how long are the leather straps

[wsaraceni]

i have 9" wrists. it makes it near impossible to find leather straps that fit. i was thinking of a navitimer with the black leather straps and was wondering how big they were. also, anyone know what a navitimer goes for used?

[BeeMee]

The straps on my "Old" Navitimer are 4 1/2" And 3". Of course, on the longer side, you cannot use the full length as the first hole for the buckle tang is about 3/4" from the end.

However, there are longer straps available from several vendors. Also, you can also have a strap custom made. One of the members on this forum makes custom straps.

You can probably buy a fairly recent SS Navitimer between $2000-$3000. Perhaps one from the 1990's in the high teens.

However, CAUTION CAUTION, besides some Rolex models, the Navitimer is probably one of the most often counterfeited watch. Be sure your seller is reliable or recommended before buying.

[wsaraceni]

barry. thanks for the info. maybe ill look for one with the steel bracelet. that way i can add links. and i can always get an aftermarket leather strap. i assume its pretty easy to swap between the two. i think i've seen a video on it.

[wsaraceni]

BeeMee. do you know of any reputable places to find an affordable breitling navitimer. in the low 2k range preferred. i'll probably have to buy the stainless bracelet and get extra links to make it long enough. then i'll probably get an aftermarket strap for it.

also, what is service like on a breitling. i think i've read you can expect $800 every 5 years. ouch

[BeeMee]

wsaraceni:

I recently had my Navitimer serviced at a local watch dealer who I have used for serving my Rolex Day-Date and Daytona as well as a friend's Concord. They charged me $325 to service my Navitimer. I did not have the case polished, just the watch serviced. While it may be recommended to get a watch serviced every five years, I do not believe that it necessary to do so. Perhaps 7-8 years is more realistic unless you have a problem with the accuracy.

I checked my favorite watch resellers as well as Watchnet and at the present time there does not seem to be any Navitimers for sale in the price ranges I previously mentioned. However, I did check ebay and there are a few in the mid $2000's.

Once again: CAUTION CAUTION! I would recommend only bidding on a watch from a USA source with a feedback of 99.5% or better and with at least 150-200 feedbacks. Be sure to read the feedback comments to see if the seller sells a lot of watches or only has sold one or two. I also would contact the seller before bidding to confirm the authenticity of the watch and ask if any documentation accompanies the watch. Also, inquire as to whether you can return it if you or your watchmaker finds any issue with regard to authenticity.

Ebay is definitely Buyer Beware, but if you are careful and do your homework before bidding, you just might get a decent deal.

Good luck with your search.

[wsaraceni]

thanks. im looking now. its always an issue. i can do $2500 probably. but i've seen submariner no-dates for maybe $3500 used. its not that much more and a submariner (date or no-date as i like them both) is kinda the one i want the most.

[BeeMee]

If you decide you prefer the Sub over the Navitimer, then the Classified section on this forum is the place to buy one. There are a number of regular sellers here who can be trusted to give you 100% accurate descriptions of the watches they have posted for sale. Just be patient and the right one for you will eventually show up.

[wsaraceni]

It'll all come down to which i can afford and find. if i could get a navitimer for around $2300-2400, i'd probably jump on that. If it was closer to $3k id probably keep saving for the submariner. Im pretty sure i can find one of them in the $4k range. I could swear I saw a few sell here in the sub $3k range but i cant find them anymore.