The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Good spot - they are, but that's not right either

The hands are consistent with a Navitimer, though probably not quite the same as were originally fitted. The hands were routinely replaced at service so that's not unusual, though not desirable. In this case it also looks as though the one subdial hand has been replaced at a different time to the others creating the visual difference that you can see.

I wouldn't see this as a problem per se and it wouldn't put me off the watch - something else would!!

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Super Avenger White, Steel & Diamond Bezel

Oops sorry, missed this one, er, how can I put this...

No.

Not sure if there is any consistency here to be honest - I suspect the style of hands applied makes the pin colour either more or less obvious.

This has to be the most active Vintage thread in some time - do you want tme to do this more often or am I just becoming frustrating and annoying??

I'm headed home from work soon - gives you another 3 1/2 hours or so and then I'll put you out of your misery if no one has got it.

this is not frustrating or annoying, we all can learn something from this is my opinion

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Super Avenger White, Steel & Diamond Bezel

I'm not either very vintage skilled, so I'm ok with being laughed at...

I think the pushers look a bit strange - the top one looks like it's a bitt too pulled, it's almost as you can see welding marks just under the cap. And for the bottom pusher it looks like some yellowish metal is slightly visible, I'm not sure it it should look like that.

And Roffensian - quests like these are more than welcome! I'm happy to learn and guess!

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Collection: http://s540.photobucket.com/albums/gg32 ... mview=grid

Roffensian - before you kill my pushers (but I still think they look a bit strange) I have a better guess.

I just looked at some old Navitimers here:
http://www.watchlife.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=144

and none of them have red markings on the bezel as this one.

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Collection: http://s540.photobucket.com/albums/gg32 ... mview=grid

I see no red print on the dials from your link?
maybe that is the solution

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Super Avenger White, Steel & Diamond Bezel

Exactly my point - the one Roffensian showed has the red prints, but not the ones I linked to...

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Collection: http://s540.photobucket.com/albums/gg32 ... mview=grid

HI all,very interesting thread,i cant wait for the mystery to end.Rgds Robert

And the winner is........

Aleister

It is indeed the slide rule.

Many of you were looking for something 'wrong' with the watch, when really there isn't anything wrong with it as a Navitimer - that is all the bits are right, it just isn't a combination that was ever made.

The hands are likely replacements (I've not seen a pure first or second year with these hands), as is the crown, maybe the pushers, and these would be an issue for some purists, but you have to be realistic. These watches are well over 50 years old now and with servicing and repairs parts will be replaced.

The slide rule is a different matter. I have said many times that establishing whether a Navitimer is right can be difficult because Breitling phased in changes. These days uou know when a change is made - the baton SA was introduced in 2008, but with vintage watches you can't do that - changes occurred over a period of several years.

Having said that the first generation Navitimers of the 50s were relatively similar - some minor changes on the dial and the hands, but still black on black watches with a rice bezel. In the very late 50s into the early 60s the more traditional bezel started appearing as did the silver subdials, with the black subdials pretty much disappearing completely by the mid 60s.

The silver subdials also facilitated a few other changes, including red numbers. These weren't consistent - some had red on the outer dials, some on the inner, some on both, but one thing is consistent - you cannot get a red slide rule until the early 1960s - I have never seen any earlier than 1963, and I have never seen red on any Navitimer that doesn't have silver subdials.

So this watch can't be right - the slide rule is at least 10 years younger than the rest of the watch, and that's a shame, because otherwise this is a fairly special piece.

Thanks for playing along with this - I love the opportunity to share what limited knowledge I have on these pieces, especially if it helps someone avoid a bad decision - I guess I just worry that it can come across as arrogant, and I worry that there isn't always someone around to correct me when I do slip up.

Roff,you are a great teacher,and i will say this i have the outmost respect for the knowledge of this forum.Keep up the exellent work.With great respect Robert

Great thread, very informative.

I'm all for seeing lots more of these. It's a good way to learn.

Thanks Roff.

Interesting stuff. That would be why I don't get involved with vintage models!

Oh and thanks to Roff as well for pointing out my lack of observancy on the dial wording too....


Oh ta!

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Driver8

Site Moderator

All those sub dial hands are wrong. The index ring is also a replacement as you indicated. The earlier index rings became NLA and it was standard procedure to use the later index rings after the originals were usually deteriorated too badly to reuse. Those sub dial hands are like nothing used by Breitling on the Nav though. You can check Jean-Michels site: http://www.lesmala.net/jean-michel/navitimer/index2.htm click on Collectors.

Paul