The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Good evening all,

I’ve been looking to purchase a Breitling Top Time 810 or 815 with the beautiful sunburst panda dial. This will be my first breitling. I’m leaning toward the 810 but any opinions or advice would be appreciated.
I’ve seen a bunch of them with varying second hands and second hand colors. Thick metal seconds, black thin, red thin, orange thing etc.
Several are missing lume dots. Some have lume dots that are all black. Can these be replaced?
While in London, a watch store was selling a 815 panda in great condition with a full set for $8750. Even though the watch was basically perfect, I couldn’t pull the trigger without learning more about the watch. The price also seemed much higher than anything else I’ve seen. Maybe I made a mistake in not buying it or maybe I saved myself from making a poor decision.
Any suggestions on how to go about picking, finding, and purchasing the watch?

Thank you

Some reading

https://thespringbar.com/blogs/guides/c ... -top-time/

Price was very high. Maybe highest on record.

Great read. Thank you.

I thought it was high. But it also had no dial, lume, movement or any other issues.
I guess I have a lot to learn before I can understand why some these watches are $3000 and some are $8000:)

I think the reverse panda (black dial) ones go for the most. Retail is retail as you saw, but they go for £2500-£3500 between collectors/dealers/auctions, probably more often towards the £3500 side as they're often in good condition. The pandas and all silver dials probably £300-£500 less. Just my observation, nothing scientific.

Interesting. I haven’t been able to find a decent one at that low of a price. I thought the panda would be more expensive and in demand over the reverse panda. I’ve seen a bunch of reverse pandas for sale.

Fred would be better positioned on market values but my sense is that Mark I Top Time 810s demand a premium over the latter versions.

I saw that ebay listing. The watch is stunning.
But I have a few questions.
Why is the subdial hand on the seconds subdial different from the other 2 hands?
Why does the minutes subdial not have the 3 lines or long hash marks between 30 and 10? Is this some sort of transitional model between an 810 and 815?
If I get the watch polished, will it hurt or destroy the value?
If I replace the acrylic, will it hurt the value?
It is my first vintage watch, so I do want to go about maintaining the watch the right way.

Since I’m new here, I’m not familiar with who Fred is. But he sounds like a knowledgeable guy. Buddman has so far been very helpful in educating me on the topic.

The main visual difference in the case is the mark 1 have “curved lugs” and the mark 2 have boxier lugs. There are other differences of course in caseback etc. The dial styles evolve too. The dial on this one without the 3min dividers is fine. See similar examples in the springbar reference article. The third hand is indeed wrong (but I’d be happy to trade you one for the box and papers of this watch which are £2-300 anyway).

I see. So the original subdial hand is worth about $300.

Besides not coming with the box and papers, what’s the difference between that watch and the one in the link below?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3288715180

Hour and minutes hands are wrong. More of a major major than a subdial hand and harder to fix.