The Breitling Watch Source Forums

The build date code on my watch is 2302B4. I believe the "2302 is 23rd week of '02. What is the meaning of the B4?

2302: correct.

B4: The standard reply in the past is that it relates to the dial colour but FWIW I don't think that can be right. Because:

[1] it doesn't correlate with the dial codes used in the full Breitling reference number system - see

http://www.breitlingsource.com/articles_refnos.shtml

- where "B = Black, Anthracite, Diamond Black, Royal Ebony". The codes after the date stamp when quoted all seem to be B3, B4, or B5, even on watches with white / silver etc dials.

[2] BUK told me that the date stamp related to the production-date of the batch of cases and not actually the assembly of the watch. If that's the case the stamping would precede any fitting of the dial.

So, I don't think it relates to that. No one seems to be sure what it denotes - some simple batch reference when produced?

Yes, I have a silver sunray dial Sky Racer. The code is B5, which can't be right either.

I think the source say that there is no particular rhythm or reason for the last two digits.

_________________
Jim

"You have Control".

I have a yellow SW and blue SF and both have B5 Can't be color.

Good point! Never realised that.

Tossing ideas in for consideration, could it be a reference to the factory making the cases?

_________________

For more information on identifying Breitling replicas, please visit my web site
http://f4buz.com/watches/breitling/fakes/fakes.html

Thanks. My one very modest contribution to the knowledge base! People often assume that the date stamp is the date of assembly but I don't think that's strictly right - not of course that there should be that much in it, ie you wouldn't think the cases were lying around for years. But months or a year, maybe.

E.g.: I had a Colt which BUK told me from their records was manufactured in 2010 and which was distributed to an AD in later 2010. The date stamp was 0409. So there was apparently a year between case-production and assembly/despatch.

So they don't, as some think, assemble the watch and then date-stamp it. Of course if anything that's marginally good news, since you might buy a watch which you think is a year old but which in terms of its guts was made a month ago (or however long it takes to get through COSC). It'd be interesting to know what the most recent date stamp was on any watch someone bought new, ie the shortest margin between date stamp and purchase. That's if anyone cares about what are after all tiny margins in the projected longevity of the watch, that is.

Anyhow, that's enough of my OCD musings on the meaning of the date-stamp.