What is Breitling? The watch brand that started the history of the chronograph [Beginner's Guide]

Breitling, a Swiss luxury watch brand, is less well-known than Rolex or Omega, but it has many enthusiastic fans. Its instrument-like looks and functional beauty capture the hearts of men. In this article, we will introduce the history of Breitling and its many masterpieces.

What kind of watch brand is Breitling?

　Breitling is a watch manufacturer based in Switzerland.

　Switzerland is famous as a global producer of wristwatches, but when Breitling was founded in 1884, it was one of the first to focus on chronographs, and it became a watch brand with a reputation for accurately measuring time, setting it apart from its rivals.

　Breitling's main products are stopwatches and cockpit watches used by pilots, based on the philosophy of "not a watch, but an (aviation) instrument" and "instrument for professionals."

　The company has positioned watches as "instruments worn on the wrist" and has been making precision timepieces, with all of its products being COSC-certified chronometers.

　As a result, the company has had strong ties with the aviation industry since before the war, and even today models such as the "Aerospace" and "Emergency" are sold as watches for pilots and are highly regarded.

Breitling's History and Roots

　Breitling's history dates back to its founding in 1884. Léon Breitling, then a 24-year-old young man, established a workshop in Saint-Imier, a small village in the Swiss mountains, to manufacture precision instruments such as chronographs and stopwatches.

　Since its founding, the company has produced products using its own technology that have won many awards, and its speed measuring devices in particular have received such high praise that they have been officially adopted by the police, which has led to Breitling gaining widespread public recognition.

　In 1892, the company moved its headquarters to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the center of the watch industry, solidifying its foundation as a watch brand.

　Around this time, aircraft development and production of military aircraft were becoming more active, and Leon Breitling became interested in the latest technology, airplanes, so he began producing chronograph pocket watches for pilots.

　Leon Breitling passed away in 1914 at the young age of 54, but his son, Gaston Breitling, succeeded him and achieved great feats such as developing the one-push chronograph with a 30-minute counter, the prototype of today's chronograph wristwatch.

Breitling and the World Wars

　In 1915, Breitling released the world's first chronograph wristwatch with a single push button. At the time, Europe was in the midst of World War I, and the demand for and technology in watches was rapidly increasing.

　The word "chronograph" is a compound word that combines the Latin words "chronos" (time) and "graph" (to record), and is essentially a stopwatch.

　World War I was the first time that airplanes appeared on the battlefield as weapons, and it was an era when biplane fighter planes with two or three main wings dominated aerial combat.

　At the time, pilots calculated the remaining fuel from the flight time after takeoff, so chronograph watches, which allowed them to check the passage of time, became an essential tool for fighter pilots.

　Breitling subsequently gained considerable support from the aviation industry, including receiving a large order from the Royal Air Force in 1939, and even during World War II, Breitling chronograph watches were worn by men soaring through the skies.

　Chronographs were also evolving in line with advances in aviation technology. In 1942, the Battle of Midway began in the Pacific Ocean, and Allied forces were intensifying their bombing raids on the German mainland.

　As the battlefield environment, which had previously been dominated by the army and navy, shifted to one dominated by air power, where air superiority determined victory or defeat, Breitling released the Chronomat, the world's first watch with a rotating scale that could calculate speed, fuel consumption, and other parameters.

　After the war ended, Breitling products were adopted by airlines and enjoyed overwhelming popularity among both military and civilian customers. In this way, Breitling established a solid position as a specialist in pilot's watches, along with chronographs.

Breitling Pilot's Watches

　Unlike diver's watches, which are designed for underwater environments, there are no clear standards for pilot's watches. However, the most important thing is to ensure good visibility in any environment.

　The type of watch will be determined by adding external design elements to the design, but Breitling watches combine extremely high functionality and meticulous quality as pilot watches with exquisite aesthetics born from precise calculations.

Durable and beautiful exterior

　Breitling cases are designed and constructed to withstand the rigors of missions pilots face in the sky.

　It is highly water-resistant and designed to withstand temperature changes and strong impacts, with special consideration given to parts that are most susceptible to the external environment, such as the crown and push buttons.

　The second hand features a pointer shaped like the letter "B" of Breitling chronographs, and the bracelet is renowned for its strength and comfortable fit, making it clear that the watch has been designed with attention to both performance and beauty.

Highly visible dial

　The clean and simple dial is highly visible and fulfills its role as a pilot's watch.

　Traditional craftsmanship is essential to the processing of the brass plates that form the dials.

　The highly sophisticated design, with delicate indentations on the subdials, reveals Breitling's high level of technology.

High-hardness sapphire crystal

　Breitling watches are made of sapphire crystal, a material second only to diamond in hardness and scratch resistance, ensuring excellent durability and excellent visibility in all conditions.

　In addition, the sapphire crystal has been treated with a glossy finish, including anti-reflective coating on both sides, which requires advanced technology and equipment.

　Since the cockpit is exposed to sunlight during flight, light reflective processing will be important for pilots to ensure visibility.

Why choose Breitling?

　While many people buy classic brand watches such as Rolex, Omega, and Tag Heuer, some connoisseurs who are knowledgeable about luxury watches choose to skip the classics and choose Breitling.

Why is Breitling such a popular choice?

Chronograph

　When you think of Breitling, you think of chronographs. As we have introduced so far, it is no exaggeration to say that the history of Breitling is the history of chronographs. This is a common understanding of Breitling that all watch enthusiasts have.

　When Breitling was founded in 1884, it mainly manufactured pocket watch-style chronographs and stopwatches. Even at this time, Breitling's performance was highly praised and it had won numerous awards.

　In 1915, they released the world's first chronograph wristwatch with a dedicated push button, and became a supplier to the Royal Air Force in 1936. It can be said that Breitling's greatest achievement is that they have produced a number of high-performance pilot's watches in accordance with their philosophy of "not a watch, but an instrument."

that’s a joy to receive.

　The dial is designed for high water resistance and visibility, and the case is large and thick, able to withstand intense movement, shocks, and air pressure.

　The rugged yet elegant design is popular and seems to symbolize the Breitling brand. Breitling, which maintains a timeless design without pandering to trends, is highly popular, especially among men.

In-house movement

　Breitling, which makes watches for pilots, has always had a strong desire to explore and research the functionality of its watches, but the movements, the heart of the watch, were manufactured by other companies.

　It was in this context that Breitling finally succeeded in producing its own movement in 2009. The movement that Breitling announced was Cal. 01, which is made up of 346 parts.

　The main features of this movement include a power reserve of approximately 70 hours and the ability to fast-forward the calendar at any time of the day.

Breitling's signature collection

　Breitling watches are robust, yet combine extremely high performance with functional beauty. Here we will introduce some of the most representative collections that you should definitely check out.

Navitimer

　The Navitimer, Breitling's signature collection, was born in 1952, after the end of World War II, at a time when air travel was expanding worldwide.

　In Europe and the United States, private aircraft were beginning to become popular for uses such as spraying pesticides, and demand for aviation watches in the civilian market was also increasing.

　At a time when aviation technology was advancing further and wristwatches more suitable for piloting were more necessary than ever, the Navitimer, a chronograph equipped with an aviation slide rule, was released. This chronograph, equipped with a rotating slide rule that pilots used to calculate flight distance and the plane's remaining fuel, quickly gained popularity among pilots, and two years after its release, it was selected as the official watch of the International Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). The wings logo at 12 o'clock is the AOPA coat of arms, signifying that the Navitimer is a true pilot's watch, that is, an instrument worn on the wrist.

　The original Navitimer was a huge hit, especially among pilots, and became an enduring classic.

"Cosmonaut"

　In 1959, Breitling created the Cosmonaut model for astronauts as part of Project Mercury, a space exploration program that preceded the Apollo program.

　Breitling was asked to create an aviation watch that would tell the time on a 24-hour clock so that accurate time could be kept in space, where it is difficult to distinguish between day and night. In response to this request, they released the Cosmonaut.

"Chronomat"

　The Chronomat, released in 1941 as an evolution of the aviation chronograph, is one of Breitling's most historic collections.

　Initially, the movement was a hand-wound mechanical movement, and later an automatic movement was added. Quartz movements were added to the lineup in 1975, and the basis for the current model is the 1984 model. This is because in 1984, Breitling named the chronograph they developed for the Italian Air Force's acrobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori, "Chronomat."

　The modern, sporty design of the Chronomat caught on with Italian fashionistas and quickly became a hit around the world, sparking a renaissance in the mechanical chronograph.

"Superocean"

　Breitling has been making watches for pilots, but they have also developed watches for divers, such as the Superocean, which was released in 1957. This watch is waterproof to a depth of 200m and has the strength of a Breitling watch.

　In 2007, the current model, the Superocean Heritage, was released, an improved version of the original model. Its design, reminiscent of the original model, attracted a lot of attention.

The Superocean collection also includes a lineup with refined functionality, including models with water resistance to depths of 500m, 1000m, and even 1000m for the top-of-the-line models.

Introducing recommended Breitling models

　Here are some of Breitling's most popular models.

Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46

　As mentioned above, the Navitimer was released in 1952. It is a chronograph model that can be said to be the symbol of Breitling, and is an essential item when it comes to recommended models.

　Its iconic design, imbued with the romance of the sky, was beloved by artists such as Miles Davis and Serge Gainsbourg. The Navitimer has maintained its unchanged design for over 70 years, and is now available in a wide variety of materials, dial colors, and more.

　Among these, the model shown here, Ref. AB0137211C1A1, is equipped with Breitling's in-house chronograph movement, Cal. 01. In addition to its robust design, it also boasts excellent practicality, such as a power reserve of approximately 70 hours and a calendar mechanism with no time zone during which fast-forwarding of the date is prohibited.

Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaut

　On May 24, 1962, the Navitimer, ten years after its creation, launched into space with astronaut Scott Carpenter. Carpenter wore the Navitimer on his wrist aboard Mercury-Atlas 7, orbiting the Earth three times before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. This mission cemented the Navitimer in spacewatch history. Carpenter's Navitimer, nicknamed "Cosmonaut," featured a 24-hour dial, allowing him to distinguish day and night even in space.

　The photo shows a limited edition model released in 2024. The movement it is equipped with, Cal. 02, is a hand-wound version of the Cal. 01, modified to display the time in 24 hours. The use of a hand-wound movement is a homage to the Venus Cal. 178 movement that was installed in the original Cosmonaut.

Chronomat Automatic GMT 40

The word "Chronomat" is a combination of "chronograph" and "mathematics," which means numbers. Introduced in 1941 as the world's first wristwatch with a rotating slide rule on the bezel, the current Chronomat was developed in 1984 by Ernest Schneider, then president of Breitling, in collaboration with a team of pilots from the Italian Air Force.

　The Automatic GMT 40 is the latest model that continues the evolution of the Chronomat line. It features a dual time zone display function, 24-hour scale, and more. The onion-shaped crown makes adjustments easy. Designed as a versatile sports watch that can be used not only in the air but also on land and sea, its delicate dial color and all-stainless steel case and bracelet create a stylish design.

Super Chronomat B01 44

　Another recommended model from the Chronomat collection is the "Super Chronomat," a higher-end Chronomat model featuring a ceramic bezel, crown, and chronograph pushers.

　It is also worth noting that the heavy 44mm case, which is water resistant to 200m, is made of titanium, which makes it lightweight to wear.

　The tubular design of the rubber strap was inspired by the Rouleaux bracelet (rouleaux is French for scroll) of the early Chronomat.

Superocean Automatic 46 Superdiver

The Superocean Automatic 46 Superdiver is one of the most high-spec models in Breitling's current diver's watch collection.

　The hands and indexes are coated with Super-LumiNova®, ensuring visibility in dark places, essential for a diver's watch. The square design of the minute hand is inspired by the 1960s "Superocean Slow Motion." Not only does it boast the high performance of a diver's watch, such as water resistance to 1000m, resistance to sand and salt water, and shock resistance, but it also boasts specifications that are suitable for daily use on land, such as magnetic resistance thanks to a soft iron inner case.

　This watch has a retro feel, but also has a modern look with a matte ceramic bezel and camouflage-colored dial.

Endurance Pro 44

The Endurance Pro is a lightweight chronograph model that can be used for a wide range of purposes, from outdoor activities to daily use.

　The durable case is made of Breitlight®, which is approximately 3.3 times lighter than titanium and 5.8 times lighter than stainless steel, and is resistant to scratches, abrasion, and corrosion, making it suitable for use in intense sports. By adopting this new material, the watch is large, measuring 44mm in diameter, yet weighs just 56g.

　The movement is a COSC-certified Super Quartz chronograph Cal. 82 with temperature compensation. The orange rubber strap and crown make it an attractive accent for casual fashion.

Breitling is recommended for watch lovers and aviation fans

　Breitling is a brand with a long history of success, focusing on chronographs. Breitling pilot watches sometimes support the missions of aces fighting in the sky, and sometimes support the safe operation of air traffic.

　Breitling has continued to produce sophisticated, high-quality products for the lifeblood of professionals. Its timeless design, embodying the motto "Not a watch, but an instrument," has a strong presence that makes it instantly recognizable as a Breitling.

　The romantic Breiling, which has been with us for a long time through human history, can truly be called a watch for connoisseurs.