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Vintage Heuer Discussion Forum
The place for discussing 1930-1985 Heuer wristwatches, chronographs and dash-mounted timepieces. Online since May 2003. | |||||||
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This Breitling "Datora" from 1973 (141XXXX serial#) has a Valjoux 7734 movement in a 41mm case. The case style is slightly similar to the Heuer Autavia except polished instead of the Autavia's brushed top, has a less thick turning anodized bezel and the case is more shallow (probably because it is a manual movement). For some unusual reason, Breitling anodized just half of the bezel's overal circumference (or width) with the "MH" scale on these watches as well as a couple other model variations they made around the same timeframe. Probably hard to see that from my picture which was taken at dusk. However, the outer edge of the bezel is silver with the inner half a black MH scale. There is also a tachy scale on the outer edge of the dial. I bought this NOS in 2007 when Old World Jewelers still had several 1970's models left in their inventory from their auction buy in Zurich several years earlier.
Something I had never noticed before until taking this picture today is that the subdial "cutouts" are not perfectly aligned on the dial! The left subdial is closer to the dial's minute track than the right subdial is! As a result, the lume dot is more square on the right! Ah, the disadvantages of being able to blow up picture details once placed on my hard drive, lol. This watch is probably still too busy for your tastes Mark but I see a little bit of influence (on the dial) from this 1970's watch in the new Breitling chrono you illustrate. They also made a "Long Playing" model 815 circa 1974 with a panda 3 register dial, no bezel, that is even more similar to the new Breitling chrono, in a 38mm case (which I sadly don't own or have a good picture of).
: Although, as Eddie says, the dial is not as busy as some
: Breitlings, it still comes across a bit fussy to me. Internal
: and external bezels, castellated pusher housings, a crown with
: an end texture apparently modelled on a hand grenade...
: I just feel Breitling's designers have a heavy hand and rarely know
: when to leave well enough alone. Perhaps they are paid for piece
: work so every new line, number or texture is more cash!
: When they do get it right, it works well:
:
:
: But their design direction in general is really not for me. The
: titanium is cool though!
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