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BREITLING
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 range
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BREITLING’S NEW NAVITIMER COLLECTION DELIVERS AN UPDATED DESIGN WORTHY OF THE BRAND’S PROUD LEGACY
This year is a special one for Breitling’s iconic collection, the Navitimer. As the brand’s legendary timepiece turns 70, Breitling unveils a redesigned collection that is all about bold colour, enhanced styling, and incredible journeys.
Looking back through history, the Navitimer has come a long way since Willy Breitling first drafted his idea for a wrist-worn flight tool. Back in 1952, he developed a wrist-worn chronograph with a circular slide rule that would allow pilots to perform all necessary flight calculations.
Long story short, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the largest aviators’ club in the world, announced the design as its
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46 with dark green dial By Riga Ramadhan
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46 with blue dial
official timepiece and at the same time, the association’s winged logo was emblazoned at 12 o’clock. Shortly after, the “navigation timer”— or Navitimer—was born.
Moving back to the present, Breitling honours the legend with the introduction of a new Navitimer that captures its most classic features, while enhancing them with modern refinements. Breitling has faithfully preserved the most recognisable aspects of the icon's design codes to create the new Navitimer, as it still comes with the circular slide rule, baton indexes, trio of chronograph counters, and notched bezel for easy grip. From a distance, the new timepiece is unmistakably a Navitimer.
However, its updated design showcases modern refinements which create a bolder silhouette. First and foremost, the new Navitimer comes in two case materials: stainless steel and 18-carat red gold. In terms of sizes, it comes in 46 mm, 43 mm, and also 41 mm. Furthermore, it is also available with a choice of straps, namely semi-shiny alligator or sevenrow metal bracelet, which ultimately brings out the best of the watch’s multifaceted look.
On the watch face, the most eye-catching feature of the dial is arguably the return of the aforementioned AOPA wings to their original position at 12 o’clock. In other words, this one feature is sure to spark nostalgia for the collectors of Breitling’s original pilot’s watch, aviators, aircraft enthusiasts, and even tastemakers. Other than that, the modern colours –in shades of blue, green, and copper – also define the model’s updated dial options. Aside from the colour treatment, a flattened slide rule and a domed crystal create the illusion of a more compact profile, while the alternating polished and brushed finishing give the metal elements a lustrous, yet understated quality. Amidst all the different hues, a common thread runs across all of the sizes: a slimmer silhouette on the oscillating weight at the back enhances the open-case back view of the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01.Put simply, this movement is backed by a five-year warranty, provides approximately 70 hours of power reserve, and allows the wearer to change the date—now visible through a discreet window in the subdial—at any time.
Evidently, with the timepieces it revealed in the redesigned collection, Breitling is showing that the Navitimer has come a long way since Willy Breitling first drafted his idea for a wristworn flight tool. In essence, the Navitimer continues the uncompromising commitment to design excellence from the brand, as the elegance and sophistication meet functionality and finesse in an understated style. That being said, this redesigned collection, along with its focus on colour, styling, and inclusive appeal, truly marks a new phase in the Navitimer’s journey, a phase that surely blends Breitling’s modern aesthetics and values with its historic watchmaking savoir-faire to create an updated identity for the iconic watch that started it all.
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 with copper dial
Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 41 in 18-carat red gold
