Breitling is a brand steeped in history, especially during the mid-century. A true pioneer, they were one of the first to produce wrist chronographs and also the first dual button chronograph. Amongst Breitling’s selection in the 1940s, the term ‘Premier’ was reserved for their higher-end chronographs, and this Ref. 734 was one of them.
While Breitling Premiers are special watches in their own right, this example is perhaps one of the most unusual and interesting. An extremely rare example, this Ref. 734 was retailed by Kronometer Stockholm, who were the official distributors for Breitling in Sweden. The difference lies in the dial, where there is a beautiful double stamping of Kronometer Stockholm’s crown logo beneath the Breitling logo.
Furthermore, this is a huge watch. 37mm during the 40’s would’ve been considered oversized, and even today it remains one of the most legible and wearable watches. The dial is clean in its layout, aged to a lovely eggshell tone with beveled index markers.
Inside the watch is the manually-wound, column wheel Venus Cal. 178, one of the higher quality ebauches available in the day. The combination of the unique double-signed dial, large size, and incredible condition, this is a true collectors’ piece.
