The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Last week I was fortunate enough to be the first to jump on a bargain Chrono Avenger in the WUS sales forum. No box or papers, or extra links, WELL worn, yet came from a good guy with no fear of being misled. The watch arrived today and was exactly how I expected. Numerous dings and doinks around the bezel edge, on the case sides and any exposed edges. The watch was worn and loved just as it is supposed to be. As a testament to the durability of the Breitling AR coating, the crystal showed only the slightest hairlines visible only under extreme scrutiny. Amazing to think the AR could be in such fine shape when you see the condition of the watch.

So I set out to give her some spa time. First the disassembly of the bezel and bracelet. There was enough wabi behind the bezel and under the clasp to grow potatos. A good scrub with a toothbrush and all was good. Then the refinishing began. Just about every surface received some kind of refreshing, with the bezel edges and lug corners requiring a fair bit of reconstruction and reshaping. The whole watch had oxidized to a dull battleship grey, so I refreshed it to a new brushed finish being careful to match the factory grain, and then hit it with a light polishing with the sunshine cloth to really make it dazzle. It now has an appearance somewhere between Ti and SS.

All in all I am thrilled with the deal I got and the watch looks and feels fantastic. Keeping great time and all functions are bang on. This has always been one of my favorite Breitlings, with just the right size for me, nice weight, and fantastic legibility at a glance. Another sales forum gem. The icing on the cake is that the seller is a great guy with alot more than watches in common. Another friend made through the world of watches.

The difference in the pics is subtle, but in real life it was a dramatic make-over.

Before:



After:

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Excellent!

I'm happy for you - I had exactly one of these for a long while, then sold it as it (then) got very little wrist time. A stupid decision.

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Collection: http://s540.photobucket.com/albums/gg32 ... mview=grid

Congrats Mark- the watch looks great, and it was a steal!

You did a great job on that Mark. Congrats

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Bentley Motors T- White dial

Very nice Mark - and I imagine made all the more special by the fact that you could 'rescue' it yourself.

Nice story & pics Mark - thanks for taking the time to post them.

Peter

You've demonstrated some good skill there Mark. Great job and congratulations, it looks awesome!

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

Nicely done! I'm curious how you are able to reconstruct those badly scarred edges.

Michael

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Breitling, Omega, Rolex... what can I say, I like Swiss watches.

Great work! Love the brushed look all over! And the PRO I bracelet looks stunning! I figure that it suits the watch somehow, better than even a PRO II.
This is one piece you can definitely wear with pride!
Cheers,
Carl

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'63 Omega Seamaster, 2014 Omega Speedmaster MarkII

"Those who possess a sense of entitlement are seldom satisfied"

Nice going Mark! I bet in the flesh the difference is dramatic, although we can still get some idea from the pictures.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Been looking forward to seeing this post Mark!
Looks fantastic after your spa treatment. Love the rugged look of the Ti, chunky bracelet and the crown textures.
Very nice grab ! It's got to feel good getting a deal and then putting your own work into a piece to come out with this gem! Very cool!

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Cheers,
Christopher

Currently...
Blackbird, Black Hercules, PAM 000
Down to a humble three...

Mark I'm not sure what line of work you're in but if your day job doesn't pan out you can go into watch refinishing. That looks fantastic!

Well done, Mark, you've done a great job there. Particularly the brushing, which looks very even. Wish I'd done that good a job on the clasp of my Speedy.

Thanks everyone. I'm really enjoying this watch, moreso because of the way it was aquired. It is a shame that Breitling discontinued this watch, I think it offers some unique qualities that aren't available in other models.

I agree that the Pro 1 is perfect for this watch and suits it better than the Pro II in my opinion. I've always been one of the minority that prefers the Pro 1 in most cases. The angled links of the Pro II always bothered me somehow, just throws off the visual balance and symmetry. I know, I'm weird.

Now I need to find one more link... wish me luck.
M

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