The Breitling Watch Source Forums

UPDATE III:



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UPDATE II:



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UPDATE:

As mentioned below, my baby is now rocking some chocolate brown 'gator. Let me know what you think!





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INITIAL POST:



So, as promised, here is my baby!

It is, so far as I know the last one to be sold through the official channel here in Switzerland. And it took me not one, but three ADs to find it. It all began in november. After months of having shut reality out of my life, after months of having spent my existence between my office and the university's library, my thesis was finally looking like it was coming to an end. By this time, it had consumed each and every hour of my evenings and weekends, yes, each and every minute I didn't spend on my job. As a consequence, with light and freedom beginning to sparkle at the end of this monthlong tunnel, I decided I'd go out with a bang. Therefore, one day during lunchtime I visited an AD and made an inquiry. The Navitimer had been the dream of my entire childhood, but I had never before owned one or any other 'ling for that matter. Aside from that, a year earlier, Breitling had begun to make a version of the Navitimer I really liked. So I decided it was time to finally take the plunge with the Navitimer 01 Limited. Except for it being a little late for that. The thing with limited editions of anything is that there aren't many of 'em (big surprise eh?). So by the time I had set my sights on it, most were gone... in fact pretty much all of them were.

So the AD sadly told me he wouldn't be able to sell me one for he didn't have any. However, he wouldn't be a proper AD if he wouldn't have been able to find me one. It took a lot of telephoning and calling in on old mates apparently, but he finally came up with a watch located in Geneva (2nd AD). Luckily enough, the AD in Geneva also has a branch in Zurich (3rd and from now on "my" AD) where the watch arrived on december 1st. That very day, it spent the first minutes around my wrist and a hefty downpayment was made to reserve it while waiting for the results of my thesis, due at the very latest on january 31st. In case of failure, I would never be able to enjoy the watch and therefore made "success" a condition of the purchase. My AD, good sports that she is, agreed into the bet and would retain it for me as long as necessary.

Evermore motivated I went back to work. Handed in the fruit of many months worth of nights' and weekend's work and slipped into the botty-clenching waiting period preceding its judgement. It would take a month and a half to find out if what I had come up with was any good. If it was, I would have finished with university once and for all... if not, five intense years of studying would fall from the skies like the burning wreck of a blasted airship. The the anxiety was high and not without a basis. I had left my thesis for the very end of my time in Uni, not because I was looking forward to it, but because I'm rubbish at writing scientific stuff.

On january 31st then, the shivering had risen to an unbearable level. But the day passed with no results being communicated. This became ever more worrying when the day after that also went by without news... and so did the following one... and the one following that one.

It was not until yesterday evening when the news finally came in from the professor's assistant. All was good in thesis land. My last day as a student was behind me. And apparently, all the sleepless nights had added up to something that for the first time in my young career as a writer was... at least not completely... rubbish.

I contacted my AD, finalized the deal and was invited to come by for lunch today. And there she was waiting for me, a real beauty (she is a pretty girl indeed, my AD, about the same age as me, smart, likes panerais... I could go on...). She had a bottle of champaign and... Oh right, the watch. Well, there was a watch as well, and I am most happy to report it is now on my wrist as I type this. So, tout est bien qui finit bien... excuse my French... no, literally.

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Cheers from Switzerland,

Fred

Congrats on both fronts. Nice story, enjoy the watch it is a beauty. Sounds like you might need to spend more time with the AD.

Great story and well written. You had me at the picture.


Welcome to Breitlingsource and congrats on the fine watch -

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SHARKMAN

Wow! Great story and congrats on both of your accomplishments. I know it has to be a great feeling to get the exact watch you wanted after all of that work.

PS- Marry your AD!

All the watches to wear
Watches...watches...everywhere

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"In the end there can be but one"

I'd love to, but what kind of engagement Ring do you offer a jeweler? She won't really be impressed by anything affordable by a common mortal, will she?

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Cheers from Switzerland,

Fred

Good story and Congrats on the outcome of all your hard work. As for the watch, nice reward for a job well done. Nice choice to reward your efforts, not too mention being able to find the jewel of your eye with so few available. Good luck in your future and wear your new acquisition in good health.

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Good point, well you don't have to marry her, just date her for a bit!

Great story! Congrats! And good luck on the date.

Awesome pic!!

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Regards,

Peter

BREITLING for Bentley Motors T & Mark VI, Aerospace
ROLEX Submariner Ceramic116610LN
OMEGA Plantet Ocean 8500 42mm Orange arabics
OCEAN7 LM-3

A great story for a great watch. I love my Navi 01 and never plan to part with it. I think it's the best watch Breitling has ever produced.

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Chronomat 01- Sierra Silver/Steel
Navitimer 01- Limited Edition #1337/2000

She likes panerais on her wrist, she would probably be happy with a big truck wheel nut on her finger



Congrats on the thesis and the new Breitling
//Wessa

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"It is just a matter of time!"

Thanks mate! Well I went to visit her today to catch a coffee and to discuss some pressing questions of fashion... You know, they're plenty different wheelnut-types, so I've got to find out what she likes...

In all seriousness, I did have a question to discuss, beeing: how to dress my Navi in brown without ruining it. In the course of that, I found out that Breitling makes pink straps for whoever is willing to wear them, but can't seem to hit a brown tone discreet enough to not clash with the black dial. I usually match straps to dials on watches and thus have taken delivery of my Navi with some black calf on it. That seems to have been a good decision and I shall stand by that, except, I won't.

Call me foolish, but I think a black watch strap demands a black belt, black shoes and in winter, black gloves. What then if all but the watch strap is brown? Yes I must have black shoes... somewhere... and a belt... if I remember well. However, the reason I'll never quite be sure is that I don't ever wear them. I am then, a man of dark brown leatherware and equally dark gray suits. 

Although it is admittedly a very first world, very ridiculous and now I've come to think about it, quite idiotic problem, it had to be solved.

As you may have expected, the answer came from a place that seems to have answers for pretty much anything... Even for people who like Audis... Yes, Germany.

You see, back in the day, a little fellow with an ego problem who'd eventually leave us with a lot of destruction, misery and very bad memories walked into IWC in Schaffhausen and asked for a watch suited especially for his Luftwaffe's navigators. It was the birth hour of the big pilots watch and while most of its history has to do with bombing Britain and is hence despicable, it established the look of the "aviators watch".

A simple black dial, white large digits, a triangle with two dots around it at the twelve position and a dark brown strap with two buttons at each end.

For more than a few reasons, I don't like this design. However, I really like the quite familiar combination of dark chocolate brown strap and black dial. Which has been the starting point of the quest my AD and I were about to embark on.

It took us through way to light and bright brown Breitling straps, through books and catalogues all the way to a place that isn't very far from where I'm from. It was quite simply JLC.

JLC does indeed have loads of magnificent brown straps to go with their Master Control series. Much more precisely, they make the double sewn strap of the Master Geographic with Breitling styled contrast stitching. And I figure... That'll fit brilliantly on a black dialed Navi, and match the shoes, the belt and so forth...

Needless to say I'll have a hard time waiting for it to be delivered, for I'd really like to see the result. And of course, I will post an image here

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Cheers from Switzerland,

Fred

Congrats on the watch!

Lets see some more pics!

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Breitling Superocean Chronometre 2008
Tag Heuer Carerra S Laptimer

Happy to oblige

As you can see, the black calf is gone. It has its Master Compressor strap on since this evening, and I think it fits quite well...

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Cheers from Switzerland,

Fred