Breitling ref 817 Italian Army Issued

Issued watches have always been an important element of Bulang and Sons and today we have a super rare and interesting Breitling that was issued to the Italian Army.

The Breitling 817 was introduced in 1975 as a tool watch for Italian Army Helicopter pilots, and in some rare cases to platoon commanders of the Battaglione Paracadutisti Carabinieri Tuscania.
These soldiers trained as paratroopers at the “Folgore” Paratroopers Brigade School in Livorno, Tuscany where the steep mountains of Sardegna and Calabria were their usual fields of operations when hunting kidnappers, gangsters and members of the infamous Camorra.

The 39mm steel case remains in great condition with a sharp profile.
The black dial with painted Arabic hours is in beautiful condition as are the original hands and 60 min bezel insert.

We understand that a number of these watches were decommissioned by the Italian military and then sold at an auction some years ago.
This one comes on the shown Bulang and Sons strap plus the original flexible metal strap that was delivered originally on the watch. The Valjoux 236 movement has been fully serviced by our watchmaker.

We would love to discuss this watch with you in more detail. Get in touch and let’s chat!

Specifications:

- Breitling 817 Chronograph
- Issue number: EI 03xx dates to second half of the 1970s
- 39mm steel case
- Black dial with luminous Arabic hours
- Bi-directional 60-minute bezel
- Valjoux 236 manual wind movement
- Comes with the pictured metal strap + A Bulang and Sons Leather strap
- Fully serviced by our watchmaker
- One-year mechanical warranty
- Includes a handmade leather watch pouch
- Free worldwide Fedex Priority shipping

This watch has been certified at Certifiwatch under registration number CF-0104183