The brand boasts an impressive 130 year history and pilots rely on Breitling’s chronographs, but calendars, world timers and divers’ watches also are part of the history. Here are five important Breitling watches that helped define the brand’s identity from 1915 through the modern day.
Breitling Chronomat
The timepiece was launched in 1941, the Breitling Chronomat was based on a patent document that Breitling submitted in 1940: patent number 217012 granted protection for an instrument-style wristwatch with a circular slide rule.
This new model attracted many aficionados in sports and industry and technicians appreciated its special features, which made their work easier.
Breitling Navitimer
This watch’s name, which was trademarked in 1955, has nothing to do with the navy. The Breitling Navitimer, was debuted in 1952 and was designed to help pilot’s co-ordinate time and navigation: it was equipped with calculating functions. Advertisements described this multifunctional device, which contained the hand-wound Caliber Venus 178, as a ‘personal onboard instrument’.
The built-in slide rule enabled aviators to multiply and divide, convert nautical miles to land miles, and calculate averages, fuel consumption, average gain of altitude and distances during ascent and landing.
Breitling Chrono-matic
Sales of chronographs declined markedly during the second half of the 1960s. After this, Breitling and its competitor Tag Heuer formed a partnership to develop the first automatic chronograph and hoped that its launch would help counteract the fall.
Breitling Emergency
The Breitling Emergency debuted in 1995 and was designed to save lives in critical situations. The Breitling Emergency was developed in collaboration with professional pilots. Breitling equipped the flip open case of this big titanium watch with a micro transmitter set to the international air distress frequency of 121.5 MHz.
The transmitter of the Breitling Emergency could send signals via an extendible wire antenna if the wearer needed help and once activated, the transmitter would repeatedly emit a 0.75-second impulse every 2.25 seconds.
Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime
Breitling’s headliner for 2012 followed in the footsteps of its world timer Unitime, which made its debut in 1951. From a technical and functional standpoint the Breitling transocean Chronograph Unitime, was years ahead of its historical predecessor. The improvements began with the self-winding manufacture chronograph movement and continued with the mechanism under the dial.
