The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi All,

This is first time on thie forum, so hello all. I bought a 806 a few years ago, my first Breitling, to celebrate getting my current job (i always treat myself to a new watch when I get a new job etc to remember it by - not normally this expensive but I always wanted a Navitimer). I got the watch checked by Watches of Switzerland who verified it to be original with Venus 178 movement.

Looking at pictures, and other websites and for sale ads in on-line shops, antique shops and the dreaded e-bay I am fascinated by the numerous tiny variations between 806's often not fully documented, I'd expect it maybe from Ferrari but surprised by it from a Very fine Swiss watch maker!!

The question I have with mine is it has Silver sub-dials, not white like many seems to have, but I have a watch magazine I bought from Denmark last year that gives a history of them and it says some were fitted in the mid-60's which sounds correct as the serial number relates to 1966. The sub dials have smooth dished sides but the subdial faces have circular groves cut into. Can anyone tell me more about this? Finally the outer bezel has black triangular markings below 60, 10 and a bigger one to the right of 35 (so prob 36). Again I have seen lots with red ones, red markers, red numbers, red boxes round black numbers or no triangular markers but only one other with black ones, does anyone know anymore about this?

Many thanks in advance, any information would be great as I love the watch and would love to learn more about it.

John

Lots and lots of thoughts, but can you post some pictures so that I can sound vaguely more educated?

Thank you very much for your reply.

Sorry I don't have a digial camera, or even a camera phone, I know i'm the last person in the country!!!

If you have a link to other photo's that sound similar though I could compare and give you a comparison that way by saying yes its like that, or its the same except for.... etc.

That could be quite a challenge!

Takea look at www.navitimer.net and see if anything there looks familiar - particularly the Collectors section.

The all black slide rulke is easy - it's a replacement. All black slide rules were the norm up to the late 50s then the partially red started appearing and by about 1962 they all had some red. An all black one on a 1966 is a guarantee that it isn't original - no big deal as they were often replaced.

I need a little more info to opine on the subdials.

Hi,

Thanks for the info on the slide rule.

Looking at the pics on the link, it looks like the one labelled 'Same Navitimer 806' on page 6, 5 pics down 2nd picfrom left hand side. On this you can see the circles in the sub-dial. On mine they look more silver than white I would say but tend to depend on the light, its not a silver as the slide rule. Slide rule looks the same as this one too but the red bits are black as I said but they are in the same place.

Thanks

John

From the sounds of it I don't think that it's different from a regular 806 of the era. The subdials can look from light silver to white depending on light and angle, and they do have the concentric rings guilloche - it just doesn't show up in many pictures.

Obviously can't comment on hands or movement without seeing it, but by the sounds of it it's a regular mid 60s 806 with a replacement outer sliderule.

Ok thanks Roffensian, appreciate your help especially for educated guessing without seeing pictures. I will try to get some photo's at some point for you.

Have you ever seen another one with black markings, or is the replacement theory based on not knowing of any produced with that in the 60's?

Thanks again

John

The thing with the 806 is that it's very well documented. The first generation Navitimers had all black slide rules. By around 1959 or so the first evolution began with changes to the bezel, the addition of red to the slide rule and eventually the replacement of the black subs with silver.

Any pre-1959 watch with red is definitely wrong, after that red or black is possible, but when you get past 1963 or so it's uncommon to see an all black slide rule. I can't guarantee that it's a replacement, but the odds are that it's not original.