Rolex
Breitling

THE BRAND

Breitling has its very own place among watch brands: the highly exclusive ‘stronghold’ of technical watches, mainly chronographs. A longstanding partner of aviation, a field where reliability and precision play a vital role, the brand has always devoted premier importance to the quality of its products, designed to withstand intensive use in the most trying conditions.

Breitling is a chronograph specialist that has played a key role in the technical development of this complication, including by inventing the two independent pushpieces and by presenting the first selfwinding chronograph (1969). The firm belongs to the highly exclusive circle of watch manufacturers possessing their very own mechanical chronograph movements:

Breitling cases are designed to accompany professionals on their most extreme missions. They must therefore provide maximum protection in case of impacts, and each detail of their construction has been developed and tested to withstand intensive use. They are also distinguished by their technical complexity, their high-end aesthetic appeal and the quality of their finishing.

To guarantee products complying with the highest technical and aesthetic parameters, not only does Breitling work with the finest suppliers and entrust production to the most expert watchmakers using the most sophisticated equipment, but the firm has also instated comprehensive and stringent test procedures. A Breitling chronometer thus undergoes no less than 1,000 controls during the production process.

Some examples for legendary and iconic models are the Navitimer, the Chronomat, the Emergency and the SuperOcean.

THE HISTORY

1884 founded by Leon Breitling and setup in Saint-Emier and moved to La Chaux de Fondin 1892, Leon was fascinated by the precision and the functionality of precise stopwatches (and other timing devices) used by sport, military or aviation institutions. 

In 1889, Breitling was granted a patent for a simple but functional chronograph that was easy to produce and to service, paving the way for the future development of this watch genre.  

With Leon Breitling’s death in 1914, Gaston Breitling takes over the company and following his passion for innovation, creates one of the first wrist chronographs with a separate push button to operate the chronograph function, in 1915.  

Followed by the patent of the two pusher chronograph system in 1923, allowing to start and stop the timer successively without resetting the chronograph and with that, setting the two pusher standard for today’s chronograph functions. 

By the time Willy Breitling takes over the company in 1932, Breitling offers over 40 different versions of chronographs specifically for aviation usage and is one of the leading watchmakers in this genre. 

In 1942, Breitling launched the Chronomat watch (combination of chronograph and mathematics) allowing the wearer to perform calculations by using the inner slide rule bezel. With the Chronomat, Breitling invested the face of today’s chronograph watches. 

The idea of the Chronomat was further improved in 1952, when Breitling introduced the iconic Navitimer (a combination of Navigation and Timer) a pilot’s watch with an enhanced slide rule bezel allowing the calculation of fuel consumptions, average speeds or climbing speeds. Sold under the reference 806, the dial of the first Navitimer was decorated with the “Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association” (AOPA) emblem which evolved into a real collaboration in the 1960s.  

In 1957, Breitling launched its first dive watch the “SuperOcean” with an impressive water resistance of 200 meters, followed by the “TransOcean” in 1958, adding shockproof and anti-magnetism functionality.   

The astronaut Scot Carpenter designed his own Navitimer, with a special 24 hour dial to be able to differentiate between day and night in space, and wore it during his flight in the Aurora 7 Capsule in 1962, making it the first chronograph in space. 

In 1969, Breitling together with Heuer issued the world’s first world automatic micro rotor chronograph (caliber 11). 

In 1979, Ernest Schneider took over the company until 2017 and was the driver for various redesigns (like the “Chronomat” in 1985) and innovations like the “Emergency” in 1988, which can act as a beacon sending a distress signal in times of need and later improved in 1995.   

To emphasize Breitling’s strive for quality and precision, all of Breitling’s movements are COSC certified since 1999 crowned by the introduction of the first in-house chronograph movement the B01, celebrating the 125th anniversary of the company, in 2009.  

TIMELINE

Let’s have a look at Breitling’s long history: 

1889

Patent for a simple and functional chronograph easy to produce and service.

1915

Launch of the first wristwatch chronograph with central seconds hand and 30-minute counter.

1923

Invention of the first chronograph pusher not incorporated in the crown

1934

Invention of the two pusher chronograph shaping the image of modern chronographs.

1936

Launch of the „on-board“ chronograph for airplanes.

1942

Launch of the chronomat (combines chronograph and mathematics), a watch with slide rule and manual winding officially introduced in the U.S. Army Air Force.

1952

Launch of the Navitimer (combines navigation and timer) famous for the complex bezel to calculate fuel consumption, rate of climbing or sinking and average speeds

1962

Launch of the Cosmonaute, worn by the astronaut Scott Carpenter during his space mission with the Aurora 7 capsule.

1969

Launch of calibre 11, one of the first automatic chronograph calibre.

1988

Launch of the first Emergency with a single antenna.

1995

Launch of the Emergency an expedition watch with built-in mini transmitter that can emit emergency signals at the frequency 121.5 MHz.

2009

Launch of the first in-house produced manufacture calibre, the column wheel chronograph Calibre B01.

BREITLING WATCHMAKER SQUAD