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The breitling watch family tradition for quality and accuracy in timekeeping has continued for nearly a full century. Historically at the breitling watch company the achievements of L. Breitling (watch maker), who along with his son and successor Gaston Breitling, developed and built the very first wrist chronograph, to Willy Breitling, the founders grandson, who modified and improved the modern chronograph.The early breitling watch chronographs featured both center chronograph seconds as well as a 30 minute totalizer.

Breitling watch company were founded in 1884 in Switzerland & breitling watch company have been famed for their work in the field of aviation timepiece, breitling watch company fell upon hard times, until it's rejuvenation in the mid 80's. With breitling watch company new ownership and design team the breitling watch marque has enjoyed a meteoric rise to it's present position as the aviation fraternity's preferred watch. The breitling watch-aerospace model is standard issue to RAF pilots. The dial is embossed with the eagle and wreath, and each one is individually numbered. Special squadrons receive unique issues. For instance, Harrier, Tornado, Red Arrows, etc. The breitling watch-Chronomat model was designed in conjunction with the Italian Air force in 1984, strength of design and reliability see it still in production today, in fact one of their best selling watches.



The model for which they are most famed is the Navitimer. Originally a manual watch it has been updated to automatic. This watch is a legend among pilots, the first to be fitted with a slide rule to calculate fuel consumption; rate of assent, air speed, distance, the list is endless. Also having a chronograph function, supplying the pilot with minute and hour totalisers, it made the watch the complete aviation timepiece.

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Old Navitimer | Heritage navitimer | Cosmonaute | Navitimer Breitling Fighters | Spatiographe | Montbrillant | Chronomat watch | Chronomat Blackbird | Chronomat Longitude | breitling Wings Crosswind watch | Crosswind Special | Aerospace | Emergency | Chrono Avenger | Superocean | Chrono Colt Ocean | watch repairs | watch technical advise



Breitling were founded in 1884 in Switzerland, the company have been famed for their work in the field of aviation timepieces. For various reasons the company fell upon hard times, until it's rejuvenation in the mid 80's.



With new ownership and design team the marque has enjoyed a meteoric rise to it's present position as the aviation fraternity's preferred watch.
The Aerospace model is standard issue to RAF pilots. The dial is embossed with the eagle and wreath, and each one is individually numbered. Special squadrons receive unique issues. For instance, Harrier, Tornado, Red Arrows, C.A.A etc. The Chronomat model was designed in conjunction with the Italian Air force in 1984, strength of design and reliability see it still in production today, in fact one of their best selling watches.




The model for which they are most famed is the Navitimer. Originally a manual watch it has been updated to automatic. This watch is a legend among pilots, the first to be fitted with a slide rule to calculate fuel consumption; rate of assent, air speed, distance, the list is endless. Also having a chronograph function, supplying the pilot with minute and hour totalisers, it made the watch the complete aviation timepiece. Breitling sponsor almost every prestige aviation show. Their dedication the aviation has lead them to form the Breitling Fighters. A stable of Second World War fighter aircraft, restored to mint condition, and flown by the worlds top pilots. Each bares the Breitling yellow nose cowling, and famed Breitling wings emblem.
It's not only older planes that they choose to be associated with. Breitling are patrons of the Red Arrows, they receive a special Aerospace on induction to the team, and are regular visitors to the U.Ks head office, happy to be present at functions at Breitling's exclusive stockists. A measure of their regard and confidence in the marque.

Famous Models.
The 'Old Navitimer'.
The flagship chronograph of the Breitling watchmaking company is the 'Old Navitimer'. The precision and ease with which crucial information is made legible is probably one of the main reasons why Breilting timing instruments have claimed an important position on the instrument panel of many legendary aircraft.

Not only was their significance understood in the military arena, they have also been accompanying instruments on commercial aircraft such as the Boeing Clipper and the DC3.



Modern Marques.



Breitling Emergency


The Breitling Emergency was originally design for pilots and aircrews. It is a watch with a built-in micro-transmitter broadcasting on the 121.5 MHz aircraft emergency frequency and is designed to complement the distress signalling equipment of any aircraft. Following a crash the 'Emergency' will broadcast a signal on which rescuers can home in.



The transmitter is activated (for 48 hours) by unscrewing a protective cap and pulling the antenna out fully. Over flat terrain or calm seas, the transmitter signal has a range of about 160Km (assuming the search aircraft is flying at an altitude of 6000m).





The Watchmakers Favourite. (Mr Tony Williams)



Cosmonaute.





Brief History of Breitling.

1884 - 2000.

1884 - Leon Breitling opens a workshop in St. Imier, Switzerland that specialises in making chronographs and precision counters.

1892 - Due to significant growth the company of Breitling relocate to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the centre of Swiss watchmaking at that time.

1914 - Leon Breitling's son, Gaston takes over the running of the company.

1915 - Breitling produce the first chronograph wristwatch.

1923 - Breitling develop the first independent chronograph pushpiece. (chronograph functions had previously been controlled using the crown).

1932 - Willy Breitling takes the helm of the Breitling empire.

1936 - Breitling becomes the official supplier to the Royal Air Force.

1942 - Breitling launches it's Chronomat, the first chronograph with a circular slide rule.

1952 - Breitling creates the Navitimer. A wristwatch capable of handling all calculations called for by a flight plan ensuring that the Navitimer becomes a firm favourite among pilots around the world.

1965 - Breitling invent the self-winding chronograph movement.

1979 - Ernest Schneider, a pilot and watch enthusiast takes the reins of Breitling from the founder's Grandson, Willy Breitling.

1984 - Breitling launches the Chronomat. It quickly becomes the best seller in the Breitling range.

1985 - Breitling introduces the Aerospace. A multifunction electronic chronograph crafted in Titanium.

1992 - The Breitling calibre 10 movement is launched. The world's smallest 'modular' chronograph movement.

1995 - Breitling presents the Emergency. A multifunction chronograph with a built-in microtransmitter capable of broadcasting on the aircraft emergency frequency (121.5MHz).

1998 - Breitling launches the B-1. The B-1 embodies significant progress in the field of Swiss microelectric engineering.

1999 - The 'all chronometer challenge'. Breitling sets itself the challenge of submitting it's entire range to the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute.

2000 - Breitling move to new Headquarters in Grenchen Switzerland.





Limited Editions.

Breitling Emergency 'Orbiter 3'.

On March 21st 1999, Bertrand Piccard and his fellow crew member Brian Jones touched down in the Egyptian dessert to complete the first non-stop round-the-world balloon flight aboard the 'Breitling Orbiter 3'.
To commemorate this unique achievement in aviation history, Breitling have issued a limited 'Emergency Orbiter' series, made up of 1999 watches in Titanium, as well as 20 in Yellow Gold and 20 in White Gold. Each watch comes with a certificate as well as a piece of the original Breitling Orbiter 3 envelope.



Breitling Chronomats -



The Chronomat has a long and storied history. Ernest Schneider acquired Breitling from Willy Breitling in 1979 when the company was on the brink of bankruptcy. Beginning in 1984, the 100th anneversary of the firm's founding, Ernest Schneider sought to bring out a new mechanical wristwatch.


Up until that time, Schneider's Breitling offerings were mostly quartz watches with a military flavor. The Breitling version of the story is that they consulted with the Italian airforce aerobatic team known as Frecce Tricolori.

The result was a chronograph with some peculiar case details. First, it had a flat profile. Most large chronographs have lugs that bend downward toward the wrist. Breitling instead put the "bend" in the lug end of the bracelet.

The second curious feature of the Chronomat design was screw-on markers at noon, 15, 30 and 45 minutes on the bezel. The rationale for attaching these "rider tabs" with screws was that the bezel could be converted to a countdown timer (although it ratchets in one direction only) by exchanging the 15 and 30 minute tabs.

Perhaps the third unusual feature of the watch was the name. When Schneider bought Breitling from the ailing Willy Breitling, he also bought rights to all registered trademarks. Schneider chose the name of one of the defunct watch lines instead of registering a new trademark. Thus the Breitling Chronomat was reborn, but with no resemblance to the original (which looked much like a present-day Navitimer Montbrillant).

The movement in the Chronomat is the now-popular Valjoux 7750. It has been reported elsewhere that Breitling began with the 17 jewel version, but upgraded during their 97/98 product line to the 25 jewel version. Some have said the Breitling version is not overly adorned or re-tuned. However, in 1997, Breitling bought Kelek and has incorporated their movement technology into their product line. The reports of Breitlings having mechanical problems have subsided. Quietly, people have stopped maligning these watches. Nevertheless, I have been told (so it is third hand now) that older Chronomats suffered from poor quality control. Be careful when buying a used chronomat.

Other case features: the crown is screw-down. The pushers are an interesting rounded/ridged design that keeps them from dominating the side of the watch. There are crown protectors on either side of the crown protruding from the case.

The case is available in all stainless steel, two-tone (the rider tabs, bezel screws, pushers and crown are 18k gold OR bezel is 18k gold but rider tabs are SS), and all 18k gold. Since the 1994/95 model year, the Breitling emblem on the face is either 18k yellow gold (TT or solid gold versions) or white gold (SS versions). The hands have changed somewhat over time. They are precious metal in the TT/18k gold versions, but the chronograph hands are blue metal. Early chronomats have a central chronograph hand that ends in a simple, squared-off tail (see the early chronomat picture above). Newer Chronomat chronograph hands have the Breitling script "B" and anchor at the end (see the pictures below). The hour and minute hands have tritium fields for luminescence





Chronomat GT Chronomat Vitesse

Continuing onto the face: there are two face styles currently in production. The "GT" style has large rings around the totalizers (subdials), and large hour markers ending in tritium dots. The "Vitesse" style has block arabic numerals for the hour markers, which in turn are filled in with tritium for luminescence. The immediately previous generation of Chronomats came with either somewhat thinner hour markers, or somewhat smaller and non-slanted numerals.
The face styles and colors are many and varied. I've put a few favorites below, but there are many others.

There are several chronomat variants/descendents, listed here in no particular order:

· One notable variant is the Chronomat Blackbird, a black faced Chronomat GT (technically, no, it is closer to the Chronomats prior to 97/98), with an all-matte stainless steel case and (optional) matching pilot bracelet.

· A second variant is the Chronomat Longitude, which has a second, independent hour hand for keeping two time zones. The Longitude's bezel is also bi-directional and marked with hours, so that yet a third time zone can be kept track of.

· On the size front, there are several smaller sizes-- Chrono Sextant (mechaquartz, 36mm diameter), Chrono Jetstream (also mechaquartz, 36.6mm diameter), Chrono Cockpit (automatic, discontinued, 38mm); and, one larger size-- Chorono Crosswind (7750-based, luminous chronograph hands, 44mm)

The bracelets for chronomats comes in two options-- a so-called pilot bracelet or a bullet bracelet.

Pilot Bracelet in stainless steel.

Rouleaux (bullet) bracelet in stainless steel.

I only have experience with the Pilot bracelet, but have found it to be quite comfortable and of high quality. The links are solid metal and fit together tightly. It doesn't "shave my wrist" when I wear it ok.