Breilting Tarbaly

For those not familiar with the nautical exploits of Eric Tabarly, he was an accomplished French Navy officer who won the prestigious Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race, once in 1964 and then again in 1976 — an incredible feat. Tarbaly won numerous other yacht races while simultaneously moving up the naval ranks to become Lieutenant Commander, and would continue his success in yacht racing after retiring from active service.

In short, Tarbaly was the yachtsman’s yachtman.

Tarbaly and Breitling began their partnership in 1985 with the unusual Reference 80.790, an integrated steel sports watch with a quartz movement, highly legible dial and a unidirectional compass bezel used for navigation and wind direction. Breitling would go on to create several more iterations channeling the same design language that served useful for all topside endeavors. 

This particular piece, a Reference 80770N, is one such variant and features a 35mm stainless steel case with gold plated elements, a rotating elapsed time bezel, signed gold crown and sapphire crystal. Its luminous gloss black dial features a combination of circular plots and arrows for hour indices, a date indicator at 3 o’clock, gold-toned stick handset and stylized ‘Tarbaly’ signature.

It comes fitted to an integrated two-tone bracelet equipped with an additional UTC module, secured via a signed safety-lock clasp, and is powered by a quartz movement.

An often forgotten yet historically significant collaboration buried within the vast brand history of Breitling, this piece deserves your attention.

Breitling, one of the most illustrious names in the annals of the “tool watch,” was founded by Léon Breitling in 1892. And though the firm is no longer operated by its namesake family, it still produces some of the world’s best pilot’s watches, many of which now feature in-house movements.

The company first started manufacturing wrist chronographs as early as the 1930s. In 1936 they became an official supplier to military forces of the United Kingdom and Canada. While perhaps best known for the Navitimer and Chronomat lines — which were used heavily by pilots of many nations — Breitling also produced scores of other chronograph models that merit consideration, such as the more affordable Top Time and Premier. Dive watches, such as the Super Ocean, are also part of the company’s offerings.

The late 1970s was a turbulent time for the Swiss watch industry, and many storied houses were swept away by the Quartz Crisis. By 1978, Breitling was in trouble due to the illness of its leader, Willy Breitling, and the steep decline in sales that had cut through the entire industry. Unable to keep operations going, the company was liquidated, and parts, toolings and naming rights were sold off.
Between 1979 and 2017, Breitling continued under the ownership of the Schneider family. In 2017 an 80% stake in the firm was sold to a British private equity firm, with the remaining 20% sold in 2018. In 2019, the company released the caliber B01, an in-house, automatic chronograph movement that’s since found its way into the Chronomat and Navitimer collections, bringing the tale of this famed manufacturer full circle.

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Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.