The Breitling Watch Source Forums

You guys are the experts, so I bring you a question.

I want to purchase a Breitling steel and gold bracelet for a steel and gold chronomat that has a leather band.

I have found two Breitling bracelets that look identical, and perhaps either would work. One is part #350D, the other is 357D. I would buy them over the internet so I can't try them before buying. They are both 22mm.

Anything you can tell me?

Thanks.

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Breitling ss/rose Chronomat, Roger Dubuis Easy Diver, DeWitt Academia, Franck Muller Conquistador, IWC Aquatimer chrono, AP ROO ss/ceramic, Hublot Oceanographic 1000, Parmigiani Pershing, Bucherer ScubaTec 2 tone, Omega Ploprof, UN Maxi Marine 2 tone

Buy the 357D. That's the one for the Evo, the other is for a Headwind.

The 350D is for the B13355 or D13355 Chronomat Crosswind as we as the Headwind. The 357D is for the B13356 or D13356 Chronomat Evolution. The model number for the Chronomat you want to purchase is on the caseback. If it is an earlier (pre-2005) Chronomat neither bracelet will fit. The earlier Chronomats have 20mm interhorn width and the later models are 22mm interhorn width which match the 350D and 357D bracelets. Actually, either bracelet can be attached to your Chronomat (if it is the X13356 Evolution) but the fit will be correct with the 357D and sloppy with the 350D.
Best,
Ron

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"The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea"...

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You guys are great.

The watch is a recent Chronomat Evolution, purchased new in 2007, case # C1335611/C710. I just bought it and it is in the mail to me now. Blue face with Roman numerals, to replace my white face with Roman numerals that is frequently difficult for me to read.

So it appears the 357D is the one. I will purchase that. It will be around $1,200 I think, which is a fair price considering they sell new for ~ $3,000.

Thank you guys very much, your help as been substantial.

Gary

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Breitling ss/rose Chronomat, Roger Dubuis Easy Diver, DeWitt Academia, Franck Muller Conquistador, IWC Aquatimer chrono, AP ROO ss/ceramic, Hublot Oceanographic 1000, Parmigiani Pershing, Bucherer ScubaTec 2 tone, Omega Ploprof, UN Maxi Marine 2 tone

Hi, Gary. A couple of 2007 vintage pics of my A13356 Evo on its 357A bracelet...
Best,
Ron

PS. And IMO the price you mentioned is quite fair and just about right...

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"The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea"...

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Wow Ron, very fancy. Some bling. I can wear loud watches, but I just can't do bling.

Another question about this 357D bracelet I bought. What is the difference with the 357C, which is on my current Chronomat Evolution.

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Breitling ss/rose Chronomat, Roger Dubuis Easy Diver, DeWitt Academia, Franck Muller Conquistador, IWC Aquatimer chrono, AP ROO ss/ceramic, Hublot Oceanographic 1000, Parmigiani Pershing, Bucherer ScubaTec 2 tone, Omega Ploprof, UN Maxi Marine 2 tone

C = rose gold
D = yellow gold

The 357D is two tone (steel and yellow gold) introduced with the B13356 two tone Evo in late 2004 for the 2005 model year. In late 2006, the Special Edition C13356 Evo with Roman numerals was introduced. It has the 18K rose gold (4N) bezel and the corresponding bracelet for it is the 357C (steel and rose gold). Unfortunately, you didn't mention early in the thread that your Evo was the 18K rose gold bezel C model. I probably should have asked you which specific model you had before offering information. In any case, you should have no problem at all recouping your money for the 357D bracelet. A for sale post on the sales corner here should result in a quick sale. Finding the correct 357C pre-loved and at a similar price is much more problematical. Should you decide to go after a 357C, let me know by PM and I'll try to help you with a good price for a new one.
Best,
Ron

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"The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea"...

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Nuts. Oh well. I bought a Rose Gold watch and picked up the yellow gold bracelet. I should have said up front that I had the rose gold. I neglected to mention that.

Yes, let me know what you can get me a rose gold for. But tell me, I could also take the rose gold bracelet off my rose gold white face and put a croc on the white face (with the OEM clasp) and sell it. I would put the rose bracelet on my new rose gold (blue face). However, this will alter the watch from its papers as it was issued with a bracelet but now will have leather. Is that ever a problem? I would disclose that on the sale, but is that frowned upon? It would save me a couple thousand but then I'd get a chunk of that back when the white face is sold.

But I can recoup only if I can sell. "New member" + "scammers afoot" = difficulty selling.

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Breitling ss/rose Chronomat, Roger Dubuis Easy Diver, DeWitt Academia, Franck Muller Conquistador, IWC Aquatimer chrono, AP ROO ss/ceramic, Hublot Oceanographic 1000, Parmigiani Pershing, Bucherer ScubaTec 2 tone, Omega Ploprof, UN Maxi Marine 2 tone

Well, it is a disappointing situation which could have been avoided but not to worry. Chin up. You're in good shape. I didn't know your white face Evo was also a C13356 on a two tone 357C bracelet. Actually, the fair sales value of the white face Evo if sold on bracelet is not as high as the sales value of the watch and bracelet sold separately. Sounds strange but sometimes 2 + 2 equals 5. The watch is NOT altered from any of its "papers" with the exception of your original sales receipt which is NOT considered to be part of the "Papers" of a watch in terms of provenance. The original list price of the watch, bracelet, various straps, deployant clasp and tang/buckle are published knowledge and well known. "Original Papers" means instruction manual, warranty certificate booklet, list of authorized distributors, COSC certificate and chronometre hang tag (if 2000 or later Breitling) and if applicable, diamond certificate. The only references in those papers to the correct specific watch is the reference number and serial number in the warranty booklet and the serial number on the COSC certificate. Obviously the serial number on the caseback, COSC certificate and the inside back cover of the warranty booklet will match for a specific watch. There is NO reference as to whether the piece was originally sold on bracelet or strap, period. That information would only be on the original sales receipt which is not considered to be "papers" relative to the watch. It is no one's business what pricing discount the original buyer did or did not receive when the watch was first purchased nor if any other items such as accessories were included. Bracelets and straps are considered to be accessories to the watch head (unless the bracelet is integral such as on the "Hercules" model in the "Professional" series). On the back page of the warranty booklet, your white face Evo will show model No. C1335612/A619 and your new blue Evo will have C1335612/C710 in that same place. Again, no reference to bracelet or strap anywhere, only the dial color (A619 or C710 for white and blue respectively) The "12" after basic model number becomes a "53" if the bezel also has factory diamonds. Actually, the dealer price list shows "11" in that location but the sales handbook shows "12" there. It is a printing error and only shows up for that specific "C" model Evo.

Hope all that makes some sense to you. Bottom line, you should have no trouble at all selling your white face Roman dial Evo kitted with any Breitling OEM strap. Doesn't have to be the deployant clasp version either. The tang/buckle straps won't bring quite as much when selling but many owners prefer tang/buckle over deployant clasp anyway. To finally answer your original question, selling the watch without your original bracelet is NOT "frowned upon" by anyone. It is absolutely not uncommon and is done quite often. Transparency is not an issue. If you want to tell a potential buyer you bought the watch on bracelet originally but want to keep the bracelet when you sell the watch, that is your business. Again, the watch has not been "altered" in any way whatsoever. Easier to sell with the bracelet included of course but if you have to buy new to have a bracelet on your incoming piece, the washout will certainly NOT be in your favor. All that said, I did make a call today and will have new pricing info for you later this week.

Regarding selling difficulty because of being a relatively new member of the forum, we all had to get our feet wet at one time or another. Communication is the key. Phone conversation and/or video conferencing (skype) goes a long way toward generating confidence in a potential buyer/seller. It cuts both ways as you know so jump in and do it. Protect yourself of course but in the vast majority of sales transactions a comfort level is reached long before you are ready to ship anyway.

Whew! You wore me out, Gary! Now stop worrying and enjoy your incoming watch and wear it in good health! BTW, even though it is certain that the white face piece is not as legible as blue or black or bronze, it is still an absolutely beautiful watch and will look fantastic on an OEM black or brown croco IMO and should sell quite easily kitted like that...

Best,
Ron

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"The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea"...

Click to view: 500px Photo Gallery "Flow" or... 500px Photo Gallery or... Breitling Pics Slideshow

Wow Ron... what a response. That should go onto Wikipedia or something. It would take me more than a day to write all that. Excellent information. Thank you much for the info, time and effort.

If you have a little money to spend on watches, its easy to overbuy. Then you need to sell, and one loses dearly selling or trading to dealers as I have done. So I joined a few forums. As soon as I did, I thought, "Great, now I have a place to sell my watches" and I promptly bought a couple more, requiring me to sell even more.

But it takes time to cultivate a good reputation. That is fine, I have the time. So you can expect to see my 357D bracelet up for sale here soon, it is coming from Europe, and after that my white face rose Evo. To my eyes, that is the most beautiful watch I have ever seen by Breitling. But the blue one is shockingly much easier to read. I'm wearing it today (got it yesterday) and I am surprised when I look at it, how quickly the time jumps out at me, even in low light. I usually had to study the white face for a moment to extract the time, and forget about low light.

Thanks again.
Gary

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Breitling ss/rose Chronomat, Roger Dubuis Easy Diver, DeWitt Academia, Franck Muller Conquistador, IWC Aquatimer chrono, AP ROO ss/ceramic, Hublot Oceanographic 1000, Parmigiani Pershing, Bucherer ScubaTec 2 tone, Omega Ploprof, UN Maxi Marine 2 tone

What about in reverse: if you are trying to fit the Crosswind -- will the Evolution bracelet fit?

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Breitling ss/rose Chronomat, Roger Dubuis Easy Diver, DeWitt Academia, Franck Muller Conquistador, IWC Aquatimer chrono, AP ROO ss/ceramic, Hublot Oceanographic 1000, Parmigiani Pershing, Bucherer ScubaTec 2 tone, Omega Ploprof, UN Maxi Marine 2 tone

No.