AVI CO-PILOT

Willy Breitling knew how important legibility for pilots was and came up with the groundbreaking idea of displaying the elapsed minutes with a disc instead of the usual subdial. What looked like a date window at three o’clock was a digital 15-minute totalizer. This innovative feature enhanced clarity under pressure.

The first Co-Pilot AVI (ref. 765), launched in 1953, was the descendant of the onboard and wrist-worn military instruments made by the HUIT Aviation department. The oversized numerals on its black dial ensured that reading the time didn’t distract the pilot from flying. Its engraved rotating bezel made it possible for pilots to access an immediate reading of long elapsed time and could also be used as a second time-zone indicator. It featured a beaded bezel, to make it easier to manipulate while wearing gloves. While the very first Co-Pilot was launched with the groundbreaking digital minute recorder, a more traditional analog version with a third subdial was launched right after and both were produced concomitantly from the mid-1950s until the early 1960s.

With international travel booming, Breitling introduced the Co-Pilot Unitime (ref. 1765), featuring a 24-hour dial and rotating bezel for tracking multiple time zones. Its popularity continued to grow with special yachting editions designed to time regatta countdowns—proof that the Co-Pilot was built for every adventure: “In the Air, On the Ground, Under the Sea.”