Won an auction yesterday for a Breitling 9121 http://m.ebay.com/itm/141712634952Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network Hope I did ok. I'm a little concerned with the loose crystal. Missing piece? If so, hopefully it is not too difficult to source. I wanted a vintage bicompax manual chrono, and really like the the looks of the valjoux 7733 Hamiltons Heuers etc.. Unfortunately I spent the money I set aside to get an incoming Speedmaster Mark II serviced, which will actually be my first manual chrono. Now that I got that out of my system, back to the Omegas!!!
Tricky business those vintage breitling chrono's.. So many frankens out there.. No expert So can not say anything about this specific example..
The dial has been refinished - the most obvious tell being the off center sub-registers markers, and I don't think Breitling ever used this logo font either. I wouldn't be concerned at all about the crystal as there are many generic ones that fit these kinds of cases well, but on the other hand, I would be concerned about the fact that there were no movement shots in the listing. An overhaul is a given, but the scariest thing about not being able to see the movement is that it may need many new parts. You could potentially spend more on repairs than the amount you paid for the watch. I'm really am sorry to say this, but for the money, I don't think you did particularly well. collectively, there is a wonderfully vast knowledge of vintage watches here in the OF, so I would take advantage of it prior to making an impulsive buy in the future
Very sound advice. Can someone please provide more detail regarding the registers being off center or the fonts? I have no real points of reference other than internet images like this on on Breitling museum. http://sfile.f-static.com/image/users/190146/ftp/my_files/breitling-museum/70/9121.jpg?id=11784881 As far as the movement goes, I will keep my fingers crossed until it arrives. I appreciate movement pics, but honestly I don't know what I am looking at at this point. Still seeing the Forrest. ..I see disimilar colors, corrosion, dirt or damaged screws, but that is about it. I spent two weeks in Vegas without gabbling a penny, but I just did.. Knowledge is exactly why I joined. I would also like to find a balance between aesthetic and perfection. Meaning in my case, often knowing too much takes the pleasure out of enjoying things. This is also more fun than buying retail.
@Which Watch Next I am going to have to eat my words. The dial seems to be original finish and the watch is a ref. 9121. After seeing the picture from the Breitling museum you posted, I was intrigued and did some digging around online, and I was immediately surprised to find many different examples of this exact dial. I saw the off-center sub-registers (one of the major tells of a refinished dial) and a logo I'm not familiar with (its usually this one or a variation of Breitling in cursive) and jumped to a conclusion too hastily. I still mention this because all of the watches I saw have off-center markers and they are all off-center in different ways. Extremely strange. The dial manufacturer and Breitling's quality control department must have been asleep at the wheel.
I appreciate the feedback. I became interested in the movement when considering a vintage Heuer. The Venus/Valjoux movements were used in a few brands and seem to have the registers offset towards the minute track. http://wornandwound.com/2013/12/09/affordable-vintage-hamilton-valjoux-7730-chronographs/ I think that top time looks pretty sweet too..
Hi there, I just joined the forum and saw this five-year-old posting; hope you're happy with your 2015 purchase. It may also be possible that Breitling bought these dials (unbranded) and then branded them their own. I have a 2-register watch, with a virtually identical black panda that is branded "Swank." However, like the Top Time, yours has a 45-minute subdial, while the subdial on mine sports a 30-minute counter. Was your movement branded Breitling?