The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi all,
I would like to have your opinion on the Breitling " chronographe de sport 7101" or so called "Pult" or "Pupitre" .
As many people , I have bought a project watch a couple of years ago , on ebay . It was a NOS empty watch - stainless steel box, back , crystal and brown dial . My aim was to find a 7740 to complete this strange shaped and designed watch.
I quickly realised that the project was not realistic, as very few 7740 were produced as a "calibre réservé" for Breitling and Heuer only.
Sometimes forward, I bought a second one in blue, and 2 sets of hands - expensively - at watchco australia.
It was noticeable that very few had been sold by Breitling , but NOS watches were available at oldworldjewellers, as wide stocks of complete watches had been sold as bulk when the Leon Breitling factory closed.
I do not know much more about those Pult , except that there is also a Chrono-Matic cal 12 version with probably a little more quantities sold has been sold in the period 1972-73 .
After 2 years seeking after a 7740, early 2011 I decided to switch to another strategy : collecting all parts one by one ( x2 kits) in order to assemble 2 brand new 7740 . A strong motivation for that is to assemble those 7740 as a training at my watchmaker's , he shows me the way with one cal and I -try to - do the same with the second one in parallel.
I have found several "kits" thanks to Lester Harrisson who started to offer some on ebay in January 2011 and gave me the starting spark for that .
Since last October I have not progressed as I still lack a few parts to have 2 full kits.
Hereafter some pics of the 2 Pult , and 2 other chronos with aesthetic childhood.

I see that the pic showing the 2 Pult with their little cousins has not been attached .
The brown one is a Dugena , which splits from its box to allow using as a chronometer.
The blue one is a Airain . Both have a Valjoux 7734 inside.

I had the same dream, though I did not go as far as you, I even lack the dial, just one of those NOS 7102 pupitre cases waiting for the - theoretic - 7740 to finally show up. Lester has some parts, but far from enough to build a complete movement. Will be an intersting bidding war when the first new or salvagable 7740 appears on the bay, assume we two are far from alone in this search ...

Sometimes a guy on ebay surrenders and sells a dial, or a case + dial.
From my side I am not so far from having collected all parts for 2 fullsets . I still lack following :
1 main plate 100, 2 cock 106, 1 cock bridge 121/3, 2 core 423, 1 spring 430, 2 bridges 8500 with proper 7740 engraving, 2 chronoplate 8502 steel finish.
I have NOS datedisks in excess ( bought a complete box from watchco). Swaps welcome!

Ive been keeping one eye on these cases as well, nice to hear here that movements are difficult to source or I would have bought one soon and probably would have given up after a few years of searching !

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

Good decision, Rene, I will happily let u have mine, beautiful, new, but quite empty ....

They're at your local watch supply store between the hen's teeth and the unicorn horns!

Love these pieces, but there are better project pieces to start from. As someone who has recently started down the path of watchmaking as a hobby I highly recommend simple two hand pocket watches to start from. Simpler movements, larger pieces and much cheaper access points - $10 per shot or so if you avoid named brands.

I'll also happily provide a list of the tools that I have assembled as a 'basic' kit and some good correspondence courses if anyone is interested.

Maybe if you get desperate after awhile, just ship it out to the Heists... I heard they fabricate parts themselves... but then that would be a very very expensive project...

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

Not necessarily, it depends on the parts.

Arbors are fairly easy to fabricate with a lathe and some experience and wheels are doable as well with the kind of experience that the Heists have. The issues really begin when you get into plates, bridges and things.

That reminds me of this one video I saw Roff for Patek Philippe and the part where they're making the base plate... Yeah I highly doubt the Heists have a machine like that in their office.

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

I am sure that I shall finally succeed in finding all the parts . For the chronometer parts it is not so difficult as it is common with cal.11 .
The only real point is the mainplate . I was lucky to find one last October ... Lester promised me to have a look in his parts beginning of january but since 2 weeks he was ill . I shall ask him again when he will be back to 100% healthy .
My project is not to go fast, it is to have the 2 calibers assembled by me under supervision of my watchmaker as a training .

Hi guys, here are some news about my Valjoux 7740 completion project .
After a long period out of the radar, Lester is back ! I wrote him one month ago and he advised me that he intended to go back to watch parts .
Yesterday I bought from him 1 main plate 100, 2 cocks 106, 2 cores 423 , 2 chrono plates 8281.
I am now close to have collected 100% of the parts : I only lack 1 cock bridge 121/3, and after finding it , time will be there to assemble my 2 Valjoux 7740 , one by my watchmaker and the second by me as a training .
I have a Pult ....and a Navi 7806 awaiting for these 2 V7740 , since I have used the movement promised to the 7806 for fullfilling my first Pult which was in project for ...7 years if I remember .

great news re Lester, saw some listings yesterday for Cal.11 parts that i thought could be from him, but under a new ebay name ? email is unchanged, I assume ?

can't wait to see the results of your projects, you're well under way now !

Great to hear he is back and i assume doing ok

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

Yes I forgot to tell Lester's new ebay ID : teddy4paws.