Breitling Navitimer

The story

The Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 41, ref. AB0139631C1P1, carries a history that began in 1952, when Willy Breitling developed a wrist-worn chronograph with a circular slide rule for pilots’ flight calculations. In 1954, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association adopted the design as its official timepiece: the “navigation timer”, or Navitimer. The AOPA remains the world’s largest pilots’ club, historically counting nearly every US aviator among its ranks. Worn by airline captains and aircraft enthusiasts through civil aviation’s formative decades, the Navitimer family also reached space with Scott Carpenter in 1962. Here, the self-winding Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01 provides approximately 70 hours of power reserve. This 2025 example pairs a blue dial with a 41 mm steel case, a leather strap and factory-set diamonds on the bezel and lugs. Presented in as-new condition, it brings a different play of light to the familiar aviation design: blue at the centre, with diamonds tracing its surround. Accompanied by its box and papers, this Full Set suits a collector drawn to Navitimer history or a wearer seeking a more decorative expression of the pilot’s chronograph. Imagine it beneath a cuff, ready for an ordinary morning or a departure worth remembering, a companion for the journey and the memories ahead. Available to view by appointment.