No pressure to begin with
There is genuinely nothing to commit to up front. A WhatsApp message with a couple of photos of your a Breitling gets you a quick indicative figure and an honest answer to any question. Whether you post anything is your call, made later.
GoldPaid has no high-street branches. It is postal-only and UK-wide, which is what keeps it lean and means you never have to travel.
What we buy, and why a Breitling starts with a photo
Breitling is unusual among the names on our watch pages because most of its output is steel. That changes the arithmetic. A solid gold Breitling, and they exist in every decade from the 1940s Premier and Chronomat to modern K-prefix references, is valued for its precious-metal content as well as its worth as a watch. A steel or titanium Breitling has no metal floor underneath it at all, so it is assessed purely as a timepiece. Nobody can settle which route applies, or what the watch is, by eye. Send a photo of the dial, the case back and the clasp on WhatsApp before posting anything and you will get an honest steer at no cost.
- Solid gold Breitlings, vintage and modern, cased in 18ct yellow, rose or white gold
- Vintage Navitimer, Chronomat, Top Time, Premier and Datora models
- Two-tone steel-and-gold Chronomats, Crosswinds and Windriders
- Steel Navitimers, Superoceans, Avengers, Colts and Chronomats
- Titanium Aerospace and Emergency models
- Non-running, water-damaged and part-complete Breitlings
- Breitling-signed bracelets, clasps and buckles, even without the watch
Gold, two-tone, plated or steel: reading the case back
Weight and colour will not tell you what a Breitling case is made of. The markings will, and on most models made from the mid-1990s onward the reference number itself is the quickest guide, because its first letter indicates the case metal.
| Marked on the case or reference | What it is | Metal value |
|---|---|---|
| 750 or 18K on the case back, often beside a Swiss punch | Solid 18ct gold, the usual standard for gold Breitlings | Weighed and XRF-assayed |
| A modern reference beginning H, J or K | Solid rose, white or yellow gold respectively | Weighed and XRF-assayed |
| A modern reference beginning B or D, gold bezel or rider tabs | Steel and gold two-tone | A small amount of recoverable gold; mostly watch value |
| "PLAQUE OR G", "10M" or "20M" | Gold plating measured in microns, common on 1960s cases | Little recoverable value |
| A modern reference beginning A, or "acier inoxydable" | Steel throughout | No metal value, assessed as a watch |
| A modern reference beginning E | Titanium, used on the Aerospace and Emergency | No precious metal, assessed as a watch |
The letter system is a general guide rather than a guarantee, and vintage Breitlings do not follow it at all: a 1960s Navitimer is simply reference 806, and an early Chronomat carries 769 with the patent number 217012 on the case. For those you read the case marks the old way, and a British-hallmarked gold case can be dated precisely from its marks. The gold hallmark guide shows how. The gold riders and bezel on a two-tone Chronomat are real gold, but they weigh a gram or two between them, so a two-tone Breitling is always mostly a watch, not metal.
When a Breitling is worth far more than its metal
Almost always. Even a solid 18ct Navitimer holds more value in what it is than in what it weighs, and a steel Breitling is worth whatever the second-hand watch market says and nothing as scrap. That is why every Breitling here is assessed as a watch first, and why a gold one is never quoted at melt by default. What moves the figure:
- The model and reference. A vintage Navitimer 806 or an early Chronomat sits in a different bracket from a 1990s Colt, and gold versions of either are scarce.
- An original dial. Redialled vintage Breitlings are common and worth much less. Honest ageing on an original dial is not a fault.
- The slide-rule bezel. A Navitimer bezel that turns smoothly with its beaded rim intact matters; a seized or replaced bezel shows.
- An unpolished case. Crisp lugs and original brushing carry money that polishing removes permanently.
- Box, papers and service history. Not required, but worth mentioning in your first message and worth sending together.
Where a Breitling would plainly do better with a specialist watch dealer or at auction, we say so and point you there, even though it means we do not buy it. Do not polish the case or have the dial refinished before selling. Neither can be undone.
Counterfeits, and what an XRF assay can and cannot prove
Breitling is one of the most heavily counterfeited watch brands in the world, and replicas of the Navitimer and the Bentley models are everywhere, including in good-faith inheritances. Be clear about what testing settles. An XRF assay proves what a case is made of: it can confirm a case is solid 18ct gold, or show that a "gold" Breitling is plated base metal, which answers the question by itself, since fakes are almost never precious metal. What an assay cannot do is prove a genuine-metal watch is a genuine Breitling. You will get an honest opinion from the photographs and again with the watch in hand, and if something does not look right we say so plainly and return the watch free of charge. Nobody is accused of anything.
The full process, start to finish
- Ask, then send photos. Message us on WhatsApp with a few clear photos of your Breitling watches. Lay items flat, in daylight if you can, and include any hallmarks or carat stamps in shot. We reply with a quick indicative figure and answer anything you want to ask. There is no charge and no obligation.
- Request the prepaid label. When you are ready, we email a free Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed label, tracked and signed for. No printer is needed: ask for a QR code and the Post Office counter prints it for you.
- Pack and post, tracked. Wrap items in any padded envelope or a small box and attach the label. Hand the parcel in over the Post Office counter so you get a receipt with the tracking number. Keep that receipt. There is no deadline.
- We weigh, test and value. On arrival each item is weighed on calibrated scales and tested by XRF spectrometry to confirm purity. You receive a written, itemised offer showing the weight, the purity, the rate used and the figure for each item, usually on the working day your parcel arrives.
- Accept or decline. Accept and you are paid by bank transfer on Faster Payments. Decline and everything is returned to you free of charge by tracked, insured post. The choice is entirely yours, and you do not need to give a reason.
New to posting valuables? Read the flagship guide on selling gold by post in the UK for a fuller walk-through of every step.
Where the figure comes from
There is no guesswork in the offer. We confirm purity by XRF assay, weigh on calibrated scales, and price against the live market rate on the day. Every one of those numbers appears in the written breakdown you receive before deciding. The full method is on how we value gold.
A Breitling sold for its metal has the solid gold case weighed on calibrated scales and XRF-assayed, with the movement, glass, dial, crown, pushers and any steel or plated parts excluded from the figure. Plated and two-tone cases hold little recoverable gold. A Breitling with standalone value as a watch, which is the usual case, is assessed against model, reference, dial originality, bezel and case condition and completeness, and where the watch is worth more than its metal that is flagged rather than absorbed.
Postage, tracking and cover
Your parcel is covered by Royal Mail Special Delivery, with cover available up to £2,500 depending on the cover level used. Every parcel uses Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, tracked from the counter to our door, signed for on arrival, and arranged with that compensation cover. For anything you think exceeds it, contact us first; we will arrange a suitable approach rather than leave a parcel underprotected. The detail sits on postage and insurance and is it safe to post gold?.
What GoldPaid can and cannot do with a Breitling
- We can weigh and XRF-assay a solid gold case and put a written, itemised figure against the metal.
- We can assess a Breitling as a watch, steel and titanium models included, and make a no-obligation written offer.
- We can tell you plainly when a watch belongs with a specialist dealer or at auction rather than with us.
- We cannot issue an authenticity certificate. Only Breitling does that, through its own service network.
- We cannot service, repair or restore a watch, and would not advise having one serviced before selling.
- We cannot give a firm figure before inspection. Offers depend on inspection, weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, condition and the market rate on the day.
- We cannot buy a watch without clear ownership. Photographic ID and a signed confirmation that the watch is yours to sell are required, we record the serial number of every branded watch that arrives, and where ownership cannot be established the watch is returned rather than bought.
GoldPaid is not affiliated with, authorised by or an agent of Breitling SA, and is neither a Breitling dealer nor a Breitling service centre. The Breitling name is used on this page only to describe the watches customers ask us about.
What to include when you post a Breitling
- The complete watch, movement, dial, hands, bezel, case back and crown. Do not open it and do not remove the bracelet.
- The bracelet or strap, even a worn one. A Breitling-signed clasp carries value of its own.
- Box, papers, chronometer certificate and any service records, wrapped separately from the watch.
- A note with your name, address and phone number, plus a list of the contents, so the itemised offer stays matched to your items.
- Sensible packing, the watch in soft cloth inside a small rigid box, padded within the outer parcel. No need to wind or set it.
Photograph everything before you seal the parcel. Cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used, so tell us beforehand if you believe the watch is worth more than that.
If you decide not to sell
There is never any obligation to accept. If the offer is not for you, simply decline, and we return everything free of charge by tracked, insured post, with no fee and no follow-up pressure. The full return process is on what happens if I decline the offer.
Who this helps
This suits people who have come into a Breitling through an estate or a house clearance, anybody with one sitting unworn in a drawer, and people with a stopped or damaged Breitling they have assumed is worth nothing. Executors needing a written, documented figure for estate paperwork should also see probate and inheritance. The photo-first check exists so that the watch route and the metal route are weighed properly before anybody posts anything.
Being paid
If you accept, payment follows by Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance, transferred directly to your bank account. It is the last step, and a simple one.
What backs the offer up
- XRF spectrometry on every item, not a counter estimate
- A written, itemised breakdown before you decide anything
- Free insured postage in, free tracked return out
- No countdowns, no pressure, no fabricated reviews
- An owner-run business whose founder, Rocco Clayfield, answers questions himself
Common questions
Do you buy steel Breitlings, or only gold ones?
We buy steel and titanium Breitlings as well as gold ones. A steel Breitling contains no precious metal, so it is assessed entirely on its worth as a watch and we make a no-obligation written offer on that basis. For a recent model in excellent condition a specialist watch dealer or an auction may pay more, and where that looks likely we tell you rather than buy it.
Is a gold Breitling worth more than its gold weight?
Almost always. Gold Breitlings are scarce, and a vintage gold Navitimer or Chronomat is worth well beyond its case weight to a collector, particularly with an original dial and an unpolished case. A gold Breitling is never quoted as scrap by default here, and where it is worth more whole we say so, even when that means the right buyer is not us.
How do I know if my Breitling is real?
You often cannot tell from the outside, because Breitling is one of the most-faked brands there is and replicas are inherited in good faith all the time. We give an honest opinion from your photographs and again with the watch in hand. An XRF assay proves what the case is made of, which usually settles it, since fakes are almost never precious metal, but no assay can certify authenticity. Only Breitling can do that. If yours turns out to be a replica it is returned free of charge and nobody is accused of anything.
My Breitling does not run. Is it still worth selling?
Usually, yes. A stopped mechanical movement is very often a service matter rather than a fault, a solid gold case is valued on its metal regardless, and even a damaged vintage Navitimer has parts value. A seized bezel, a missing crown or water damage reduce a figure but rarely to nothing. Send a photo and you will get a straight answer.
Can I sell a Breitling without the box and papers?
Yes. Most inherited Breitlings arrive without either, and their absence reduces the figure on a collectable piece but does not stop us buying. We will still need photographic ID, and written confirmation that the watch is yours to sell, and we record the serial number of every branded watch that arrives. If papers turn up later, send them in the same parcel.