The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I got the information of a U.S. Breitling dealer, that the bridge of some Breitling Premier 790 are marked Belmar Watch Co Swiss. From what I've been told the bridge is that way because when making these watches during the war they needed them in great numbers so they had to buy parts from other companies that would complete the watch. I do not know if this is true but the movement definitely is a premier movement.

Is anybody here with more information about these company ? Thanks in advance.

Well I'd like to see the watch, but it sounds to me like a story made up by someone trying to sell a watch.

Breitling made fewer watches than virtually any Swiss brand during World War II because almost all of their production was going towards aircraft clocks for the allies. The likelihood of there being a 'spare' Premier movement is therefore very unlikely and even if we accept the concept of there being no Breitling bridges available (which I don't accept), I can't believe that there wasn't the ability to shave and restamp the bridge.

I have never heard of any Breitling / Belmar connection, but let's see whether anyone else has.

Thank you for your help and information !!!

me too

Caseback looks wrong for a Breitling, and serial / model numbers don't look refined enough. It looks like a frankenwatch to me. Is there a letter code on the balance cock?

Block letters on a Premier? Hmmmmm...
Dial is certainly redone however it started life.

Also, here is a Tri-Compax (with a crazy minute register ) that I found on the Interwebs marked Belmar just for comparison:









Kinda funny that the "788" model number on this Belmar watch looks more like a Breitling stamp, though, which is a Pemier reference. And also the beveled case is a lot like a Breitling
Maybe the watchmaker is not completely full of it and there is some connection?

Hopefully Bill will chime in here, as he is quite knowledgeable on the Premiers. And perhaps Michael/breitlingmuseum also has run across these.
Best,
T.

I can buy a case similarity easier than a movement one, although it's true that the Belmar caseback looks a lot more like a Breitling stamp than the OP's example.

No, there is no letter code !!! What is a Frankenwatch ? Is this Breitling now a fake ????

A frankenwatch is a watch assembled from the parts of other watches.

The originality of this watch as a Breitling isn't looking very likely.

See also the below mentioned link. It's also a similiar Breitling Premier 790 with the same caseback.


http://www.amsterdamvintagewatches.com/ ... hp?scid=28

Shame there is no movement photo with that one. To me the serial / model numbers on that one look different to the one you posted - more consistent, more aligned, etc.

No no. It's not the same watch. I just found it in the internet. Because you wrote the caseback of my Breitling looks wrong. And on the Amsterdam watch the caseback is very equal to my Breitling.

I think what we have is a case maker that sold extra Breitling type cases to other watchmakers. I've had a few different Welsbro chrono's that also had the Breitling cases and correct numbers on the back.

That means my watch is a semi fake and for the garbage !!!!

I just think someone has used a little creative engineering to redo the dial as a Breitling instead of the original Belmar. The rest of the watch is probably how it came from the manufacturer.