The seller is perhaps excused for using Breitling in the listing title, as there is certainly a historical link which you can easily search on the web.
I ordered an AVIATION 6801 (based on the big case Chronomatic 1806) from Mr Wajs himself about a month ago. Australia Post forged my signature and left it outside my apartment – Australia Post has admitted liability and I’m waiting for the seller to be refunded so he can send me a replacement. What a saga – I’m sure we can all appreciate what a bummer it is to spend months researching a watch, have it sent from Zurich, and then have it stolen outside your front door because of a moron delivery guy.
I’m not into these emoticons, but hey…
Anyway, from what I gather, the AVIATION chronographs are generally of very high quality and directly comparable to the equivalent Breitlings from the mid to late seventies. I can’t imagine they have the same quality as modern Breitlings, as they are a much smaller company. But bearing in mind that Breitling had some quality control issues in the mid to late seventies just prior to the bankruptcy (as any company would), I wouldn’t be surprised if overall the AVIATIONs are even better.
As for value, new/NOS AVIATION chronographs tend to range from 20-40% less than an equivalent mint Breitling which has been recently serviced. I suspect the discount would be higher for an AVIATION like this one in comparison to a Breitling which has also had moderate wear as indicated by the pictures. I love the vintage Breitling designs, but can’t deal with patina and the whole vibe of someone else’s accumulated sweat etc – so I wouldn’t buy this watch. But as a rough guide, I’d maybe pay 50% of the cheapest Cosmonaught price you see on Ebay…
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