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Breitling Navi slide rule outer ring and crystal question


hackR

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i am planning to take the crystal out of the handwind version of the Chrono-matic so i can get it ar'd...the slide rule outer ring looks to be pressed into the inside of the crystal...not really sure...i need to remove this ring and wanted to know if anyone knows how this is assembled - so i can disassemble...

06.jpg

i'm thinking the Navi and other breits with a slide rule bezel are built the same...so if you have ever assembled/disassembled a Navi, etc, please let me know...

thanks...R

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hey Stace... :drinks:

Toad alerted me to this piece -- Silix was selling this watch new on clearance for a whopping $130usd...comes with a lemania/venus/etc handwind movement that actually has working chronos on the right and working crown on the left...which, as you know, is unusual to have them on different sides...it is 42mm and is very well built...the slide rule aligns, too...the major flaw on this piece is the lack of date at 6...and, of course, no ar on the crystal...as you can see, the dial is really sharp, but definitely obscured with the glare that comes with non-ar crystals...

not a rep you see much and with little written about it...the gen was produced from 2006-2007 and discontinued in 2008....is a member of the Navitimer family...think it hit the rep market in 2007 - give or take...at the time, many collectors were turned off by the lack of the date window...

here's a quick pix of the gen...

chronomatic_01.jpg

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it is really good...especially for a rep...and at the price i paid, adding aftermarket double AR doesn't make this very pricey at all...and with double ar, you'd have to be a very knowledgeable Breitling expert to recall the lack of date...but who cares, anyhow - it looks pretty darn good and the movement is bulletproof...

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pm or email Silix...i think these are still out there...he had them in a couple dial colors, too...altho, the black is accurate, others fantasy...

kinda wears "thin" too...

and as for the lack of date at 6...geez...with the general busy-ness of the dial - classic Breitling "detail" - who would really notice, ya know?!...

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Hey R, hows it going? :thumbsupsmileyanim:

from what i recall of stripping rep Navi cases, is that once you press out the crystal, the slide rule just drops out of the bezel. Then there are the 3 screws which retain the bezel, which you will leave.

My bit of advice is, use a crystal press, not thumbs to do it, because when the crystal pops out, the SR goes with it, and you risk the glass scratching the SR - which is what happened to me; twice! :whistling:

Maybe secure the SR with some blu-tac while you press out the crystal.

On some cheap navi reps, the slide rule and bezel were one piece.

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hmmm...gotta check this out...i removed the movement and the outer slide rule ring was fitted inside the crystal...and, of course, the crystal is pressed into the bezel...i didn't think the ring was held by the crystal and bezel - i'll have to check that out...the crystal on this breitling rises slightly above the bezel edge...i actually thought the ring was pressed into the crystal...will explore this...

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You really need a good set of preferably Delrin dies for removal. The edge of the bezel is very narrow and you should have a die that is slightly larger than the crystal, but still small enough to capture the complete bezel.

Removal of the crystal is like any other, the big issue is the bezel and supporting it while the crystal is pressed out...

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hey R!...thanks...Happy New Year to you and J!...

is the slide rule ring pressed inside the crystal or is it actually kept in sandwiched between the crystal and bezel?...

R-

Happy New Year to you also.

I have seen a couple of variations, some are simply held in by the crystal, others have a notch to line them up, others are glued to the bezel, mostly the slide rule ring falls out when the crystal is removed.

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Hi there R. very nice piece.... If its anything like a Navi crystal removing it won't be a problem but re-installing it will be. It may have a plastic gasket holding it in place. Be very careful not to bend, stretch or damage this gasket in any way or you'll never re-install the crystal. If you know a rep friendly watch maker in your area go give it to him coz its not an easy job....

Btw who is doing your AR...? i've been waiting for another run from Chief but not happening yet.... or is it?

Cheers

P.

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