The Breitling Watch Source Forums

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/130814954820 ... 106wt_1378

What do you guys think?

As you know I've little experience with the vintage watches, so will leave that to the vintage boys.


Edit: I questioned the mesh bracelet but am told it's legit

this vintage boy is scratching his head - though I know that reference mesh
bracelet above quite intimately; no easy answer.

2- and 3-hands of the late 1960s to the mid 1970s are not documented at all
- the catalogs we have show only chronographs; we (I, at least) do not even
know if Breitling still produced them, never saw a correctly dated example
that seemed above doubt.

BUT the serial number database shows non-chrono Breitlings until "the end";
a total of 1439 serial numbers were issued between 1969 and 1977 - so this
would be the theoretic maximum of watches produced in these 8 years; miniscule
even if all these theoretically possible numbers were really used on watch cases,
though experience tells us this not to be the case.

So, what watches were these number ranges issued for - there are no more
non-chrono Unitimes, as the 2160 disapperas around 1967 and I saw no
later examples ? Saw some transOcean 3-hands on pictures, none I could
personally verify, maybe others have some examples ?

So long blah, no answer.

Dial on this is clearly refinished, the logo printing lacks the crispness of
the original Breitling dials; case has been nicely rebrushed, logo engraving
on the movement looks legit; in line w/ legit early 1960s pieces I saw,
logo engraving on the outer caseback lokks good - so there might be
a correct reference number and serial number inside the caseback -
I'll contact the seller and see if we can get a pic of this.

I really like that mesh bracelet ......

edit: got a quick reply from the seller - no serial or reference numbers
inside the caseback; all blank. so most probably not correct, I'm afraid,
though some of the very latest watches from the mid 70s onwards
lacked some of the typical standards - tough times ....

Breitling dod some very wierd things near the end - money from anything at that point. I desperately want this to be right because I think that it is an exceptionally nice looking dress watch but this just 'seems' wrong even for a late piece, it is completely out of keeping with the Breitling deisgn ethos of the period so I think that we have to assume that it is all wrong. On a slightly more objective note, the Breitling stamping on the bridge looks a little different from the Swiss seventeen jewels stamping which might suggest that it is not correct.

First, I think that the time-only watches produced in the seventies were quartz watches and the time-only spin-off Chrono-matic. There was nothing of this sort and the lack of the correct markings is telling.

Second, [insert "boy, oh boy"] modern engraving equipment is scary good. We are going to have to be on our toes. This is an engraved mark on the clasp, and I'll work with the hypothesis that real Breilting bracelets of the era had a raised "B" or had the more familiar NSA clasp and ridges.