The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I'm not a Breitling collector, but I saw a chrono in a New York store today that I fell in love with. The salesman told me that it was an early iteration of the Superocean. The dial looks a lot like the one on Ref. 2005. It has no subdials, just the aperture where a white dot appears when the chrono is engaged and the second hand starts. However, unlike the 2005, this watch has an all-black dial with no white outer ring and no rotating bezel--it's just a simple black dial in a simple stainless case. Can anyone identify this watch? Many thanks.

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EH

There are a few simpler early SuperOceans and TransOceans - the 2005 is a fairly busy watch. Were the hands as big and chunky as on the 2005?

Not sure I understand your comment on the chrono - if it doesn't have any subs is it even a chrono (i.e. does it have pushers). If so, where is the non chrono second hand and is it only a 60 second chrono - that doesn't make much sense.

Where on the dial is the white dot?

This sounds bizarre, pictures would really help!

I think I may have figured it out

I'm no expert on diver's watches so did some research. The dot is a luminous dot at 6 o'clock designed to show the status of the chrono functions underwater. The chrono operates a minute totaliser that is a second central minute hand.

I learn something new every day!!

If I had to guess on a model number I would go for the 2205.

Thanks so much! I'm going to try to stop by the shop tomorrow and take some photos of the watch.

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EH

Here it is (sorry it's not sharper). The store's watchmaker wasn't in over the holiday weekend, so they couldn't take the back off to see the ref. number. It's a strange watch: the top chrono button starts and stops the center second hand and the bottom on returns it to 0. When the chrono is engaged, the aperture above the 6 is filled with a large white dot. When the chrono is stopped, it switches to a small white dot. When the second hand is returned to 0, the aperture is black again. It looks more like a Blancpain dial than a Breitling dial. Diameter is 38mm and it's chunky. If this is ref. 2205, I'd love to know. Thanks, Eric

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EH

I'll go back to the books on the weekend. Initial reaction is that the hands don't look original for a SuperOcean, but I'll dig further.

To me, case also doesn't look SO.

I'm not sure about the case. It does look different to most early superoceans, but that might well be because of the lack of a big bezel - remove the bezel from a 2005 and you might well find the same case.

The hands really don't look right for a diver's watch - but they could be an early one. The reason I was leaning towards 2205 is a slightly false one - it's the one documented superocean with this layout that I can't find pictures of. This could be the dial from a 2005 in a different case, but it could also be in perfect condition.

Bottom line is I really can't find enough info to say whether it's perfect or a frankenwatch. I would like model number and serial number, and I really would like to find some documented evidence to support this look, without that I would be wary.

I also never buy a watch without seeing the movement, but the fact that the luminous dot chrono indicator works is some indication that at least something in the movement is correct