The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I found this Breitling in my grandfathers desk drawer after he passed away and didn't think much about it assuming someone in the family would take it. Surprised when I found it a few months later in the garage sale pile with a $5 price tag.

Anyway, I've tried to find out more about it over the years and every six months or so I'll do an internet search but never really find anything concrete. At one time I found a decent example but the website was not in English so I couldn't decipher. Case back has the number 9757, no specific markings on the movement just a Breitling 17 jewel. I think it is a Long Playing model but in the examples I find that look similar the case isn't notched for the lugs but flat. Would love any info someone might be able to shed, curious as to what year it might be and why no Breitling logo is on the caseback.

I had it worked on by Jack at IWW several years ago, he replaced the crystal, relumed it and bead blasted the case (kind of wish I hadn't done that but oh well).

Circa 1970 Long Playing, but the 9757 is odd. Are there no numbers on the outside of the caseback?

Glad that you mentioned the bead basting because the case looks like the plastic polymer Sprint cases.

I don't see any obvious problems, although a Breitling logo crown should be there, and someone without gloves or finger cotts has been all over that caeback which won't do it any good.

Lemania movement - not often seen in this era Breitling.

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S. Craig Bergsma

Yeah, agreed, but it looks right - though I guess it could be a genuine bridge. I can't find the reference anywhere - there are a lot of odd things about this one, but nothing looks wrong to me.

I've always thought the caseback was strange. There are no numbers at all, just Stainless Steel - Shock Protected - Swiss Made marked along the edge. The bead blasting has made them almost disappear, but the words were never prominent.

The watch was definitely well used as you can tell from the first photo. My grandfather wasn't one to be sentimental and didn't keep things so for him to have it wrapped up in cloth is saying something. Obviously it was worked on in the past since the crown isn't original. Could it be possible it isn't the original caseback to that watch but another one, perhaps switched out during a service? Obviously it is a Breitling caseback to some model.

The photos I took of the caseback were prior to sending it to IWW (and the finger prints are surely fine) so hopefully it was cleaned during the service. I've not popped the caseback off since then to check.

Thanks for all the info so far, glad (I guess) I'm not the only one having trouble finding info. Starting to wonder if I have a vintage frankenwatch.

Casebacks aren't that easy to swap out, and the reference number is not one I can find, but you are right the Breitling markings on the inside look correct. It could be a frankenwatch, and if we were only dealing with a description then I would say a Lemania 1873 powered 9757 model was not a real Breitling.

The dial looks good, the case looks real (although many companies used similar styles in the 70s), the bridge engraving on the movement looks right, and the caseback stamping looks right. I just don't know.

Must be my lucky night. I went searching eBay and found two interesting listings. First one is the Long Playing model I always come across in my searches but the last pic I think shows my watch, although it is a b&w photo, but looks like maybe from an old magazine ad.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BREITLING-Chronogra ... 3f0af3d237

This listing is my watch exactly except in gold tone, even the caseback and crown seem identical. Google translator doesn't make sense and I don't speak German unfortunately. I'd love to know what the description says.

http://cgi.ebay.de/BREITLING-TRICOMPAX- ... 0738759635

It would make sense that the watch would be all original, as my grandfather was on the stingy side, so while he might not have tossed out a broken watch that was a gift or had sentimental value he most likely wouldn't spend money to fix it either.

happy to provide a full translation by pm, but the listing just perfectly describes your watch, equivalent in all aspects but the gold plating. it calls it "rare", which it most defintely is, without giving any history or background.

I would assume both are real, not Frankens, they are just too similar, including the non-Breitling-branded crown ? Both do not show serial numbers. Strange and interesting, but, as we know, mid to late 70s were an era of turmoil for Breitling and the whole swiss watch industry, maybe these were a special edition for some export market like Japan ?

yes, definitely a tricompax, with Valjoux 7736.. i have one of 1975...
the ones with a lemania 1873 should definitely be a frankewatches, not origianal Breitling Tricompax of this era.

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Breitling Antares B10047
Breitling Chronomat B13050
Breitling Chronomat A13050.1 - pilot bracelet
Breitling Chronomat Blackbird A13050.1 - serie spéciale
Breitling Avenger Seawolf E17370
Breitling Chronomat EVO A13356 - pilot bracelet

i don't think so the even put a lemania 1973 on this era Breitling!

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Breitling Antares B10047
Breitling Chronomat B13050
Breitling Chronomat A13050.1 - pilot bracelet
Breitling Chronomat Blackbird A13050.1 - serie spéciale
Breitling Avenger Seawolf E17370
Breitling Chronomat EVO A13356 - pilot bracelet

That's a genuine Breitling Long Playing with a Lemania 1873 movement. They pop up all the time on ebay. I might add that the Lemania movement is a much higher quality movement than the Valjoux 7736. Here's the gold plated version.

http://cgi.ebay.de/BREITLING-TRICOMPAX-CHRONOGRAPH-LEMANIA-1873-RARITAT-/270738759635

There you go, learn something new every day.

Do you have any documentation for this model number Paul, it's totally out of whack with what's 'normal'

Never been able to find any sort of documentation on these. They are a bit of an anomoly but I've seen them enough times over the last 10 years to know they fit into that grey area from about 1975 - 1983. Breitling also put out a very similar watch, ref 820, earlier on with the Valjoux 7736 that also came either steel or gold plated but had a slightly different case design around the lugs. The earlier model is the one most are familiar with so when this one pops up everyone questions it. You also have to remember the Lemania 1873 movement was used in some of the early Navitimers and Cosmonauts in the early 1980's also plus I had a really nice display back Chrono Callisto with a Lemania 1873.

Thanks Paul - I immediately thought 820 when I first saw it.

The 1873 didn't scare me (some sitting rather close to me right now), and there is history of those in Breitlings right through until the mid 90s. I suspect that you may be right about it being one of the 'desperation' late 70s pieces or another of the 'pre series' for want of a better term from new Breitling.

didn't know that...
thanks.

_________________
Breitling Antares B10047
Breitling Chronomat B13050
Breitling Chronomat A13050.1 - pilot bracelet
Breitling Chronomat Blackbird A13050.1 - serie spéciale
Breitling Avenger Seawolf E17370
Breitling Chronomat EVO A13356 - pilot bracelet