Horological Meandering

. . . this vintage Navitimer belongs . . .




. . . to my watchmaker.

Gotta love pilots!




Art

The HSTE’s “Lucy” (so so gorgeous watch! 😍) on the left and my Navitimer Spatiographe Montbrillant on the right.

Best wishes

Alkiro

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. . . to acquire watches from an unusually advantageous position.



Practically his whole collection was assembled from watches customers thought weren't worth servicing.  Including a 2915, scored many years ago before its recent ballistic trajectory.

 

My first serious watch was a Breitling.

As I got more knowledge about watches, my Breitling passion faded away.

The brand had so many movements, so much variations and that monument to bad taste that they have on each Boutique (the pin-up "statue" - No, I'm far from being a puritan) makes me wonder if one day I go to return to Breitling.

I'm also waiting to see what the new CEO, Georges Kern, can do.

Cheers,

Nilo

. . . and they're opening a boutique in LA very soon (if it hasn't happened already). 

Their staples were too 'busy' aesthetically for my tastes, and I'm not a chrono guy in general.  Still, I can appreciate a classic like the Navitimer on its own merits.

Warmest,

Art

I Art, as you know I'm a new user and I'm reading all of these very interesting articles. Just want to share my experience, I have started to like Breitling last year and, earlier this year, I have purchased my very first one (the cheapest, the Colt 44mm). I like the watch a lot and it's exquisitelly well built but I don't love it as much as I would, maybe becuase it's design is half "racing" half "aviation". For what I can say as a novice in the Breitling's world is that as of today I like the brand more then the watch itself....

....got me one several times but in the end, it never happened.

Therefore just some other nice ones.

Cheers, HSTE

Now I still need to get my RCAF one into a presentable state. Can your watchmaker help, Art?

. . . tomorrow via pm.  Leaving home for the day shortly, won't be back for ~ 24 hours . . .

Have a great day!

I think the old Navitimer 806 with Venus 178 belongs on the all time top 10 chronograph list.

. . . even though I've learned to respect their accomplishments and heritage, which few manufacturers can match.  Not a chrono guy to begin with, and aviator dials often seem needlessly busy.

Having acknowledged those limitations, I'd scoop up a vintage Breitling (or Minerva, or Longines) chrono under the right circumstances.  Meaning, advantageous from a pricing standpoint.  And not with a view to flipping, either.  There's few watches displayed on this site I've more affection for than Eitan's delicious Longines 12.68 Z.




Art

I'm a Breitling fan for sure. My second watch was a Navitimer 01 Limited Edition, then I picked up a Colt as a vacation watch & a two-tone Galactic with diamonds/mother of pearl for my mother. Since then however, nothing in the current Breitling range has interested me. I would love the company to slightly change their direction and offer more for those of us who prefer classic designs and sub-44mm sizes.

ive always admired the vintage navitmers. The dials are so busy and Unique. Beauties indeed 👌🏼

Two of my most favourite timepieces worn throughout the weeks are recent Chronomats with the B1 movement:



The black "Raven" caused me a lot of headache, being out of roder several times. It had to undergo repair twice, and I really do not know wether it will stop working out of the blue once again. And yet I adore this watch! The reverse-panda "Frecce Tricolori", too, is a wonderful watch. A bit gaudy, as Breitlings tend to be, but due to the brushed surface finish not so shiny as the typical Chronomat.

And then there is this orange/rust Superocean heritage, with its gorgeous lacquered dial, that refelcts light in a very particular shimmering manner:



So I am not a fan, but found myself trapped and stricken in a weird love for these watches ...

Marcus

But I do love my Breitling Emergency.

after Beckham stop wearing one. Hahaha. Nice navitimer.

NT