Simple, efficient and functional —Breitling’s Navitimer wristwatch could have merely remained a helpful navigational tool for pilots when airborne.
However, its unmistakeable style and rugged personality have elevated the Navitimer beyond mere function and have instead given it wings that have helped it to achieve iconic status. It is, quite simply, Breitling’s original pilot’s watch which, for a brand that is so synonymous with aviation, is quite the accolade.
Although deeply connected to aviation, the Navitimer also has a relationship with space travel. In 1962, a stainless steel model sat on the wrist of American astronaut Scott Carpenter aboard the Aurora 7 spacecraft and thus became the first watch to orbit the earth, a feat Breitling advertised at the time with a poster that carried the slogan, ‘Watch in space!’.
Since its birth 70 years ago, the aura around this beloved chronograph has grown, thus establishing a legendary position in the annals of horology. Breitling can proudly say that the Navitimer is the world’s oldest chronograph still in production. Many watches claim to be iconic but few actually are—Breitling’s Navitimer’s hall of fame credentials, however, are rock solid.
Fresh wings
Today, 70 years after the Navitimer made its historic debut in 1952, Breitling has reimagined its signature piece. Although maintaining many of the classic trademarks that have made it such an admired and respected watch, the Breitling design department has made artful adjustments to the 2022 Navitimer that will no doubt attract a new generation to this hallowed timepiece.
Dials appearing in fresh, bold colours are perhaps the most immediately noticeable feature of the redesigned Navitimer. Black, silver, copper, ice blue, and mint green give the 2022 Navitimer a new, more youthful energy that aims to make the watch more inclusive.
A key feature of the updated Navitimer is the nostalgic return of the elegant AOPA wings to their original position at 12 o’clock.
The Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association—the largest aviators’ club in the world—selected the Navitimer as their official timepiece in 1954, two years after the Navitimer’s debut. Continuing to the present day, it’s a relationship that demonstrates the high regard in which the watch is held among the aviation community.
These new design elements sit alongside the Navitimer’s tried and tested features that make it so recognisable. The circular slide rule, its baton indexes, its trio of chronograph counters, and notched bezel for easy grip even while wearing pilot’s gloves, will please the traditionalists when they come to assess the new models. This year’s Navitimer comes in three sizes—41mm, 43mm and 46mm—all of which are available in either a stainless steel or 18k red gold case. Inside, it’s equipped with the COSC-certified Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 that provides a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. A slimmer silhouette on the oscillating weight enhances the open-caseback view of the movement.
The movement allows the wearer to change the date—now visible through a discreet window in the sub dial at 6 o’clock—at any time. Straps for the new Navitimer come in semi-shiny alligator or a seven-row metal bracelet. The Navitimer’s flattened slide rule and domed crystal create the illusion of a more compact profile while alternating polished and brushed finishes give the metal elements a lustrous yet understated quality.
Georges Kern became CEO of Breitling in 2017 and has modernised the brand by not only branching out into new design codes but also by enlisting new ambassadors from the worlds of film, surfing, triathlon, and exploration. However, Kern of course understands the importance of aviation to the brand and is keen to maintain its strong roots within this field, as shown with the high profile unveiling of the new 2022 Navitimer.
“We don’t throw the term ‘icon’ around lightly,” explains Kern. “The Navitimer is one of the most recognisable watches ever made. It’s on collectors’ 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 on their personal journey.” Breitling, he adds, is a watch company connects with “pioneers in the field of aviation” and has “the dream to push limits.”
Charting a new course
To launch the 2022 Navitimer, Georges Kern assembled another of his innovative ‘Squads’. Following on from collaborations with the likes of Brad Pitt, Adam Driver and Charlize Theron who formed the Cinema Squad, and the trio of triathletes Chris McCormack, Daniela Ryf and Jan Frodeno, Kern now announces the Navitimer Squad, which consists of Milwaukee Bucks basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, ballet dancer Misty Copeland, and aviation pioneer and explorer Bertrand Piccard, who was the first person to fly non-stop around the world in a balloon.
In choosing these extraordinary people, Breitling HQ explains, “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.”
In 2015 Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre company’s 75-year history.
The 39-year-old says her partnership with the Breitling Navitimer is a celebration of her personal and professional journey. “This project means a lot to me because it celebrates not only where I was in life, but where I’d come from and where I am going,” she says. “There is an absolute parallel between navigating towards a physical destination and navigating towards the vision of where you want to be in life.”
With Breitling’s updated Navitimer on her wrist, Copeland—along with Antetokounmpo and Piccard —are ready for any journey they embark upon, safe in the knowledge that they are accompanied by the best co-pilot they could wish for.
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