So, like, from what I’m seeing, you can snag these bad boys on places like Chrono24, eBay, and even from individual sellers. Which is cool, because it means there’s a price range, right? You’re not just stuck with the new-retail price tag, which… let’s be real, can be kinda painful.
I saw one description that said something like “Breitling 1884 Chronographe Automatic Watch A13356 * Chronographe Certifie Chronometre * Manufacture En Suisse Etanche * 300M * Case Material: Steel * Bracelet Material: Steel * Movement: Automatic * Includes Breitling Cloth & .” Okay, good to know. It’s got the Swiss-made cred, it’s waterproof (to a decent depth!), and it’s automatic. The usual Breitling deal, really. But what *is* the deal with the “1884” thing? Is that when Breitling started? Probably. Gotta look that up later… *goes to Google it but gets distracted by cat video*.
The “chronometre officiellement certifie automatic 500M 1650FT” listing is kinda interesting… and a little scary. It mentions the watch got dunked in water and broken, then repaired. Okay, so it’s ticking, but the day counter’s wonky. That’s… concerning. “Sold as is,” they say. Hard pass, personally. Unless you’re a watch repair whiz and can fix it up, it seems like more trouble than it’s worth. Plus, I’m always a little leery of watches that have been through the ringer, you know? How do you know there isn’t *more* wrong that isn’t immediately obvious?
Then you have the Super Chronomat Automatic 38. Okay, different beast. Seems newer, more modern. Stainless steel, mother-of-pearl dial… kinda fancy. I’m more of a rugged, tool-watch kinda guy myself, but I can appreciate the aesthetics. Definitely more of a statement piece.
And then there’s the Chronomat AB0110… okay, now we’re talking. Classic Breitling Chronomat. Black dial, steel case, date window… a solid, reliable, “I know what I’m doing” kind of watch. You see that on someone’s wrist, you know they probably know something about watches.
The thing is, with Breitling, there’s just *so much* choice. It can be a little overwhelming. You gotta figure out what *you* want from a watch. Do you want something dressy? Something sporty? Something that can survive the apocalypse? (Okay, maybe not *literally* the apocalypse, but you get my drift.)
My advice? Do your research. Don’t just jump at the first “great deal” you see, especially if it’s from some random dude on eBay. Look at the seller’s feedback. Ask questions. And if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Oh, and for goodness sake, if you’re going to buy a used watch, get it authenticated! Seriously, there are so many fakes out there, you don’t want to drop a few grand on something that’s just a shiny piece of junk.
