The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi everyone! I'm very new at this, but here goes! I have two Breitling watches from my Great-Uncle and Grandfather and I have not been able to i.d. my Uncle's. Under the Breitling on the face it says 'Anti-Choc'. Any ideas?

Thank you!

John

Wow... it seems Breitling was THE brand of choice for many people back in the day... Quite a few members with a lot of inquiries regarding watches handed down from uncles and grandfathers...

Regarding your inquiry, someone will come along and help you out shortly... but personally, don't know any reference to a anti-choc, you sure it's not antishock? and a picture of a movement is always helpful... looks something from the 40's though...

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"I don't got the bright watch I got the right watch" -Jay Z

The dial picture isn't that clear, but I don't see any immediate problems. The serial number is pre-1944, which could be OK on this watch. The caseback looks a little odd, but that may simply be because it's older. I think (emphasise think) that anti-choc is simply french for anti-shock and Incabloc dates back to the 30s so that is OK.

I don't know 790 off the top of my head so need to check, and I would like to see the movement to be sure.

Thank you for the replies! I'm even more curious now -- what do the numbers mean...? The watch was in a small box with my Great-Uncles WWII dog-tags, patches, etc... and I feel that he may have worn it during the war...is that possible or even make sense? And as to the movement (I assume you mean the internals) how do I open the watch without damaging it and (really, I can take the criticism!) should I be the one to do it?

Looks like it has a screw back so you just need the proper tool to remove the back. There's a bunch of them on ebay or just take it to your local watch guy and he should have something that will work.

Paul

Sorry - I forgot to post back on this one - a few other things on my mind the last couple of days!

My personal recommendation would be to take the watch to a watchmaker - not suggesting that you can't undo a bunch of screws, but they'll have a little more of the right environment.

The 790 is the model number and research suggests that it should have a Venus 150 movement. That's consistent with this dial layout.

The 555560 is the serial number. Breitling began tracking serial numbers in 1944 and from then on you can accurately date the watch. This is a number earlier than the 1944 numbers so it's not possible to date it exactly, but it is close to the range which means that it is likely just pre-war (there were very few watches produced during the war years because the effort was on clocks for aircraft). That's obviously consistent with the possibility that your Great Uncle wore the watch during the war

Okay! Thanks for the great info! I think that I'll take it to a watch-guy and then photograph the insides. Do you just need what is under the back 'screw' or is there anything else that I should take a pic of while its open?

I can't thank you enough, but...thank you both!

John

P.s.
My Great-Uncle was at Normandy, but mostly for communications. I feel confident that the war was won much earlier than it should have been as he seemed to have 'liberated' most of the German's various optics and they couldn't see the allies advancing! I think that we have 16 or 17 pairs of German Binoculars including a U-Boat 8 x 60 Pair and some Flakfernrohrs (HUGE anti-aircraft binoc's!)! His pre/postwar life was as an antiques dealer...go figure!

Well as my father was flying over your Great Uncle's head (Navigator / Bomb Aimer in Lancasters) - thanks for liberating the ainti-aircraft binoculars!!

If you can just get a photo of the entire watch movement that's a good start, and then if your camera is up to it a photo of any parts that are engraved / stamped with a makers mark or code that would be a bonus. Also, while the caseback is off (the part that unscrews) you may as well get a photo of the inside of it - I doubt that there is anything on that except maybe watchmaker marks, but it won't hurt.

Lancaster's?!? Wow!! That's fantastic!! My Grand-Father taught B-17 Pilot's!! (That's the other Breitling!) Grand, I say, just grand! I'll do as you ask -- it'll take me a few days with life and all, but I will, I promise!

And, hey! -- Thank you to your father okay? And thank you to you of course!

John

Windham, Maine, USA

The real history with these little machines is such a big part of appreciating and collecting Breitling watches. It’s such a contrast to marketing hype.

I just had an ironic thought. For those of use who’ve seen the movie Pulp Fiction (staring “Breitling Ambassador” John Travolta), there is a humorous scene in which Christopher Walken relays a story to Bruce Willis regarding Bruce’s great-grandfather’s war watch.

I find it ironic because real stories of heroes who wore these watches in battle mean so much more than glossy images of Travolta in the in-flight magazine.

It is so rare to find a watch with the full history, and this stuff does fascinate me.

I collect pocket watches as well, which can obviously be older than wristwatches and when I see pocket watches approaching 150 years old that are still largely original you really wish that they could talk. These watches pre-date cars, they pre-date two world wars, and if they are American some of the older ones may have survived the Civil War.

We talk today about whether it's OK to wear a brand new Navitimer while washing your hands (a legitimate question) and yet we see watches that are still ticking after being part of D-Day, or being shot down, or whatever.