Navitimer bezel chronology? help.

[Raul]

Hi,

Concerning the 1º generation Navitimer and the use of the `rice` grain bezel. There have been 2 types, the more usual has larger `grains ´and the rarely seen version with smaller grains, you have to look with some attention to see the difference.


Well, I’ve seen and red a lot of contradicting information on the subject. I would like to ask the forum members there opinions on the subject.
I can resume manly 2 opinions.



1º- The Navitime from 1952 to more or less 1957/8 used the small rice grain bezel.
In the first years used the Valjur 72 movement. The big rice grain bezel only appeared in 1958.



2º - The first Navitimer had the big rice grain bezel that was used until more or less 1963/4. The valjur 72 movement was used from 1954 to more or less 1956 and introduced the small grain bezel, note that the case construction of the 2 versions are different apart from the bezel the cases are also different I have also seen Venus 178 movements in these cases but they use a movement ring visible from the back side of the case.



Watt has greatly confused me :-S is that I’ve seen various big rice grain bezel Navitimer with s/n in the 82… range that supposedly makes them from more or less 1953.
J.M. Navitimer site is not clear on this subject; he appears to regard the 1º Navitimer as the big rice grain version, I’ve e-mailed him asking this with no response.



Can forum members give me there opinions on the subject?

Regards

[Kurt Koerfgen]

Hi,

Concerning the 1º generation Navitimer and the use of the `rice` grain bezel. There have been 2 types, the more usual has larger `grains ´and the rarely seen version with smaller grains, you have to look with some attention to see the difference.


Well, I’ve seen and red a lot of contradicting information on the subject. I would like to ask the forum members there opinions on the subject.
I can resume manly 2 opinions.



1º- The Navitime from 1952 to more or less 1957/8 used the small rice grain bezel.
In the first years used the Valjur 72 movement. The big rice grain bezel only appeared in 1958.



2º - The first Navitimer had the big rice grain bezel that was used until more or less 1963/4. The valjur 72 movement was used from 1954 to more or less 1956 and introduced the small grain bezel, note that the case construction of the 2 versions are different apart from the bezel the cases are also different I have also seen Venus 178 movements in these cases but they use a movement ring visible from the back side of the case.



Watt has greatly confused me :-S is that I’ve seen various big rice grain bezel Navitimer with s/n in the 82… range that supposedly makes them from more or less 1953.
J.M. Navitimer site is not clear on this subject; he appears to regard the 1º Navitimer as the big rice grain version, I’ve e-mailed him asking this with no response.



Can forum members give me there opinions on the subject?

Regards




Raul,


unfortunately, I can give you only a general answer.


The smaller beads bezel was used occasionally, as was the Valjoux 72 movement. As far as I can tell; there was never a planned effort by Breitling to move in the long term to smaller beads, or for that matter Valjoux 72 movements, for Navitimers.

In those days production standards were not as tightly controlled as they are today and it happened occasionally that batches of watches used parts that differed from the previous and following batch.

I doubt that there was an intentional connection between the smaller beads bezel and the Valjoux 72 movement. The way I see it they were both used together by coincidence, when the usual parts were temporarily not available.


Likewise, it is difficult to find a definite answer by looking at surviving examples from that period as they would have seen several services or overhauls since delivery and have usually gone through the hands too many owners to be able to track their service history.