Alfihar's latest post offers a poignant reflection on the evolution of watch collecting, from the early, often challenging, days of online forums to the collaborative scholarship that defines today's community. He masterfully illustrates how shared passion and deep dives into specific references, like the Breguet Type XX, forge lasting friendships and contribute significantly to horological knowledge. This piece not only celebrates a personal journey but also underscores the enduring value of collective expertise in uncovering the hidden stories of vintage timepieces.
When I first became passionate about watches, I knew next to nothing about them.
Back then, there was far less literature on watches than there is today.
It was a pioneering era when, to learn more about a watch, you had to post a photo of it, ask a question on a watch forum, andā¦ wait for someone who knew moreāor claimed to know moreāto deign to answer youā¦
Sometimes it was great, and it led to intense and enriching exchanges, exciting and enlightening debates over ideas and hypotheses.
Sometimes because the right words hadnāt been used, or because the question had already been askedā¦ this would trigger reactions that Iāve always found curious: weād get torn apart, humiliated, and ridiculed
It must be said that on certain forums, particularly French-language ones, there was a certain air of elitismā¦ in a way, you had to be part of the āin-the-knowā crowd if you didnāt want to get flamed.
It was around that time that I met Jean-FranƧois online (known as Jeff33 on other forums and using a different username hereā¦).
A true enthusiast among enthusiasts, always ready to help and exceptionally kind.
When we turned to the memories of older generations of enthusiasts for our study on the Breguet Type XX marine nationale aƩronautique navale, Jean-FranƧois was one of the first to respond and contribute to the research.
After interacting online for years on watch forums, we finally got together to discuss about the famous Breguet Marine Nationale.
This week, after decades of chatting on forums, we met up in Bordeaux at his watchmakerās (Brian - GMT Bordeaux), who also services some of my watches. Also present was Ben, a longtime forum member and the co-founder of Roosterwatches.
After a pleasant lunch, we met up at GMT Bordeaux for a busy afternoon exploring the pieces everyone had brought and discussing watches.
Among all the superb pieces that Jean-FranƧois still owns, in addition to a magnificent Mathey Tissot Type XXā¦ there was an equally superb Breguet Type XX, whose case back is unfortunately erasedā¦
Next to mineā¦ itās hard to see a differenceā¦ thus to make sure you donāt pick up the wrong watch, you need to look at the detailsā¦
Admittedly, Jean-FranƧoisās watch no longer has its pear-shaped crownā¦ like 70% of the French Naval Aviation Type XX watchesā¦
Admittedly, his watch has a civilian-style graduated bezelā¦. But it must be said that at the time, these modifications were so common that some forum members claimed (wrongly) back then that the model supplied to the naval aviation had a graduated bezel (probably because the watch they owned had oneā¦ theyāll know who they are).
But the dialā¦ what a fā¦. dial: a hooked ā7,ā an uncut ā10,ā and ā2ā and ā4ā that are less cut than on dials with a straight ā7āā¦ the hallmarks of a Breguet Marine Nationale Aeronautique Navale are all thereā¦. And the patinaā¦ so close to the one I was lucky enough to findā¦ to the point of mistaking one watch for the otherā¦
The same goes for the hands: the hour and minute hands appear to be entirely consistent with the model delivered in January 1960, with their characteristic sword-shaped design. The sage-leaf hand on the sub-dial at 3 oāclock is also presentā¦ admittedly, the hand on the sub-dial at 9 oāclock and the chronograph hand are civilian handsā¦ but these replacements are common on the naval aviation Breguet type XXā¦ here too, some knowledgeable people said at the time on forums that these were the correct handsā¦
So I decided to take it a step further and open the erased case backā¦
The anti-magnetic cover is presentā¦ another indication that it could be a French Navy watchā¦
The Incabloc shock protection is there, as is the Breguet balance springā¦ So this is not an early model with a hooked ā7ā on the dialā¦ since those models do not have these featuresā¦ This is yet another factor pointing to the presence of the iconic Aeronalavle modelā¦
Everything pointed in the same directionā¦ the body of evidence was growingā¦ though nothing was certainā¦
All that remained was to check for any Ā«Ā RhabillageĀ Ā» numbers inside the caseback (Those famous numbers that Amanico mentioned in his post about the visit of the Breguet museum and our working meeting with Emmanuel)ā¦ sometimes there arenāt any, but in this caseā¦ there was indeed one, and it matched those typically found on military Breguet watchesā¦
Of course, we still need to find the same number(s) in the Breguet Military Register to turn near certainty into absolute certaintyā¦ but my feeling is that there is a very high probability that Jean-Francoisās watch is a new entry to add to our censusā¦
Life is beautiful after allā¦ True to form, Jean FranƧois was always there to help enthusiasts on the forums and was one of the first to lend a hand when we embarked on the project to study the Breguet Type XX for the French Navy with Amanicoā¦
Without realizing itā¦ our friendly meeting and our conversation about our respective watches likely led us to discover a new exampleā¦
I was happy to have stumbled upon a potential new example to add to our census.
Jean FranƧois couldnāt believe it and was even moved by this discoveryā¦
Throughout my life, passion has always been what drives me, because it has this unique ability to create magical momentsāand this was definitely one of themā¦
Having a great time with other enthusiasts and stumbling upon what might be a rare specimenā¦ is cool, isnāt it ?
Stay tunedā¦ more photos are coming, andā¦ weāll see how the Registre Breguet turns outā¦
Best Ć
