Sell your Navitimer · South Florida · by appointment
Sell your Navitimer to a dealer who reads the movement before the bezel.
Seventy years of Navitimers share one dial and hide five movement eras. A hand-wound 806, a Valjoux-based A23322, and a B01 Navitimer 01 are three different sales. Send the dial, the case back, and the papers. I reply within 1 business day with a number and the generation behind it.
- 806, Chronomatic, Old Navitimer, Valjoux-based, B01, and the 2022 redesign
- 41, 43, and 46 mm priced on their own markets, not by size
- Vintage hand-wound pieces quoted in person, in your county
Who this page is for
Which Navitimer you have is the first thing that sets the offer.
This page is for the Navitimer owner who knows the name on the dial and is not sure what is inside. Many were bought as the pilot's watch and worn for years. Some came from a father who flew. Some are recent, with the B01 and both cards, and the owner wants to move toward a Rolex or a Speedmaster.
The slide rule looks the same from 1952 to today. The movement does not. Hand-wound Venus and Valjoux calibres, the 1969 Chronomatic, the 7750-based calibres of the 1990s and 2000s, the in-house B01 from 2009, and the 2022 redesign each trade in their own market. Size, bracelet, and the chronometer paper move the number from there.
Below I separate those eras, the slide-rule ring, and the bracelets. B01 against supplied movements in general, COSC paper in general, and polishing in general stay on the Breitling page.
Selling a Navitimer to me
What changes when the dealer names the era before the number.
The era is named first
I tell you whether yours is an 806, an Old Navitimer, a 7750-based reference, a Navitimer 01, or a 2022 piece before any offer goes out.
Vintage 806s quoted in person
A hand-wound 806 or Cosmonaute depends on an original dial, correct hands, and a bezel that has not been swapped. I look at those on the bench, not from a phone photo.
Bracelets priced as the part they are
A beads-of-rice or Navitimer bracelet with its links is priced apart from a strap. If the bracelet is in a drawer, it comes with the watch and the offer rises.
Insured both ways
Prepaid FedEx label insured to declared value, signature required, unboxed on camera. If we do not agree, it returns the same way.
What I check on a Navitimer
Five things that decide the offer on this model.
Each one moves the number. I explain which way in the reply.
Reference and movement era
The 806 and its hand-wound siblings, the 1806 Chronomatic, the Old Navitimer, the A23322 and other 7750-based pieces, the AB0120 Navitimer 01, and the B01 references since.
Case size
Roughly 41 mm on vintage and 1990s pieces, 42 mm in the 2000s, 43 and 46 mm on the 01, three sizes on the redesign. The 46 is not worth more by default.
Slide-rule ring
The bezel should turn with even resistance and the scale should line up with the inner ring. A loose, slipping, or replaced bezel is priced, not disqualifying.
COSC paper and warranty card
Modern Navitimers come with a chronometer certificate and a warranty card. Both together, with matching numbers, make a set.
Dial and hands
The slide rule crowds the dial, so service dials and swapped hands are common on older pieces. Original lume and the right logo for the era carry the vintage value.
How it works
Four steps. Real numbers.
01
Get an offer
Send the appraisal form with the dial straight on in daylight, the case back with the reference legible, the bezel from above so the scale shows, the bracelet or strap, and the COSC certificate and warranty card beside the watch. On a vintage piece add a close shot of the logo and subdials. I reply within 1 business day.
02
Ship or meet
Use the prepaid, fully insured FedEx label, or book an appointment in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach. For an 806, a Cosmonaute, or a Chronomatic I prefer to meet.
03
Inspect and confirm
I open the box on camera, turn the bezel, check the movement number against the reference and the paper, and read the dial under a loupe. If it matches, the offer stands.
04
Get paid
Wire or check within 24 hours of inspection. If we do not agree, the watch comes back to you, insured, at my cost.
Before the B01, and after
The two halves of Navitimer history, and how each one sells.
Same slide rule, different movements, different buyers.
| Criteria | Before the B01 (1952 to 2009) | B01 and the 2022 redesign |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | Hand-wound Venus 178 in the 806, the Calibre 11 Chronomatic, then 7750-based Breitling automatics | In-house B01 column-wheel chronograph throughout |
| Case size | Roughly 41 mm on vintage and 1990s pieces, 42 mm in the 2000s, 46 mm on the World | 43 mm Navitimer 01 from 2009, a 46 mm later, and 41, 43, and 46 mm from 2022 |
| Dial | Reverse panda and black on the 806; layered dials later | Cleaner dial on the 01; flatter dial and the winged logo on the redesign |
| Papers you can expect | Usually none on vintage; paper warranty and COSC certificate on later pieces | COSC certificate plus warranty card or digital registration |
| What moves the offer most | Original dial, hands, and bezel | Full set, bracelet, and case finish |
Directions, not figures. I show the arithmetic in the reply.
The detail
What moves a Navitimer offer, and why.
The 806 and the hand-wound years
The Navitimer was drawn up in the early 1950s for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and the reference 806 with the hand-wound Venus 178 is the one collectors mean by vintage Navitimer. Early dials carry the AOPA wings, later ones the twin-jets logo. Dials, hands, and bezels were replaced freely during service, so an 806 with all three original is the exception. I quote these in person.
The Chronomatic and the Cosmonaute
In 1969 the reference 1806 Chronomatic put the automatic Calibre 11 in the Navitimer, with the crown at nine o'clock. The Cosmonaute, from 1962, reads on a 24-hour dial and was hand-wound before it went automatic. Both are their own markets. Buyers want a Cosmonaute for the 24-hour dial, so one refitted with a 12-hour dial is a different watch.
The Old Navitimer and the 1990s
Breitling brought the Navitimer back in the 1980s, and the Old Navitimer references of the late 1980s and 1990s used 7750-based automatics at roughly 41 mm. These are the Navitimers most often sold to me by the first owner. They trade on condition and on whether the Breitling bracelet is still with the watch.
The 2000s: the A23322 and the Breitling 23
Through the 2000s the standard Navitimer was the A23322, with the Breitling 23, a chronometer-rated calibre built on the Valjoux 7750, in a 42 mm case. The Navitimer World, at 46 mm, added a second time zone with the Breitling 24. Montbrillant and Heritage variants sit beside them. These are sound watches with a steady market, priced below a B01 of the same size and condition, and I say so.
Navitimer 01 and the B01
The Navitimer 01 arrived in 2009 at 43 mm, reference AB0120, with Breitling's own B01 column-wheel chronograph behind a display back. A 46 mm followed. The B01 is the first thing a buyer asks about, and the 01 trades on the full set: COSC certificate, warranty card, box, and the bracelet. A 43 mm 01 on its bracelet with both cards is the Navitimer I can place fastest.
The 2022 redesign, the 8s, and the GMT
In 2022 Breitling flattened the dial, slimmed the slide-rule ring, brought back the winged logo, and offered the Navitimer in 41, 43, and 46 mm, all on the B01. These are recent enough that most arrive with full sets, so a missing card costs more on a 2022 piece than on an 806. The Navitimer 8, from 2018, has no slide rule and was soon renamed Aviator 8; it is a different watch to buyers, and to me. The GMT puts a second time zone on a larger case and sells to a narrower pool.
The slide-rule ring and the bracelets
The bezel rides on a ring that wears. On vintage pieces it loosens, and on any generation the scale can drift out of line with the inner ring. A loose or replaced bezel is priced, not refused, but tell me before I open the box. Navitimers were sold on leather, on the beads-of-rice bracelet, and on the flat-link Navitimer bracelet. An original bracelet with its links usually adds more than any strap, so send it even if the watch now wears leather. Polishing is covered on the Breitling page; on a Navitimer it shows first on the bezel beads.
When selling to me is not the right call
If you hold an all-original 806 and have months to find the right collector, a dealer offer sits under that ceiling. If the watch was your father's and you are undecided, keep it. If it carries a swapped movement or an aftermarket dial, I will say so and I will not buy it. If you want an insured sale with the money within a day of inspection, send it in.
How to prepare your submission
- Dial straight on in daylight, flash off, and a second photo of the logo and subdials up close on a vintage piece.
- The case back with the reference and serial legible, and the movement through the display back if it has one.
- The bezel from above so the scale shows, and whether it turns cleanly.
- The bracelet laid flat with the clasp open, or the strap and buckle, plus any spare links.
- The COSC certificate and warranty card beside the watch. If there are none, say so.
- Which county you are in, and whether you prefer the label or an appointment.
Questions, answered
Before you send a Navitimer
Does my Navitimer have a B01 movement?
If the reference on the case back starts with AB01 and the watch has a display back, usually yes. An A23322 or an Old Navitimer has a 7750-based calibre.
Is a 46 mm worth more than a 43 mm?
Not by default. The 43 mm has the wider pool of buyers, so it often places faster. The generation and the set decide the offer, not the size.
The slide-rule ring is loose. Does that matter?
It is priced, not disqualifying. A loose or slipping bezel is common on older pieces. Do not have it replaced first; an original bezel with play is worth more than a new one.
Do you buy vintage 806s?
Yes, and I prefer to see them in person. The original dial, hands, and bezel decide the value, and none of that reads well from a phone.
What if the COSC paper is gone?
I still appraise the watch and check the movement number in hand instead. On a 2022 piece the missing paper costs more than on a 1990s one, and I show you by how much.
Should I polish it before selling?
No. The bezel beads and brushed case sides round off fast, and a buffed Navitimer trades below a worn but crisp one.
Sell your Navitimer
A real number on your Navitimer, in 1 business day.
Send photos and the case back reference. I reply personally with the generation, the number, and the reasoning. Insured shipping is on me. Payout within 24 hours of inspection.