The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I have a beautiful, rather old Breitling Tri-Compax, that has been with me for approx. 14 years. I am certainly not knowledgable regarding either old or modern watches, rather appreciate items for their character and 'ausstrahlung'! I had the watch 'serviced' approx 4 years ago and was told it had a Venus (something) inside. A few people have offered to 'relieve me' of that 'old timepiece' and have offered a couple of 100 Euros, meaning that it really isn't worth more than approx Euros 500,- Naja ......... Somehow, I have the feeling that it is worth a bit more than that! It certainly has been around for a while and using my amateur detective skills, I reckon it must be from the early 1940ies. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no skills at opening and dissecting watches (and most certainly do not want to practise on a Breitling!!), so cannot post any pics from its 'intestines' .... I shall try to upload a photo of the face, however, am not too sure if it will be clear enough. I have noticed that the member 'WatchFred' is shown as being located in Vienna, Austria. Do you (WatchFred) have a shop in Vienna where I could bring the Breitling to?

interesting that you decided to revive a thread more than two years old.

just open a thread with some pictures of your watch - face and caseback please, it will tell us enough - I'm not a watch dealer, so I have no shop you could bring the Breitling to, sorry.

this is the first time i have ever used one of these forums, so I have not the faintest idea really, how to do it all according to 'your' rules! I was just happy something happened ! Now I am trying to 'open a thread with my pics'. (I don't have a website where I can connect a url to!
Bear with me please, I am trying to go as fast as I can!

small pics can be attached to your post, larger pics have to be hosted, ideally on imgur.com or photobucket.com; here's how: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=453

The pics are not very good, but should give an idea. The watchface certainly seems to be in the original condition. I was told by the person who sold it to me (in rural Bulgaria, way back when) that it was from (a serviceman/pilot) someone who crashed/was taken prisoner, ...... during WWII ..... I honestly do not know. After being cleaned (no parts replaced!!??), the watch can be wound up (manually) and keeps good time, time difference after approx 36 - 40 hrs is +/- 3 to 4 mins. All functions certainly do seem to work OK.
The face is, as can be seen, marked with the passage of time. However, if it really is 50 - 60 years old, and certainly being worn 'in the field', is is remarkable 'seeable' . The case is a silver colour, but certainly not full silver, early steel perhaps (not shiny at all) and certainly worn. There are NO numberings/markings on the rounded back in any way. Nor are there any signs of 'rubbed off' or sanded off numbering or lettering. The fingers/zeiger) on the most bottom (at 6 o'clock) inner dial is 'bluish' colour, whereas all of the other small dial fingers and hour/minute/seonds pointers are a reddish/coppery colour. I do not know if this means that a pointer has been replaced ..... Also, the circle, just between the numbers and the most outer 'telemetrie' dial is filled in/made of the same coppery colour (metal?) as the majority of pointers. The face is perhaps just very dirty, but it seems to be a sort of silvery metal colour, certainly not a bright white !!!! (Maybe it was, at the beginning of its life!) Also, the numbers are outlined, as if there was perhaps at one time some form of filling, i.e. perhaps luminescence (green at night)..... I am trying to describe, so I hope I'm not being too 'detailed' in any way
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a pic of the caseback, please ?

Looking closer, I am sure that the winder has been replaced at some time. It is not marked in anyway, but it is a much brighter silver colour!
I shall take some (decent/aussagekräftiger) pics tomorrow, in daylight and post them to a hostsite, with an URL for perusal.
I shall try to get that done by this time tomorrow evening.
In the meantime, many thanks indeed for your help; I have been searching the web, on and off for a long time, but just do not trust lots of those so-called 'honest' dealers ..... who ask for you to send them the watch
Is it OK if I continue using this list/thread tomorrow?

no problem at all to continue to use the thread now, we've hijacked it already.

I do not see any numbers stamped on the caseback, is that the picture or are there really none ?

no, no number or anything on the back; very rounded, 'normal' usage wear, seems to be chrome, whereby the colouring is very similar to the rounded chrome casing holding the glas, both on either side of the 'middle' bit that is holding/or part of the bit where the watch straps are held on with (there probably is a name for that, but sorry, don't know it).

The gentleman who cleaned the inside was a 'real' Juwelier/Uhren-Geschäft; he said he was no expert however on vintage Breitlings, but said the working seemed to be original. He suggested I find a specialist, but could not name anyone. I live way out in the Boondocks of NW Netheraustria, no cities close by!

not the info I had hoped for, a Breitling signed dial without a (3 digit) reference number would be incorrect; we can hope to find a reference number and at least a serial number inside the caseback.

you would need a watchmaker (or anybody who offers battery replacement for Quartz watches, they'd have the tools too) to open the caseback so you could grab a pic, this should be no problem to find, even in Waldviertel.

case looks to be stainless steel, nit chromed base metal.

I'm splitting this thread and moving the new posts into vintage - no one panic when it moves!