As Breitling\u2019s legendary timepiece turns 70, the brand unveils a redesigned collection that is all about bold colour, enhanced styling\u2014and incredible journeys.<\/p>\n
For 70 years, Breitling\u2019s original pilot\u2019s watch has been beloved by aviators and tastemakers in equal measure. Worn by an astronaut in space and the biggest stars on Earth, it is Breitling\u2019s most iconic timepiece. Today, Breitling honours the legend with the introduction of a new Navitimer that captures its most classic features, while enhancing them with modern refinements.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t throw the term \u2018icon\u2019 around lightly,\u201d says Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling. \u201cThe Navitimer is one of the most recognisable watches ever made. It\u2019s on collectors\u2019 lists of the greatest watches of all time. What began as a tool for pilots has gone on to mean something profound to every single person who has had this timepiece along on their personal journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not even its inventor could have predicted the phenomenon the Navitimer would become. 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), the largest aviators\u2019 club in the world, announced the design as its official timepiece. The association\u2019s winged logo was emblazoned at 12 o\u2019clock, and the \u201cnavigation timer\u201d\u2014or Navitimer\u2014was born.<\/p>\n
The Navitimer grew up alongside the burgeoning civil aviation industry. Beloved by airline captains and aircraft enthusiasts, it even made its way into space on the wrist of astronaut Scott Carpenter in 1962 as a 24-hour timepiece to tell day from night. And it wasn\u2019t only pilots drawn to the watch\u2019s irrepressible aesthetic. Celebrities of the day, such as Miles Davis, Serge Gainsbourg, Jim Clark, and Graham Hill, were devotees, proving that the Navitimer had style as well as function.<\/p>\n
To create the new Navitimer, Breitling preserved the most recognisable aspects of the icon\u2019s design code. From a distance, this is unmistakably a Navitimer, with its circular slide rule, baton indexes, trio of chronograph counters, and notched bezel for easy grip. Up close, however, its modern refinements come through loud and clear.<\/p>\n
A flattened slide rule and a domed crystal create the illusion of a more compact profile. Alternating polished and brushed finishes give the metal elements a lustrous yet understated quality. A slimmer silhouette on the oscillating weight enhances the open-case back view of the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01. This movement is backed by a five-year warranty, provides approximately 70 hours of power reserve, and allows the wearer to change the date\u2014now visible through a discreet window in the subdial at 6 o\u2019clock\u2014at any time.<\/p>\n
The watch comes in a range of sizes (46, 43, or 41 mm), two case materials (stainless steel or 18-karat red gold), and a choice of straps (semi-shiny alligator or seven-row metal bracelet). Modern colours in shades of blue, green, and copper define its updated dial options. And if there is one feature sure to spark nostalgia, it\u2019s the return of the AOPA wings to their original position at 12 o\u2019clock.<\/p>\n
Today, after 70 years, the Navitimer has gone beyond being a tool used by pilots to navigate their course. It has become a symbol for those plotting their personal journeys through life.<\/p>\n
Breitling celebrates this significance in a new campaign, NAVITIMER\u2014FOR THE JOURNEY, featuring the Navitimer Squad, made up of basketball superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Misty Copeland, and aviation pioneer and explorer Bertrand Piccard. Each member has been on an incredible journey to get to where they are today at the top of their fields. Each one has charted a course and stayed on it through sheer determination. And each one is on route to achieving their next set of ambitions. Using powerful visuals and the Squad Members\u2019 own narration, the campaign gets to the heart of these moving journeys.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project means a lot to me because it celebrates not only where I was in life, but where I\u2019d come from and where I am going,\u201d says Misty Copeland. \u201cThere is an absolute parallel between navigating towards a physical destination and navigating towards the vision of where you want to be in life. You\u2019ll see that theme come through in these three stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Navitimer has come a long way since Willy Breitling first drafted his idea for a wrist-worn flight tool. This redesign, with its focus on colour, styling, and inclusive appeal, marks a new phase in the Navitimer\u2019s journey, one that blends Breitling\u2019s modern aesthetics and values with its historic watchmaking savoir-faire to create an updated identity for the iconic watch that started it all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As Breitling\u2019s legendary timepiece turns 70, the brand unveils a redesigned collection that is all about bold colour, enhanced styling\u2014and incredible journeys. For 70 years, Breitling\u2019s original pilot\u2019s watch has been beloved by aviators and tastemakers in equal measure. Worn by an astronaut in space and the biggest stars on Earth, it is Breitling\u2019s most…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":92675,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11443,16111],"class_list":["post-102218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-couture","category-watches-jewellery"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n