Watchlords

Breitling Watches 1944 to 1978

All breitling watches of this period have two numbers :

a Part number designating the model and a serial number


The part number is always located at the back of the case, for Navitimers it is a 3 or 4 digit number

Hre is a little list of Navitimer part numbers and their model (see the 50 year section for details and pictures of the models) :

806 : The first Navitimer, Venus 178 movement (and some very rare Valjoux 72) cover generation I, II, III, IV and V

7806 : The navitimer with date , Valjoux 7740 movement, Generation VI

7806-S : Navitimer with date and two subdials, Valjoux 7740 : generation VII

816 : Navitimer "big case", Venus 178 : generation VIII

1806 : Navitimer Chronomatic : Breitling 11 or 12 : genreration IX

8806 : Navitimer Chronomatic "small case" : Breitling type 12 : generation X

9106 : Navitimer LED quartz large case : generation XI

9406 : Navitimer LCD quartz small case : generation XII

9416 : Navitimer LCD quartz big case : generation XIII


Serial number of Breitling chronographs and non-chronographs watches from 1944 to 1978

Here is the list of serial numbers of Breitlings (all types not only Navitimers) with the date of manufacturing





Breitling Watches 1978 - today

After Ernest Schneider took over the Breitling company, a complete change have been done to the part number and serial number system


The part number system remain for a period similar to the pre-78 system and the last Navitimer to have a "pre-78" P/N is the Navitimer 81610 : the first Navitimer with the Valjoux 7750

Here are the two Navitimers which keep the "pre-78" system :

81600 : Navitimer tricompax no date, Lemania 1872 : generation XIV

81610 : Navitimer 3 subdials with date , Valjoux 7750 , genreration XV

Then Breitling switch to a brand new system still in use for the part numbers :

This new system is composed of one letter followed by 5 digits : type : A 00000

The letter designate the material of the watch :

A : All stainless steel
B : Stainless steel and gold bicolour models.
D : Stainless steel and gold gold/18k models.
E : All titanium
F : Titanium and gold
H : Rose gold
J : White gold
K : Yellow gold
L : Platinum

The two first digits designate the Breitling caliber used in the watch :

13 : Breitling type 13 (Valjoux 7750) .....

You can find Caliber type 13, 29, 30, 35, 39, 40, 41 ... in Navitimers

The Third digit designate if the watch is or is not COSC certified

0 : Non COSC movement

3 : COSC certified movement

The two las digits .... seems to be random ! in fact of course it is not, but the logic if fairly tricky to undersand : let us say that using the caliber number and the last
two digits, the model can be determined



Exemples for Navitimers :

A13019 : Old Navitimer, steel, (non COSC)

A13020 : Old Navitimer II, steel (non COSC)

A13320 : Old Navitimer II, steel COSC certified

D30022 : Navitimer 92, Steel and Gold (non COSC)

K13020 : Old Navitimer II, Gold (non COSC)


Serial numbers of watches post 1978

A serial number is assigned for each type of part number (not like ther old system where all Breitlings had a sequencial number) , therefore it is NOT possible to certainly date a Breitling modern watch with its serial number. this number is generally a 4 digits number (exeption for gold or limited series)