The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I would also say from experience that the date is roughly somewhere between 42 and 46.

The 1946 catalogue shows a movement signature on the Duograph, but whether that means everything was signed by then who knows.



I've had experience with several companies, Omega's records are very patchy and certainly when I've made an enquiry that far back the only information that comes back is where the movement was shipped to. So not many good records there. JLC seems to be the same, some very limited information when you go back.

I imagine that Patek and Vacheron have excellent, precise, records, but they produced a fraction of the amount of watches.

The winner - hands down for me so far - is Longines. They have very good information going back a long way. What's interesting is I have often found a drift of a few years between the movement numbers list that is published (although I don't know the source) and the accurate info Longines has.

Following your request, I have the pleasure to give you here below the information I found in our old hand-written registers :

The serial number 2’918’XXX identifies a wristwatch in silver.
It is fitted with a Longines manufacture caliber 15.25 that was first produced in 1911.
It was invoiced to Messrs Schwob in St-Petersburg, who were for many years our agent for Russia, on the 15.02.1918.

WOW Fred - are these all yours?

some examples of 1940s bridge engravings I believe to be correct:

Ref.769 18k 1945 591*** Venus175


Ref.797 18k 1946 670*** Venus175


Ref.777 18k 1946 649*** Venus175


Ref.178 18k 1946 660*** Venus170


Ref.797 SS 1947 705*** Venus175

great examples Fred !!

how do you rate the 170 in the other thread ? I couldn't tell
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37501

this one is really convincing

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

Guys, posting this in the engravings section for continuity, so this font engraving on a 1946 ref785 v72c is wrong? Are any of the above Valjoux movements? Were engraving styles on Valjoux movements different from those on Venus ones?

Is this watch
http://www.chrono24.com/en/breitling/da ... 0&tab=pics

it is surprising compared to other (assumedly correct) pieces of this period that have no bridge markings , but we probably have not seen enough pieces to say anything for sure.

the combination of script logo dial and capitals bridge is another issue that many doubt to be correct.

San,.
all the pics are titled "venus 1xx"

I dont think they are valjoux'

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

Thanks Fred, wonder if Valjoux sourced movements had different styled engravings compared to their Venus equivalents? Did the movement manufacturers put those engravings?
Here is a v72c movement on a 785 that has a suspicious font (it's even inverted compared to the previous watch example,see how the lettering is facing down to the concave in the other and to the convex in this watch)

True, that's why wondering if there was a difference between in script depending on the movement manufacturer. Maybe Craig (chronodeco) would know.

last example of a bridge engraving of the valjoux 23/72c is more than suspicious, might be an early work by the guy responsible for the 806 serial number mixup 14 years later ?

to get anything remotely resembling an answer we would have to add many more watches to our bridge engravings overview, but up to now all 45/46 Datora we felt were above doubt had no bridge engravings.

what is the earliest "correct" Datora you have seen ?

Craig thinks engravings were "all over the board" and has kept no records, although looking at the beginning of a list above we see something like a trend; saw a SS 797 listed yesterday, "expecting" signed + Permier, was proven riight by the pic, so it seems to be case material and model dependent ?

That steel 785 actually has a serial of 554250 which is not even in the serial charts???? And the small pushers sticking out looks correct?

Fred,
a few weeks ago you mentioned a link where US importers themselves added the import code and/or the Mfg name and a date when that started to happen ?
I have lost the link but it may explain why we see so many different bridge engravings on these '45-'50 (date guessing) pieces as they were done not at the Mfg plant but later on in the import process to satisfy US customs ?

do you still have that link ?

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

Cruvon,
do you have any more pics of that watch ? front, side & case ?

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

The original listing is here

http://www.thebeautifulwatch.com/?P=2205


Btw see the Superocean and AVI 765
http://www.thebeautifulwatch.com/?M=25

case seems to be correct with beveled lugs , but the '55 claim probably is not
looking at the serial number its pre-'44 and in great condition

but POA , If I have to ask I probably cant afford it

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