The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Nice watch and a box I have not seen yet, but Yaffle, you might have ?

Serial number is before the documented years, hands look very similar to the early 734s and 765s, Venus 151 movement looks correct and is - correctly - unsigned.

Did not find any reliable information when Breitling started to use reference numbers, so either this one does not have a model reference yet, or I am wrong in my gut feelling that this piece is correct ?

Was listed on ebay Germany and went quite a lot higher than my snipe ....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330641447801? ... 1438.l2649

That looks correct to me too. Price is perhaps a little high, but not that surprising with the box as well.

no reference number on this one ?

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"I spent most of my money on Booze, Breitling and Boats. The rest I wasted" - mostly Elmore Leonard

neither on this nor on several other pieces I have seen from the 30s that seem original. Have been looking for (relatively) reliable information when Breitling started to mark the watches with model references, though we all know about very desirable watches without reference numbers until 1954 !

This seems like this is one of those occasions where someone pairs a box with a watch and claims it's original. I've sen an identical box with a nos Chronomat from the 1940's a few years back. The hands on the chronograph and the Breitling scripts color and location would give me enough pause that I wouldn't purchase it without a very close up pic of the script. Would sure like to look at it though a loupe. I'm also thinking that style bridge on the Venus movement is a slightly later version. Just thinking out loud. Watch makers during the period this watch was probably manufactured often bought cases from the same case maker so seeing the similarity in sequence number doesn't necessarily mean it originated at Breitling. Watches of this period are VERY difficult to authenticate and I think some fakers take advantage of that.

Actually, Paul, the hands made me believe it was original, seem very similar to those on the 724/765 from the 40s on this upload by Eitan:



Hope to be able to even better compare them, as a 40s 734 with those hands is on the way to Vienna. Do you happen to know more about when Breitling started to mark the reference numbers on/in the caseback ?

My point exactly on the hands. They don't appear to be period correct if the watch is from the late 1930's. I believe reference numbers started in the very early 1940's. I know if a Breitling falls within the known serial number sequence it seems to always have a ref number. Every true Breitling I've had from the 1930's has had more wear to the dial than this one appears to have and for that Breitling script to stand out as it does I just find a little disconcerting. Of course there's always the possibility of finding one that's been stored away safely in a climate controlled environment but age usually takes it's toll.

I've not come across this box before, the ones I've seen that I would have put to this period were more
rounded. Having said that it looks like a nice correct box. I wonder if the "Fab Suisse" would mean it was a box used in the French market?

In terms of a model number, in my experience these do start around the early Forties. The catalogues I have and that are shown in the two books all have ref numbers going back to very early dates, but I can't remember seeing those numbers on a watch much earlier than the Forties.

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_ ... 30769&sid=

This one at Christies claims to have a ref "8788" but that doesn't sound like an early ref that I know. Which tend to be three numbers. Since we can't see a picture - who knows what's on there?

However the date number does seem to track right back as even the very earliest ones I've seen often have that. Like this Montbrillant - which I think is genuine.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f11/montbr ... ost2718634

Having said that I have two of the pilot watches with the simple rotating bezel, one marked Montrbillant and one marked Breitling which have no date numbers on them.

In terms of the hand, they would appear to be later, but that doesn't mean that over it's seventy year + history they weren't just changed at one time.

I think Paul is right to home in on the signature, because when breitling started signing their dials is perhaps a little easier to guess although between about 35 and 40 they seemed to start signing on and off and also might go from Montbrillant to Breitling.

Certainly as late as 1939 they are showing adverts with no signatures, or only on one or two watches in their catalogues.

Here's an interesting Montbrillant which we can't see the back of, however the owner doesn't mention any ref numbers, so I'd assume there weren't any.

http://orologi.forumfree.it/?t=46646608

It's just too hard to make a call on this without having a good look at the signature. It could well be an no name Breitling that someone has added the signature to or it might be a genuine signature.

In its favour there is nothing tricked up about the watch (if the signature stands up) which you usually see, add Breitling signatures on the caseback or the bridge. The market clearly thought that it was right given the price it sold for.

Paul - the early one buttons you had - did they have any serial or ref numbers. I don't remember.