Stories

Breitling’s connection to aviation is more than a flight of fancy. The company’s ascent to the cockpit was not so much a marketing endeavor as it was a covert mission. It began in 1937 when the British War Office invited Willy Breitling to design cockpit clocks for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Willy promptly established a dedicated production division, Huit Aviation, to make timing instruments for the RAF and its Allies—an endeavor requiring the clandestine transport of his products from neutral Switzerland to France and Britain. (Stay tuned for more on that in a future story.)

After the war, Breitling’s aviation chronographs captivated both amateur and professional pilots, especially in 1952 when Breitling engineered what would become the world’s first wristwatch for pilots equipped with a circular slide rule. Intended for the world’s largest aviators’ club, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), it became the official watch of its members when production started two years later.

Touted as a “flight computer,” the Navitimer (its name a combination of navigation and timer) transformed the pilot’s chronograph, with its ability to calculate everything from the rate of climb to fuel consumption. And the watch’s appeal extended far beyond aviation; celebrities of the era, including musician Miles Davis and F1 drivers Jim Clark and Graham Hill, also stood out in their Navitimers.

Today, the circular slide rule that once helped pilots chart their course remains one of watchmaking’s great icons—and a symbol for all those plotting their personal journeys through life.