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Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
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Author:  lead47 [ Sun Mar 08, 2009 2:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
I have viewed many sites to ascertain year model and value of a Navitimer that my father gave to me. It is a self wind model, and works flawlessly. Any help is appreciated. Photo attached. There are two numbers on the back one is 1428598 and the other (little larger font) is 8808. Thanks,

Attachment:
DSCN0187.JPG
Author:  Roffensian [ Sun Mar 08, 2009 3:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
The serial number (1428598), dates it to early 1974. 8808 is the model number.

However, there's a problem. This isn't an 8808.

The 8808 is a Chrono-matic from the 1970s with an automatic movement. It had two subdials and a date window at 6 o'clock. It also had the Chrono-matic left hand crown.

I'd like to know more about the history of this before commenting further - the dial layout is of a 7806, but that was powered by a Valjoux 7740 (manual wind). The hands are also wrong for that (except for the 6 o'clock sub). The hands are right for a 7808, but again that's a manual wind and it's a Chronomat, not a Navitimer. The hand at the 9 o'clock sub is also too short.

Sorry, but this watch has problems.
Author:  bnewbie [ Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
It looks like 7806 with wrong hands.
Author:  lead47 [ Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
Roff, what else would you like to know? It definately says 8808 and serial 1426598. I took the back off and the movement says Breitling Watch Ltd. Cal. 7740. Also, there is a plug on the left side where it looks like the crown could be inserted if it weren't on the right side. Any ideas?
Author:  lead47 [ Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
Roff, the serial number is 1426598 instead of 1428598. Sorry for the bad number.
Author:  Roffensian [ Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
OK now I'm confused.

It does indeed look like a 7806 with the wrong hands bnewbie, but the OP said it was self winding.

lead47 - can you post a picture of the movement - a 7740 is manual wind, not automatic. I'd also like to see pictures of the inside and outside of the caseback.

Revised serial makes it very late 1973.
Author:  lead47 [ Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
Roffen, I am having difficulty taking close-up pictures with old camera but will attempt again tomorrow night at which time I will have my better camera. The movement is indeed a self-wind Cal. 7740. I will post more pictures tomorrow night. Thanks for your patience.
Author:  Roffensian [ Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
lead47 wrote:
Roffen, I am having difficulty taking close-up pictures with old camera but will attempt again tomorrow night at which time I will have my better camera. The movement is indeed a self-wind Cal. 7740. I will post more pictures tomorrow night. Thanks for your patience.


No worries.

And just to clarify - you have a 7740 automatic - i.e. with a rotor?????????????

I really want to see that.

The 7740 is essentially the same as the Breitling calibre 12, but with one key difference - it doesn't have a rotor - it's manual wind not automatic / self winding.
Author:  lead47 [ Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
Sorry Roffen, I meant that I have to wind it by my self, my 7740 is not an automatic. Here are more pictures that show the serial number, model number, movement, and left side plug for crown that I mentioned earlier.
Author:  lead47 [ Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
Here are a few more pics. There is a number inscribed on the inside of the watch back/movement cover on top, above the Breitling Watch LTD inscription. Under magnification, it looks like 50193ERK.
Author:  Roffensian [ Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
Well, it looks to me like there are at least two watches that have contributed to this - it's definitely not an original piece.

You appear to have the case, caseback and most of the hands from an 8808, and the movement (which is a correct 7740), dial, and 6 o'clock subdial hand from a 7806. Both are early 70s watches, but this watch has been constructed at some point in the past. I don't doubt that it's all genuine Breitling, but it's not an original watch - sorry.
Author:  lead47 [ Thu Mar 12, 2009 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
Thanks Roffen. I have a couple of questions...is it normal for a case of this vintage to have the plug on the left side? Also, looking closely at the inside of the case, it looks like it was cast and designed for either a left or right crown stem option. Looking at other pictures of 8808's and 7806's on the internet, neither have a "plug" on the opposite side for the left or right crown option, as my watch does. Also, where do the red hands on the 3 and 9 o'clock sub dials, and the sweep second hand fit into the puzzle? I haven't yet found a Breitling that has the red hands. Thanks,
Author:  Roffensian [ Thu Mar 12, 2009 4:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
lead47 wrote:
Thanks Roffen. I have a couple of questions...is it normal for a case of this vintage to have the plug on the left side? Also, looking closely at the inside of the case, it looks like it was cast and designed for either a left or right crown stem option. Looking at other pictures of 8808's and 7806's on the internet, neither have a "plug" on the opposite side for the left or right crown option, as my watch does. Also, where do the red hands on the 3 and 9 o'clock sub dials, and the sweep second hand fit into the puzzle? I haven't yet found a Breitling that has the red hands. Thanks,


There are a lot of 70s Chronomats / Chronomatics with red hands, black hands and some of each - they are definitely Breitling hands. There are also cases that have plugged left hand (or right hand) crown castings as the Navitimers / Chronomats / Chronomatics shared cases.
Author:  lead47 [ Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
Thanks Roffen.
Author:  lead47 [ Sun Apr 14, 2013 4:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Any Help on this Vintage Breitling Navitimer?
Hello all,

It has been a few years since my last post about my vintage Breitling Ref. 8808 Navitimer, but I would really like some closure on the authenticity of my watch. Just today, I ran across these three Breitling Navitimer Ref. 8808 watches on the sites listed below. These watches are IDENTICAL to my Breitling Ref. 8808....same sub-dials, same hands, same case plug on left side, same elongated mark on the case back under "Stainless Steel", same everything. You can see in the photos that they are Ref. 8808's with a Cal. 7740 manual wind movement. According to some internet searches, most 8808's had an automatic movement. In my earlier posts, I mentioned that my watch had a self winding movement however, I was wrong. My watch has a Manual Wind Cal. 7740 movement. I apologize for any confusion that this might have generated. Any thoughts about these watches is greatly appreciated. Thanks,

http://www.chrono24.com/en/breitling/na ... 0&tab=pics
http://www.chrono24.com/en/breitling/na ... 0&tab=pics
http://www.bachmann-scher.de/en/breitli ... -3650.html
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