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Breitling 'Clamshell' Case Chronograph - 'Gilt'

Sale price$7,500.00 USD

Breitling has a long history of aviation inspired chronographs - and this present gilt dial example is no different. The near-perfect multi-scale dial has patinated to a unique two-tone coloring. The outer scale are presented in a lighter grey color, while the inner dial is a deep lustrous black which allows the gilt printing to really shine through. As if the dial wasn’t enough to stop you in your tracks here - this is also a clamshell cased chronograph. The clamshell case was a unique method of case construction that lasted from the late 1930s into the 1940s - and was used by several different brands. These are also sometimes called 'Spillman’ cases by collectors. One of the benefits of these contract cases was the watches tended to be a very good size - and 36mm for something of this era is quite large indeed! Powered by the venerable Venus 175 movement inside - this Breitling functions as well as it looks. The Venus movements were a favorite of Breitling throughout the 20th Century for their reliability and durability - two important hallmarks if you are relying on your watch in the cockpit of an airplane!

Stainless Steel 1940s Automatic 37mm
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From Rolex & Patek Philippe, to Cartier & Audemars Piguet. As collectors first, we love the small details that separate the Submariner from Daytona and Calatrava from Royal Oak. This is why you'll find our curated assortment spans decades of generations of models and brands. We believe that watches don't just tell time, they tell history - and life is too short to wear a boring watch.

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