Everything has a name, and each name has a meaning and a reason for being named. So, what is the origin of the name of that famous watch? In this column, we will explore the secrets behind the names of watches and introduce them along with their anecdotes.
In the sixth installment, we will explore the origin of the name of the Breitling Navitimer, a watch whose reproduction model of the final version of the first model attracted attention at Baselworld 2019.
Photographs by Masanori Yoshie
Articles published in March 2019
Breitling Navitimer
One of the models that stole the show at Baselworld 2019 was Breitling's Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition. It is a reproduction of the highly popular 1959 model, the final model of the first Navitimer model.
The highlight of this watch is the thorough and complete reproduction supervised by Fred Mandelbaum, a world-renowned Breitling collector. It is equipped with the Cal. B09, a manual-winding version of the in-house developed chronograph movement Cal. 01, which took about a year and a half to modify. It is astonishing how the watch has been reproduced almost perfectly, even down to the position of the hands on the sub-dial. The Navitimer transitioned to a second model with bar indexes immediately after this 1959 model.
As its name suggests, the Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition is the first in the Re-Edition series, which brings Breitling's historic timepieces into the modern era. Similar complete re-editions are planned for the future, and watch enthusiasts are eager to see what the next release will be. And the fact that the Navitimer was chosen for the first in the series will be no surprise to any watch enthusiast. The Navitimer is Breitling's most beautiful embodiment of the brand's slogan, "a wrist-worn instrument," and truly represents the brand.
The Navitimer was born in 1952. However, to talk about its birth, we must start with the birth of the Chronomat, exactly 10 years earlier, in 1942.
During this time, motorization was flourishing and demand for sports timekeeping was on the rise. Breitling responded to the demand for speed and efficiency calculations with the Chronomat, a watch that incorporated a rotating logarithmic slide rule into the bezel of its specialty chronograph. Breitling quickly foresaw the arrival of the era of mass transportation by commercial airlines in the aviation world and immediately developed a new era of pilot's watches.
That model was the subsequent "Navitimer," an evolution of the "Chronomat." Its innovative feature of being equipped with an aviation-specific circular slide rule established a new genre known as the "aviation chronograph." As the first watch to feature a circular slide rule, the "Chronomat" is also a historic masterpiece and a symbol of Breitling. As you may know, the name was revived in 1984, the 100th anniversary of Breitling's founding, and the new "Chronomat" has since become a core Breitling collection.
The Navitimer was introduced in 1952 as a more advanced version of the Chronomat.
After World War II, the aviation industry experienced unprecedented development due to the dramatic evolution of aircraft and the increase in the number of pilots. In response, Breitling developed the Navitimer as an advanced aviation chronograph. Its greatest feature was the evolution of the Navitimer from a general-purpose slide rule into an aviation-specific slide rule, or flight computer, known as the E-6B.
It was a huge success. The E-6B was invented by U.S. Navy Captain John Dalton in 1937. When World War II broke out, all U.S. military pilots were trained in how to use it. After the war, many of these pilots went on to become pilots for commercial airlines, with the number easily exceeding 400,000.
In other words, there was already a demand for 40 Navitimers at the time of their release. It was truly a practical, wrist-mounted instrument.
And one more thing: the Navitimer remains almost unchanged to this day. That's another important point.
In other words, the Navitimer is a perfectly finished product that does not need to be modified. It is the ultimate timeless aviation chronograph, and the fact that such a Navitimer can still be purchased today is a great joy for all watch enthusiasts.
So, what is the origin of the name "Navitimer," an innovative model that played an important role not only in the watch industry but also in the aviation industry?
First of all, its predecessor, "Chronomat," is a combination of "Chronograph" and "Mathematics." And "Navitimer" is a combination of "Navigation" and "Timer." Both names are simple and clear. They are easy to remember and yet succinctly express their superior functions.
So Breitling's watchmaking ideas are of course genius, but their naming sense is also genius.
Writer and editor. Writes about men's lifestyles in general for publications such as "LEON" and "MADURO." He also writes about watches in a series of articles and appears in many videos for the web magazine "FORZA STYLE."
Contact info: Breitling Japan Tel. 03-3436-0011
Among Breitling's watches, we will introduce the current models from its flagship collection, the Navitimer.
http://www.webchronos.net/features/40275/
