Hi thanks for having me on the forum it is very helpful.

I'm currently saving for an 1960's 806 Navi and want to buy an 18k gold plated one as I don't own any gold watches. Can you guys help me out with a few questions as I don't know too much about the 806 or watches in general.

- Were the gold plated 806 Navi's issued direct from the Breitling factory or mainly done elsewhere?

- Are the 18k gold plated 806's as desirable as the SS counterparts in the eyes of collectors and do they hold their value as well?

- Does the gold plated stand up well over time and regular wear?

- Are the AOPA gold plated watches original and would this be the grail of gold 806's?

- Are there vintage 24hr cosmonaut versions in 18k gold and would these be more collectible over the normal 806 navi?

- what price range should i look to pay for a nice mint gold 806 and what do you think of the version should in the following link (also if anyone knows of one that is looking to be sold please pm me)-
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0018977425

Any other information on 18k gold plated 806's would be a great help.

Thanks! :]

Alright, let's try and get all of those:

Were they 18K gold from the factory - yes - steel, gold plate and gold were all factory models

Do they hold their value as well - it depends. They don't command much of a premium over steel, and prices on all 806s have been taking off recently. I suspect that the current run up in prices can't be sustained, and then you'll see a correction in all of them. If you don't pay much of a premium for golod plate then you should be OK, but still liable to suffer from any correction as much as with a steel 806.

Doe the gold plate stand up to regular wear - well it's only gold plate. It will wear off over time, although it can be restored. I very much doubt that you will find a 50s / 60s gold plated 806 that hasn't been replated at some point. Remember also that these are 40 - 50 year old watches - not ideal everyday wearers.

Are AOPA gold plate original - there are gold plated versions of these, obviously need to look at each watch independently though - there are a lot of non genuine watches out there.

Is AOPA the holy grail - that's personal opinion. AOPA tends to be more collectable, my personal holy grail is a 1952, others prefer white subs as more of a 'classic' look - you pay your money and you take your choice.

Are there gold Cosmonautes - yes, model number 809/4 for plate, 809/5 for solid (same suffixes as for 806)

Is the 809 more collectable than the 806 - again personal choice. The 806 is the classic, and is a more practical watch with the 12 hour dial

What price for a mint gold 806 (you've moved from plate to gold with your questions so not sure what you are specifically asking) - this is an impossible question to answer - a 1952 is worth different to a 1962 and different again to a 1972. For plate I would use steel pricing as a guide so $3,500 - $5,500 depending on year, for gold, I don't know - maybe $4,500 - $7,000. Historically gold hasn't commanded a huge premium, but being less common and with the recent increase in gold prices there is a lift.

For the link you posted - well I have a rule to never buy a vintage watch without seeing a picture of the movement and the serial number - and I don't think that would be a very pretty picture in this case - if they were right then the seller would show pictures and be asking a lot more. The all black slide rule scale is unusual on what is clearly a 1960s watch (white subs, printed Breitling caseback). It's not a great photo of the caseback so can't reassure myself that it's right, if it is then I think we are probably talking 1966 or a few years earlier. Hands are consistent with that. At the very least you need a serial number and pictures of the movement before buying.

Any other info - not specific to the gold plated ones - plenty of info on here and elsewhere about 806s, plenty of info here about things to avoid in looking for an 806.

If anyone else knows more info or is looking to sell one please PM me or put me in the right direction.

Great info on Navis here, in case you didn't see it http://www.lesmala.net/jean-michel/navitimer/index2.htm