The Breitling Watch Blog

Received an email today from a visiter referring to a American Express Breitling watch, apparently exclusive to the company. I am not aware of such a watch… wondering if any of you are? I do particularly find it rewarding when users email me with praise about my website, as I did spend a lot of time developing it and the backend for it as a serving system for Breitling watch information and building the forum up from nothing.

The Amex Breitling that this guy talks about is interesting to me since Breitling does not make exclusive watches anymore, and you pay a lot of money to have your logo put onto the watch face as mentioned in a prior article.

This is what he posted in the email:

“Hello

Was just looking at your wonderful website and thought you may be able to help me.

Back in about 1982/83 I purchased a Breitling watch from American Express. They used to have catalogues of some very nice unusual items, and as I was living in a very remote and rugged part of Australia I ordered the Breitling watch.

It was satin black and had quite a small face, almost like a ladies watch. It had a simple face in black also and was waterproof to some ridiculous depth. The band was a matching black metal band and for its size it was quite a heavy timepiece. It was a very durable watch and took all kinds of beatings in its stride.

I had a jeweller replace the battery and he broke the winder mechanism simply because he didnt know what a Breitling watch was or how they were constructed. He failed to unscrew the winder first to break the seal so he forced it with a tool. The watch was ruined and has since been lost.

I would like to know if you are familiar with this timepiece? I have never seen another one in all my travels and would like to know what it was as I can seem to find one on the net either. Apparently they were exclusive to AMEX.

Can you help? I hope so. If not, thanks you for your time and thank you for a wonderful web site.”

I’ve always loved Zenith watches, and their Chronomaster series looks fanastic, though the Defy series is where my heart lies. Zenith released a new model a week or so ago with some amazing looking visuals!

Utilizing the venerable El Primero movement, this new Venice Edition of the Zenith Chronomaster is outstanding. It uses the Caliber 4021 from Zenith, which beats as an extremely accurate 36,000vph.

Visible throught the sapphire caseback is the 22 karat gold oscillating weight mounted on the rotor. The dial is Guilloche with a Venice Lion patters on both the dial and over the open heart. The watch is an extremely large 45mm in diamater, enough for even the most manly man! Water resistant to 30 meters. This watch is limited to 100 peices and is available in Rose Gold.

Breitling and Bentley are sponsoring a weekend of beautiful vintage cars and a tribute race. There will be three concours with tons of beautiful historic and exotic cars. Breitling will have a booth set up there to display their wristwatches. Kind of cool. Wish I could be there.

I am not that familiar with some of the names that are there: Richard Attwood, Skip Barber, Bob Bondurant, Geoff Boss, Nick Craw, Janet Guthrie, David Hobbs, David Piper, Johnny Rutherford, Peter Windsor, George Wintersteen.

But nice Bentley vehicles and a Breitling watch booth.. that’s enough for me!

http://www.newportmansions.org/page11185.cfm

Ever wonder? Why is it that watches are such a man-thing. Men’s watches are sell for more than women’s watches, and maintain their value better on the secondary market. Maybe this is because traditionally Watches were the only type of jewellry that men are suppose to wear… though that’s changed in recent years.

I ran across a post in a blog called “Men are Better than Women”… explaining why watches are so manly.. and it’s pretty darn accurate, haha! Its actually quite perfect that this is posted in a Breitling blog, as these are perhaps some of the manliest watches made.

Do we however argue that IWC watches are more manly because they only make men’s watches? Or does the sheer size and heft of the Super Avenger nullify any of that?…

Check it out:
http://www.menarebetterthanwomen.com/watches/

Ever wonder what those Guilloche Patterns were called on the dials of many of the swiss watches you own? I did.. and looks like Breguet, of the Swatch Group decided to give us a little guide as to what they are called.

1. Clous de Paris on the main dial
2. Satine Circulaire on the hour circle
3. Saute Pique (or Pique releve) on the minute circle
4. Vieux Panier on the upper half of the subdial at “9”
5. Decor Flamme on the lower half of the subdial at “9”
6. Pointes de diamant (or Pave de Paris) on the subdial at “3”
7. Grain d’orge circulaire on the small seconds subdial at the “6” (and on the rotor)

These refer to the types of Guilloche on the Breguet Dial only, but similar patterning is seen on other types of watches. Here is a very short video that shows a guilloche machine working on a dial.