The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hello,

I'm a newbie to Vintage Breitlings but I have seen the watch below for sale that I like the look of :




I believe it's a Top Time 2000 model but I'm not sure what sort of price I should be paying or what questions I should be asking? Should I find out its serial number? Is it normal to have steel pushers with a gold case?

Hope someone can point me in the right direction?

Many thanks

Stu

Could be a 2000, could also be a frankenwatch. Hands look like replacements although it's hard to tell from the angle, pushers are definitely replacements.

Before ever thinking about putting any money into it we need photos of inside and outside of caseback and movement. That will give us a much better idea of what it is and will also help with valuation - no way to tell solid gold / filled / plated at this point so impossible to value accurately.

Hello,

Thanks for the reply. Does the following picture of the inside of the watch help any??



Also, since it looks like the steel pushers are replacements do you know where I could get these replaced with gold pushers?

Many thanks.

Yes it does. Most of the Top Times had Venus 188 movements, though some had Valjoux 7730 series movements. This is a Venus.

However, it automatically looks suspicious because it looks so new - this is supposedly a 35 / 40 year old watch - would you expect the movement to look that good?

The balance cock has WOG stamped on it which can be a good sign that the movement was produced for Breitling, but can also be an alarm that someone has tried a little too hard to make it look right. For me the clincher is the bridge - the thing with the Breitling Watch Ltd stamp on it. Imagine that the bridge is the letter Y - compare the left and right uprights of the Y on the one that you are looking at and compare it with the one below.



Yours is not smooth, it has pieces jutting out when it should only have the small notch for the screw at bottom right.

I would leave this alone, I think it's been 'assembled'

The case has been heavily worked on. The lugs are very rounded. Originally they would have had defined edges as on this. The 815 has essentially the same case as the Toptime. So presumeably it must have been replated as well. At best a clumsy refurb (I hesitate to use the word 'restoration'). More likely a Frankenwatch.

Many thanks for all the advice.

I know it's a long shot but does anyone know of any vintage watch retailers that have a Top Time in stock with black face & gold case similar to the one pictured above?

Thanks.

Not the same style, but there are a few on Chrono24 - http://www.chrono24.com/en/search/index ... ART+SEARCH

The closest one to the one above is a silver dial though and is also at that link.

Ok, thanks again.

I guess that i'll have to keep looking then

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your info last time I posted.

I'm still searching for that elusive Top Time watch!

I've found another one that I like the look of - could I possibly get your opinion again. I notice that the bridge isn't smooth again. (Sorry the photos aren't the best!)

Should I steer clear?


Many thanks

Stu

It's a little difficult to tell from those photos. First question I would have is what's the three letter code on the balance cock - I can't read it, but it should be WOG or BOW.

This looks like a model 2003, which from memory had a Venus 175 or a Valjoux 7730 - as I mentioned in an earlier post I'm travelling this week so don't have my books to hand. This is a Valjoux movement, and broadly looks like a 7730, but I don't like the bridge for that movement - the shape's wrong.

Also not sure on the crown which looks too thick (but that could be the photo) and the gold plate / rolled gold and dial look in very good condition suggesting at best som refinishing. It's not solid gold because of the steel caseback.

The Breitling logo at the bottom of the caseback is unusual, but can't say for sure that it's wrong.

Thanks again for your help.

It's interesting that you comment on it being a Valjoux movement as the seller claims it has a Venus 188 movement!

That's possible too - without a maker's mark it's impossible to tell because the designs of the two movements are virtually identical. I went Valjoux as the 2003 had a Venus 175 or a Valjoux 7730.

If it is a Venus 188, the bridge is still the wrong shape