The Breitling Watch Source Forums

For everyone of us that knows it has the wrong bezel there are ten more that don't and don't care. It's a desirable piece that will still bring a respectable price and, if it was priced with a $5 starting bid, would still bring as much as a correct bezel piece because there are always one or two people out there sitting on the bezels just waiting for something to show up. A couple maybe on this forum. It works the that way for just about every large vintage Breitling chronograph.

That's true too mate. Know how valuable having spares is, I am looking for a 785 caseback for one of my 785's, which is an even tougher find:(

. . . and one possibility.

The 2005 shown in the 1969 catalog has the early bezel and the later 2005 version shown in a 1973 ad in Swiss Horological Journal has the yachting bezel, plus the running seconds register.

My presumption is that the yachting bezel was added at the same time the change to the square/flag sweep minutes hand (vice the diamond sweep minute hand) and the addition of the seconds register. But, I don't think we can completely rule out that the change to the yachting bezel came first, even if it appears there is only a four year spread in catalog/ad copy. I tend to think it is more likely that the yachting bezel is a replacement.

I would like to hear from others, but my inspection suggests that the all-black 2005 bezels are more weakly attached than we see on other Breitlings, even from earlier periods. In other words, the original bezel has a higher than usual probability of being lost.

The only other variation I can note, which I hadn't noticed before, is that the Trautmann mid-60s catalog image that Rene is showing has a completely different handset and a triangle on the dial at 12 o'clock.

Hi Bill , I recently replaced a worn bezel on my piece with a NOS bezel as I think it looks a lot better . However when i tried (pried) to take it off again to fit the yachting bezel it actually took a lot more force and eventually a watch knife to take the bezel off. More force than I am used to use on a AVI or Unitime bezel for example. The Yachting bezel was a lot easier to take off again

I have noticed the diff. Handset as well but have never seen this handset 'in the flesh' on any SO2005 and I doubt it really existed ? The only ref that I know about that has that chrono hand for example is the military 817 which was released approx 10 years after the SO2005

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"I spent most of my money on Booze, Breitling and Boats. The rest I wasted" - mostly Elmore Leonard

so, thanks to Bill, we now have proof that the "new" SO 2005 at least was available with that Yachting bezel, the two pieces offered by our "notoriously unreliable" source were/are correct.

as that model was also marketed with the "regular" bezel, the first SO 2005 might have had the same options at purchase or service.

inconsistencies in condition between case/dial and bezel remain, of course.

very interesting handsets on manual/catalog - never saw these irl too.

regarding the bezel fit on the SO 2005, it is the same as the fit on the 7650s, actually fit quite well and don't seem prone to fall off at all, at least on the samples I have seen/handled.

I knew the 2nd release had a yachting bezel version , i assumed you knew that as well Fred ?

But i stick with my earlier opinion that the 1st released ref 2005 did not have a yachting bezel version

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"I spent most of my money on Booze, Breitling and Boats. The rest I wasted" - mostly Elmore Leonard

I did not remember seeing that 1973 advertisement (though I now found it in my collection).