Those who know me, know that my first decent watch was a Breitling, the same goes for my twin brother Mark. He bought an Avenger and I bought an Emergency. Breitling is a well-established brand that makes very good-looking watches, that seem more affordable than some.
If you ever need to buy a pre-owned watch, beware the auction sites. You would be much better off going to a specialist, and what better than Kibble Watches in Clerkenwell, London. They have a great selection of pre-loved watches, and you have the confidence that when buying from a dealer like Kibble, you are also buying peace of mind. Most are serviced, so you know your watch will be perfect for time to come.
Charlotte and Richard have both had their Top 5 Seiko and Speedmasters. So let’s take a look at my Top 5 Breitling pieces from their website.
1970 Breitling Navitimer 806 Venus 178
1970 Breitling Navitimer 806 Venus 178 - Credit Kibble Watches
First up is a manual wind 1970 Navitimer 806 with a Venus 178 movement. This is a classic from Breitling with a 40.5mm case and a stunning 3 sub-dial Panda look. The Navitimers are known for having an awful lot going on the dial, and this is no exception. You have a bidirectional logarithmic slide rule bezel and a high-domed acrylic crystal that sits above the black glossy dial. You can calculate so much with this bezel, should you choose to, as this was designed for the use of pilots to calculate ground speed, rate of descent/climb and other conversions such as fuel. The Arabic 12 and baton indices still have their Tritium lume applied. The 3 o’clock sub-dial has a 30-minute register, the 6 o’clock, a 12-hour register and the 9, shows continuous seconds.
This is a cracking watch from the 70’s and an icon in Breitling’s history, I could be tempted by this one.
2017 Breitling Transocean Chronograph
2017 Breitling Transocean Chronograph - Credit Kibble Watches
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My second choice is a 2017 Breitling Transocean Chronograph. This model was limited to only 1915 pieces to celebrate that Breitling was the first brand to manufacture a chronograph with a mono-pusher at 2 o’clock. Mono-pushers are now made by most brands and this white dialled version is quite striking.
The 43.5mm polished stainless steel case, houses the manually wound Breitling Cal.B14M movement. This has an impressive wrist presence, especially with its 22mm Milanese-signed bracelet. The slightly asymmetric case houses the mono-pusher at 2 o’clock, with the crown at 3. A smooth polished bezel holds the domed sapphire crystal above the striking white dial. With Arabic numerals and hands with a faux Super-LumiNova coating, this looks like an older, worn piece. The 3 o’clock sub-dial shows a 30-minute register, whilst the sub-dial at 6 o’clock shows the small seconds. Below the 12, sits the “old” Breitling logo and a date window bisects the number 6. Flipping this over, you see the screw-down exhibition case back and the attractive COSC Certified movement. Overall, this is a cracking watch and if you don’t have a mono-pusher in your collection, then this could scratch that itch.
Breitling SuperOcean 42
Breitling SuperOcean 42 - Credit Kibble Watches
My third option is one of my favourite Breitling watches. This is the orange 42mm SuperOcean. Reference A17366, this has been on my wish list for years now, it’s such an easy-to-read dial and the orange is very striking.
The 42mm polished stainless steel case houses the COSC Certified Cal 17 movement and has an impressive wrist presence. The signed screw-down crown is protected by the thick crown guards. The vulcanised dive insert in the unidirectional bezel has raised markers, numerals and a triangle with a lumped pip. The flat sapphire crystal covers the vibrant orange dial, which has the dagger and applied Arabic numerals filled with Super-LumiNova and a date window sits at 3 o’clock. The Broad sword hands, filled with Super-LumiNova, are accompanied by a red arrow-tipped sweeping second hand. Positioned at 12 o’clock is the applied Breitling motif, and at 6 o’clock, the SuperOcean Chronometre 500M/650FT marks the completion of this dynamic dive watch. This for me, is one of the clearest dials I have seen, I still hope to own one someday soon.
Breitling Premier B09 Chronograph “Pistachio”
Breitling Premier B09 Chronograph “Pistachio” - Credit Kibble Watches
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My penultimate offering is the Pistachio Premier B09 Chronograph. When this came out, I was taken by the green hue of the dial. The contrast of the highly polished hands and Arabic indices against the pistachio works well. The 40mm polished stainless steel case, sits well on the wrist and wears well. The rectangular chronograph pushers straddle the signed crown at 3 o’clock. It features a smooth bezel that holds the box sapphire crystal perfectly.
The gorgeous Pistachio green dial has an outer tachymeter and inner minute track accurately printed. The 3 o’clock sub-dial marks the 30-minute register, whilst the 9 o’clock shows the small seconds. Syringe hands filled with Super-LumiNova complemented by a tapered chronograph hand, at 12 o’clock an applied “B” and Breitling 1884, are printed underneath. At 6 o’clock Chronograph Premier completes this heritage-inspired bi-compax. Over at the rear, the screw-down exhibition case back shows off the COSC Certified Cal. B09 movement. This is another stunning watch from Breitling, they are doing some great things at the moment, so keep a look out for your favourite.
1969 Breitling Top Time 2211
1969 Breitling Top Time 2211 - Credit Kibble Watches
Last, but by no means least is the 2211 Top Time from 1969. First introduced in 1964, it was aimed at professional racers and pilots, who couldn’t quite afford the Navitimer or Chronomat. This has now become a design classic synonymous to Breitling and a cult classic to collectors. Famously, this was worn in the James Bond film, Thunderball featuring Sean Connery in 1965. The 39mm stainless steel cushioned case, has the crown at 3 and pushers on either side at 2 & 4 o’clock. The domed crystal covers the black dial, and a tachymeter track runs along with the inner bezel, whilst the white oval sub-dials show 60-second and 45-minute registers. It also features tuning fork-style hour and minute hands, along with the distinctive orange chronograph second hand. This is such an iconic piece and very collectable, so if you come across one and are taken by the distinctive 70’s vibe, then see if Kibble watches have one available and perhaps add one to your collection.
Breitling offer many iconic watches, many of them on the pre-owned market are very collectable. Make sure you contact Kibble if you are looking for peace of mind when buying a pre-loved watch.
