Rare Breitling 817 Italian Military Issued CP-1 Esercito Italiano

Here we have a super rare Breitling 817 CP-1 issued to the Italian Military – the “Esercito Italiano”.

One of the rarest of all military issued watches there have only been around 30 surface to date with rumours that many were destroyed back in the 70’s over possible high tritium lume levels.

This watch is in like NOS condition and unworn with only the very lightest of marks from storage.

The rare original Japanese bracelet looks completely unworn and is stiff and unstretched, The case back looks like it has never been off and the case has only storage hairlines which you have to look closely with a loupe to try and see.

The watch came from an Italian family with connections to the Italian Military and still has the super rare Cronometro Da Polso Mod. I Unif. box in very good original condition. I have only ever seen one other with this original box and it came from the same Italian family.

The watch has been left untouched since I received it.

Taken from the Vintage Breitling website:-

“Specifically made for Italian Helicopter pilots (Army Pilots, not Air Force pilots) and in some rare cases to platoon commanders of the Battaglione Paracadutisti Carabinieri “Tuscania”.

These guys get a full training as Carabinieri (Police and Military Police) then a full training as paratroopers at the “Folgore” Paratroopers Brigade School in Livorno (Tuscany). Then the steep mountains of Sardegna and Calabria are their usual fields of ops – hunting kidnappers, mobsters and camorrists. They are the spearhead of almost all the peacekeeping and peace enforcing italian mission. Tough guys! As such these were never made available commercially on the open market and only approx 30 pieces have surfaced so far or were ever offered for sale.