Why This Watch Matters This "first generation" Co-Pilot is extremely hard to find, with a digital minute counter at three o'clock. No – that's not a date window. The Full Story The Navitimer is typically the first watch that comes to mind when considering Breitling's lengthy history, but here, we have the Co-Pilot, another truly great and historic Breitling chronograph. Breitling introduced the Co-Pilot line in 1953 with this exact watch, the "Digital" first-generation. For many Breitling collectors, this is a grail watch. These first-generation Co-Pilots simply do not come up for sale all too often. What you might assume to be a "regular" date aperture at three o'clock is actually an indication of the elapsed minutes of the chronograph. This peculiar display makes total sense, since this AVI was designed to time the 15-minute pre-flight check of an airplane, where every minute counts. The earliest digital reference 765 AVIs are found without "GENEVE" below Breitling on the dial and a sword-esque shaped chronograph seconds hand. That first detail is due to the production of first-generation examples occurring before the company moved to Geneva in the summer of 1953. This watch is different. Here we have a "GENEVE" designation and an arrow-tipped chrono seconds hand. Our watch is a later first-generation dating after the move to Geneva (the "Digital" and regular versions were produced concurrently, starting in late 1953). This would lead to the extra line of text and a chronograph seconds hand of a different style than other examples we have found. Many collectors refer to this model as a "Digital Lucy" and the non digital version as the "Lucy." The watch we have here today would be referred to as a Mark 1.3 because of the wider syringe hands. Breitling made the case for this watch in November 1953, but the watch wasn't fully assembled until 1956; that's just how Breitling operated at the time for this model. The movement is stamped "WOG," which was the US import mark for Breitling at time. As is the case with Breitling's Navitimer, the stainless steel bezel of this Co-Pilot features small beads at the edge that allow for easier manipulation while wearing gloves in the cockpit. Further, early Co-Pilot examples are regularly seen with three small black screws to hold the bezel in place. We paired this grail Breitling with our Sedona watch strap in a slate grey tone to lighten up the look a bit and play off of the stainless steel bezel. The Fine Print Maker: BreitlingModel: Co-Pilot "Digital"Reference: 765 AVIYear: 1952/53Case No: 827789Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 40mm diameter; 14mm thicknessCrystal: PlexiglassLume: Yes, radiumCaliber: Breitling signed Venus, manually wound, caliber 178Bracelet/Strap: HODINKEE The Sedona Watch Strap In Phantom RanchLug Width: 22mmBox/Papers: No What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: - Digital chronograph minute counter at three o'clock- Great lume patina overall- Grail "first generation" AVI Things To Know: - Some wear and patina on dial - Lume in hands redone - Replacement crown This Co-Pilot is in overall very good, honest condition. The case is strong with some scratches and few light nicks. It is likely polished. The bevels on the lugs and the brushed finishes on the caseband are visible. The back of the lugs have some scratches. The engravings on the caseback are all clearly visible. The dial has developed patina throughout. The dial has a few spots of wear around the central pinion and around the edges of the sub-dials. The digital minute disc shows some wear throughout. The lume on the dial has developed patina and is a creamy off-white color that is commonly seen on these models. The lume on the handset has developed patina and has aged very similarly to that on the dial. The lume on the hands has been redone, which is common for these watches, as the lume would typically fall out of the hands. The paint on all the hands shows some signs of wear. The "B" logo has some wear to the printing. The dial, case, and movement are all signed. The crown appears to be an unsigned replacement. The crystal has a few scratches. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
