The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I understand the 788 premier should also be signed on the bridge as a premier. This is the item # for a completed auction on e-bay.
My reference states they came in stainless, solid gold, no GF and were signed on the bridge. I'm also told their are a lot of hybrids out there as this was a relatively rare watch. Correct call on this one?
Thanks
Ebay finished sale item # 110958066551

I think that it's fundamentally OK, but with an originally plain bridge, which would have been OK for a piece this early. Someone scrawled Breitling on the bridge to try and add value.

What years did they start stamping Breitling Premier on movements , as I have seen in the recent past?

I think 1945. I don't think it was done across the board though on all the movements or was perhaps started in the middle of production. You are most likely to see the 'Breitling Premier' on the bridge of the two register versions from what I've seen. There are two entirely different case designs for the ref 788 with 1945 serial numbers and there seems to be indication that some 1945 dated cases were reused in the 1950's, maybe with updated gold plating, and with a more current (at that time) dial and hands. I've seen a couple of these variations and have one.

The seller of the first 788 you mentioned relisted it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Vintage-Original-Breitling-788-Chronograph-1945-Super-/110959703956?_trksid=p4340.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D2479591270095971476%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D110958066551%26

There is another one here.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1945-BREITLING-PREMIER-ORIG-VINTAGE-MENS-3-REG-CHRONOGRAPH-CASE-788-VENUS-152-/330802082211?_trksid=p4340.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D2479553954917436418%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D2%26sd%3D110958066551%26

This one is another one of the later 1950 versions but it also has a 1945 serial number. The hands and dial are of a 1950's deisgn.

http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=6300090&rid=0

Definitely inconsistencies with bridge stamping introductions - not all introduced at the same time during the 40s, and made more confusing by so many being 'enhanced' more recently with the addition of stamping. I think that Paul's correct with 1945 for most 788s, this serial suggests a relatively early 45 so one of the last originally blank ones.

it also varies from model to model, for example all the 797s I saw were marked both Breilting and Premier on the bridge, had a thread w/ different bridge markings some time ago, will try to update this list soon:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=36832&hilit=bridge+markings&start=0#p269974