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PostPosted: Thu May 24, 2018 3:19 pm 
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Hi friends,

Is there any information out there about the -33 or /33 engravings on the case back of some of the Breitling Top Time's?

I've seen examples of it used on most of the 2 subdial Top Time references.(except ref: 2211 and 2011) My initially thought is that it was used to indicate the use of the new Valjoux 7733 movement in c.1969? That would be the most obvious. But there seem to be enough examples out there to suggest this wasn't exclusively the case? On most examples, they have the later dial variation with thicker hour indexes,"zorro sprint" dial, and also the wider gen.2 hands. But again examples do exist to contradict this although they are undocumented. I haven't seen references made to the -33 in any catalogue yet either.

The other interesting point is that the -33 engraving sometimes appear to be an after thought. Different size, slightly misaligned. Typically seen on those cases with an earlier serial number around the mid 60's, but the watch presumably being assembled in 1969. I believe I read somewhere in the forum there was a period where a significant surplus of cases were produced in a particular year and then used at a later date.

I would love to see more examples if anybody is willing to share and discuss.

E.P


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PostPosted: Thu May 24, 2018 5:35 pm 
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you are summing it up perfectly, Edouard - most of the 20xx with the 7733 were remarked cases originally intended for the Venus 188 or the renamed 7730 and we see quite a lot of transitions, where Mk1 dials and hands are used.


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PostPosted: Thu May 31, 2018 2:43 am 
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Thanks watchfred! The mix between many transitions and few catalogues from that period can make it rather confusing. Also having seen -36 on a model such as the ref:810 with the V7736, holds to that theory.


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