You are here: Home page►Watches►Breitling reference numbers

Breitling Watch Serial Number Check
Breitling Watch Serial Number Check

The reference number on Breitling watches can be found on the caseback (like on most watch brands). An example of a Breitling reference number is AB0121211C1P1. This is the reference of a. Find the approximate year your vintage breitling chronograph was produced by its serial number. Disclaimer: serial number dating is not a 100% accurate way to date your watch, but is generally accepted to be accurate within 6 to 12 months. This is not a means of authentication.

Try-it-yourself

Information about your watch will appear here.

Explanation

Breitling uses reference numbers to uniquely identify its models.Every model inside a production series gets the same reference number,meaning that its design, material, and movement type are exactly the same(aside from the dial color, sometime the hands, and of course the band).

The serial number, in addition to the reference number, ensures that no 2 watcheswill bear the same numbers, even if they are physically identical.

Reference and serial numbers on the case-back of a Breitling Navitimer

Please note that over the years, Breitling had many different ways of choosing reference numbers.The memo displayed below applies to modern watches (from 1991 onwards), and may not be perfectly accurate.

Scheme (since 1991)

Examples of Breitling 6-digit reference numbers:

A68362(which identifies the non-SuperQuartz COSC-certified B-1)
AB0110(which identifies the Chronomat 44 with in-house movement)

First digit

Case material(s):

Breitling material codes
Letter	Material
A	stainless steel
B	SS with 18k yellow gold rider tabs
C	SS with 18k rose gold bezel
D	SS with 18k yellow gold bezel
E	titanium
F	titanium with 18k yellow gold rider tabs)
H	solid rose gold
J	solid white gold
K	solid yellow gold
L	platinum
M	“black” steel
P	stainless steel with platinum bezel
R	solid red gold
V	“black” titanium
W	stainless steel with tungsten carbide bezel
X	Breitlight®

2^nd+3^rd digits

Caliber number (50 and above means a quartz movement).
Note that for the new in-house movements, a B is added right before the caliber number (e.g. B01).Otherwise, the movement base is sourced from an external supplier, and often modified to improve the chronometric performances or appearance, or add a complication.(The table below is heavily based on “Buffmen”'s list.)

Breitling movements bases
Non-manufacture caliber number	Base movement (and added complications, if applicable)
10	ETA 2892A2
11	Lemania 1873
12	Lemania 1873, with a 24-hour cycle
13	ETA 7750 Valjoux
14	ETA 2892A2, with a date/12-hour chronograph module; or ETA 2897
15	ETA 2892A2, with a GMT/day-night/calendar module
17	ETA 2824 / 2824-2
18	ETA 2892A2, with a 12-hour chronograph/moonphase/perpetual calendar module
19	ETA 2892A2, with a 12-hour chronograph/moonphase/4-year calendar module
20	ETA 7750 Valjoux, with second time zone complication
21	ETA 7751 Valjoux
22	ETA 2892A2, with flyback 12-hour chronograph module and a 24-hour cycle
23	ETA 7753 Valjoux
24	ETA 7754 Valjoux
26	ETA 2892A2, with a chronograph module (?)
27	ETA 2892A2, with a date/chronograph module with central minutes-seconds and combined minutes-seconds subdial
30	ETA 2892A2, with a date/12-hour chronograph module
32	ETA 2892A2, with GMT complication
33	ETA 2892A2, with 3-hour chronograph/date subdial module
34	Frédéric Piguet 1186
35	ETA 2892A2 (with a 3-hour flyback chronograph module
36	ETA 2892A2 (with a 10-minute timer, 3-hour chronograph module
37	ETA 2895-2
38	ETA 2892A2, with a 12-hour chronograph/4-year calendar module
39	ETA 2892A2, with a 24-hour indication/combined minutes-hours 12-hour chronograph module
40	ETA 2892A2, with a 3-hour chronograph module, no date
41	ETA 2892A2, with a 12-hour chronograph module
42	ETA 2892A2, with a 3-hour chronograph module
43	ETA 7758 Valjoux
44	ETA 2892A2, with a big date/12-hour chronograph module
45	ETA 2834-2
47	ETA 2892A2, with a date/GMT/6-hour chronograph module
48	ETA 7763 Valjoux
49	ETA 2896
51	Miyota Y652
52	ETA 956.112
53	ETA 251.262
55	Piguet MecaQuartz 1270
56	ETA 988.332
57	ETA 955.412
58	ETA 955.112
59	Miyota C3510
61	Ronda 732
64	ETA 955.612
65	ETA 998.332
67	ETA 956.612
68	ETA E20.331
69	Piguet MecaQuartz 1271
72	ETA Thermoline 956.152
73	ETA Thermoline 251.232
74	ETA Thermoline 955.652
75	ETA Thermoline 988.352
76	ETA Thermoline 988.352
77	ETA Thermoline 956.652
78	ETA Thermoline E20.341

4^th digit

In the case of a non–in-house movement: 0 means that it is notCOSC-certified; 3 means that it is.(But there are a few exceptions; for instance,a model of non–COSC-certified Astromat has a 4; a model of non-COSC Emergency has a 1.)

5^th+6^th digits

Short model number

Important: for the in-house calibers B01, B02 etc., the caliber number is actually 3 digits (e.g. AB0131)and there is no information about COSC certification (that is not needed since they are all certified).

The full reference number containsan additional series of numbers (and sometimes letters)to identify the type of bracelet.
For instance,A13352-355points to a stainless steel Chronomat with a Pilot bracelet.

Breitling Watch Serial Number Check

Some models have a .1 suffix to indicate thatsome improvement has been made over the previous model.This has notably been seen on 13050.1 Chronomats,12023.1 Cosmonautes,but the nature of the enhancement has not been formally indicated(in this case, this may be the use of Super-LumiNova pigments).

Search for a reference number

The Breitling reference numbers search engine is an ongoing effort.Its goal is to gather data about previous and existing Breitling models(including, but not limited to, price and date of production).

Breitling Serial Number Check