On the occasion of the Watches and Wonders exhibition which starts today in Geneva, Breitling is revealing a new Navitimer collection to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic model.
For the 70th anniversary of the Navitimer model, a genuine on-board instrument acclaimed by aviation professionals since its launch in 1952, Breitling is presenting a refined profile and three different diameters.
Under the leadership of Georges Kern, Breitling’s Managing Director, the company is methodically revisiting the recipes that have made it successful and bringing them into the present with its new timepiece models. Based on the observation that the designs of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s gave rise to genuine style icons, Georges Kern has undertaken to dust off and update the company’s emblematic pieces.
“We don’t throw the term ‘icon’ around lightly,” says Georges Kern. “The Navitimer is one of the most recognisable watches ever made. It is on collectors’ lists of the greatest watches of all time. What was originally a tool for pilots has taken on a deep meaning for every person who has had this timepiece in their personal journey.”
The style of the Navitimer faithfully reproduces its stylistic codes while offering dials full of fantasy. Developed in 1952 by Willy Breitling, the Navitimer was an instrument dedicated to aerial navigation. With its chronograph movement, its circular slide rule and its notched bezel, it can be used to perform all the calculations useful for piloting, from the speed of the aircraft to the duration of the flight, including the fuel autonomy. The historic logo, which disappeared in 2017, is making a comeback on dials that will appeal to aficionados of the brand.
Although the 2022 edition is immediately recognisable as a Navitimer, changes have been made, including the flattening of the famous slide rule ring that runs along the edge of the dial and the use of a domed glass, both of which serve to give the watch a more compact appearance. A smaller winding rotor also allows for a better view of the movement and the AOPA wings are returned to their traditional position on the dial, above the Breitling logo.
All versions use Breitling’s COSC-certified B01 automatic chronograph movement (offering a 70-hour power reserve) and cover a range of dial colours, from soft metallic pastels, to sunbrushed blue and green, to panda and reverse panda configurations.
Available on the Breitling website for $9,000.
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Featured photo : © Breitling
