Horological Meandering

another hunt has come to an end. had been searching for this elusive piece for a very, very long time. model history is full of unconfirmed rumors, the ref. 765 was the first waterproof chronograph launched by "Breitling 8" Military Aviation Division in t...  

Looks great! :) And yes, others may also enjoy this one... Please have a look at this document "La Montre et les Métiers" from 1958. Best Blomman ...  

this seems to be the earliest printed documentation for this model ! thanks for posting this, Fred

Here is a bigger scan. Translated by Google: The chronograph dual tripmeter (15 minutes counter, 12 hour hand) is intended for aviators. Total minutes are replaced by a disc whose numbers 1 to 15 appear on the window. Hence reading easier for the pilot wi...  

you never cease to amaze me with your treasure trove of material. Do you have an English translation of what it says?

Don't remember if I ever showed you this one from the same document...? I guess you recognize the Longines...! ;) About the translation - please see my reply to Fred. Best, my friend Blomman ...  

To bring it back, for me to take pictures. His is in superb condtion, too! Best, Nicolas

Has it been restored in anyway ? It looks new from stock ! How long did it take you to find it ? Congrats ! Olivier

cosmetically it is "untouched", watch had been serviced a year ago, after lying in a drawer for half a century and the watchmaker did not know how to work on that minute counter disc modification, so he broke a spring and the counter didn't work, my wonde... 

and even though I am not a chronograph collector, that one is particularly fine. Congratulations, Fred. Regards, Tony C.

. . . to many, Fred, including myself. Finding one in excellent original condition is cause for celebration; many thanks for sharing your joy with us. Impressed, Art

Fred, Marvelous. Please, do a full photo session of this beauty. Congratulations, Nilo

and I'll do a complete photo shoot of this one, maybe including a bit about the model history of the ref. 765 aviators from the early 1940s to 1969, when Breitling launched the last 765x Co-Pilot AVI, some nice watches and a shame they are relatively unkn... 

what a beauty, in such a superlative state! Matt

you mean be consumed with envy - then you've hit the spot. Truly a beautiful and amazing watch Fred. Not many Breitling's left on my Grail list, but this one has been for a very loooong time. CONGRATS!!! The earliest 765 ref I've come across are in late T...  

'65 AOPA ref. 765 ...  

We'll have to try and get this together someday.:)

Hi, congrats - very nice one!! May I ask if this one has rose gold plated movement already or the older version with nickel (or rhodium ) plating? Actually movement modifications were relatively simple - but dial and underlying minute counter disc often w...  

mine has the gilded movement, assume yours did too ? the 765 AVI you show looks like 53/54, assume the movement was marked BOW ? truly lovely, thx for sharing ! Fred

Hi Fred, this one had the old movement finish, have a look: Best regards Suitbert ...  

seems to be one of the earliest, no import marking on the balance cock. do u happen to know the case serial number ? thanks again - what a beautiful piece; Fred

You really found a perfect one, congratulations. It also took me a while to find both iterations of it (first and second serie, with and without "Genève" on the dial). Funnily, it was easier for me to find my BP Air Commands that this one. As a side note:... 

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would you share the serial no., please - and is the balance cock unmarked, or marked wth BOW or WOG ? best, Fred

I can't tell you right now as the serial is written on the interior of the back (the same for the movement) and the watch is in my safe... If I recall right, the serial is an 82... (first batch) Best, Goldenlutin

maybe u can pm me or post when u get it from storage, movement marking would be interesting ! Best, Fred

A great Chrono. Another one. Aaah, wait a minute, I may post something very cool i saw today... In a nice vein... Best, Nicolas