The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi you all the vintage fanatics!

Last week René sent me an email asking to give a call to Jean Zurbuchen, an antique dealer and watchmaker, located in La Chaud de Fond and french speaking only .I gave him a call today, he is a delightfull old gentleman and kindly answered to my questions .He is 88 , seems to have 100% of his understanding but less in hearing , so I shall send him a letter with some more questions - as you can understand he does not have any email adress .

Hereafter you will find the first answers to our questions on this chapter of the L. Breitling company end , and his involment in the Jean Zurbuchen Navitimer - clones !

First let note that Zurbuchen is a quite common name in this area. Jean Z. knew another Zurbuchen who was an employee of Breitling, but quite elder . He his not the so called Zurbuchen who presented a caliber to the Chrnonometry contest in 1949, that you find when you google his name .

Jean Zurbuchen established in the 70s in repairing old watches and quickly specialised in dealing old watch parts. At this time the horological crisis drove many companies to reduce their squ. m2 and save general expenses so that many old stocks were sold at very low prices .
Far before the end of Breitling, Jean Zurbuchen started to buy some of their old stocks . I spoke to him of my contacts with Albert Wajs and he revealed me that he sold back some parts including some cal.11 to MM. O&W at the beginning of the 80s, as they were lacking those parts to assemble their Aviation watches.

Jean Z then explained me the story of the so called watch .
He was in touch with another guy called Peter Wyss - some of you know him on ebay as esa-9162-9164 in Grenchen - who had bought the rights and stocks of firma Orator and some Breitling stocks ,.
A condition of the deal was that they were not allowed to assemble complete Breitling watches for sale besides Breitling . Nevertheless, the design of case and dial with sliderule was not under copyright, so they both had the idea to put the new 7750 in a 7806 case . The angle of pushers was not exactly similar btw 7740 and 7750 , but the 7806 pushers were able to start and stop the V7750 chrono properly .
They had their 7750 dials made by one of the dial factories locally , and cristal backs in order to show the 7750 as it was an innovative caliber at the time . Nothing more, they just operated a very limited quantity , less than 200 watches in total and sold then very confidentially .
I asked to JZ if he had a commercial agreement with Australia as most of the watches offered on ebay come from Australia : his explaination is that he sold in one batch his 50 last pieces to an australian watch dealer at the end of 80s.

Here is the story . I shall try to get more informations by writing .
I shall also try to have Peter Wyss on phone shortly .

Phil

That is great information Phil, thank you so much.

I've said before that this site is one of the best places to advance knowledge on vinatge Breitlings, but over the last weeks and months it is being taken to a whole new level

thanks, Phil and great that we have you on board ! Rene thought my German would help, but I failed miserably to communicate with Mr.Zurbuchen, but he did sound very friendly on the phone, seems to be a great guy. A point Eitan/Yaffle raised in another thread would be to see if any Breitling employees of the 70s might be found, maybe Mr. Zurbuchen knows of somebody ?

Really gentlemen it is a great honour and pleasure for me to contribute to this forum that I sincerely feel as THE reference for vintage Breitlings . Mr Zurbuchen remembers your phone call , but he told me that he does not feel comfortable with german language .
This morning he told me that most of people involved moved , some died , others lost their memory or more .
The dream scenario would be to go to La Chaud de Fond and meet people face to face . It is something I would like to do during the summer holidays , meeting those guys !

Phil,
thank you soo much for contacting Mr Zurbuchen and posting this
I am still trying to piece together exactly where those watches now sit but it is clear to me that the Orator & Jean Zurbuchen were the original designers of what we now know as the 'Old Navitimer' Model that was further developed (or copied ?) by the Breitling company as we know them now .. Imagine all modern navi's w/ 7750 movements being 'copies' of watches developed independently by Orator & J Zurbuchen

Phil, Fred, lets discuss meeting Mr Zurbuchen through e-mail as I have some further ideas

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

And thank you Roff and Admin for starting the Vintage section and letting us ramble ! ..

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

Hi all,
Today I felt in getteing Peter Wyss on the phone, shall try again . And tonight I wrote a letter to Mr Zurbuchen with our questions . Proceeding step by step...