I’ve talked about hidden gems from the Nineteen Nineties in a number of articles over the previous yr. Based mostly on that protection, I obtained a message from a Dutch watch collector who focuses on Breitling watches from the Nineteen Nineties. Inquisitive about his Breitling assortment and motivation, we invited him to the Fratello workplace to hearken to his story and take a look at his marvelous assortment.
Our reader’s Breitling assortment
Throughout our dialog with this Dutch Breitling collector, we primarily mentioned the next fashions (as pictured above) — the white gold Breitling Emergency J56321, Chronomat Frecce Tricolori A13050.1 (LE 4,000 items), Chronomat Pink Arrows A13050.1 (LE 1,965 items), Chronomat 50 years U.S. Air Pressure A13050.1 (LE 500 items), Chronomat Longitude Thunderbirds A20048 (LE 1,000 items), SuperOcean K10040, SuperOcean Coral A17040, SuperOcean A17040, and the Aerospace E65062 Esquadrilha da Fumaça (LE 300 items).
Speaking to a Breitling collector with a powerful deal with the Nineteen Nineties
We worth and respect the privateness of our readers and viewers, so we have now anonymized this interview and referred to him as “Breitling Collector.”
RJ: In entrance of us, there’s a formidable assortment of primarily Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s Breitling watches, from SuperOceans and a formidable lineup of Chronomat fashions to an Emergency in white gold. Earlier than diving into the watches, inform our readers one thing about your self.
Breitling Collector: I’m 48 years outdated and reside within the Netherlands. I’ve been a watch fanatic for nearly 30 years now.
Breitling SuperOcean
RJ: What made you acquire these Nineteen Nineties Breitling watches? Did you have already got different watches earlier than you began this assortment?
BC: My first luxurious watch was a blue Breitling SuperOcean that I purchased on the finish of the ’90s. I usually browsed the colourful Breitling Chronolog catalogs in these days, and the SuperOcean ticked all of the packing containers for me. It had a vivid blue Arabic-numeral sunburst dial and a thick case with a really sporty, rugged look. The very fact the SuperOcean was an entry-level Breitling mannequin definitely helped as properly. Nonetheless, I wanted to avoid wasting up earlier than I may ultimately buy it.
I wore the watch day by day for about eight years because it was my solely watch. Then, I slowly began trying round for the subsequent step and bought the SuperOcean to create a funds for a polar-dial Rolex Explorer II. That was my solely look ahead to the subsequent few years, however then I began constructing a really modest Rolex assortment. Initially, I simply purchased some metal items. Later, although, I added a couple of exotics, similar to a white gold Daytona on a strap (ref. 116519) and even a white gold Sky-Dweller ref. 326139 on the strap. I loved this modest assortment for a few years, with some flipper strikes from time to time to maintain the gathering dynamic.
Then, COVID-19 hit us, and costs began to skyrocket. Properly, what’s the issue if you have already got a modest assortment? As a result of extended pandemic, costs simply saved rising, and I slowly began creating a love/hate relationship with my watches. I had a tough time justifying the amount of cash on my wrist and usually requested myself if these watches introduced me extra pleasure than the €2K–3K watches I began with. The quick reply? “No!” So I made a slightly drastic resolution to promote all of them! This additionally created a funds for experimenting with different manufacturers, similar to Jaeger-LeCoultre and an entry-level mannequin from A. Lange & Söhne.
Breitling SuperOcean Coral
Nonetheless, that was additionally the time I got here throughout a beautiful one-owner full-set Breitling SuperOcean Coral for a unbelievable worth. Though its orange dial wasn’t the identical shade because the one in my first SuperOcean, I simply needed to have it out of pure nostalgia.
Sporting this newly acquired SuperOcean with a coral dial made me understand how a lot pleasure a €1,600 watch can convey. This was the start of my Breitling amassing journey.
Worth for cash
RJ: What makes the Nineteen Nineties Chronomat assortment so attention-grabbing for you?
BC: I completely love colourful watch dials, and Breitling made numerous variations of those Chronomats. Typically in addition they function logos from numerous worldwide aerobatic show groups.
For me, all of the completely different colours and logos make these extremely collectible. Trying to find fully completely different watches and variations all the time appeared much more attention-grabbing and logical than getting enthusiastic about particulars like “meters first,” “stick dials,” or “flat fours.”
One other attention-grabbing facet from a collector’s perspective is that Breitling can’t provide most of those dials as spare elements anymore! Incidents with damaged crystals damaging the dial or horological nightmares like water injury will certainly imply the top of those editions.
Final however not least, these Chronomats, similar to the SuperOcean, signify unbelievable worth for cash! Lovely examples can be found for simply over €2K, and that will get you a chronograph with a bulletproof Valjoux 7750 motion.
Breitling emblem watches
RJ: Are you able to inform us extra in regards to the emblem fashions?
BC: Let me run down all of the fashions I’ve. My first one needed to be the UK-based Pink Arrows variant, in fact. Watches with a full vivid purple dial are fairly uncommon, and many individuals all over the world imagine the Pink Arrows are the best on this planet. So the search started! And it was a fairly simple one!
A Japanese seller had one which was on the absolute backside of the Chrono24 search outcomes, however no one dared to purchase it. Within the photos, it appeared mint and unpolished. One other exceptional element was that the watch got here on an unworn authentic black shark-skin strap. Breitling has not produced nor provided these straps for one or 20 years already. I puzzled if this was maybe an missed new-old-stock piece…
I took a shot and pressed the “purchase” button. 4 or 5 days later, after paying a couple of hundred euros in import charges and duties, I obtained the watch. I used to be tremendous excited and a bit nervous unpacking my first order from a unique a part of the globe, however the watch was certainly NOS, though the vendor didn’t describe it as such. I’ll share extra about this attention-grabbing Japanese phenomenon later.
The following one in line was the Thunderbird version, a tribute to the U.S. Air Pressure demonstration group. This watch has an identical story. Though not NOS, it confirmed barely any indicators of damage. Once more, the watch got here on its authentic matching blue shark strap in very recent situation. This gave me the impression that it will need to have been a protected queen.
What I particularly appreciated about this model is the mix of a darkish blue dial and an identical darkish blue shark strap. The Arabic numerals with a really wholesome patina and the funky Thunderbirds emblem actually pop. The case again additionally has an engraving of this emblem, like nearly all of those restricted Chronomats. I discovered it in Japan as properly, by the best way!
Frecce Tricolori
Nearly on the similar time, the yellow Italian Frecce Tricolori version popped up on Chrono24. I used to be already a little bit spoiled with the considerably aggressive costs of classic Breitling watches in Japan, so was a bit shocked in regards to the Italian vendor’s asking worth. He was a really pleasant contact, however his photos of the watch had been form of unhealthy. Asking him to ship new extra photos didn’t assist; in addition they appeared like they’d been taken with a VGA webcam from the identical period because the watch. This made me determine to maneuver on.
Nonetheless, because the months handed, I noticed the watch not promoting, and he did begin to decrease his worth incrementally. In the meantime, I did some thorough Google analysis, which revealed that the vendor was a revered longtime moderator on an Italian watch discussion board. There, he described the watch as being in NOS situation and instructed the story of how he acquired it. Apparently, a jeweler had discovered it in his storage room a few years after the shop stopped promoting Breitling watches.
Though unattainable to confirm, I liked this story. I made a decision to make him an honest provide, and he accepted. The yellow dial simply pops, and the black concentric rings within the sub-dials give this Chronomat the distinction it wants. Breitling produced 4,000 models in whole. Supposedly, there have been 1,000 yellow-dial and three,000 black-dial items, although this data is troublesome to confirm.
U.S. Air Pressure fiftieth Anniversary
The final one I added to the gathering was the one Breitling launched to have fun the fiftieth anniversary of the U.S. Air Pressure. What number of different watches have animals on the dial taking a look at you? Possibly some quirky one-piece examples from obscure independents do, however the indignant fowl right here makes this Breitling fairly unusual. The shade of blue on the matte dial with the small however daring purple parts is solely attractive, and the tremendous crisp white markers and arms give this timepiece a really recent and timeless look.
For me, that is the one classic Chronomat that appears prefer it may’ve come out 5 years in the past. It’s already greater than 25 years outdated and got here as a full set initially bought in Hawaii! I’ve all the time imagined that possibly a brilliant cool SR-71 Blackbird pilot purchased this watch on his trip and acquired the compulsory “thanks in your service” and, hopefully, a major low cost. Sadly, we are going to by no means know. This particular seller from Hawaii has been closed for a very long time, and there’s no buyer identify on the papers.
This mannequin was restricted to 500 items, 50 of which had been granted to U.S. Air Pressure officers by Breitling and sported a couple of additional engravings on the case again. Mine, sadly, is a daily business model. This can be getting boring, however I discovered it in…Japan!
An 18K gold Breitling SuperOcean
RJ: Let’s get again to the SuperOcean. You already shared a couple of phrases about it, however what’s the story of the 18K gold mannequin?
BC: When searching the Chronologs from the late ’90s to early 2000s, you couldn’t miss the 18K yellow gold SuperOcean. However nonetheless, funnily sufficient, many Breitling aficionados don’t learn about it and positively have by no means seen it. Though the blue-dial variant just isn’t a real restricted version, discovering a pleasant one is difficult. A lot of them are polished to dying, and with this mannequin, the unique manufacturing facility ending is of the utmost significance.
I purchased my blue-dial model from a French multi-brand collector I already knew who was the primary proprietor and possibly had solely worn it throughout Christmas dinners for the final 25 years. To be trustworthy, I acquired a unbelievable deal. The person had a formidable assortment of each watches and vehicles. He was already older and retired, and he had no children, so he determined to cut back his assortment considerably. He had no intention of peddling his watches, so he bought them for a particularly reasonable worth inside his community.
It’s a completely stunning full set from the period when Breitling delivered not only one COSC certificates however two! The second is a really detailed report of thorough accuracy measurements in numerous positions. I do put on this watch on occasion however often on a leather-based strap to decorate it down a bit. It’s an extremely loud watch!
I do know a couple of skilled watch sellers, and once I confirmed them the watch in individual, with out exception, they had been blown away by its sheer magnificence and distinctiveness. None of them had ever seen one earlier than.
A blue Breitling SuperOcean in metal
The blue-dial metal SuperOcean within the photos is an entire NOS instance of my first SuperOcean. An Italian seller supplied it for a fantastic worth a few months in the past, and it even got here on the impossible-to-find unworn blue neoprene diver strap, the predecessor of the later full-rubber Diver Professional straps.
Aerospace Esquadrilha da Fumaça
RJ: Earlier than we get into the white gold digital Breitling, please inform us extra in regards to the yellow-dial Aerospace with the FAB emblem.
BC: About six months in the past, throughout my prolonged on-line analysis, I realized that Breitling used its particular yellow dial shade in a really not often seen titanium model of the Aerospace that even by no means made it to the Chronolog catalogs. It was created for the Brazilian Esquadrilha da Fumaça based mostly in São Paulo. This so-called “Smoke Squadron” is the demonstration group for the Brazilian Air Pressure.
Discovering one in every of these watches is difficult. Solely 300 had been made, and nearly all of them are cherished by (former) squadron members. However one unexpectedly popped up on Chrono24!
The watch in all probability was on-line for about 24 hours and acquired an absurd quantity of hits, so I knew I needed to act shortly. Somewhat downside for me was that the vendor was in Rio de Janeiro, and though it was not my first rodeo shopping for overseas, I used to be a little bit hesitant about this new journey concerning logistics. I requested the vendor a couple of questions, solely to find a couple of hours later that the watch had already been bought!
With nothing to lose, I made a decision to tell the vendor that he may e-mail me anytime if the preliminary purchaser needed to cancel or if any downside arose. Properly, what have you learnt? The following day, the vendor knowledgeable me that the preliminary purchaser had points with the cost (in Brazil, Chrono24’s escrow service just isn’t accessible, solely PayPal and bank card, and consumers must act shortly or their reservations can be canceled).
So I made a decision to take a danger and purchase it. The vendor shipped it the subsequent day, and the monitoring confirmed the parcel transferring easily from Rio to DHL’s remaining worldwide hub in São Paulo. However then…the monitoring froze. For days, nothing occurred, and the parcel didn’t transfer in any respect. It is a first-world however acquainted downside for anybody ready for an costly on-line buy. Fortunately, the vendor was very useful and acquired data from DHL. There was a multi-day strike of federal customs officers in Brazil, leading to large clearing delays in the entire nation’s worldwide export hubs. Then, about two weeks after the monitoring halted, it began transferring once more and arrived safely in any case. Sadly, the watch wanted some work. The lume on the arms was a bit tarnished, and “lume mud” was all around the dial.
Additionally, the crystal had extra injury than I had hoped; a lot of the injury was not fully seen within the photos. Fortunately, although, it was nothing Breitling’s service middle couldn’t repair, and the watch acquired a brand new crystal and handset. Funnily, Breitling had a troublesome time figuring out the proper set of arms. Since these watches are so uncommon, they weren’t even within the model’s spare-part data. However trying on the half quantity revealed they had been the identical arms used for the virtually legendary yellow-dial Aerospace in white gold. It was wonderful that Breitling had one set of those arms in inventory!
The yellow Aerospace is one in every of my favorites. It will get a variety of wrist time, and the truth that it’s so uncommon makes it additional particular for me.
Breitling Emergency in white gold
RJ: Lastly, we have now the white gold Breitling Emergency, which is extremely heavy. It’s a uncommon sight; it will need to have been troublesome to search out.
BC: Properly, truly, no! I knew of 1 on the market already for fairly a while. The provision of those ultra-heavyweights could be very low, however the demand might be even decrease. It was from one other collector and in fabulous situation with a current full service. He lived outdoors the Netherlands, however a pal of mine visited his nation each week for work, so he made logistics simple as we closed the deal on FaceTime.
I wanted a white gold Breitling from the Skilled line in my assortment, however discovering the Aerospace can be mission unattainable, so an Emergency was an ideal different. Simply as with the Aerospace, the white gold Emergency was about 10 instances costlier than the titanium ones again within the day. It was not an official restricted version, however a collector with some inside data estimated that Breitling in all probability solely made 75 examples. The Emergency was additionally accessible in 18K yellow gold, by the best way; that could be a really next-level loud watch. It’s nonetheless cool, although!
Breitling paid a variety of consideration to the small print of those variations. With the usual titanium fashions, the Arabic numbers on the dial are made from lume, however with the gold fashions, they’re white gold and yellow gold, respectively. For the white gold mannequin, it takes a pointy eye to note the distinction, however I simply love these particulars. The identical goes for all of the antenna knobs and the crown. These are in matching 18K gold too!
Amazingly, the value I paid for the white gold “E” doesn’t even purchase you a metal Rolex Submariner, however I now have one of the vital spectacular “devices for professionals” in a treasured steel! The burden is insane; you felt it your self, RJ, and I liked your preliminary response.
The hunt by no means stops
RJ: Which Breitling are you continue to trying to find?
BC: I’m nonetheless attempting to trace down the orange Orbiter 2 Aerospace and Emergency, that are ultra-limited at simply 4 items every. Till not too long ago, solely actual hardcore Breitling followers knew about these watches, however Breitling posted an image on Instagram a couple of weeks in the past, and the brand new Aerospace B70 Orbiter clearly takes inspiration from them. Two years in the past, a set of those was auctioned, with a hammer worth of a measly £5,200. Why do I say “measly?” Due to the rarity, situation, and significance of the model’s historical past.
Folks studying this interview will in all probability marvel why the Navitimer just isn’t a part of my assortment. Properly, though it’s a tremendous vital mannequin for the model, it has by no means been one in every of my favorites. But when I ever come throughout a pleasant Navitimer Patrulla Aguila, I’ll definitely purchase it. Good examples are uncommon, and the lacquer Breitling used for the dial deteriorates comparatively shortly. Most examples on the market have dials that already present extreme paint injury.
RJ: Do you’ve got any ideas for many who need to observe your path?
BC: I hope to have impressed a couple of folks to look into (neo-)classic Breitling timepieces and inspired extra collectors to provide the model the credit score it very a lot deserves. Breitling made a variety of completely different fashions, and because of the restricted variety of collectors, some actual treasures are nonetheless on the market for comparatively small sums. Treasure searching ought to be an enormous a part of the pastime for any collector, and with this model, you’ll be rewarded since, with some effort, you definitely can discover treasures! As I discussed within the first a part of this interview, don’t overlook to provide the Japanese sellers some additional consideration. They nearly all the time deliberately underrate their watches and customarily have very aggressive costs.
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Did the story above encourage you to go on the hunt for a lovely neo-vintage Breitling watch? Tell us within the feedback. If you wish to share your assortment and story with different readers, drop us a line.
