Breitling - The Geneva Watch Auction: XII Geneva Saturday, November 7, 2020 | Phillips

Create your first list.

Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

  • Manufacturer: Breitling
    Year: Circa 1966
    Reference No: 765CP
    Case No: 1'084'055
    Model Name: Co-Pilot
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 178, 17 jewels, stamped "WOG"
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather strap
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle
    Dimensions: 42mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Breitling Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in July 1966

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Breitling 765 Co-Pilot was created, unsurprisingly, for airplane pilots. Thus, the presence of an oversized 15-minute counter at 3 o’clock and twelve hour rotating bezel, useful for navigational calculations. The Co-Pilot replaced an earlier reference 765 "Digital" that featured a digital minutes counter at 3 o’clock and incorporated an oversized minute counter fitted with large luminous indicators at each three minute increment. Legibility in low light conditions and accuracy were paramount in the creation of this Co-Pilot, and it was eventually even adopted for military use.

    Intriguingly, the 765 Co-Pilot boasts not just one, but two strong celebrity endorsements: Jean-Claude Killy, the famous Swiss alpine ski racer, and Raquel Welch, the prominent mid-century actress and sex symbol who wore a 765 Co-Pilot with steel bezel in the James Bond spoof movie, Fathom (1967). While Killy’s name is usually associated with a different wristwatch, it is the Breitling 765 Co-Pilot that was photographed on Killy’s wrist after he won all three gold medals in alpine skiing at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France.

    The present 765 Co-Pilot shares the same movement as the more well-known Navitimer, the Venus 178. Already impressing the beholder with strong case proportions and flawless bezel, the dial of this specimen is simply breathtaking, fully original and without virtually any blemish, save for a very subtle patina - telltale sign of its fully unmolested condition.

  • Artist Biography

    Breitling

    Swiss • 1884

    The firm started by Leon Breitling in 1884 is best known for its technical aviation and oceanic watches. Today, all models are outfitted with certified chronometer movements, used for accurate timing. Early aviation pioneers in specialized chronograph timepieces, Breitling introduced the circular slide rule to watches in the 1940s for use by pilots. The firm’s most iconic chronograph, the Navitimer, was introduced in 1954 and continues to be manufactured today. Another key model is the Duograph, a split-seconds chronograph that was Breitling's most prestigious wristwatch during the 1940s through '60s. Their watches are built on their reputation for precision and sturdiness.

    View More Works

51

Ref. 765CP
A very attractive, rare and large stainless steel chronograph wristwatch black dial and oversized 15-minutes register

Circa 1966
42mm Diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
CHF8,000 - 12,000 
€7,400-11,100
$8,700-13,100

Sold for CHF12,600

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East

41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XII

Geneva Auction 6 - 7 November 2020