The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I will apologize in advance .. New to the forum and the hobby

I have a 1955 Navitimer and am trying to identify the movement. v72 or Venus ?
Any help is greatly appreciated.

It was a Valjoux 72.
http://www.breitling-museum.com/Breitli ... timer.html

Thanks MattC
I thought all 55s were v72s also. A highly respected Horologist told me it was a Venus?
Just a typo? I don't want to sound stupid when responding ....although I feel a little stupid asking anyway.
Any way I can identify it myself?
Thanks again Matt

Here is a V72 movement , typically signed with BOW and asymmetrical pusher placement when measured from the crown. but if you post a pic of your watch we can easily tell which you have from looking at the dial

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

there were both R72 and V178 manufactured in 1955, the clear majority of watches that survived are Venus-based.

PLEASE do not link to this site as a reference - the Navitimers are not so bad, but most of the rest of the vintage pieces displayed are outright fakes - the selection criteria to enter that "Museum", quoting the site owner: "I grab off ebay any watch that I like" .....

Didn't realize that Fred, I won't link to that site again.

That's a lot of misinformation in not a lot of posts!

As noted, please ignore that site as a credible source for anything, and as Fred notes it could be either. If you can provide a movement shot and / or a shot of the crown and pushers we will be able to tell you exactly which you have.

Most importantly, welcome to BreitlingSource.

Here are a couple of pics.
Thanks again!

Valjoux R72 - and it looks like a very well preserved example !

would love to see larger pics, please ?

Beautiful watch....

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

Only 200kb pics?

well, you could always use a hosting service ? viewtopic.php?f=5&t=453

very, very beautiful piece; congratulations again !

I'll bet my money that the hands have been repainted & relumed, and there's a chance that the dial have been relumed as well, though I doubt, but only a much better picture can tell us. If I'm right, then it takes a lot of value out of it.
There's wear to the case, why none to the dial & hands ? ? ?
We know for sure that the silver plated hands all corrode, look at my NOS 1955 Val 72, even on that one 1 of the hands have corroded, and they are matte silver, the hands on the other one looks like silver painted.

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

KurtB
All original - hands have wear and have been shellacked to preserve the original hand luminous.
http://s1358.photobucket.com/user/fisch ... vitimer%20

Interesting, never thought about that before, but the pictures shows that you are right.....!!!

But it’s both good & bad, bad if the shellack can’t be removed without removing the silver plating, and who dares to try ? ? ?

The Tritium on the dial is original, no doubt about that.

The reference number on the case back hurts the value, it’s correct – but most collectors prefers it without.

That doesn’t really matter if you don’t plan to sell it though.

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