Hi OF friends,

I want to create a thread of Vintage Breitling Navitimer watches from 1954 to 1970. Background is that this theme seems not to be collected within one thread.

IMHO all vintage Breitling collectors follow @WatchFred on IG, but his overwhelming knowledge is not available on this great forum. May be we can motivate Fred to join our work when we all post great Breitling Navitimers and background.

I have made a kind of keyboard with my recent watches as a kind of teaser for this thead:



These watches are (from right to left):

- 1955 early AOPA with V178
- 1959 AOPA with German Pilot engraving
- 1960 AOPA Gold capped with gilt glossy dial
- 1963 Cosmonaute 809 Scott Carpenter
- 1964 early twin jet dial 806
- 1968 812 GMT Valjoux 724
- 1968 Navitimer 1806-72 with Valjoux 724
- 1969 7650 yachting with white bezel

I want to kindly ask all Breitling collectors on OF to bring their great vintage Navitimers to the surface right know and to show them here.

Please let this great party get started and hopefully end very, very late.

Thanks to all who contribute and best regards

Hajo

 

That is all I have, a 1964 806 with transitional bezel.

 

Dont forget Kurt Broendum, specialist and a mega collector from Denmark.
http://kurt-b.com/
On IG kurtbroendum....check it out.

And here my 67/68 from the real Breitling period.

 

Great idea for a thread. The Navitimer has been on my "itch that needs scratching" list for quite some time but, despite coming close on a number of occasions, I have never yet pulled the trigger. Maybe this thread will give me the motivation I need.

Maybe not such a good idea according to Mrs Gav

 

You are absolut correct, Kurt Broendum is a great Navi collector and his Website is awesome.
Really nice "boxed 10" you have there.

 

What’s your take on the recent rereleased 806? If the original 806 costs less than the new re-released 806, why would anyone buys the re-released?

 

Great resource to make sure everything is correct.

 

Very good point, may be customers assume that the watch is more accurate and reliable and has a warranty. IMHO a decent vintage 806 from 1959 will not cost less than the reissued modern model, which looks really great to me btw.
Best

 

I totally agree. This Chart is "magic". Super work done by Kurt.

 

I want to follow up with some single watch pics from my initial group pic. First is the 1955 early V178 Navitimer. The glossy dial still makes nice reflection and it has a bit of patina ...

 

Damn. That’s purrrty.
Wanna trade?
That all black strap is a perfect match. Can u share some info?

 

My only 806 and it’s legitimate younger brother.

 

Thanks It´s a Nato strap and came with the watch when I bought it some years ago. It is not signed.
It might be a special order from JPM as the seller often uses indivudell straps from him. But not quite sure, sorry.

 

Great initiative! Here's my Cosmonaute / Navitimer 809, from 1966:

 

very nice example, thanks for sharing

 

Follow with a „grail“ Navitimer, the 809 Scott Carpenter all black Cosmonaute from the 2. half of 1963. The watch is quite special, because it has tritium lume on the dial and hands (marked with „T“ beyond the Cosmonaute) and a white tip sweep second hand. I am not sure whether this was a special order or something like a transitional model.
HAGWE

 

no reactions to my „grail“ Navitimer so far. I thought that there might be some Breitling collectors on OF to comment this.

OK, I want to show my 1959 Aopa Navi, which has the owners engraving (from Germany) on the caseback. Besides the name the location of the pilot / owner is engraved. IMHO the engraving was factory made, because of the printing style and the „806“ Ref.-Nr. is positioned lower in comparence with normal not engraved casebacks.

BTW the airport „Mūhlheim/Ruhr“ in Germany is still member of the AOPA Today

HAGWE

 

Mine from 1971 says hi

 

You get a greeting from my 1959:

 

This is probably my grail watch... One of the most amazing watches IMO