The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Could anyone tell me how to find out the date of manufacture of a Breitling watch please? I purchased a new Aerospace with co-pilot module last week from an authorised Breitling dealer in the UK. Whilst the bracelet was being sized the co-pilot started to flash 'EOL' and the watch was returned to Breitling. I now have it back - all working - but I'd like to confirm that the watch and the co-pilot module are 2009 spec. What I've noticed is that the co-pilot module doesn't seem to have an backlight function? I need that for my night flying! Many thanks if you can help.

It's something like this: a stamp between the strap lugs at 6 o'clock.

eg; 0106 B3 meaning something like 1 st month (January) 2006 Batch #4

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Oyster Date '78, Blackbird chrono DLC '10, Blackbird chrono' 02, Navitimer Fighters '02, Aerospace Evo , Seamaster Chrono Diver 300' 02, Carrera cbm2110

Almost. The 01 is actually the week of the year that it was made. The 06 is indeed the year.

The B3 is always the one I forget, but I think it is something to do with the dial colour, but I'm sure one of the others will chime in.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

The B3 is a dial colour code.

From what I understand from previous threads the Co-pilot module doesn't have a backlight. It seems a lot of pilots actually use the co-pilot for navigation etc. and it would make sense that that is something that Breitling would incorportate into the watch.

A thread from another pilot concerning the co-pilot here.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10865&hilit=backlight

True... no backlight for the Co-Pilot. Definitely a feature I'd like to have, but... oh, well.

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Chris
Club Member #0070
2009 TT Chrono Evo w/Rose gold, blue face
2009 Airwolf w/black face, Co-Pilot module
2009 TT Lady Cockpit w/Mother-of-Pearl, Diamond face for the wife

Thank you all for your helpful replies, I am at least reassured that the watch I purchased is the current model. The code number on the watch is extremely small and partly obscured by the bracelet but it seems to read 1008 - B2. I guess that this mark was stamped at manufacture of the case, so to be buying a watch 'new' in Sept 09 that has a case manufactured in Week 10 of 2008 is not unusual? My concern was raised by the fact that the co-pilot battery needed replacement before I left the retailer - maybe it was genuinely a duff battery. As a flyer the co-pilot module looks really useful. Shame about the lack of backlight but hey-ho, with technology these days you'd wait for ever for perfection! On the B2 thing, the face is Black if that is of interest in deciphering codes.

An 18 month old new watch is not that unusual (unfortunately). It really comes down to how long the watch has been sitting at the AD. The problem with quartz watches is that ADs tend to leave them running which obviously runs the battery down.