Breitling Navitimer

[Simon813]

I am thinking about getting a Breitling Navitmer. Probably a pre-owned but unused example from a local jewellers called Ian Blowers (put name in Google to see website).

My question is; what might it be worth in a years time, if I use it fairly regularly?

Also I am open to suggestions of what other watches I could get for similar money (approx £2k)

Thanks

Simon

Edited by Simon813 on Friday 11th April 20:12

Edited by Simon813 on Friday 11th April 20:13

[Homicidal maniac]

About half of what you paid, Navitimers don't hold their value very well I'm afraid

[tertius]

Simon813 said:

Also I am open to suggestions of what other watches I could get for similar money (approx £2k)

Absolutely flippin' hundreds ...

As a starter for 10 - each and every individual watch here was considerably less than £2k ...

If you like the Navitimer style look at Ollech & Wajs who bought the bankrupt stock of the original Breitling company and still make new old stock Navitimers or Sinn who had some involvement (can't quite remember what) and make a very similar watch.

This is such a personal thing, but with £2K I would be:
a) looking used, but wanting original box and papers - far better value for money;
b) looking for an in-house movement (Breitling use re-worked ETAs), but then I'm a movement snob;
c) look for a watch from one of the great houses: Jaeger LeCoultre, Girard-Perregaux, Zenith and so on
d) look for something slightly unusual or rare

I keep suggesting it (and I haven't found one myself yet, so don't you all go buying them up) but how about a Zenith Class Sport:

Either black face:



or silver:

[lowdrag]

Tertius gives sound advice, as always. If you are looking at an expensive watch then consider it like any other piece of jewellery and accept that you are going to lose a fortune unless in 50 years time the one you bought suddenly become the in thing. Either that or buy 2nd hand - there are loads of Navitimers out there with boxes and papers. From a reliability point of view I've had mine 10 years and it's never let me down, never been serviced, is now worn rarely but still keeps good time when I dig it out so no worries on that front. Incidentally, if you take the time and trouble to read the paperwork and learn how to use it the slide rule is amazingly useful for all kinds of calculations.

[Simon813]

Thanks guys.
Tertius, You have some great looking watches there (I say great looking because I don't really know much about them!). You have definately given me something to think about.

I'm going into the jewellers today to try on a Navitimer for the first time and see how it looks. I won't be buying today.

Any more advice greatfully received.

Simon

[tertius]

Simon813 said:

Thanks guys.
Tertius, You have some great looking watches there (I say great looking because I don't really know much about them!). You have definately given me something to think about.

I'm going into the jewellers today to try on a Navitimer for the first time and see how it looks. I won't be buying today.

Any more advice greatfully received.

Simon

Cheers!

Well if any particularly take your eye then I'm happy to try to provide some more info about it.

[andy tims]

As above, Tertius's advice is sound.

£2,000 (or just a tad over) would also get you a really nice, pre-owned Rolex Sea Dweller or Submariner & they would loose very little (if anything) in value provided you got the original boxes / papers with it.

Completely different style to the Navitimer though - more classically understated if you catch my drift.

Edited by andy tims on Saturday 12th April 16:42

[Chainguy]

Tertius, thank you for that pic of the Zenith black face. That piece is utterly stunning. I'm off now to scour the 'net to find out more about them!

[Simon813]

Well, I went to the jewellers and tried on the Navitimer. Got to say I really like the look of it. I have very thin wrists so I was worried it would look to big but it was fine.

They had a Zenith that looked identical to the one above aswell!

Linky-
http://www.blowers-jewellers.co.uk/images2/watch_i...

Si

[tertius]

Simon813 said:

Well, I went to the jewellers and tried on the Navitimer. Got to say I really like the look of it. I have very thin wrists so I was worried it would look to big but it was fine.

They had a Zenith that looked identical to the one above aswell!

Linky-
http://www.blowers-jewellers.co.uk/images2/watch_i...

Si

Same model with the hand wound version of the El Primero movement.

[lowdrag]

I have an iWC Spitfire chrono now since I found the Breitling a bit bling for my taste as I age, but if I was starting from scratch now, given the enormous help and advice I have found here, I think you should also look at Sinn (cheaper and beautifully built) or even, to put a toe in the water and see if you actually like what you are wearing, Astroavia (http://www.wernersflyingwatches.com/default2.asp). The latter is a very cheap copy but for the money is very good value and a good starting point to put you toe in the water. After all, if you don't like it someone here will give you £50 to take it off you and it is a lesson well learned! I think that, while I love my IWC, I would also like to own both a Sinn and and Astroavia and perhaps, just perhaps, if I had started in reverse, would I have actually spent nearly £3,000 on a more expensive watch? I don't know, but it is thanks to this site that I have learned so much about watches and other makes I had never thought of.

[Popeyed]

For £2K you can get a new Navitimer, I brought a Navitimer Montbrillant for less than that tax free at Heathrow last year, they have a slightly smaller face at 38.5mm as opposed to the normal Navitimer at 41mm, and as I'm not a massive guy I went for the smaller face and I think its great. The normal Navitimer is huge and if you have a small wrist it may look somewhat out of place.

[boxster9]

what kind of discount can you expect at heathrow on top of the 17.5% VAT discount?

[Popeyed]

boxster9 said:

what kind of discount can you expect at heathrow on top of the 17.5% VAT discount?

My dicount was purely a VAT discount, normally it retailed at £2230. So if you can get away with it, go for it.

[ashnaylor]

I have a lovely Breitling Navitimer that I am looking to sell, it is just approaching 1 year old and is in great condition. I have all the box and papers and it was bought in the UK. It is the black face version which is in the John Travolta adverts, model A23322 and I have the black leather strap which it came on, along with the stainless steel Navitimer bracelet which I bought for it about 4 months ago. Anyone interested in buying for £2k??? Shop retail is £3300 on the metal bracelet.