Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43mm Automatic Watch AB0138241C1P1

Breitling’s iconic pilot’s chronograph – for the journey. In 1952, Willy Breitling developed a wrist-worn chronograph with a circular slide rule that would allow pilots to perform all necessary flight calculations. Two years later, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) announced the design as its official timepiece. The “navigation timer” – or Navitimer – was born. The AOPA was (and remains) the largest pilots’ club in the world, counting nearly every US aviator among its ranks. As the defacto pilot’s watch throughout the glory days of civil aviation, the Navitimer was worn by airline captains and aircraft enthusiasts.

It even made its way into space on the wrist of astronaut Scott Carpenter in 1962. And it wasn’t only pilots drawn to the watch’s irrepressible aesthetic. Celebrities of the day such as Miles Davis and Serge Gainsbourg were devotees, proving that the Navitimer had style as well as function. There have been many iterations of Breitling’s icon since its debut 70 years ago, but this new Navitimer captures its most classic features, while enhancing them with modern refinements. A flattened slide rule and a domed crystal create the illusion of a sleeker profile. Alternating polished and brushed metal elements give a lustrous, yet understated finish.

Most notably, new colors in shades of blue, green and copper, define the updated dial options. And if there is one update sure to spark nostalgia, it’s the return of the AOPA wings to their original position at 12 o’clock. For 70 years, Breitling’s original pilot’s watch has been beloved by aviators and tastemakers in equal measure. Worn by astronauts in space and the biggest stars on earth, it is Breitling’s most iconic timepiece and one of the most recognizable watches of all time.

NAVITIMER: FROM FLIGHT TOOL TO ICON
For 70 years, the Breitling Navitimer has been one of the world’s most beloved mechanical chronographs. The Navitimer family introduces a watchmaking legend to a whole new generation.

History of Breitling

Getting into the watch manufacturing business in the mid-1880s was no easy feat. Switzerland was experiencing the worst part of a long recession. Yet, despite the economic difficulty, social unrest and uncertainty about the future, 24-year-old Léon Breitling stayed true to his vision of creating instruments that could measure, divide and master time.

Today, Georges Kern and his team continue the rich tradition that began in a small workshop in St. Imier in 1884. The product portfolio was restructured around the brand's three historic universes: Air, Land and Sea. Breitling redefined itself as "a generalist Swiss watch brand offering a cool, informal and inclusive alternative" to traditional watchmakers.

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