Premier 788 - Vintage Chronograph - Watch Only - ca. 1940's

Premier 788 - Vintage Chronograph - Watch Only (ca. 1940's)

An honest post-war Breitling Premier chronograph, worn openly and wearing its decades of life with grace. The three-register layout and Base 1000 tachymeter scale on a warmly aged silvered dial place this firmly in the era when the Premier line defined Breitling's more dressed-up, refined side.

Details:

• Reference: 788
• Year: ca. 1940's
• Case Size: 36mm, Stainless Steel
• Case: Two-piece stainless steel case with beveled lugs, pump-style chronograph pushers, and a plain screw-back marked "Waterproof / Antimagnetic / Stainless Steel"
• Dial: Silvered with warm age-appropriate patina, applied Arabic "12", baton indices, three sub-registers (30-minute counter at 12, 12-hour totalizer at 3, running seconds at 6), Base 1000 tachymeter scale, "Antichoc" marking on the dial
• Movement: Venus 178 caliber most likely, manual wind, column-wheel chronograph, 17 jewels, 18,000 vph, approximately 45-hour power reserve
• Crystal: Domed acrylic
• Strap: Aftermarket tan grained leather on a steel pin buckle

Set Includes:

• Watch only

Condition:

• Good condition, obvious signs of wear and age
• Silvered dial has aged evenly to a warm champagne tone
• Sub-registers, tachymeter track, and Breitling signature all clearly legible
• Domed acrylic crystal is clear and presentable
• Aftermarket leather strap fitted; no original box or papers

The Premier line was Breitling's dressed-up counterpoint to its later tool chronographs, and ref. 788 in three-register configuration on the column-wheel Venus 178 is one of the more sought-after vintage Breitlings from the immediate post-war decade.