The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Okay, here I go in posting pictures.....as I am a total newbie at this and my point and shoot does not take very good Macro Shots.....










Anyways...that my Dad's Navitmer which I will get overhauled and start wearing it when I choose not to wear the Rolex GMT...Pepsi
Thanx for looking and Take it easy.....Leo

From what I can see the lume on the dial looks stunning and well preserved, a beautiful watch, congrats. I would def recommend you get a friend or someone else to take better macro dial, AOPA logo, inner/outer caseback, lug pics et al for the guys here to give you detailed advice on the watch based on the pics, is well worth it. Also can't discern the movement details at all though looks like a Venus 178 movement from the blurry pics, could be wrong on that till post sharp pics and/or the others here pitch in, but your watch maker said is a V72 so might be. Also the experts here can tell if is a V72 based on the spacing between the pushers to the crown without looking at the movement (in V72's the spacing is not equidistant to the crown, they have a different case to accomodate the spacers on a V72), so will leave it to them to comment on that. Either way, your dads watch is stunning, restore and wear with pride!

It's a Venus 178.

/ Kurt B

cruvon and Kurt B thank you for your replies to my poorly done pictures.....I do have a friend of a friend who has a professional DSLR with the lenses to take fantastic Macros so I will have to track them down to take better photos. I do not have the tool for taking off the back so I do not know where I can take better photos. I know you guys are the experts but I read an article by Kurt Broendum(is this you Kurt B...???)on the web site www.watchlife.com. And in that article if what he states is correct(I do not know very much about Breitlings...as I'm learning) the movement matches the Valjoux 72 movement picture in the article and it is stamped with 'Bow'.
The serial number is #896885 stamped on the caseback and says on the inside of the caseback Breitling Watch Corp.....
The movement says 35, and says 17 jewels, unadjusted Swiss...
It really does match the movement in that article as I pulled up the article on my iPhone to check the pictures when I was at the jewelers.....
So I do need to be educated and which articles and web sites can you steer me to so I can read more and learn more???
Take it easy.....Leo

Leo, the Kurt Broendum article that San (cruvon) has linked to is by far the best available online resource.
http://www.watchlife.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=144

Yes, member "Kurt B" is Kurt Broendum, so you have the leading expert looking at your watch. There are quite a lot of additional threads about the early Navitimers on this site, so a lot to read for you in the vintage section here: search.php?keywords=navitimer+806&terms=all&author=&fid[]=11&sc=1&sf=all&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search


As Kurt wrote, there is no doubt your watch has a Venus 178 movement, not a V72; better pics will be nice, but really not necessary to confirm this.

The dial on your watch looks to be in fair condition with parts of the tritium missing on some of the numbers, I have seen them better and definitely much worse, but nothing can be done to improve it, and you should definitely leave it like it is.

The fact that the white sliderule is clean, tells me that the dial most likely is as well.

It looks like the luminous paint inside the hands have been redone at some time, which is not uncommon at all.

The case looks fresh and unpolished to my eyes, but I will need a better picture to tell you for sure.

The missing subdial hand should be no problem, as finding one (non original) that fits will be easy enough for a watchmaker

All in all, I will only recommend that you have it serviced, and if it’s just a service, then most educated watchmakers should be able to do it. Graig (Chronodeco) is most likely cheaper then Mark Heist, but there are others out there.

Please don’t hesitate to let us know if we can be at any further help.

/ Kurt B

Gentleman, thanx for your replies but I'm confused the movement is stamped 'BOW' which I thought was suppose to be tied to the Valjoux 72 movement. I know I'm a rookie/newbie at all things Breitling but why does the movement say 'BOW' and be the second generation movement(Venus 78) in the watch???

Leo, both V72 and Venus 178 were stamped "BOW", more info here: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=34271&p=252463.

it depends who imported a specific movement, Wakmann (WOG) or Breitling USA (BOW).



and a clear regarding Kurt's servicing suggestion of our member chronodeco, Craig will do a wonderful job, as always.

WatchFred, thank you for answering my questions.....I will have better pictures later this week and will post them for all of you to see!!!
Thanx...for your time and...take it easy.....Leo

Late to the party on this one thanks to a holiday lay in, but you've got the info you need, so all I need to say is great looking piece!

I've had a setback in getting pictures taken as it's not easy to find a jeweler who has the right tool. Next week the repairperson will be in at the jewelers so I can get the back off...for the second time and take better pictures. When I do get the pictures I will share them here.....of course!!!
Take it easy.....Leo

Hi, tomorrow I will get the back popped off my Navitimer and I will get better pictures and then post them here for you experts to look at. Someone on either this Forum or another asked if my Father belonged to the AOPA...and he did from 1952 to 1969 when he let his membership go. I plan on talking to the lady who sent me a reply to my inquiry and see what other information she might be able to provide me so I have some records of his involvement. I have been getting PM's from people who want to buy it but of course it is not for sale and I plan on having it overhauled and the missing and worn parts replaced but hopefully with original parts!!!

Good for you.

I'll say this publicly because anyone would benefit from hearing it.

There are members here who have accounts solely to try and buy vintage pieces and never post. There are others who post a little but predominantly stick to PM to try and get pieces for cheap. There are also people who never post simply because they have been banned multiple times and if they post publicly they are frightened that they will reveal themselves and be banned again.

Anyone who is considering selling a vintage piece should NEVER sell to someone who makes an offer by PM without first checking on value here. I have no issues with confidentiality, but if someone makes an offer then either post here asking for value indications or feel free to PM me for an opinion - I will never buy a piece if I have been the only determiner of value. Way too many people come here genuinely looking for information and end up selling their watch for less than it's worth because they trust 'experts' who value and then offer to buy.

Thank you for your post clarifying some activities that can and do happen on Forums.....I appreciate your comments and wisdom so here goes.....Once we all figure out which movement I have I will have the watch overhauled to wear and use for myself. It means too much to me because it was on my Father's wrist for years when I was a very little boy growing up. When I am finished with the watch it will be handed down and given to my one and only son so he can have a keepsake to remember his grandfather by. I will tell him that if he wants to move the watch a long he will have to wait until I die and then he can do what he wants(Btw. he will also inherit my great grandfather's gold hunter's Case Waltham, 17 jewel Pocket Watch which has a lever set and a hand carved porcelain dial.....)!!!

+1, the OP gave no indication that he was selling his dad's prized heirloom so is pretty poor form sending PM"s making him offers, quite insulting of his appreciation of his dad's memories at the very least. No harm making offers or intending to buy but there is a time and place for everything!