Ubik
1871
More questions than answers
This watch poses a lot of questions in my mind. I'm a bit pushed today but I can give you some quick thoughts.
The Venus 178 was Breitling's workhourse movement (Navitimer, etc), comparable to the Valjoux 72 and the Omega 321, it was primarily used by Breitling
throughout the Fifties and Sixties. It is rare for other manufacturers to use it and the examples I've seen tend to be from the Forties (Benrus Sky Chief)
and from the end of the Sixties (Universal Aero compax), I've seen it appear in LIP branded watches, but they are very rare.
What's interesting is that the Bridge is signed exactly like a Sixties Breitling, but with the word Clebar.
Photo credit www.Navitimer.net t
The Fifties Breitling's were signed differently. This is my Navitimer from 1957.
Also notice that the regulator is different in the earlier movements. I'd have to do some more research but I'm guessing that the movement your showing is a later one, probably mid to late Sixties.
The other thing is that you don't seem to have an import code on the movement. This is the mark that would have identified the manufacturer as the watch came into the US. All movements would have had this from about the Forties until (I Ithink) somewhere in the mid-Sixties. Again this points to a late Sixties movement. Of course it could be that the watch was not brought into the US, but I'm guessing that all of this points to the movement being from the late Sixties.
Interestingly the import code for Zodiac and Clebar is the same -- KXF.
www.ranfft.de
As Jeff Stein has pointed out the case style would appear to be from a Fifties or Forties style of watch, the flat pushers were mostly phased out by the Sixties from most manufacturers, while the dial style, with the dished subdials seems very similar to the Breitling TopTime models of the Sixties.
Like I said this poses more questions than it answers, and I would need more time to be sure of my facts, but hopefully this has given you some leads for further research.
If you know a good watchmaker, it might be worth getting the dial off and having a look at the underside.
Zodiac Chronograph - Venus 178
Hi I purchased this Zodiac Chronograph today. The movement is a Venus 178 and it is probaly from the second half of the sixties. I wouldt appreciate if any one know's something about the watch Best Thomas This message has been edited by tdn.dk on 2011-01-...
in that case, looking at...
in that case, looking at the fact that the case and movement are marked 'clebar' is it possible that the dial is not original and a clebar dial has been replaced with a zodiac dial ?? just a thought Graham
It should be ok
I have found one for sale with Zodiac on the dial and the Clebar on the movement and i the forum http://www.vintagezodiacs.com they have said okay for it is original. In the start of the sixties it was sold under the name Clebar and in the mid sixties Cle...
Heuer Manufactured for Zodiac and Clebar
Heuer manufactured watches for both the Zodiac and Clebar brands during the 1960s. Many of these "Poor Man's Heuers" used the Valjoux 72 and 92 movements. Have a look here to see some of these Zodiacs and Clebars -- http://www.onthedash.com/poormans.shtml...
More questions than answers
This watch poses a lot of questions in my mind. I'm a bit pushed today but I can give you some quick thoughts. The Venus 178 was Breitling's workhourse movement (Navitimer, etc), comparable to the Valjoux 72 and the Omega 321, it was primarily used by Bre...
That is....
...a brilliant post, Ubik. Thanks. Superb info. Is this the movement Breitling used in the Cadette? Or am I completely off?
Venus movements
BDLJ, Breitling used mostly Venus movements from the Forties through to the end of the Sixties for the basic chronographs. Then they used Valjoux and their automatic chronograph caliber Cal 11/12, etc into the Seventies. The Venus 178 was a three register...
Thanks.....
Thanks to all of you. I have got the late sixties confirmed in a Breitling forum where there were some Venus 178 eksperts who dated it to 1967. Now with leatherband (keeps the original band of course) Best Thomas This message has been edited by tdn.dk on ...
