Breitling Navitimer Heritage A35340 - SOLD
Among pilot’s watches, few are as legendary as the Breitling Navitimer. Its iconic design is transcendent and its outsized functionality reminds us that watches, especially those of the aviation variety, are tools. Breitling first introduced the Navitimer in 1952. It was designed specifically for pilots and was an evolution of the Chronomat. The first Navitimer – the 806 – became the official watch of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Like the Chronomat, the Navitimer integrated the slide rule which was used for taking in-flight measurements, making it perhaps the ultimate tool watch for a pilot. Originally powered by the famous Valjoux 72 movement, subsequent iterations made use of the Venus 178, the automatic caliber 11, a digital quartz movement (believe it or not) and then finally the in-house Breitling 01 caliber. The Navitimer dial is simply an enigma. It’s super busy, yet strangely legible - three registers – running small seconds at nine o’clock, minutes at three o’clock and hours at six o’clock – in a reverse panda color scheme. The date window between four and five o’clock somehow doesn’t seem out of place or in the way. Beautiful colour combination with the raised ‘B’ wing logo and the red sweep seconds hand. And then there’s the lume applied on the hour markers and minute and hour hands – a few minutes charge gets you a few hours of time-telling in the dark. This is all ringed in, of course, by the slide rule with which you can multiply, divide, measure average speed, productivity rate, calculate currency conversions, gas consumption, ground speed, miles per minute, rate of climb, rate of descent, the tip on a dinner bill and elapsed time. Using the bezel and the current position of the sun in the sky you can even use the Navitimer as a compass. And lest you be disappointed that it doesn’t have a see-through caseback, engraved on the solid caseback is Celcius to Farenheit conversion table. The chronograph is your uber-classic two-button pusher configuration. Stop/start button at two o’clock, reset button at four o’clock. A hard click is required, especially when starting the chronograph. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it ensures you’re not going to accidentally start the timer. The harder push is actually fairly satisfying as well as it emits a solid click. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it ensures you’re not going to accidentally start the timer. The harder push is actually fairly satisfying as well as it emits a solid click. Few words adequately describe a timepiece such as this! However, extraordinary, exceptional, remarkable and outstaning spring to mind!!!
“You simply don’t become official supplier to world aviation by chance”
A specialist of technical watches, Breitling has played a crucial role in the development of the wrist chronograph and is a leader in this complication. The firm has shared all the finest moments in the conquest of the skies thanks to its sturdy, reliable and high-performance instruments. One of the world's only major watch brands to equip all its models with chronometer-certified movements, the ultimate token of precision, Breitling is also one of the rare companies to produce its own mechanical chronograph movements, entirely developed and manufactured in its own workshops. This family business is also one of the last remaining independent Swiss watch brands. |
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