The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I've got a Breitling Superocean 42 that was purchased at Jomashop in January 2013. Based on Jomashop's reputation, and my overall experience with Breitling watches, I'm not concerned about it's authenticity. But, the watch doesn't have a Date Code stamped between any of the lugs. I have looked with a loupe and everything, but it's non existent. I was just wondering if they have stopped putting the code on the watches.

Come to think of it, out of the Breitling's that I have owned, I have only had 1 that actually had a date code.

Just to rule this out, and forgive the almost certainly stupid question, but have you removed the strap to do this or just looked at what's visible?

Haha yes I removed the strap

A few people have mentioned this before and they usually find it eventually - it can be very faint. Possible that Breitling has stopped doing it, but seems unlikely.

As Roff says one or two others who've said this have then found it, for it can indeed be very faint, but if you've used a loupe that seems unlikely. Can't remember anyone else reporting the discontinuation of the date-stamping; perhaps someone else with a new SO 42 can report whether theirs is stamped.

You say 'out of the Breitling's that I have owned, I have only had 1 that actually had a date code'. They started doing it around 2003/4 -

http://www.breitlingsource.com/articles_dating.shtml

- so have you had any other post-04 lings on which you couldn't see a code?

Yeah all of them have been post-04. I had a 2005 42mm Steelfish that did *not* have a code, and a 2007 Aerospace that did. Like I said, I'm not concerned about the authenticity of it because it came from Jomashop with documentation, proper box with serial number label, etc. And even though I have only owned 3 Breitlings, I have handled many more so this one doesn't raise any red flags. I was just curious about the production date last night and when I removed the strap I noticed it wasn't there, so I got curious.

Using Rolex as an example, I know there are documented cases of some of their watches getting sold at AD's and having been "overlooked" by the machine that laser etches the crown in the crystal, so I wonder if this case could have just been "overlooked" by the stamping machine.... puzzling.

Edit: I have also Googled pictures of a date code on a SO42 and came up empty handed. I've Googled until I can't Google anymore! LOL... Seriously though I wonder if the pictures don't exist because no one has bothered to take any, or if they haven't taken any because the date code doesn't exist... like I said, puzzling.

I have a Superocean 42, also purchased from Jomashop (in December 2012). It does have a date code stamped between the bottom lugs. I can see it under the strap and I also noticed it a few months ago when I had the strap off.

Strange.

Every Breitling ive ever owned has had the date code stamped.

Makes me wonder if there is any shady business going on. Im not saying the wtch is fake, but perhaps jomashop removed it themselves for some reason?

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-RJ

I already thought about that, but as you can see in this picture there is no indication that it ever existed. Either that, or they did one heck of a polishing job LOL

They can be very lightly stamped so polishing off would not be much of an effort.
Can not think why though.
Hiding the fact how old the watch actually is???

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"It is just a matter of time!"

Just to chime in on this one - every recent (i.e. post-2004) Breitling I've ever owned definitely did/does have a date stamp. I haven't bought a new Breitling for a couple of years so I can't speak for the very latest models, but pdb119 has said that his Superocean 42 does have it, so I can only assume Breitling still code their cases in this manner.

I can't think of any reason why Jomashop would polish off the date stamp as the age of a watch is neither here nor there really. Very odd.

I'm certainly NOT saying it's a fake as Jomashop is one of the more trusted grey-market sellers, but there IS an exceptionally "good" fake of the SO42 in existance, although to be honest, it's so good I would thoroughly expect the fakers to include the date stamp as well. Might still just be worth posting up some good quality high-res photos of the dial and caseback, just to be sure though.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

That's the one thing that nags at me, i.e. that we've seen before that the SO42 fake is so scarily good.

(Just to add, as I've explained before, the date stamp is the date of production of the batch of cases and not exactly the date of when the watch itself was assembled. Which, I would have thought, would make it less likely that a single watch here and there missed the stamping process as is speculated above.)

Your wish is my command, LOL. Here are some pictures that I just went outside and snapped, so forgive the poor quality. Also, the watch is a watch that I actually wear, so forgive the fingerprints/smudges/scratches etc.

This is about as "hi res" as I can do, because I'm not a photographer. But, I included pictures of the front, back, side, box/paperwork, etc.

Well it looks good to me, especialliy with all the paperwork, but hopefully Bnewbie and Sharkmouth will take a look too.

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Driver8

Site Moderator