The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hello To All,

I'm associated with Breitling watches quite by accident. I was given a Navitimer 30 or so years ago by a very good friend who liked to tinker with watches. He told me the Breitling Navitimer was a good watch, he picked this one up at a trade show out of a ten dollar bin. It had the wrong hands but everything worked, he installed a new crystal and rubber strap he had lying and around gave me the watch to have fun with.
I didn't really care for the watch to wear (it's case is quite large) and my wrist narrow and it felt clunky so I threw it in my safe and forgot about it.
I ran across it the other day and thought what do I want to do with this watch. Well I thought to sell it. Looked it up on eBay and WOW these old Navitimers have some worth posting.php?mode=post&f=4#
I sent the watch off to Breitling USA to see about having it cleaned and getting the proper hands installed. I received a call after they received the watch, the lady said it was a vintage watch and requested permission to send the watch to Horological Services for assessment.
Come to find out it's a circa '55 and restorable to good working order and appearance.
Now, my question to the Breitling tribal elders group, how far should I go with the restoration?
The Heist's are proposing to install the proper hands and replace luminous only on dial. Also refinish case satin and polished as original.
Would these procedures detract from the value of the watch? Any comment would be appreciated here.

Thank You, TerryC

Welcome to BreitlingSource.

You should do what Mark Heist suggests - he won't set you wrong.

There are people who will claim that any change from the natural condition on a vintage piece is wrong, but you need a practical piece so a restoration of the lume makes sense. If Mark doesn't think that the dial is bad enough to need refinishing then I would believe him.

Enjoy your time here!

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Thank you for the advise and the welcome. I would like to post some pictures of the watch but I'm having difficulty tryig to post.

jpegs up to 250k can be attached directly using the functionality below the main message window. Larger than that the instructions are here - viewtopic.php?f=5&t=453

We also have a dedicated vintage section on the forum - viewforum.php?f=11

I'm going to try posting my Navitimer again.

I edited your post to make them work.

When you copy the code from photobucket it includes the img tags so no need to enter them again in your post.

Those hands really don't work, so definitely get the right ones put on, but I think that dial looks pretty darn good and by the time Mark has cleaned it and relumed it then it's going to look spectacular.

Thank you Professor! I'm looking forward to getting the watch back. Looks like six more weeks.
TerryC

by the looks of it you will find a V72 movement inside

i'd learn to live with the hands, unless the Heists have a set replacement hands available
it will then be a very valuable watch

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