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Breitling 'Kronometer Stockholm' Premier Ref. 734, 1950s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Breitling 'Kronometer Stockholm' Premier Ref. 734, 1950s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Breitling (maker)
Date
1950s
Country of origin
Sweden
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 37 mm
Stock no.
Product 24047583257
Credit line
Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 24047583257)
Catalogue title (original)
Breitling 'Kronometer Stockholm' Premier Ref. 734 (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 24047583257), this is a wristwatch by Breitling, made in Sweden, dated 1950s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 37 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — S.Song Watches

Breitling is a brand steeped in history, especially during the mid-century. A true pioneer, they were one of the first to produce wrist chronographs and also the first dual button chronograph. Amongst Breitling’s selection in the 1940s, the term ‘Premier’ was reserved for their higher-end chronographs, and this Ref. 734 was one of them. While Breitling Premiers are special watches in their own right, this example is perhaps one of the most unusual and interesting. An extremely rare example, this Ref. 734 was retailed by Kronometer Stockholm, who were the official distributors for Breitling in Sweden. The difference lies in the dial, where there is a beautiful double stamping of Kronometer Stockholm’s crown logo beneath the Breitling logo. Furthermore, this is a huge watch. 37mm during the 40’s would’ve been considered oversized, and even today it remains one of the most legible and wearable watches. The dial is clean in its layout, aged to a lovely eggshell tone with beveled index markers. Inside the watch is the manually-wound, column wheel Venus Cal. 178, one of the higher quality ebauches available in the day. The combination of the unique double-signed dial, large size, and incredible condition, this is a true collectors’ piece.

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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