1969 Breitling Chrono-Matic Ref. 7661 “Yachting”

In 1969 Breitling started with their ‘big case’ Chrono-Matic series driven by a cal. Breitling 11 movement (that was developed together with Heuer, Hamilton-Büren and Dubois-Dépraz), one of the first automatic chronograph movements with a date window at 6 o’clock and the crown at 9 o’clock.

Collectible & rare, the Chrono-Matic was introduced in 1969 specifically for yachting. The ref 7661 is a rare execution and features a black dial with painted luminous baton indexes, subsidiary 15-minute counter and 6- hour register dials, and the distinctive inner bezel for the 5-minute countdown.  Its other distinctive feature is having on subdial slightly larger than the other. The serial number dates it to September 1969 so this marks it as one of the earlier production batches for the "jumbo case" Breitling. 

 This is a one owner watch, previously owned by a Yachtswoman who lived in the Caribbean.

Condition

The movement has been checked by our watchmaker. It is working strongly for its age with an amplitude of 265o and only losing 8 seconds per day. The chronograph starts, stops and resets crisply and the bezel turns freely.

The dial is in lovely condition for its age. The only flaws are some minor blemishes in each subdial (not really noticeable when worn on the wrist).  The lume on the dial and hands is matching and original and has developed a nice even patina.

The case back has some scratches from normal usage (clearly seen in the photos provided) and is unpolished.  The engravings and serial numbers are still clearly visible.

• Year: 1969

• Case No: 131xxxx

• Material: Stainless steel

• Dimensions: 47mm diameter; 14mm thickness

• Crystal: Plexiglass

• Lume: Tritium

• Caliber: Self-winding caliber 12 automatic movement

• Lug Width: 22mm

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR BUYERS:
1. For shipping purpose: we will mark lower values at the Buyer’s request. We ship with discrete packaging.
2. We use DHL Express for international shipping. Shipping to most destinations is normally 2-3 days.
3. Preferred payment method is via bank transfer/wire.