1940s BREITLING Up/Down Chronograph Watch Venus 170 17 Jewels Doctor's Wristwatch
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warrants that the merchandise shall be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase by you (the “Warranty Period”). The Warranty Period is not extended if we repair or replace the merchandise. We may change the availability of this limited warranty at our discretion, but any changes will not be retroactive.
WHAT ARE YOUR REMEDIES UNDER THIS WARRANTY?
With respect to any defective merchandise during the Warranty Period, we will, in our sole discretion repair or replace such merchandise (or the defective part) free of charge. We will also pay for shipping and handling fees to return the repaired or replacement merchandise to you if we elect to repair or replace the defective merchandise.
HOW DO YOU OBTAIN WARRANTY SERVICE?
To obtain warranty service, you must call +1(217)-802-6098 or email our Customer Service Department at info@secondhandhorology.com during the Warranty Period to obtain a Defective Merchandise Authorization (“DMA”) number. Read more about our return and warranty service policies.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
THE REMEDIES DESCRIBED ABOVE ARE YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES AND OUR ENTIRE LIABILITY FOR ANY BREACH OF THIS LIMITED WARRANTY. OUR LIABILITY SHALL UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EXCEED THE ACTUAL AMOUNT PAID BY YOU FOR THE DEFECTIVE MERCHANDISE, NOR SHALL WE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR LOSSES, WHETHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT.
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Secondhand Horology is honored to have the opportunity to serve you. That is why we stand by all of our products with a full 12-month limited warranty. If an item we sell you should fail as a result of a manufacturer's defect at any time during the first 12 months, we will repair or replace the item at absolutely no cost to you.
If your watch has any symptoms of abnormally gaining time, losing time, or not keeping proper time please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email. If it is determined by Secondhand Horology that a repair under warranty is required one of our trained watch professionals will direct you on how to safely and efficiently ship the watch to us.
Not covered by warranty:
- Regular wear-and-tear from normal use.
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- Defects caused by outside force or improper use. Consequential and incidental damages.
- The loss of precious, semi-precious stones from settings.
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- Watches that are labeled as water resistant feature a screw down crown. The crown must be screwed down properly at all times to keep the watch casing watertight. Water damage is not covered under the warranty unless it is proven defective by the Secondhand Horology.
- Shipping cost to Secondhand Horology.
Secondhand Horology is determined to stand behind every part of your shopping experience. The Secondhand Horology warranty allows you to make a completely risk-free purchase. This has been our policy and our promise since we began nearly three decades ago serving customers on a local level. Now, we are standing by this policy as we serve online customers from around the world. We look forward to serving you and giving you the incredible value and experience you deserve.
BREITLING - "Watch of a famous Swiss luxury watch manufacturer.”
When it comes to luxury timepieces that seamlessly blend aviation-inspired design with precision craftsmanship, Breitling is a name that often soars above the rest. Breitling is a Swiss luxury watchmaker founded in 1884 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, by Léon Breitling. The company is known for its precision-made chronometers designed for aviators and today is still in operation and based in Grenchen, Switzerland. This iconic watch company has a history that's as rich and storied as the intricate movements ticking inside their beloved timepieces.
The company initially focused on producing high-quality chronographs and precision instruments for various industrial and scientific purposes. During World War I, Breitling gained prominence for supplying military forces with chronographs and other timing instruments, particularly those used in aircraft cockpits. This association with aviation marked the beginning of Breitling's longstanding connection to the world of flight.
Historically, Breitling has sourced movements from suppliers such as Valjoux, ETA, and Venus rather than producing movements in-house; however, in 2009 Breitling developed the B01, a self-winding, column wheel chronograph movement, for use in the Breitling Chronomat 01 and Navitimer 01.
VENUS
Established nearly a century ago, Venus, a Swiss watchmaking, started producing calibers in 1923 and gained a foothold for demand with the release of their first chronograph ten years later, the Venus caliber 103. The reliability of their column-wheel movements made them a go-to source for key players with market dominance, further enhancing their reputation. Eventually this granted Venus the confidence to start signing the dials of their own wares.
Venus produced some of the best chronograph movements of the 1940s. Although the history of the Venus company is not well documented, the story reveals the surprisingly connected world of watchmaking at the time. Venus rose and fell in just a few decades, but the legacy of their chronograph movements, especially the legendary rattrapante (split-second chrono) used by Breitling, lives on.
The Venus Caliber 170
First documented in 1936, the Venus caliber 170 is a hand-winding column wheel chronograph movement with distinctive 6-12 subdial arrangement. It is the only Venus movement with eight columns rather than seven, and the only column wheel Venus movement to use an oscillating pinion rather than a traditional horizontal clutch.
The Venus caliber 170 was in production by 1937 and it remained in production until 1951, by which time it was replaced by the caliber 188 family of cam-switching chronograph movements. The caliber 170 was a revolutionary movement, given its small diameter and modern dual-pusher design, and set the stage for the caliber 150 and caliber 175 families, though it was completely different in design. It was also much less expensive than competing movements from the era. All these aspects made the Venus caliber 170 quite successful throughout the 1940s.
The caliber 170 was notably used by Heuer (Ref. 3249) and Breitling in their “cheaper” popular lines. But was also used by many other Swiss brands, including Wyler, Gallet and Wittnauer and others including Büren, Elbon, Eloga, Helbros, Leonidas, Olma, Silvana and Telda.
The 170 was commonly outfitted with telemeter scales for gauging the distance of objects in relation to noise. Besides, in response to the spike for medical personnel, they were also widely available with a pulsometer dial. The caliber 170 marked a transition in manufacturing approach that catered to greater efficiency with mass-production, a burgeoning direction in the wake of WWII.
From twobrokewatchsnobs.com .- “It would be my assumption that Venus conceived the 170’s mechanics with two goals in mind: First, to maintain quality in spite of cutting costs. Second, to implement Heuer’s oscillating pinion design—a reliable, if not “lean” approach to manufacturing the movements, themselves.”
1940s BREITLING
Up/Down Chronograph
17 Jewels Venus 170
Doctor's Wristwatch
Steeped in history, this is vintage Breitling “up/down” chronograph wristwatch from the 1940s. It is closely associated with medical services during World War II. A distinguished timepiece for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
It is a manual-wind watch powered by the revolutionary Venus caliber 170 movement signed by Breitling. It is a 2-button; start/stop chronograph: central 60-second chrono hand and 30-minute chrono. It features 17 jewels, sub-second hand, 40-hour power reserve and operates at 18,000 a/h. Swiss made.
The Venus 170 is a manual-winding 2-button movement with integrated 8-column-wheel (8 column gear) chronograph and featuring a distinctive 6-12 subdial arrangement.
In pristine condition, the two-tone dial with the unique “up/down” layout (12/6 sub-dial). A silvered gray dial featuring bold Breguet numerals and the pulsometer scale (used by medical personnel) on a rose-gold tone inner bezel. The 30-minute chronograph counter is located at 12 o’clock and the sub-second hand is located at 6 o’clock position. The dial is also signed with the Breitling logo/name and “Chronograph.”
The watch is housed in a 34.5mm silver-tone case and stainless-steel back. Rectangular chrono pushers and pull up crown. It comes on an Argentinian vintage black genuine leather two-piece strap signed: “Argentina Cuero Legitimo.”
This vintage Breitling chronograph from the 1940s is not only fascinating but also exceptionally stylish. It runs smoothly and keeps excellent time.
Thank you for your interest! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or reasonable offers.
Movement:
Breitling
17 Jewels
Swiss Made
Venus 170
Case Back Markings:
Breitling
17269C
Measurements (mm):
Case Diameter 34.5
Case Diameter w/Crown 37.3
Case Lug to Lug 42
Case Thickness 13
Lug Width 18
Band Width 18
Vintage watches are traditionally smaller than today's watches. Men’s watches typically measure between 29-36mm wide (some larger, some smaller) excluding the crown. In the listing details we typically try to do our best to list all pertinent dimensions of a watch. If you don't see it, or we failed to do so, please reach out to us. Women’s watches from the 1900s-1970s were also much smaller than today's offerings. Please also feel free to ask any questions you have pertaining to size.
We prefer to shoot photographs outside when weather is permitting. However, when we shoot indoors, please be aware that we shoot our photographs inside of lightboxes that are lit with 360 LED bulbs. This indeed magnifies any flaws. Usually, they are much less obvious to the naked eye. Having said that, we never photoshop any of our photography, remove blemishes, etc. We adjust lighting when necessary, but what you see is what you are getting, and we take pride in that.
The condition is pre-owned.
The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear but is fully operational and functions as intended.
Please review the photos and feel free to ask any questions you may have.
It will be carefully packed.
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