet:

Image

Aviastar on brown calf:


Image
Image
Image

Aviastar on honey croc (not bad at all)

Image
Image
Image


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 4:35 am 
Offline
King of Ling
King of Ling

Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:20 pm
Posts: 2617
Likes: 221 posts
Liked in: 809 posts
Location: Newcastle, Australia
Someone was selling a brown Aviastar here a while back. It was a beautiful piece. I'm with you; i like them a lot.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 5:52 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 5:02 pm
Posts: 2200
Likes: 20 posts
Liked in: 13 posts
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
That's a very nice looking piece indeed. Thanks for posting the pics!

_________________
Happines is Good Health and a Bad Memory.
"Ingrid Bergman"


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 6:16 am 
Offline
Contributing Moderator
Contributing Moderator
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 5:09 am
Posts: 36521
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 489 posts
Location: Ontario, Canada
One of a few underappreciated pieces from that period - great watch!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 6:32 am 
Offline
Breitling Fanatic
Breitling Fanatic
User avatar

Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2012 4:54 am
Posts: 382
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Location: Montreux, Switzerland
Very nice indeed. I really like that dial design.

_________________
David
Je suis désole pour mon mauvais français.

Zenith Pilot Big Date; IWC Vintage Collection Aquatimer; IWC Portuguese 7-day


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 8:25 am 
Offline
Contributing Connoisseur
Contributing Connoisseur

Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 7:15 am
Posts: 2084
Likes: 69 posts
Liked in: 105 posts
Location: Fragrant Harbour.
Fred, don't do this to me :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Lovely !!!

_________________
"It is just a matter of time!"


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 10:08 am 
Offline
King of Ling
King of Ling

Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2011 5:29 pm
Posts: 1912
Likes: 1159 posts
Liked in: 1296 posts
Location: Los Angeles, CA
wessa wrote:
Fred, don't do this to me :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Lovely !!!

+1
I think Fred will eventually give us heart attack :lingsrock:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 10:23 am 
Offline
King of Ling
King of Ling
User avatar

Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:59 pm
Posts: 2469
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
I was super close awhile back to picking one up... They are great indeed thanks for sharing Fred!

_________________
"I don't got the bright watch I got the right watch" -Jay Z


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 12:18 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member

Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:47 am
Posts: 1264
Likes: 12 posts
Liked in: 71 posts
Location: UK
Yup that is exquisite.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2012 3:42 pm 
Offline
King of Ling
King of Ling

Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:18 pm
Posts: 1810
Likes: 1 post
Liked in: 0 post
Very nice photos, what are the digits made of? Is the material different than what they currently are? I always noticed that the digits on older models, especially closeup, look different. Thanks

_________________
End of Discussion.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
PostPosted: Tue May 08, 2012 2:33 pm 
Offline
Breitling Maniac
Breitling Maniac
User avatar

Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:30 am
Posts: 1287
Likes: 0 post
Liked in: 0 post
Location: BC Canada
I'm sure they are under appreciated due to the lack of a colour-matched date wheel. :lol:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  

Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google Adsense [Bot] and 77 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
 




Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group