I have had this Datora dial for about 8 years now and thought I might never get to use it but earlier this month I found a case and movement on eBay and finally got around to putting it together. I have a collection of "funky" chronos from the late 60s and early 70s and this is a perfect addition. I didn't like these watches early on but they have grown on me, mostly because they are so unique from that era - something that will never be duplicated.
The hands are not original but I should be able to find these in the future - they are common on a lot of other Breitlings and even some other brands.
I am posting it to show the case restoration. This case like a lot of others from that time had a sun burst or radial pattern burnished into the top of the case. Usually, this is removed and the case is polished to a mirror finish because it was produced with special equipment that would not be available today. I have found a way to restore this radial finish as best possible without special equipment. I use a narrow file with adhesive backed 120 grit wet sandpaper attached - a strip about 1/4 inch wide. The sanding is done by only pushing forward from the other edge toward the center in a single stroke motion and lifting it off when the file is all the way towards the center of the case. It takes about an hour to do this but it does look a lot better than any alternatives that I know of. If you plan to try this yourself, do it on a case that you don't plan on using later - it takes a bit of practice. Craig
