The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Another limited edition rebrand? Interesting that it's properly marked Breitling except the dial. Nice Valjoux 72C but bridge markings would seem a little early for 1947. Maybe another case of using up what's available.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HOBE-18K-ROSE-GOLD-BREITLING-CHRONOGRAPH-DAY-DATE-MONTH-3-REGISTER-WRISTWATCH-/151137932072?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item233085d328

case is clearly correct ref. 785, bridge markings quite a bit later; assume early/mid 1950s.

So i am not the only one, i just asked the seller if he has a BIN

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

Thats quick , "no"

But i believe its correct , more correct than many other 785's with 'Breitling' on the dial

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

Shouldn't the dial on this one have gold markers?

Does your 785 have gold markers on the dial ?

edit
I see what you mean, the hour numbers in gold

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

Yes Rene, meant the hour markers.

Doesn't look like this is going for much but would be a great buy for someone who had a dial and proper movement parts!

San, whats wrong with the current dial and movement ?

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

The dial doesn't have gold hour makers and all the ones I have seen in 18k gold or atleast the ones I recall(do correct me if am wrong) have gold hour markers. Next, the dial has been rebranded and is badly scratched on the face so thats a big negative without the original Breitling Datora markings and scratches, not sure if the scratches are just surface marks that someone like Craig can take off, looks deeper than that. Some of the hands too are wrong.

As for the movement, as Fred already mentioned, the bridge markings are a more early to mid 50's. But I must say, the case looks to be in quite a good condition and so I think a corrected bridge and an updated dial (and hands if possible) could bring it back to life. Am thinking if only someone had bought that other watch that appeared months ago with the bent lugs:)

This one in the attached pic is from 1947 , have a close look at the movement markings and compare them with the one on Ebay , please let me know what you think

as for the dial, I speculate this was indeed a special order originally built by breitling for that jeweler. change anything or replace the dial and you have made an original breitling built watch into a franken watch, I highly doubt that is what you would want to do ?

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

Thanks Rene, about the dial, in my personal opinion, I doubt Breitling would have made that HOBE name print in that poor quality and unless there are other examples of that dial, I would be quite apprehnsive about considering that dial as Breitling made, moreso if it was a once off. Any other examples of Breitling watches made for HOBE?

As for the markings, guess Fred will share his inputs. What year did the WOG markings come about?

I must admit though that at the price it's currently threading, its quite an attractive buy for the parts that look all correct!

The dial looks perfectly correct for the Hobe logo, suggesting that the dial is wrong with absolutely no evidence to support that is dangerous and misleading!

Not suggesting anything Roff, just my opinion, if there are no other watches with the same dial to back that theory up, then to a collector it becomes quite a risky buy. There either has to be hard evidence in numbers or definitive proof that this HOBE dial variant from Breitling for 785's existed. Maybe if I see a few of these watches or even a few other Breitling Hobe watchs, I might think differently since I would seek safety in numbers.

well, the old story again - we see many cases (especially 18k) produced in the years 1945, 1946 and 1947 combined with dials that are early/mid 1950s; I've seen a dozen or more examples of 769s, but a lot of other models too. San, please remember that the serial numbers are case production years, not the years of watch assembly - it apparently took Breitling almost a decade to deplete their stock for some case types - some models like the 797 are all in 1947/1948 cases, though it was probably sold (and assembled) for several years.

I do believe that the movement marking on this Datora is early 1950s, but this does in no way make the watch franken or fake. though hands are clearly incorrect.