Breitling. A Large Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch with Black Dial

The Breitling 765 AVI was introduced in 1953 as a chronograph for pilots. This reference pre-dates other legendary chronographs for pilots such as the Breguet Type XX.

The black dial with its large Arabic luminous numerals were designed for increased legibility, with three large subsidiary dials. Usually the counters for a chronograph measure 12 hours, 30 minutes and 60 seconds, however, here Breitling has modified the 30-minute counter of the Venus 178 chronograph movement to count 15 minutes. This change was made because 15 minutes was the duration of a plane's pre-flight check to clear for take-off. One will also notice the thick luminous dashes on this minute register, which mark every 3 minutes for increased accuracy during that pre-flight check.

The present watch dates to circa 1961 based on its serial number. It is preserved in outstanding and unpolished condition, with all original lume in the hands and on the dial. The rotating steel bezel is slightly newer than the watch.

We would like to thank WatchFred and Rene Kesting for their assistance researching this lot.