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:
