The Breitling Co-Pilot reference 765 AVI is the pilot's watch par excellence. It became part of the French army history around 1953, when the Breitling 765 was in competition with the Breguet Type 20 for the French Air Force equipment contract. Finally, the contract went in favour of Breguet who produced the Type 20s as it had the Flyback feature.
This well-preserved icon has a 40mm stainless steel case, featuring a graduated bi-directional hour bezel. Powered by the Venus 178, which is a very high-quality column wheel caliber and was in direct competition with the Valjoux 72. The black dial is reminiscent of most military watches of the time and its 15 minute sub-dial, was used by pilots to measure the duration of their pre-flight checks, which should not exceed 15 minutes before the aircraft was due to take off.
Brand | Breitling |
---|---|
Model | Co-Pilot |
Reference | 765 AVI |
Year of production | Circa 1953 |
Material | Steel |
Movement | Manual wind chronograph |
Diameter | 40 mm |
Caliber | Venus 178 |
Frequency | 18'000 Bpm |
Ruby | 17 |
Power reserve | 45h |
Glass | Hesalite |
Bracelet | Leather |
Waterproofing | 0.5 ATM |
Accessories | None |
Warranty | 6 months |