The Breitling Watch Source Forums

as noted, it does have similarities to the Breitling service dial shown above - and next to Breitling themselves Heist is the only known source for such dials.
why not ask the seller if the dial was exchanged during the Heist service ? Pics aren't really good, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't as service dial - refinishers aren't good enough and the time warp theory of a singular early 60s prototype dial miraculously surviving with active lume doesn't really sound probable ?

The seller did not own the watch at the time of the service.
I have contacted Mark Heist regarding any memories of said watch. I will let you know if he gets back to me with any info.
It does look awesome in the flesh.

And why would a new, never worn watch, require a trip to the Heist's if not for a restoration? Doesn't sound like never worn to me.

Hi,
Has anyone got anymore thoughts on the origin of the dial?
I have searched google until my eyes are sore but have not seen another one with the same logo arrangement and battens.

Send The Heists an e-mail and ask them what they did
I am 99% positive they restored the watch and replaced the dial

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

Thanks Dracha,

I have emailed Mark Heist.
I will keep you posted.

Will

It's a factory replacement dial, and absolutely not worth $ 2.000,-.

/ Kurt B http://www.kurt-b.com

it was 2,000 pounds, not $
to put that into perspective: "not worth" for collectors and ultrapurists like Kurt. Judging by the prices recently achieved by blatantly incorrect Navitimers that would be good as parts watches only, I'd be very surprised if a recently Heist-serviced piece wouldn't reach $2k on ebay, though $3.3k+ would be well above realistic value.

Update on the 1963 Navitimer with 'factory' dial!

I decided not to purchase and play it safe with a 1965 Twin Jet Navitimer 806 instead. All original with new Breitling strap and tang buckle. It arrives tomorrow. I will be a proud owner of a Breitling Navitimer 806 Venus 178 to go with my Zenith Class El Primero. Two of the finest chrono's!

Mark Heist did not get back to me on the origin of the dial. Will be interesting to see what happens to the 'original' condition 1963! I will be keeping an eye out for it on the internet auction sites. As you can imagine the current owner was not best pleased when I told him international concensus among Breilting Navitimer owners and enthusiasts was that it was almost certainly NOT original and hadn't lived in a drawer for 50 years. Hopefully he will do a little research of his own before trying to pass it off to another Breitling novice like myself.

Thanks for all your comments on this one. I have learned a lot about Navitimers over that last week or so.

Will

...just for closure on this one.
Heists got back to me:

"Hello,

We did service the watch in February 2012. The watch had arrived here with a damaged dial (dent at 7-8, scratched recording zones, perimeter discolored green, luminous blackened or missing) and hands (had been painted over the luminous).

The dials are a negative imprint (black printed onto the base metal silver color) so it is not possible to clean up corrosion without losing the slide-rule matching markings. The dial we placed at this service was a factory issued dial that Breitling started making for us in 2000. Prior to that time there was only one dial available that had the biplane logo with larger silver recording zones because that was the only dial available when they purchased the company in the early 1980's. This AOPA dial with smaller recording zones is closest to the original dial.

The slide-rule and hands were also changed at the 2012 servicing.

The jury is out on whether this changes the "value" of the watch since the replacement parts are from the Breitling Company. Although there are a lot of purists out there, we are fortunate to have the factory manufacture these parts for watches that are so long out of production. They are making these to the original style, but have to borrow the signature portion of the dial from the last dial that they had a die for. Thus, the AOPA logo with Breitling and Geneva (the city where they were produced in the 1950's and 60's). Initially, when we started using these dials, they sold at prices that were higher than the common Navitimers on e-bay (the first customer that listed her watch with the new dial got $3650 when the average Navitimer sold for $2700-3000). The trade off is the "all original" requirement, which is becoming increasingly hard to find.

I hope this helps.

Theresa Heist
Horological Services"

Sorry took me so long. Lost in a very full in-box!

Interesting what they say about prices.

Regards,
Will