The Breitling Watch Source Forums :: View topic - Nav-B, maximum watch for minimum cost.

yes shades, reminds me so much of the big pilot also. big crown, black dial, just put the sub on the 3 o'clock and you're there...for 1/20th the cost

cxbxax wrote:

yes shades, reminds me so much of the big pilot also. big crown, black dial, just put the sub on the 3 o'clock and you're there...for 1/20th the cost

It's not so much of a "reminding you of a BP" as a "blatant rip-off of the BP" :lol:

Yeah it's 20th of the price.........., but I'd still rather save up 20 times as long and get a BP.

I actually find it a bit of a shame that Debaufre can't be just a little bit more unique in their designs. The fact is they make very nice and very well-made watches and if they created a design that was totally original I'd probably buy one. BUT i'm just a little put off by the way they raid other manufacturers designs. Shame.

I must say I really do like manual wind watches, to some they may seem inconvenient or backwards but to me they have a certine charm and flare that I very much enjoy, plus you get to "feel" the movement and interact with the watch in a very pleasing way.

But there is one problem I have with many of the manual winds, like some of the IWC models and all Panerai Radiomirs, the screw down crown.

How long will the crown withstand all that wear and tear if you wear a watch constantely and wind it up every morning? With the 8 day power reserve movements some Panerais have this is a much smaller issue but still.

The whole rational behind using the screw down design is obviousely to ensure a decent water resistancy rating.

Why not use a double gasket or a triple gasket? This is 2008 after all!! The screw down crown not only is more likely to fail it also is less effective as if you do not screw it down properly it will allow water to enter.

Thoughts?

Author:	Altair [ Sun Dec 21, 2008 11:18 pm ]
Post subject:	Nav-B, maximum watch for minimum cost.
A friend of mine bought one of these watches from Debaufre and I got to see it in action and must say, the quality and grade of the watch is much better than watches 8X as expensive!! Debaufre seems to forgo marketing, packing, retail, and design costs and concentrate on the value to quality ratio on their watches. I mean if you want a nice wood box for the watch you have to pay extra otherwise you get stuck with the regular leather box. Most of the watches are based on iconic designs already copied by tons of others, then they improve them a bit. For instance their Submariner hommage is 44MM I never was drawn to the company because I am sick of those "proven" designs, I am not interested in the Rolex Submariner, and especially not in a Submariner look alike. My friend however got their latest Nav B-Uhr which is a gorgeous watch, containing a Swiss Unitas movement, display caseback, and the option to choose between a 44 and 48MM case, a button or diamond crown! Fit and finish is just around Longines quality or a little higher, not Breitling or Omega but better than Oris. And the Lume is just CRAZY, I am talking Omega Seamaster to Panerai Lume here! The basic specs of the watch from the Debaufre website: * Stainless steel case * Diameter 48 mm, including crown 53 mm, 13.8mm thick. * See-thru case back with blue screws and a special "Cote de Geneve" engraving * 3 ATM * Sapphire crystal * Black dial, and sub dial * Figures with Super LumiNova * Leatherstrap 22 mm with thorn buckle with screws. * Unitas 6497 hand wind movement with 17 jewels * Nickel plated with blue screws * "Cote de Geneve" design * 17 jewels All of thise for a measely 575USD What do you guys think? I might be getting one soon and will post a detailed review. http://store.debaufre.com/Nav-B-Flieger ... 2.07ss.htm http://anton-c.blogspot.com/2008/06/deb ... eview.html

Author:	tozzleozzle [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:49 am ]
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im mighty tempted

Author:	Driver8 [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:37 am ]
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One of the other guys bought a Nav-B recently (I haven't got time to find the thread now), and there are some pictures on here. Looks good, especially for the cash.

Author:	Damian [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:17 am ]
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Agreed, What excellent value for money!!

Author:	tozzleozzle [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:05 am ]
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they have rather nice looking straps on offer http://store.debaufre.com/Leather-Straps-s/38.htm the only problem i have with them really is the brand itself. i hate the copy rolex and bell & ross's they do, that really knoks the reputation of the company.

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Author:	Altair [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:25 am ]
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Thanks for the heads up Driver, I just found that old thread! It looks like I will be pulling the trigger, at that price point why not? If just as a knock around watch! The great thing about the watch is it can be easly repaired by any watchmaker worth his salt, since the movement is a universilly known one. Now the question is, 48 or 44MM? My 44MM PAMs fit perfectely, my 45MM Omega SuperOcean Chrono fits well as well, and my 48MM 6.75 is really pushing it, but just barely there. Now the problem is this is a new case design similar to me to the Radiomir Panerais, my 47MM one wears as big as my 44MM Luminors. So it might be a mistake to get the 44MM. Hmmm. Where to find someone with a 7.75" wrist who owns one and can post a picture?

Author:	In2Deep [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:39 am ]
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Hmmm, I like it... dammit, why did I have to click on that link

Author:	hnb [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:49 am ]
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Same here... this is the second time I am visiting the Debaufre site after posts here on BS. Every time I feel I am one step closer to a Nav-B. Oh, is it soon xmas? Well then...

Author:	shades [ Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:13 pm ]
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Interesting...it has a very nice look. It kind of reminds me of the IWC BP for some reason. I got to look into this one myself.

Author:	nnikolaus [ Tue Dec 23, 2008 8:59 am ]
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The skeleton model they have is an interesting watch as well. These watches look solid, but I would love to see one in the flesh before I made any decisions. Thanks for the link Altair!

Author:	cxbxax [ Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:
yes shades, reminds me so much of the big pilot also. big crown, black dial, just put the sub on the 3 o'clock and you're there...for 1/20th the cost

Author:	Driver8 [ Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:29 am ]
Post subject:
cxbxax wrote: yes shades, reminds me so much of the big pilot also. big crown, black dial, just put the sub on the 3 o'clock and you're there...for 1/20th the cost It's not so much of a "reminding you of a BP" as a "blatant rip-off of the BP" Yeah it's 20th of the price.........., but I'd still rather save up 20 times as long and get a BP. I actually find it a bit of a shame that Debaufre can't be just a little bit more unique in their designs. The fact is they make very nice and very well-made watches and if they created a design that was totally original I'd probably buy one. BUT i'm just a little put off by the way they raid other manufacturers designs. Shame.

Author:	Altair [ Sat Dec 27, 2008 9:40 pm ]
Post subject:	Manual winds and screw down crowns.
I must say I really do like manual wind watches, to some they may seem inconvenient or backwards but to me they have a certine charm and flare that I very much enjoy, plus you get to "feel" the movement and interact with the watch in a very pleasing way. But there is one problem I have with many of the manual winds, like some of the IWC models and all Panerai Radiomirs, the screw down crown. How long will the crown withstand all that wear and tear if you wear a watch constantely and wind it up every morning? With the 8 day power reserve movements some Panerais have this is a much smaller issue but still. The whole rational behind using the screw down design is obviousely to ensure a decent water resistancy rating. Why not use a double gasket or a triple gasket? This is 2008 after all!! The screw down crown not only is more likely to fail it also is less effective as if you do not screw it down properly it will allow water to enter. Thoughts?

Author:	shades [ Sun Dec 28, 2008 11:09 am ]
Post subject:
Driver8 wrote: cxbxax wrote: yes shades, reminds me so much of the big pilot also. big crown, black dial, just put the sub on the 3 o'clock and you're there...for 1/20th the cost It's not so much of a "reminding you of a BP" as a "blatant rip-off of the BP" Yeah it's 20th of the price.........., but I'd still rather save up 20 times as long and get a BP. I actually find it a bit of a shame that Debaufre can't be just a little bit more unique in their designs. The fact is they make very nice and very well-made watches and if they created a design that was totally original I'd probably buy one. BUT i'm just a little put off by the way they raid other manufacturers designs. Shame. That's exactly what is was thinking. So close to IWC and Bell & Ross, i'm not sure it would be a good purchase. It feels like a legitimate knockoff company to me. If only they were to come up with some good designs of their own it might be worth looking into it because the price is very good for the movement and quality you get.

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Author:	Otto [ Sun Dec 28, 2008 3:06 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Manual winds and screw down crowns.
Altair wrote: I must say I really do like manual wind watches, to some they may seem inconvenient or backwards but to me they have a certine charm and flare that I very much enjoy, plus you get to "feel" the movement and interact with the watch in a very pleasing way. But there is one problem I have with many of the manual winds, like some of the IWC models and all Panerai Radiomirs, the screw down crown. How long will the crown withstand all that wear and tear if you wear a watch constantely and wind it up every morning? With the 8 day power reserve movements some Panerais have this is a much smaller issue but still. The whole rational behind using the screw down design is obviousely to ensure a decent water resistancy rating. Why not use a double gasket or a triple gasket? This is 2008 after all!! The screw down crown not only is more likely to fail it also is less effective as if you do not screw it down properly it will allow water to enter. Thoughts? Agree completely. I wind my watches manually on a fairly regular basis and this thought has occurred to me as well. Over a long period I can imagine that the delicate threads on a screw-down crown might wear out and strip.