The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I own an 816 Navitimer which I really like.

After seeing many large cases vintage Chronomatics, I'm am wondering if the mid-case, pushers and crown are the same between the big Navitimers and Chronomatics. IIRC the black plug is removable and the crown+stem can be swapped around? Or was this used for a clipboard attachment? Am I nuts for vaguely remembering a pen or clipboard attachment to this large watch?

Anyhow, is the mid-case swappable? Is Cal. 11/12 sized the same as Venus 178 or V.72 inside this case with the appropriate movement holder?

Random questions but if you know the answers, id be most grateful!!

Cheers

Arrrrgh wrong pic above!

Here we go...

I don't think they are swappable.
I believe there are differences between the 806 and 7806 and 8806 small case Navitimers. The case depths and pusher locations do vary slightly.

I would assume therefore that the large case chronomatic cal 11/12 and the Venus / Valjoux hand wound Navis cases also differ.

I don't own all of the watches. Perhaps someone else will chime in with a definitive answer/ proof?


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I'll measure tomorrow

Thanks Gents! I am aware that valjoux 72 has asymmetric pushers so I'll rule that iteration out of this discussion, but Cal. 11 and 12 seem to have pushers equidistant from the crown--same as Venus 178.

Obviously the movement holder would have to be proprietary to Cal. 11/12 or Venus 178. The movements probably differ in size I would imagine as well. But crown stem and pusher layout appears to be the same.

It also appears that the case crown can be swapped to the other side and vice versa (the bezel ring gear opposite of the crown as well). The black resin plug too!

I've been very curious about all of this ... I'm assuming that Breitling would've saved lots of tooling $ in having a universal cross-platform case. Or rather, at least a case used for a few different models: big Chronomatic and big Navitimer (816, 819, 1806, 1808, etc)

Cheers

Thanks Fred.

I'm going on the differences between 806 and 7806. See image. 806 top. 7806 middle.

Looking at top two watches the pusher spacing, although equal, looks wider apart in the 7806. Is the 7740 same chrono module as cal 11?



A measure will confirm!


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no time for pics today, but pusher positions for the cal.11/12 are different from the Venus 178
all have the holes for the crown tubes bot at 3 and 9, including the non-chrono "big case" Chronomat 9108, so assume the pusher tube holes for the different positions required by the 3 movement variations were added later to a standardized middle case.