Breitling – Serial numbers for age determination

One of the largest and most popular luxury watch brands is Breitling. In this article, we would like to provide you with a summary of the serial numbers from 1944 to 1978 and introduce you to the special features of the development.

The Swiss Léon Breitling founded the company in 1884 in Saint-Imier, laying the foundation for a watch brand that would gain worldwide recognition. This Swiss watch brand includes numerous models characterized by different functions and designs of the watch case and the Dial. Among the best-known models are Chronomat, Cockpit and Navitimer. These are particularly interesting and desirable for collectors.

Breitling has stood for the manufacture of high-quality and luxurious wristwatches for 131 years. The luxury watches follow a recurring style, and the numerous models are designed for very different occasions. Breitling watches have been in the air, on and in the water, and even in space. For example, astronaut Scott Carpenter wore a Breitling Cosmonaute on his flight around the Earth in May 1962. With the 24-hour display on the Dial, the astronaut could determine when it was day and night during his flight.

A Piece of Breitling Development History

The development of the Chronographs function was a central focus for Breitling since around 1915. 1923 the function was perfected with the first independent chronograph pusher. Eleven years later, the second independent pusher (reset to zero) followed. This ease of operation became established and is now the standard for Chronographs.

Breitling

Colt

Breitling Colt steel quartz men's watch A74380 [2604028] Sale price€1.650

Breitling

Premier

Breitling Premier chronograph steel automatic men's watch AB0118A11L1A1 LP: 9550EUR [2604437] Sale price€4.350

Breitling

Navitimer 01

Breitling Navitimer 01 chronograph steel automatic men's watch AB0138241C1P1 LP: 9500EUR [2606771] Sale price€6.250

Breitling

Navitimer GMT

Breitling Navitimer GMT steel automatic men's watch A24322121B2A1 [2605826] Sale price€4.250

Breitling

Navitimer

Breitling Navitimer chronograph steel automatic men's watch A23322 LP: 7450EUR [2606392] Sale price€3.850

Breitling

Avenger

Breitling Avenger steel automatic men's watch A32395101C1A1 [2603139] Sale price€2.650

Breitling

Colt Chronograph II

Breitling Colt Chronograph II chronograph steel quartz men's watch A73387 [2601728] Sale price€2.150

Breitling

Endurance Pro

Breitling Endurance Pro chronograph breitlight quartz men's watch X82310D91B1S1 LP: 3650EUR [2605003] Sale price€2.050

1952 the Breitling Navitimer was launched. With the complex bezel, fuel consumption, speed, climb and descent could be calculated for the first time. The first Dive Watch of the Breitling brand was introduced in 1958 . The Superocean was initially waterproof up to 200m. In 2002 the development had progressed so far that the wristwatch with the successor model Seawolf withstood water pressure even up to 3,000m.

In 1995 the multifunctional chronograph was further developed. The Breitling Emergency introduced that year had an emergency transmitter with which a locatable signal could be sent for rescue in climbing accidents or similar situations. With this development step, the combination of high-quality mechanical watches and the functions of quartz technology was achieved.

Breitling Serial Numbers at a Glance:

Determining the production year of Breitling watches is highly interesting for collectors. With this knowledge, the age and thus the value of a watch can be determined. In the following table, you will find a list of serial numbers from 1944 to 1978. The list includes serial numbers of Breitling watches with and without Chronographs function.