Written by Michael Stockton on Jul 20, 2015
Breitling is a brand that we recently featured as one of our top buys for collectors in our Vintage Market Update – The Chronographs. I mentioned that there’s a broad back catalog of pieces worthy of consideration due to their looks and innovative features. When I published the article, though, I stepped back and realized that while I did the brand some service by surfacing the topic, an opportunity existed to give collectors a better sense of the brand. Of course, we’ve touched on the brand in a couple #TBT articles where we featured the Top Time 814 and, more recently, the 765 CP. Still, how could Fratello Watches best cover the brand and begin to make some of the vintage Breitling lines more of a household name? Well, today’s Special Feature is the culmination of that idea, but as you’ll see, I’ve relied on others in creating what we think will be an invaluable resource for collectors. Oh, and we are also mindful that we are publishing this during summer when watch news hits a lull and hope that it provides some much-needed entertainment.
Pult/Pupitre ref.2117 & 7101from 1972
I’d advise that you not try to digest this article with your smartphone while transiting to work, as there’s a ton of content here, but, rather, enjoy it on a bigger screen, hopefully during your holidays. Grab your favorite ice-cold beverage, relax, and take in some serious knowledge sharing, as it is high time to shed some light on an underserved brand. It’s vintage Breitling time.
The Experts
When we talk about a subject such as vintage Heuer, Jeff Stein’s name surfaces almost immediately as the foremost authority on the brand. Jeff would almost surely comment that he’s not alone as an authority by any means, but his creation of OnTheDash has been such a great resource to collectors and fans that it has earned him the title. Today, we will introduce, on a wider scale at least, two contemporaries of Jeff’s (everyone knows each other, by the way) who are really the undisputed authorities on Vintage Breitling. Unlike Jeff, they prefer to remain somewhat more enigmatic, which we respect, but we thank them immensely for their participation in this interview.
Premier “Civilian” ref.734 from pre-1944
First up is @watchfred. Fred is a well-known vintage watch aficionado who specializes in chronographs, but is especially known for his interest in Breitling. Fred moderates the Bretiling forum on Timezone, has an immensely popular Instagram feed, and can often be found on various forums. He provides invaluable help to collectors with questions about authenticity, but he’s also known for his “no bullsh*t” style of debunking fraudulent sellers or those who knowingly sell altered pieces. Think of him as a bit of a caped crusader within the vintage watch landscape. Oh, and his vintage collection is museum quality and happens to put Breitling’s own to shame.
Navitimer “Japan Reissue” of 400 pieces
Next, we have @rene_jk. Rene is known for his vintage-breitling.com website. This is probably the best resource out there today on vintage Breitling and provides some great photos and information. Rene also shares his strong knowledge about the brand within forums and strikes hard with his own style of vigilante justice against those who are out to deceive. Again, he owns a top-notch collection of Breitlings and is a great resource for help. His Instagram account is new by comparison to Fred’s but is also a highly worthwhile follow.
I should mention that Fred and Rene know each other quite well and are friends. I’ve been privy to discussions where they utilize each other’s knowledge to verify a piece and it’s a nearly scientific process: fascinating to view. They collect some common pieces and have some similar responses in some cases, but go down slightly divergent paths within the Breitling genre, as you’ll soon see. Finally, I should mention that both Fred and Rene are collectors. Rene is selling a small portion of his collection online to fund something entirely non watch-related, so I wanted to make that known. Also, the photos, by in large, have all been taken Fred and Rene…a huge thanks to them for sending and working with me to properly caption them.
With the introductions over, it’s now time to begin our interview. Class is seriously in session now, so it’s time to listen up…
The General Market
FW: Tell us a little about how and why you started collecting vintage watches?
Fred: Well, I’ve always loved vintage watches, chronographs and wrist alarms.
Universal Geneve cal.291
The first “good” watch I bought was a brand new JLC Memovox in the 1980s, which triggered my interest in this field and, of course, quickly led me to “the original”, the Vulcain Cricket – and then more Crickets, Lanco and several vintage Memovox. My first vintage chronograph was a Girard Perregaux EP04 that I loved to wear, but it took years until my love for watches turned me into a true “collector” and became more than an unfocused buying spree – my next purchases were a beautiful 18k UG cal. 291 triple date moonphase – that I still own and that still does not run properly – and more mediocre and incorrect chronographs than I’d like to remember or admit
