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PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 6:41 am 
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here's the sales pitch, always thought Wakmann watches had nothing to do with Breitling watches besides the fact that Wakmann was a Breitling distributor Breitling worked with to overcome US import restrictions!! And I don't agree that the Wakmann triple date looks similar to the Breitling Datora 785 but guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder:)

Quote:
VINTAGE
WAKMANN DATORA
MANUFACTURED BY
BREITLING

The Wakmann Datoras are reputed to be manufactured by Breitling and were very similar to the Breitling Datora. The price of a Wakmann was much lower than the Breitling price for what amounted to being the same watch. In the United States, they competed with each other in the same Wakmannn catalogs, where the Breitling Datora was at a distinct disadvantage. As a result, many more Wakmann Datoras were sold than Breitling Datoras. Today, the Breitling Datoras are scarce. Datora chronographs bearing the Gigandet name also appeared next to Datora chronographs bearing only the Wakman name in early 60s


http://www.ebay.ca/itm/VINTAGE-MILITARY ... 096wt_1344


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 7:20 am 
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I think Wakmann was more involved than just being the importer for Breitling. You can attest to that by the number of watches that are dual marked Breitling/Wakmann like the reference 765 for example. Also they seemed to produce a number of cockpit clocks that were also double marked Breitling/Wakmann. There are enough watches that are almost exact examples that are just branded differently to make a strong case that Breitling either produced some Wakmann's or influenced their design. There were also some Wakmann AOPA versions which would indicate a connection with Breitling through licensing rights by the AOPA. Who exactly made what will probably always be a mystery.



cruvon wrote:
here's the sales pitch, always thought Wakmann watches had nothing to do with Breitling watches besides the fact that Wakmann was a Breitling distributor Breitling worked with to overcome US import restrictions!! And I don't agree that the Wakmann triple date looks similar to the Breitling Datora 785 but guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder:)

Quote:
VINTAGE
WAKMANN DATORA
MANUFACTURED BY
BREITLING

The Wakmann Datoras are reputed to be manufactured by Breitling and were very similar to the Breitling Datora. The price of a Wakmann was much lower than the Breitling price for what amounted to being the same watch. In the United States, they competed with each other in the same Wakmannn catalogs, where the Breitling Datora was at a distinct disadvantage. As a result, many more Wakmann Datoras were sold than Breitling Datoras. Today, the Breitling Datoras are scarce. Datora chronographs bearing the Gigandet name also appeared next to Datora chronographs bearing only the Wakman name in early 60s


http://www.ebay.ca/itm/VINTAGE-MILITARY ... 096wt_1344


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 7:29 am 
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vintage wrote:
I think Wakmann was more involved than just being the importer for Breitling. You can attest to that by the number of watches that are dual marked Breitling/Wakmann like the reference 765 for example. Also they seemed to produce a number of cockpit clocks that were also double marked Breitling/Wakmann. There are enough watches that are almost exact examples that are just branded differently to make a strong case that Breitling either produced some Wakmann's or influenced their design. There were also some Wakmann AOPA versions which would indicate a connection with Breitling through licensing rights by the AOPA. Who exactly made what will probably always be a mystery.



cruvon wrote:
here's the sales pitch, always thought Wakmann watches had nothing to do with Breitling watches besides the fact that Wakmann was a Breitling distributor Breitling worked with to overcome US import restrictions!! And I don't agree that the Wakmann triple date looks similar to the Breitling Datora 785 but guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder:)

Quote:
VINTAGE
WAKMANN DATORA
MANUFACTURED BY
BREITLING

The Wakmann Datoras are reputed to be manufactured by Breitling and were very similar to the Breitling Datora. The price of a Wakmann was much lower than the Breitling price for what amounted to being the same watch. In the United States, they competed with each other in the same Wakmannn catalogs, where the Breitling Datora was at a distinct disadvantage. As a result, many more Wakmann Datoras were sold than Breitling Datoras. Today, the Breitling Datoras are scarce. Datora chronographs bearing the Gigandet name also appeared next to Datora chronographs bearing only the Wakman name in early 60s


http://www.ebay.ca/itm/VINTAGE-MILITARY ... 096wt_1344



Thanks for the explanation. But shouldn't this watch have to have Breitling written somewhere on it to qualify and be sold as a Wakmann Breitling and failing that should just be a Wakmann and not a Breitling Wakmann? The danger with that approach is that all Wakmanns would be sold as Breitlings.


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 7:43 am 
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it definitely should, but these very nice watches, manufactured by Charles Gigandet, imported to the US by Wakmann and sold under Gigandet, Wakmann and Vulcain branding have been called "Breitling Datora" by so many ebay sellers, that we became used to this.

I have never seen this watch with the Breitling branding, nor have I ever seen pics, ads or catalogoues where it was called a "Datora". Am a bit suprised by some of the other claims in that listing, including the claim that these watches were "reputed to be manufactured by Breitling", considering the seller is Bill Shaine, well respected Breitling collector and trader.


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2012 2:26 pm 
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WatchFred wrote:
it definitely should, but these very nice watches, manufactured by Charles Gigandet, imported to the US by Wakmann and sold under Gigandet, Wakmann and Vulcain branding have been called "Breitling Datora" by so many ebay sellers, that we became used to this.

I have never seen this watch with the Breitling branding, nor have I ever seen pics, ads or catalogoues where it was called a "Datora". Am a bit suprised by some of the other claims in that listing, including the claim that these watches were "reputed to be manufactured by Breitling", considering the seller is Bill Shaine, well respected Breitling collector and trader.



Thanks for the update Fred and am sure the watch by itself is nice and a Wakmann. However I think using Breitlings name in the listing would unfairly mislead a prospective buyer to bid higher thinking was a Breitling manufactured Datora. Also not sure why the term "military" is used. I usually browse Bills listings because he is highly recommended and a Breitling collector and has some interesting Breitlings on sale but am quite surprised too with that misleading listing considering even a newbie like me had an inkling that it wasn't a Breitling.


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:03 pm 
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Sorry for updating this topic, but a Wakmann Datora has a breitling print on the head of the middle button.


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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 11:24 pm 
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Yzord wrote:
Sorry for updating this topic, but a Wakmann Datora has a breitling print on the head of the middle button.


no, somebody has mounted a Breitling signed crown on a watch produced by Charles Gigandet.

no connection whatsoever to Breitling besides the fact that Wakmann was the sole distributor for their watches in the US.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:26 am 
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Are you sure? Because i have seen more Datora's with exact the same crown.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 4:18 am 
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the watch we are talking about here is NOT a Datora (a Breitling brand for "triple date" watches from the 1940s to the 1960s, for some chronographs w/ simple date complication in the late 60s and early 1970s), but a Gigandet watch, distributed by Wakmann under the Gigandet, Vulcain and Wakmann brand.

it has no connection whatsoever to Breitling besides the fact they shared the same US distribution setup.

yes, I am quite sure about this, mounting a Breitling-signed crown does not change these facts and does not make it a Datora.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 6:24 am 
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I truly believe you, no doubt about that. Thanks for the update.

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