It has been awfully quiet here lately, so I too have posted little, but needed to share this with you ....
A watch we have seen in the early & mid 1940s catalogs, but never "in the metal" - we had a member post in 2011 looking for a dial for an 18k ref. 786, but that was it for 18ks; at least we had two or three SS 786s over the years, but the 18k Chronomat 786 most probably is the rarest of all vintage Breitling.
A good friend at a large auction house recently helped me to acquire this before it was listed for auction; I'm deeply grateful.
And the watch teaches us a bit about Breitling distribution channels in the 1940s and early 1950s, we have seen Tourneau branding Breitlings with their "Tournograph" and some Rattrapantes, but this one was imported by Tourneau, marked on chrono bridge and caseback, but apparently was too rarely sold to have a rebranded dial made - or it was a special order by Mario Lanza (1940s & 1950s super star; superb voice & apparently great taste in watches) who presented this watch to composer and producer Tom Watts in 1953.
I don't think I'll ever see one in better condition, well done Fred, you may have to buy a new shirt