How much???!!!
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Discussion

julian64

Original Poster:

14,317 posts

271 months

Tuesday 31st January 2023
quotequote all
what are the chances

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134428193906?hash=item1...

I only ask because I have a near identical watch which is currently with Breitling for a refurb, and I have been told to wait for a proposed bill. I also assume I won't see the watch for a year.

I'm refurbing for sentimental purposes, but it hurts less when the big bill comes, if it is actually worth this amount.

Mr_C

2,473 posts

246 months

Tuesday 31st January 2023
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It is lovely though. 1956 must be a very early one.

Badda

3,309 posts

99 months

Tuesday 31st January 2023
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Be careful what they replace then! Could cost you many times the refurb cost...

gregs656

11,823 posts

198 months

Tuesday 31st January 2023
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I think you'd need to find someone familiar with the specifics to value it. There seems to be a huge spread of asking prices which always makes me wonder how much speculation is going on.

The description on the one you linked to feels like they had it valued by a jeweler and have consistently got offers much lower than 10k, but they 'know' what they have so are holding out.

As above though, I would be careful about what Breitling plan to do.

Is yours for sure a 1956 one? Loads of 806s for sale for significantly less than this very early one.

Edited by gregs656 on Tuesday 31st January 16:11

julian64

Original Poster:

14,317 posts

271 months

Tuesday 31st January 2023
quotequote all
gregs656 said:
I think you'd need to find someone familiar with the specifics to value it. There seems to be a huge spread of asking prices which always makes me wonder how much speculation is going on.

The description on the one you linked to feels like they had it valued by a jeweler and have consistently got offers much lower than 10k, but they 'know' what they have so are holding out.

As above though, I would be careful about what Breitling plan to do.

Is yours for sure a 1956 one? Loads of 806s for sale for significantly less than this very early one.

Edited by gregs656 on Tuesday 31st January 16:11
Yep I was told Breitling will do nothing with it until they have okay'd i with me.
It was sent to them through a Breitling shop and assessed there as a working model

It needs a new spring and a good clean up.

Yex GTR

4,608 posts

237 months

Tuesday 31st January 2023
quotequote all
julian64 said:
Yep I was told Breitling will do nothing with it until they have okay'd i with me.
It was sent to them through a Breitling shop and assessed there as a working model

It needs a new spring and a good clean up.
Hopefully you can pop in and see the team before they do anything. Their service centre is in Tunbrige Wells (well just outside on a small estate) and well worth a visit. I dropped off my 2003 Blackbird there and collected it again about a month later a little while back. You aren't allowed into the actual workshop area but you can see the horologists working away through a window and the lady I met with explained what they had done to my watch very nicely and why certain things like timing checks and pressure tests take so long. thumbup

julian64

Original Poster:

14,317 posts

271 months

Tuesday 31st January 2023
quotequote all
Yex GTR said:
julian64 said:
Yep I was told Breitling will do nothing with it until they have okay'd i with me.
It was sent to them through a Breitling shop and assessed there as a working model

It needs a new spring and a good clean up.
Hopefully you can pop in and see the team before they do anything. Their service centre is in Tunbrige Wells (well just outside on a small estate) and well worth a visit. I dropped off my 2003 Blackbird there and collected it again about a month later a little while back. You aren't allowed into the actual workshop area but you can see the horologists working away through a window and the lady I met with explained what they had done to my watch very nicely and why certain things like timing checks and pressure tests take so long. thumbup
I was told that vintage watches all bypass TW and go to Switzerland, hence the massive wait.

Yex GTR

4,608 posts

237 months

Tuesday 31st January 2023
quotequote all
julian64 said:
Yex GTR said:
julian64 said:
Yep I was told Breitling will do nothing with it until they have okay'd i with me.
It was sent to them through a Breitling shop and assessed there as a working model

It needs a new spring and a good clean up.
Hopefully you can pop in and see the team before they do anything. Their service centre is in Tunbrige Wells (well just outside on a small estate) and well worth a visit. I dropped off my 2003 Blackbird there and collected it again about a month later a little while back. You aren't allowed into the actual workshop area but you can see the horologists working away through a window and the lady I met with explained what they had done to my watch very nicely and why certain things like timing checks and pressure tests take so long. thumbup
I was told that vintage watches all bypass TW and go to Switzerland, hence the massive wait.
Well if true you can bet that someone with the right experience and knowledge will be tasked with the job thumbup

GCH

4,120 posts

219 months

Tuesday 31st January 2023
quotequote all
The ebay one doesn't look particularly tropical (aka brown) ...it's just aged lume on a still black dial. Not that I've ever understood the fascination with 'tropical' or 'spider' dials et al.... to me the correct word is 'fu**ed'.
Anyway, shame there isn't a movement photo, but it appears to be an average condition 56/57 806 with a v178 movement and with a correct 120 bezel, but it's certainly not an early 54 pre 806 or early 806 with a V72 movement, 125 beads and a AOPA logo which is worth the most of all the models. There are all sorts of micro variations with these, and they aren't exactly rare either. It's a bit optimistically priced.

I had one for a while and they wear very well.

julian64 said:
I was told Breitling will do nothing with it until they have okay'd i with me.
It was sent to them through a Breitling shop and assessed there as a working model

It needs a new spring and a good clean up.
Make sure that is all they do. Do not let them touch the dial, lume, replace the hands, polish the case, or replace the pushers/crown. Seriously. Breitling do a better job than, say, rolex, with overhauls but you will destroy any originality, value, and heritage by doing so.
Last 60s Breitling I sent them, they wouldn't service the movement without a full overhaul, which I declined.

gregs656

11,823 posts

198 months

Friday 3rd February 2023
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Had an email saying this has been reduced to 6k.