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Breitling for Bentley - Flying B No. 1 - Photos from this morning


seriph

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Hi folks

Just got around to taking some pics of the new baby and thought to share them - bought a cheap version of this watch first and liked it so much that I eventually upgraded to the 1:1. The difference in cost was substantial, but so is my satisfaction and (within reason of course) isn't that what it's all about?

I had already bought a box for it ,but received a Navitimer - Fighter's edition box by mistake. So I am on the lookout for a Fighters now of course! :D

I also bought a catalogue that was meant to feature this watch but didn't - oh well ... can't have everything.

Bought another box - a nice B4B with outer case, from the US. Needed some small repairs and a refurbishment of the outer case - all done within an hour of receipt

Bought a further catalogue, this time with pictorial confirmation of the contents prior to payment - worked out well and included price lists.

Additional purchases included: Brown Bakelite box and hang/swing tags used to price the watches. (didn't use the tags in these pics)

... just to be clear, I have no idea how accurate this watch is to the original, but I have held them side by side (except the gen had a brown dial) and couldn't tell them apart. This is not a technical review - just a member excited about his new rep.

:D :D :D

Enjoy!

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B4BFB1-7.jpg

B4BFB1-14.jpg

B4BFB1-6.jpg

Edited by seriph
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Hey folks - thanks very much for the positive comments .... to whoever asked privately the RRP in the catalogue is a shade under 9000GBP. I stress that I AM NO PHOTOGRAPHER! Just a bloke with a camera .... albeit a good camera and professional Photoshop skills, though I didn't do that much work on these shits, just spent a fair amount of time setting each one up - they were all taken in natural light in our back yard. Camera is an Olympus DSLR and I used it with a UV shroud because the sun was so bright. (Aussie summer sun is brutal)

I bought mine through timeshops .... cost was under $400US as I did their buy 5 and get discount thing. (NOT 5 of these of course!) - no box no papers etc. just bare watch, but as you all see I had bought all the other things to go with this .... it is just how I like to do things and after seeing one of the rep boxes (not Breitling) didn't trust the quality. For what it's worth, these are on the various Trusted sites for up to $600 but they seem to average around $500 so I was happy to get this one for what I did.

The whole process took several months of searching and researching but for me it was worthwhile because the watch and associated items will stay with me for life, for personal reasons.

BTW this watch is the Blue Dialled version, but the pics never seem to show that aspect correctly. AR may have something to do with that.

The black dial version would be very close too I imagine if only for the reason that black should be fairly easy to replicate.

Both the brown and white faced gens I have seen were knockouts.

This is a large watch by the way and at first it put me off when I tried the gen (white dial) at the AD - but after wearing it for 10 minutes or so, it felt a lot more comfortable and sat nicely under the shirt I was wearing.

The Flying B, being a homage to the Art Deco period really works for me too.

As far as accuracy goes, you will have to make your own minds up - I never saw a blue or black dial before buying. If I saw the gen next to this in precisely the same configuration, maybe I would be able to find other issues, but the truth is that this is a rare version OF a rare watch to begin with so the chance of even seeing a blue faced one is remote, certainly in Australia where there's none in stock anywhere - I called around.

Finally, as these were released in '07 they are getting long in the tooth, so who knows how long they'll be available for? The rep world is an unfathomable conundrum to me in that respect.

Hope all this waffle helps.

Edited by seriph
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I'm pretty sure Dave123 had the gen of this, he would be the best to critique it!!

Have fancied one of these for a good few years now, just never taken the plunge as yet! Maybe when the money situ gets better, IF!! lol

Very nice pick up, wear it in good health mate!!

Sixx :bones:

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I was so excited after reading your post that I went out today and tried on a gen FlyingB! It was black dial and black leather strap. I loved it, but I have to admit - strangely enough I am more excited about the idea of getting this rep! Weird. I usually dream of the gen, but now that I have seen and touched the gen I am dreaming of the rep!!!!!! Money is a bit tight now but my next splurge may well be the FlyingB - then a Hublot V6 and a Franck Muller Casablanca in that order.

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I'm pretty sure Dave123 had the gen of this, he would be the best to critique it!!

Have fancied one of these for a good few years now, just never taken the plunge as yet! Maybe when the money situ gets better, IF!! lol

Very nice pick up, wear it in good health mate!!

Sixx :bones:

No sir,gen Bentley GMT but not one of these.

Had a brown dial rep though,good rep for sure if you like that style of watch (dont think its very popular). Enjoy. :)

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"As with other Bentley models, the datewheel is a little too red though."

"

I can just see some Chinese watchmaker screaming "bloody Quai Lo .... you never happy!"

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Pretty sure that these are very accurate on the whole.

As with other Bentley models, the datewheel is a little too red though.

Agreed !! They go through all the other steps and make it as close to the gen as it should but then they cant use a darker color for the date font ???? :g:

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"As with other Bentley models, the datewheel is a little too red though."

"

I can just see some Chinese watchmaker screaming "bloody Quai Lo .... you never happy!"

I have seen FM rep with similar big date , a7750 movement, with dark red( or black) date color, so they can do right thing but probably no more new 6.75`s or Flying B`s.... so I am sure that no new datewheels for these in future. They will use old stock parts and then end of story-end of these reps with "Big date".

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I just saw Breitling´s site and the photos of the FlyingB do not seem to be different from this watch with regards to color of the date wheel. Maybe I am a little color blind LOL.

Also PERFECTCLONES says their FlyingB has a marron date wheel. Am I being too optimistic? I do plan to buy one as soon as I can get over the strain of Xmas spending. I hope they are still in stock.

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I just saw Breitling´s site and the photos of the FlyingB do not seem to be different from this watch with regards to color of the date wheel. Maybe I am a little color blind LOL.

Also PERFECTCLONES says their FlyingB has a marron date wheel. Am I being too optimistic? I do plan to buy one as soon as I can get over the strain of Xmas spending. I hope they are still in stock.

... GEN color is more darker, rep sub dial`s text is thinner, rep case is slightly different, movement is not like gen has, rest is ok. Good rep, a little over priced IMHO but still good and nice rep.

ps) Marron date.... at first this red was "very" red, updated color is more darker red bu still not dark enough.

orig_26136791_CQUv.jpg

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