paca wrote:
I'm not sure that Breitling started with serialnumbers in 1945.
The serialnumbers pre 1945 are no longer available, that is sure.
The signed bridge does seems off for that period. What about the marking "fond acier inoxidable" inside the back cover?
I would expect this on the outside instead of the inside.
The venus 170 was invented in 1942, so it can't be older than that. Breitling serial number for 1944 is a range of 563659 to 568959. The caseback number of 223207 makes no sense in terms of trends. The other number on the caseback also has no context in Breitling numbering system. My watches from the 1940s have numbering on the outer caseback, not inner, and they are clearly marked with a 3 digit reference number. The inside of your friends caseback has also been altered with a rotary sanding bit. The Breitling logo looks to be engraved, not stamped.
If you want to convince yourself its pre-1944, why does it have a signed bridge?