The Breitling Watch Source Forums

The credits in the back of The Book include the watches on page 105 and 111 as part of the photo credit for in-house images, including workshops, etc.

That suggests the Spanish retailer worked with Breitling Grenchen to make arrangements for the show.

That changes things. If we can get the show to Toronto, I'll swing by Tim Horton's for the cruellers.

You're on!

Unfortunately the likelihood of Grigoros organising that is somewhere between zero and nil.

I’ll bet you dollars to donut holes, that this is never a genuine Breitling Datora,

That's your specialist subject now for the general knowledge round.
I can't believe you did that from memory, I could look at it for a week and not remember that Bill?
Only one paritally wrong 760 not 790.

I did see this advert, but I think it just confuses things as it is the late Fifties and not the early Forties Premier designation. It's weird that the 765, which is for the AVI etc is also sporting the Premier badge.
I still wonder, like Roff, if the Forties version was more a general branding thing rather than a model designation. I'll see if I can round a few up over the next few days and compare and contrast.


don't you think that all these models, even though they have variations, still have a basic DNA to them. The Datora is their Calender model, although if it came with a split seconds would they put Duograph on it?

It might be closer to the later Top Time range, a way a branding a particular line of watches rather than them sharing specific traits in common. In that case a line of watches appealing to "young men with active pursuits" and much cheaper than their main lines.

I don't know if there is such a DNA in the models marked Premier from the Forties? Be interesing to see.

Well now, that's because there were 765s before there were AVIs - the model number has been around since the mid 40s.

The problem that I have with consideration of 40s Premiers as a model is that there were so many of the darn things - thinking of them as a range may make more sense.

I was gonna mention about the 765 number too... I've always known the 765 as the AVI or co-pilot... it would seem weird though because they have no resemblance whatsoever...

_________________
"I don't got the bright watch I got the right watch" -Jay Z

I was gonna mention about the 765 number too... I've always known the 765 as the AVI or co-pilot... but then again, I can see some resemblance between the two pieces so...

_________________
"I don't got the bright watch I got the right watch" -Jay Z

it's all marketing in the end and the big difference is that the Chronomat and Datora and Duograph reference numbers all designate watches that had specific functionality throughout the use of reference numbers. Premiers just don't got that kind of consistency. More catalogs would help, but I think we all agree that a Breitling catalog of the late 1940s and maybe most all of the 1950s will have all-stainless, two-register, square pusher chronographs with Venus 175, some marked "Premier" and some not. Can it be that at one point they used "Premier" for all-stainless or all-gold chronographs and the plated ones went to the 1190 series? We need more catalogs and documents.

As to the use of ref. 765, it's even odder that in it's long history, there could be a plain three-register, no bezel 765 version, sometimes with an AOPA logo at the same time there is the Avi and Co-Pilot sharing the ref. number. I think the casebacks are usually marked "765-CP" or "765-AVI," but we will have collect a lot more examples to see what serial dates they have.

Resurrecting this old thread because it pertains to this 765 I picked up and currently at Chronodeco for a spa session. It dates to 1967 so would have been available at the same time as the 765CP and 765AVI.

That's a very interesting piece Paul~ never seen one like it...

looks almost like a three register Top Time without the writing on the dial. Interesting to see that it doesn't have a numbered bezel too...

_________________
"I don't got the bright watch I got the right watch" -Jay Z

It does appear to prove that the 765 persisted as an independent model number with CP / AVI variations. No reason to doubt it at all, but I wonder why we don't see more.

Very nice catch Paul.

I think I saw this one a while ago, if it's the same one I think you got a great deal.

I have this model which is double marked Breitling/Wakmann, I've also seen it with only the AOPA wings. My pet theory is that 765 designates a professional watch, perhaps produced to more rigorous standards. The 765 was listed from the early Forties in Breitling's catalogues in the "Breitling 8" section, which listed professional pilot watches and aircraft clocks. These were available for testing by corporate and military buyers.

The case on the 765 does appear to be almost identical to my 810-24 Top Time. Both have 21mm lug spacing.

Is your case snap back or screw back. All the 765's I've seen are screw back.

I was being contacted by Breitlings retailing manager about 1 year ago, he asked if I was interested in selling my collection
http://vintageure.dk/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=109 to them.

We was excanging emails for a couple of weeks, and in the end I made them what I will call a reasonable offer to buy a part of their own history, a part that it took me 10 years to collect, and a collection they can't buy anywhere else.

Here's his answer.:

"Dear Kurt,We will think about your offer and let you know. You have time and we have time so there is no rush." and then I heard nothing more from them.

/ Kurt B