Breitling

Breitling: more than a century of innovation

Founded in 1884, Breitling quickly became a reference in pilot's watches. Their first innovation concerned watch pushers: in 1915 they launched the first chronograph with a separate pusher before adding a second one around 1934. This caused a sensation and revolutionized timekeeping. In the early 1930s, the Swiss company developed an on-board chronograph specially designed for aircraft cockpits. In 1936, the manufacturer became the official supplier to the Royal Air Force, mainly thanks to its invention. During the Second World War, Breitling became the official supplier to the British Air Force before also supplying the US Army.

The Navitimer Revolution

It was in 1952 that the watchmaking house invented the Navitimer, a wrist chronograph equipped with a circular slide rule that can perform more than 20 different calculations: a valuable tool for navigation. Thanks to the Breitling Navitimer watch, pilots could easily perform all the operations required for air navigation. Proof of the success of this model with pilots and other aviation enthusiasts, it has been produced for over 60 years, making it the oldest mechanical chronograph in the world still being manufactured.