The Breitling Watch Source Forums :: View topic - can you help me with this 801?

Welcome to the forum, Vittorio !

You will find little about the Chronomat ref. 801, as it is one of the rarest watches Breitling ever produced; yes, each of the handful that surfaced over the years seem to have different dials, sometimes rather strange logo versions.

I am sorry about the loss of your parent, but it is a truly mega rare family heirloom you are holding in your hand, the first gold plated ref. 801 I have ever seen.
case was manufactured in 1947, it is a "no lume" dial with painted numerals, another first for me, logo looks quite strange for a 1947, adding to my theory that these watches were produced by individual order and never went into "mass" production that would bring us standardized dials.

You will find the watch is holding a Venus movement (assume 14 lignes cal. 184, but could also be a 13 lignes cal. 187; not verified) - and strangely appears in none of the catalogs of the 1940s, just some advertisements.

It would be kind of you to add a movement shot to verify the caliber used.

Please do not wind and use the watch too often if it has not been relatively recently serviced - it looks like it hasn't and you could damage irreplaceable parts, as the ois have probably run dry years ago.

find an experienced watchmaker first - and please do not try to "restore" the dial, it would only get worse than it is.

Author:	Glauco [ Wed Oct 28, 2015 3:04 pm ]
Post subject:	can you help me with this 801?
HI guys a parent of mine had recently passed away ...and his dear wife give me this watch can you help me?it's a 801 of 1948?i've searched online but i can't find much infos about this,and every watch i've seen is slightly different from each other here are the pics,thanks in advice! V

Author:	WatchFred [ Wed Oct 28, 2015 11:43 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
Welcome to the forum, Vittorio ! You will find little about the Chronomat ref. 801, as it is one of the rarest watches Breitling ever produced; yes, each of the handful that surfaced over the years seem to have different dials, sometimes rather strange logo versions. I am sorry about the loss of your parent, but it is a truly mega rare family heirloom you are holding in your hand, the first gold plated ref. 801 I have ever seen. case was manufactured in 1947, it is a "no lume" dial with painted numerals, another first for me, logo looks quite strange for a 1947, adding to my theory that these watches were produced by individual order and never went into "mass" production that would bring us standardized dials. You will find the watch is holding a Venus movement (assume 14 lignes cal. 184, but could also be a 13 lignes cal. 187; not verified) - and strangely appears in none of the catalogs of the 1940s, just some advertisements. It would be kind of you to add a movement shot to verify the caliber used. Please do not wind and use the watch too often if it has not been relatively recently serviced - it looks like it hasn't and you could damage irreplaceable parts, as the ois have probably run dry years ago. find an experienced watchmaker first - and please do not try to "restore" the dial, it would only get worse than it is.

Author:	Eric_navi [ Wed Oct 28, 2015 11:46 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
It is beautiful. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Author:	Glauco [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 1:52 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
WatchFred wrote: Welcome to the forum, Vittorio ! You will find little about the Chronomat ref. 801, as it is one of the rarest watches Breitling ever produced; yes, each of the handful that surfaced over the years seem to have different dials, sometimes rather strange logo versions. I am sorry about the loss of your parent, but it is a truly mega rare family heirloom you are holding in your hand, the first gold plated ref. 801 I have ever seen. case was manufactured in 1947, it is a "no lume" dial with painted numerals, another first for me, logo looks quite strange for a 1947, adding to my theory that these watches were produced by individual order and never went into "mass" production that would bring us standardized dials. You will find the watch is holding a Venus movement (assume 14 lignes cal. 184, but could also be a 13 lignes cal. 187; not verified) - and strangely appears in none of the catalogs of the 1940s, just some advertisements. It would be kind of you to add a movement shot to verify the caliber used. Please do not wind and use the watch too often if it has not been relatively recently serviced - it looks like it hasn't and you could damage irreplaceable parts, as the ois have probably run dry years ago. find an experienced watchmaker first - and please do not try to "restore" the dial, it would only get worse than it is. Hi,thank you very much i've searched the web for hours looking for infos about it but i've found no centainties the case,according the serial database,should be 1948....caliber...190? every dial i've seen is different from the other,every logo (type,dimensions),the logos on the dial (only the brand,the brand with chronomat,the brand with chronomat and the cross with the brevet,the brand with the cross and the brevet),the colors (because some are refinished and new) there's a 801 in ebay.de that is only some serial numbers after my watch...i think that it was plated too but that it was removed during a polishing (look at the end of the lugs,it still is visible the plating)...but i think that the dial is a refinishing yesterday they told me that even my is a refinishing,an old refinishing..but i will not change it,when restoring,for sure. but...i would like to know what are the correct hands,in type and color...dark blur (like breguet blue) lume for minute and hour?red for the chrono second hand?(i think that the one in my watch is the original one,but broken,it can be seen the red color and the broken back point when you look closely), red for the subdial at 3,same blue for the ones at 6,9 and 12 (date) ? thanks to everyone will help me

Author:	WatchFred [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 1:56 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
yes, dial might well be a (very) old refinish .... no, it isn't a cal. 190, that would be a rattrapante - but assuming it is 14 lignes, it is a cal. 184 hands are correct for non-lume dials from the mid 40s. yes, the tail of the chrono sweep is broken, small issue.

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Author:	Glauco [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:03 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?

Author:	WatchFred [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:04 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
?

Author:	Glauco [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:07 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
WatchFred wrote: yes, dial might well be a (very) old refinish .... no, it isn't a cal. 190, that would be a rattrapante - but assuming it is 14 lignes, it is a cal. 184 hands are correct for non-lume dials from the mid 40s. yes, the tail of the chrono sweep is broken, small issue. ah,so 184 caliber so,do you think that they could be the original hands? because i will tell the tech to find the same when restoring...given the red for the chrono...i put some "normal" ones in the subdials?you see two are missing

Author:	Glauco [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:08 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
WatchFred wrote: ? ??

Author:	Jayreef [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:12 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
Where would YOU go to get that restored Fred?

Author:	Wim [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:15 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
Glauco, be sure if you will get the watch restored, to go to an expert in the field. Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go to a Breitling dealer. They, or Breitling, will mess up the watch. I'm an AD, so I know... Ask Watchfred or Dracha advice on where to go and what to do if you want to keep it original. They are experts on vintage Breitlings and I myself would use them if I had a vintage Breitling.

Author:	WatchFred [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:35 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
not easy who to go to ... our best (in this case only) source has stopped to accept new customers for the moment. so the (probably) last resort will be the Heists of horologicalservices.com here are some Chronomat for you to compare the correct hands; subdial hands aren't easy, but doable, sweep is the easiest to find. http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t= ... sg_7106095 these non-lume are missing in the TZ article iirc, show you the same hands on a non-lume dial:

Author:	WatchFred [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:37 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
Glauco wrote: WatchFred wrote: ? ?? you have reposted the (almost) same pics, was confused.

Author:	Glauco [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 3:01 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
Wim wrote: Glauco, be sure if you will get the watch restored, to go to an expert in the field. Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go to a Breitling dealer. They, or Breitling, will mess up the watch. I'm an AD, so I know... Ask Watchfred or Dracha advice on where to go and what to do if you want to keep it original. They are experts on vintage Breitlings and I myself would use them if I had a vintage Breitling. Hi Wim ,thanks for your reply it's sure that a Breitling Ad will never see my watch i will give it to my Rolex AD tech,that had already restored a Valjoux 22 gold Chrono that my grandfather left me when passed away here you can see the result http://orologi.forumfree.it/?t=63762417 if he has problem in restoring,even for spare parts,i'll check in other places.

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Author:	Glauco [ Thu Oct 29, 2015 5:35 am ]
Post subject:	Re: can you help me with this 801?
WatchFred wrote: Glauco wrote: WatchFred wrote: ? ?? you have reposted the (almost) same pics, was confused. hoped were better