1969 Breitling Top Time 814 'Exotic'
Rare & sporty
$3150.00$2950.00
To complement the ever-successful Navitimer—worn by the likes of musician Miles Davis and F1 driver Graham Hill—Willy Breitling developed a sportier, more contemporary collection. Breaking with traditional design codes, he tailored these new models to the dynamic lifestyle of a younger generation. In 1964, Breitling introduced the new Top Time as an affordable chronograph with simple yet elegant lines and exceptional quality and precision—the perfect watch for fashion-conscious young men and women living active lives. The name of this new collection—Top Time—was deliberately kept short, catchy, and English to underline the modern design of the collection and the energy of the time.
The Breitling Top-Time 814 was introduced in 1967 and was only made until roughly 1970. It was assembled utilizing the square “cushion” case and came with 3 dial designs. The one we see here is the white dial version which is the most sought of the “exotic” dials. It’s a wonderful study in high contrast, details & functionality. Breitling chose to introduce orange in places such as the chronograph hands and the sub-register dials. These colours really “pop” and the watch looks super sporty on the wrist.
The Breitling Top-Time contains the Venus 178 that is one of those classic, triple register, hand-winding, column wheel movements that collectors love. It easily stands up to other classics of the period such as the Valjoux 72, Lemania 321 and Excelsior Park 40 with its 17 jewel, 18,000 bph specs.
For us, this a rarer and more beautiful companion to the Heuer Camaro, but at a much lower price point. Super-cool, swinging 60's inspired design for the wrist.
Condition:
Overall the watch is very good condition for its 50 years age.
The dial has no visible imperfections; the orange accents remain vibrant. The tritium lume is original and has darkened over time.
The case has been professionally restored with it’s correct combination of brushed and polished services. The pushers have some pitting on the surface as does the area underneath the lugs as the rear of the watch (not visible when the strap is attached).
The engravings on the caseback are clear and legible.
The movement has been fully serviced by our watchmaker. Crown action is smooth and chrono buttons have crisp action. It is running strongly & accurately for its age +7 sec with amplitude of 272. (Note: Service Receipt can be provided).
Specifications:
DIAL: White tritium panda dial, baton tritium hands
CASE: Stainless steel watch case with screw-in caseback, serial: 12740XX
CRYSTAL: Acrylic
DIAMETER: 38mm, Lug-width 21mm
MOVEMENT: High grade, manual wind Breitling movement, cal. Venus 178
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