The Breitling Watch Source Forums

SS is worth more than GP for the reasons that Yaffle mentioned, but (usually) less than 18K for obvious reasons.

I would leave that 810 on eBay alone, too many uncerainties in piecing it together and you won't save any money in the long run. Don't recall off the top of my head when the 810 and 815s were introduced but were produced through the 60s and into the 70s.

Neither the Top Time 810 nor the 815 Long Playing were available in solid gold, only stainless and plated, my pricing info compared those two; other watches like the Chronomats or the Navitimers were available in all three version, here 18k solid would be the most expensive by far typically, all other things like condition, provenance etc. being equal.

The 810s are quite a bit more expensive typically than the 815, so if you like the 815 you might want to go for it as your first vintage watch, though here the percentage of gold plated (815.4) versus stainless is very, very high, SS 815s (815.3) are rare and command quite a high surcharge.

The 810 were manufactured from the early 60s (1964 is the earliest I have seen) until 1969 afaik, the 815 appears in the 1970 catalog for the first time.

The design of the current TOC very, very closely follows the early unibody 810s, there was a design change to slightly thicker lugs and a separate caseback around 1967?, the 815 is similar to this.

here is are pics of early (1st 2) and later 810s:





there is a VERY nice 810 SS/silver/silver on sale from the UK, including papers, but ridiculously expensive:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/380415484403?ru ... 3D1&_rdc=1

the "project" link makes no sense at all, after the right gilded V178 w/ the right bridge stampings, correct hands etc, this will end up much too expensive, 810 are quite strange, some go sky high and sometimes you can get lucky and find a decent piece below 1k, I bought an early SS/silver/silver piece that needs minor repairs well below that some days ago.

Patience & some help from your forum friends will get you there, though the 815 you linked to looks like a solid entry, considering the reserve is realistic.

Wow, Fred all very nice. I especially, love the first pic, but again all very nice. Good to know about 810/815 only being plated and SS...no guessing beyond that, thanks!

I knew that particular project one would not fly at $900+ just wondering if soemthing like that at say half the price is something to consider? The case and face seem really good for the age, but did not know if you could even source the rest of the parts over time to make if plausible.

On a different note how about these two....I know I am all over the place....the 810/815 has a timeless look, but these have a more fun sort of 70s look; at least to me. First one has no info other than Breitlign Chronograph, what is it?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230752185573?ss ... 1438.l2649

Second one is something I have liked for a while now...but never really considered as I was a bit shy of the whole vintage thing. I know it is a Long Playing 7104.3 but this one is in the U.S. (not Israel). I searched and found info on a place selling several of them NOS a few years back and IIRC they were in the 1,200-1,500 range for sure under $2K...granted that was a while ago and for the time supply was high. If I keep my ear to the ground and a non-dealer, non NOS one shows up, what is reasonable? http://www.ebay.com/itm/170777491428?ss ... 1438.l2649

Liking that thicker case sides of the one in the first link are there any other specific models I should be on the look out for?

EDIT: Let me know when I have bugged you guys too much and I'll lay off for a bit.

First one is a 1450 Long Playing with a Valjoux 7736 in this one (there vere 2 register variants with a date as well using the 7734).

Old World had a bunch of the NOS ones that have now all sold, and pretty sure that this is one of those. I actually like this model, and while I haven't been watching prices it is still too expensive at that level - $1,300 - $1,500 would be my comfort zone.

the . 1450 is much too expensive already. Surprising, though it is in nice condition

ref. 7104 is based on the same modular design as the 7103 you liked too iirc, as Roff said, well above my comfort zone too, you should be able to get that around the $1,200 mark.

you are not bugging us at all, it is a hobby we love and love to share.

regarding other models: have a look at this overview I made based on Lester Harrisons work in the early 1990s, most models are on there, choose whatever you like and go for the hunt. just remember: patience !

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=35656#p261196

Got a reply back from a seller after asking to see the movement of a Top Time. The reply in the email was pretty funny.



File is pretty big, want to give you all the detail I can, so I won't make it smaller - I'll just link to it so it is not huge in this post. Seem legit? Looks pretty clean to me, but what do I know. Good, Bad, indifferent?

http://mantistech.com/Watch/P2280098.JPG

Oh, forgot to mention. Fred you are killing me with that link to all the old watches. I like about 1/2 of them, way too many searches saved in ebay now.

movement is fine, Valjoux 7736, quite clean, sturdy, reliable, will probably survive us all.

so sorry for that link, did I mention this is highly addictive ?

some nice watches there, right ?

Fred the second picture (white top time) shows the bottom sub dial with a thin hand, is that right ? (still learning), all beauty's by the way

good catch, Supermoto. subdial hands on this are replacements. it is salvaged "project watch", here is the before/after:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=34269#p251747

Nice Panda Dracha.

Fred - lovely wristshots. Shows just how elegant these TopTimes can be.

Checking to see if I have learned anything this week. Case says 765 on the back, but the only 765 I can find on Fred's list of all the vintage watches is an AVI. Seller lists same movement as Fred's list, a Venus 178. So shouldn't this watch have a Bezel on it? Is it a 765 AVI? Stainless case which is nice, right? 38mm so not all that small. Cool looking, I really dig it, though I prefere contrasting sub dials of a Top Time. How about the Wakmann branding - better, worse, no difference? I did read about them bringing Breitlig into the US.

Thanks!

initially there were 765s w/o bezels only, ref. 734 (non waterproof) and ref. 765 were the first "Breitling Aviation Watches", marketed by the "Breitling 8" division together w/ aircraft instrumentation, starting in the late 1930s:



The first 765 w/ bezel appeared in the early 50s and were called AVI, but the original 765 remained in production w/o bezel, later pieces were co-branded Breitling and Wakmann, neither adds to nor dimishes the value. Nice piece u show here.

Very nice piece. Far less popular than the AVIs, and hence much cheaper, but that looks like a nice example.

u might want to ask the seller if he has the original box, seem to remember I had seen this one including box/papers, unsure though; last very nice 765 sold a week ago for 1;750 including box, just to give u an indication.

if u are interested in this one, it is really nice, dial is quite perfect and according to seller just serviced, but you would have to ask for proof of this. nice, really nice.

Newer look than the top time I am in love with, but liking it for its cool 70s vibe. Seller lists it as a 7734, it is a Datora of some sort? Is that a brown face, or the lighting? Seller says gray.