Photo by Rama, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 fr What is Breitling?
Breitling is a Swiss luxury watchmaker founded 1884 in Saint-Imier (now headquartered in Grenchen). The company specializes in chronographs and aviation timing instruments. Léon Breitling registered the first independent chronograph pusher (1915) and the second pusher reset (1934) — innovations that became the foundation of modern chronographs. The Navitimer (1952) is one of the most iconic pilot watches ever produced. Annual production: approximately 150,000 watches.
History
Léon Breitling founded the company in 1884 in Saint-Imier specifically to produce chronographs and timing instruments — the first manufacturer to declare chronograph specialization as a brand identity. The company moved to La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1892 and to Grenchen in 1979. Across the 20th century Breitling supplied timing instruments to military and civilian aviation: the British Royal Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA, from 1954), and various national air forces.
Two patents define Breitling's contribution to modern chronograph design:
- 1915 — First chronograph with an independent pusher (separated from the crown). Before this, chronograph functions were controlled via the crown — a clumsy arrangement.
- 1934 — Second chronograph pusher (reset). Before this, reset was controlled via the same pusher as start/stop.
Together these patents define the modern two-pusher chronograph layout used by every chronograph manufacturer since.
Two buttons solve a problem. One button is a compromise. We chose the patent.
Léon Breitling on the dual-pusher patent, 1934
The 2017 acquisition by CVC Capital Partners and the appointment of Georges Kern (former IWC CEO) as Breitling CEO marked a significant rebrand. Kern softened the brand's strictly-aviation positioning toward a broader casual-luxury identity. The catalog was rationalized — fewer references, more design coherence, more partnerships outside aviation (Norton motorcycles, Triumph, Bentley). The 2018-present period is generally regarded as a successful brand rejuvenation.
Signature collections
Navitimer
The slide-rule chronograph. Released 1952. Modern Navitimer B01 Chronograph 41 ($9,000), 43 ($9,500), 46 ($10,400). Slide-rule bezel allows airspeed, fuel burn, distance, and currency calculations in flight. AOPA logo on some references commemorates the 1954 partnership. Cathedral hands, tri-compax dial. The most-collected Breitling vintage references are 1960s Navitimers with original AOPA dials.
Chronomat
The sport-watch chronograph. Released 1984 for the Italian Air Force's Frecce Tricolori aerobatic display team. Steel case, rotating bezel with rider tabs at 12, 3, 6, 9 (the "Frecce" tabs), Rouleaux integrated bracelet. Modern Chronomat B01 42 ($8,900). Limited edition Frecce Tricolori variants are perennial collector favorites.
Superocean
The dive collection. Superocean Automatic 42 ($4,800), Superocean Automatic 46 ($5,400). Released 1957, redesigned multiple times. The modern Superocean is a dress-sport diver — 200m-1,000m water resistance depending on reference, internal or external rotating bezel. Superocean Heritage references preserve the vintage aesthetic.
Breitling makes the chronograph that pilots actually wear. The Navitimer slide rule is a working tool, not a decoration.
Premier
The dress-watch collection. Released 2018 (revival of a 1940s name). Premier B01 Chronograph 42 ($8,300), Premier Automatic 40 ($4,400). Dressier proportions than the Navitimer or Chronomat — leather straps, Roman numeral dials, classical proportions.
Avenger
The military-tool collection. Avenger Automatic 42 ($5,000), Avenger Chronograph 45 ($5,400). Larger cases, sandblasted bezels, rubber straps. Sold to professional military and aviation users worldwide.
Price tiers
- Entry — Premier Automatic 40 ($4,400), Superocean Automatic 42 ($4,800), Avenger Automatic 42 ($5,000)
- Mid — Navitimer Automatic 41 ($5,500), Premier B01 Chronograph 42 ($8,300), Navitimer B01 Chronograph 41 ($9,000)
- Flagship — Chronomat B01 42 ($8,900), Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46 ($10,400), Avenger Limited Editions (varies)
- Limited / collector — Co-Pilot, Cosmonaute, Top Time editions, vintage Navitimers (1960s with original AOPA dials), Frecce Tricolori limited editions. $5K-$30K
What's worth knowing
Breitling's in-house Caliber 01 (B01) is among the most respected modern volume-production chronograph movements — column wheel, vertical clutch, 70-hour power reserve, COSC chronometer certified. The B01 sits between ETA/Valjoux 7750 derivatives (which power most of the rest of Breitling's catalog and most other Swiss chronographs in the $5K-$10K range) and Patek/AP-tier hand-finished movements. For a buyer who wants a serious in-house chronograph movement under $10,000, the B01 references are the canonical answers.
The Navitimer's slide rule is functional. Pilots can calculate airspeed, distance, fuel burn, and currency conversion using the rotating outer bezel against the fixed inner scale. The function is mostly ceremonial in the GPS era, but the calculations work. The slide rule is also the only major bezel function on a wristwatch that involves no electronic dependency — a feature the brand still markets.
Brand positioning under Georges Kern is meaningfully different from pre-2017 Breitling. The pre-2017 brand was strictly aviation, with significant marketing investment in the Breitling Jet Team aerobatic squad. The post-2017 brand is broader luxury — partnerships with Norton, Triumph, Bentley, and more diverse celebrity ambassadors (Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Adam Driver). The pre-rebrand catalog was larger and more disorganized; the post-rebrand catalog is tighter and more design-coherent. Both eras have their advocates among collectors.