The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I want to know what are peoples favourite BlackBird models and why.
I'm liking then more and more but they both look great, brushed for me though.
The '53' is doing it for me followed by the Bigdate.
If I got one I'd want to be sure I was 100% happy and not thinking "I should have got the other one.."

_________________
Time is everything.
Collection

Breitling Steel Superocean Heritage
Breitling Ti Seawolf
Breitling Ti Aerospace Le
Bulova Gold Accutron

Big Date and brushed is the ONLY way to go IMO. And all black dial - none of this blue-black stuff on the BB please!

_________________
Driver8

Site Moderator

The correct answer is not on the list - LE BlueBird

Yes, Black is Black.
Bluebird was a Nissan model here

Is there anything better mechanically with the Double D version?

_________________
Time is everything.
Collection

Breitling Steel Superocean Heritage
Breitling Ti Seawolf
Breitling Ti Aerospace Le
Bulova Gold Accutron

Oh dear.......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Campbell

The movements in the two are different, but one isn't 'better' or 'worse'.

In terms of black is black, there is a huge difference between the original LE BlueBird and the current BEB versions.

I had to go with the 53 - proper size for me and faceted bracelet. Try as I might, and I did, the recent BB on the lovely faceted bracelet just didn't fit correctly. But leaving aside my own carpal limitations (hey, I was in deposition of a hand surgeon last week and he said "ulnar styloid" at least a dozen times!), the black dial big date, brushed, is the classic of the choices listed.









But you left out the BEST BB of all time -

_________________
SHARKMAN

Good thing they left the date window alone! That version rocks, as does the BEB, and the regular brushed. If I ever decide to tone it down from the large watches I will be on the hunt for one of those.


They really did nail it with that blacksteel. Just the right amount of red.

The poll takes for granted that everybody knows the difference between a 50 and 53. I didn't, and I just spent a fair amount of time trying to find out. I'm glad I did, because now I know the model number of my favorite BB. However, perhaps the OP might consider editing his first post to include this information, so others who don't know (and who aren't as geekily devoted to researching as I am) might participate in this poll, too.

As for the poll itself, I voted 53, for the same reason Sharkie did. I think the Big Date version is a classic in its own right, but for those with CCWS (circumferentially challenged wrist syndrome), like myself, the dimensions and weight can pose some problems. The 53 is a more appropriate, wearable size for me, plus it doesn't have those annoying screw-down pushers. (And truth be told, I don't need a big date feature anyway, even if it is pretty cool.) I like the styling of the 53 better than the 50; it's more assertive, without being over the top.

Please enlighten the not yet initiated (me ) what watch is the 53 BB? Why is it called 53? And when was it made? Is it the version with the 7750 from the 90ies?

Thanks!

_________________
Cheers from Switzerland,

Fred

Both what the OP refers to as 50 and 53 (which are not ways that I have ever heard of them referred to before) are the caliber 13 / 7750 versions. Take a look at this link, starting about 3/4 of the way down - http://forums.watchuseek.com/f39/breitl ... 13334.html

The original version (late 90s) was a variant of the Chronomat of the time (the 13350) and had the same model number as that. When Breitling tweaked the Chronomat the model numbers were changed with the Chronomat becoming the 13352 and the Blackbird getting its own model number - 13353.

Thanks, Roff. I guess I should have done that in my earlier post, after making a point of saying the information needed to be provided. It's just that I had spent so much time looking it up that I didn't feel like reiterating it. (There is a certain irony that the B-Source model pages don't make the distinction between the 50 and 53 models, since B-Source is largely considered the place to go for this kind of information. This website does provide the info indirectly, in the form of a link to the WUS article, which is how I finally figured it out. Go figure.)

Good point on the 50-53 models,I just assumed everyone esle knew of these model differences.
(I had only read the link myself before posting anyway).

I really do like the 53, its got a timeless look to it? Less bling more function/class?
Link is now attached and Blacksteel is now a voteable option.
If your that way inclined...

I was in another AD on the weekend and I asked the salesman (who was wearing a breitling) about the Bentlys..
"Ah the drug dealer range" he replied.
"Bentlys sell in cycles..when they're out of jail we sell them and then its quiet for a while"

_________________
Time is everything.
Collection

Breitling Steel Superocean Heritage
Breitling Ti Seawolf
Breitling Ti Aerospace Le
Bulova Gold Accutron

Well I re-voted and voted again for the 53. Same reasons.

_________________
SHARKMAN

you make this poll so hard to vote

here is why:

_________________
Breitling Chrono Avenger Black Dial whit Pro II Ti, Diver Pro I
Breitling BlackBird Big Date brushed whit SS Bracelet, brown croco
Breitling BlackBird Blacksteel 528/2000 Whit Dp2 Deployment
Omega Planet Ocean Chrono 9300 Co-axial Ceramic on SS bracelet

A13353