The Navitimer chronograph – the name is a contraction of “navigation” and “timer” – was designed in 1952 by Willy Breitling. At the time, he was head of the family business founded in 1884, which would grow to become one of Switzerland’s largest watch manufacturers. A true visionary, Willy dreamed of creating a wrist chronograph with a circular slide rule, allowing pilots to perform all the necessary in-flight calculations, from flight plans to fuel consumption and average speed. This groundbreaking feature essentially functioned as a mechanical computer, complemented by baton indexes, three auxiliary counters, 30-minute and 12-hour totalisers, small seconds and a notched bezel that was easy to turn even while wearing gloves.
Two years later, in 1954, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the world’s largest aviators’ club, recognised the Navitimer’s exceptional qualities, adopting it as their official timepiece. Breitling’s first dedicated pilots’ watch saw immediate success, its popularity growing in tandem with the booming civil aviation industry.
The Navitimer has been worn by pilots, astronauts (including Scott Carpenter during a 1962 NASA mission) and celebrities including Miles Davis, Serge Gainsbourg, Jim Clark, Graham Hill and David Beckham. It pioneered the concept of the modern chronograph – both luxurious and casual – and has remained at the forefront of the watchmaking scene ever since. Today, enthusiasts of professional instruments like the Navitimer have a wealth of options to choose from.
For over 70 years, the Navitimer has been a creative cornerstone for Breitling. Since 2010, it has featured manufacture calibres and earned certification from the demanding COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute). The range now includes models faithful to the 1952 original as well as more adventurous designs. These include hyper-masculine chronographs with diameters up to 46 mm, date displays (introduced in 1969) and additional complications added in the 1990s, such as second time zone indicators. The collection also includes coloured dials, feminine 32 mm versions and luxurious variants with mother-of-pearl dials adorned with diamond indexes.
The Navitimer has evolved significantly since Willy Breitling first sketched out his idea for a wrist-mounted flight instrument. As Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling, reflects: “The Navitimer is one of the most recognisable watches ever created, revered by collectors as one of the all-time greats. While it began as a professional tool for pilots, it now holds a deeper significance for those who are fortunate enough to wear one. The Navitimer is the perfect companion for any journey – whether by air, land or sea.”
