A Rare Breitling with a Cuban Twist!

In this episode of The Watchmaker Studio, I dive into the full restoration of a rare and quirky vintage Breitling Geneve — powered by the Felsa 692 “Bidynator” movement — and branded with a Hatuey Cerveza dial straight out of pre-revolutionary Cuba.

We go all in: disassembly, diagnosis, ultrasonic and automatic cleaning (shoutout to my custom-built Uberkiwi machine), a radioactive radium reveal, hand reluming, and solving the mystery of the missing “bolt” (spoiler: I had to make a new one). Along the way, we uncover a broken pallet fork and bring this beautiful movement back to life.

You’ll also get a little horological history, a taste of the Quartz Crisis, and some well-timed humor — including a flashback featuring "Cuban Pete" with a twist.

This is more than just a watch restoration — it's a journey through time, tools, and a touch of vintage style.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:20 Disassembly
06:04 Lost Part
13:26 Broken Part Found!
18:15 Cleaning
23:22 Custom Built Automatic Watch Cleaning Machine
24:36 Movement Reassembly
54:29 Dial Cleaning
55:23 To the Crystal Press!
56:16 Refinishing Radioactive Hands
58:59 Watch Regulation
01:01:06 Hand Installation
01:02:43 Recasing
01:05:14 New Watch Straps and Final Reveal

Видео A Rare Breitling with a Cuban Twist! канала The Watchmaker Studio