Circa 1957 Breitling Olympic Airways Ref. 1351 — Greek Dial
$6,299.00
WHY THIS WATCH MATTERS
Breitling’s place in aviation history is well established. But this particular watch tells a very different story from the familiar cockpit chronographs. Its dial carries the Greek name and emblem of Olympic Airways, the airline brought into a new era by Aristotle Onassis in 1957. The Breitling name does not appear on the front at all; instead, the maker and reference 1351 are stamped on the outside of the caseback. Inside is a Breitling-signed, 17-jewel Swiss manual-wind movement. It is an extraordinary meeting of two names that helped define mid-century aviation.
What makes this example especially remarkable is just how seldom one can be found. Over the past decade, only a handful of Olympic Airways–dialed Breitling watches have surfaced in the public collector and auction records we have been able to trace. One appeared in an earlier collectors’ discussion, another was documented in an online sale, and a reference 1351 was offered at auction in 2026. These are scattered appearances, not a continuous market. As of fall 2026, The Found Dial is the only active public offering of this Olympic Airways Breitling reference we have been able to verify. That is a snapshot of a notoriously thin market, not a claim that no other examples exist or a statement of a known production quantity.
Just as intriguing is what we still do not know: who originally received this particular watch, how the airline arranged its unusual dial, and which workshop left the delicate unidentified mark beside its gold-plating stamp. For a watch this seldom seen, each surviving example may hold part of the history. The search is still open.
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Discover the overlooked auction find, the Onassis-era connection, the surviving records and the maker’s mark we are still trying to identify. Have a clue? Please contact The Found Dial.
THE HARD DETAILS
| Maker | Breitling (signed on outside caseback and movement) |
| Watch | Olympic Airways / ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΗ ΑΕΡΟΠΟΡΙΑ corporate dial |
| Reference | 1351 (stamped on outside of caseback) |
| Case serial | 863119 (inside back) |
| Approx. production | Circa 1957 from third-party case-serial chart; not archive certified |
| Movement | Swiss manual-wind mechanical, exact caliber unconfirmed |
| Jewels | 17 |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds |
| Case | Gold plated, PLAQUE G 20 (20-micron plating); stainless-steel back with FOND ACIER INOXYDABLE stamped inside |
| Diameter | 35.8 mm |
| Lug-to-lug | 42.7 mm |
| Thickness | 8.6 mm |
| Lug width | 18 mm |
| Dial | Champagne/silver, Olympic Airways Greek signature, baton markers |
| Crystal | Replacement domed crystal; material unconfirmed |
| Strap | Aftermarket brown textured leather |
| Running / setting | Both reported working |
| Timekeeping | No measured rate or power reserve documented |
| Water resistance | Not pressure tested; not guaranteed |
OPERATING CONDITION
The Breitling-signed 17-jewel Swiss hand-wound movement is running, and the crown sets the time. The precise caliber has not been confirmed. We have not documented a full overhaul, a measured daily rate or a power-reserve test. As with other vintage mechanical watches, future servicing and variation in timekeeping should be expected.
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WHAT WAS DONE
The watch was cleaned and fitted with a replacement crystal. Its dial and hands were not refinished by The Found Dial. The existing aged gold-plated case was retained; no case machine polishing is documented. The approach was to bring back a clear view of the original design without concealing the watch’s years.
CONDITION & ORIGINALITY
The champagne-colored dial shows subtle spots and patina, and the gold-plated case shows scratches, wear at the edges and marks around the lugs. The stainless-steel back carries visible scratches from its history. The replacement crystal and aftermarket strap are disclosed. The dial is unsigned by Breitling on its front but co-branded for Olympic Airways; comparable reference 1351 examples are documented, although this watch’s original recipient and precise commissioning arrangement are unknown.
THE STORY OF THIS WATCH
This watch was found in an online auction lot of five. The listing did not mention Breitling or Olympic Airways. The Greek wording on the dial looked unfamiliar, while an indistinct reverse photograph seemed to hint at the Breitling name. Research led from a misread language to an extraordinary airline connection. Bidding was relatively quiet, and the watch arrived with a cleaner, thinner profile than expected.
REFERENCE & MODEL HISTORY
The outside of the caseback identifies this watch as Breitling reference 1351; the inside is marked FOND ACIER INOXYDABLE. Its separate six-digit case serial, 863119, falls in a published third-party serial range commonly dated to 1957, but that is an estimate for the case, not archival proof of dial manufacture or final assembly. Other Olympic Airways-dialed Breitling ref. 1351 watches have been described in collectors’ discussions and auction listings. The original production quantity and distribution remain unknown. The small monogram beside PLAQUÉ G 20 has yet to be identified; tracing the maker of the case or plating may offer another lead.
ABOUT THE BRAND
In the 1950s Breitling was closely associated with aviation timing, while Aristotle Onassis was establishing Olympic Airways as Greece’s international airline. That shared era offers a remarkable historical backdrop. Whether this watch was a gift, a presentation piece or something else—and whose wrist first carried it—remains an open chapter.
FOUND DETAILS
Purchased at an online auction in a mixed lot of five watches. The listing overlooked the Greek airline signature and the faint Breitling clue on the reverse photo. The hunt was driven by curiosity about an otherwise anonymous dial rather than a recognizable branded watch.
WHAT COMES WITH THE WATCH
The pictured Breitling Olympic Airways watch with the fitted aftermarket brown leather strap. The crystal has been replaced. No original presentation box, papers or presentation provenance is documented.
A NOTE ON VINTAGE
This is a vintage manual-wind watch with visible age-related wear and an incomplete known service history. Running and time setting have been observed, but performance is not guaranteed and the watch has not been pressure tested. Photographs are part of the condition description. Its early ownership and original presentation history are unknown.
PHOTOGRAPHED PURELY. SOLD HONESTLY.
These photographs are intended to show the watch as accurately as possible—the wear, the patina, the imperfections, and the details that matter. If there is something you want to see more closely before buying, ask.
