The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Just picked up a 2002 top time. Been looking for a while and prices here in the UK have been rising steadily it seems.
What swung it was it came with a fairly new 19/16 Breitling strap and deployment which aren't pennies it seems.
Everything works and it seems to keep good time. Crown has a little play in it but it winds properly.

Outer bezel is quite worn and a good amount of the numbers are illegible so would I need a whole new face or do they split once apart?

Any sources of parts ideally in the EU or better still the UK?

I'd be quite keen to tidy it a little but remembering its 45 years old so new isn't appropriate.

Any info apreciated.

David

welcome, very nice pickup.
the crystal needs a polish, this will work wonders. the dials
on these is split into inner dial and outer ring.

replacement rings are close to impossible to get and the main dial looks
extremely well on this, would leave it well alone.

movement parts are no problem at all, neither for the V188 nor Valjoux 7730
this probably has (might also be a later piece w/ 7733,but do not think so),
if you search for Lester Harrison on this site: From the UK, great guy and
a treasure trove of parts for these.

I agree with Fred, a new crystal and a clean of the case will do wonders. The outer chapter ring is not going to be easy to repalce and for me it wouldn't be a huge deal.

Thanks both.
PO suggested that the outer bezel ring is annoying at first but once wearing you don't notice as you don't use it. What's it for anyway?
If a ring came up I might get it changed but if they are as rare as you suggest it sounds unlikely.
Chrono function works fine although I can't say there will be much call for it. Not really a great fan of chrono watches but always liked these.
Only real issue is the lack of date which means it will be a weekend watch along with a Stowa.

It's a tachymeter, at the purest level it records how many times that an event will occur within an hour - for example 300 is at 12 seconds because something that occurs after 12 seconds will occur 300 times in an hour.

The most common use is for recording speed - start the chronograph at teh beginning of a known distance, stop it at the end of that distance and you can calculate your speed - tachymeter reading x known distance.

Thanks for the replies.
I managed to pick this up on ebay over here for not much. I think the marks on the dial will clean off so would it be a straight swop?

afraid this is from a Tonneau TopTime, quite sure it will not fit.

and the one u have is a lot nicer, even w/ the faded chapter ring ?

actually chapter rings can be refinished quite easily - and do not detract too much from the vintage character.