Breitling

Breitling is one of the best-known and most popular Watch Brands in the world. The Swiss manufacturer can look back on an impressive history and, over the course of its corporate history, has produced many technical milestones that have contributed to the brand’s excellent reputation. The Navitimer, Chronomat, Superocean, and Top Time have made Watchmaking history. Older versions are popular collector’s items and investments.

The History of Breitling

In 1884, the exciting story began with Léon Breitling in Saint-Imier. Unlike many other companies, the company focused on Chronographs and precision measuring instruments for sports and science. In 1915, the development of Watches reached its first major milestone when Gaston Breitling developed the first Chronograph pusher at 2 o’clock, separating the start, stop, and reset functions from the winding crown.

The quartz crisis of 1979 was set to bring the family history to an end, as the company was taken over by watchmaker and Pilot Ernest Schneider. The takeover by the investment company CVC Capital Partners initiated a modernization process that brought Breitling back to the forefront of luxury Watches.

Milestones in the Development of Breitling

In addition to the first pusher, Breitling was also responsible for introducing a second pusher. Willy Breitling patented the second pusher at 4 o’clock exclusively for resetting. This operating principle remained standard in Chronographs well into the modern era.

With the introduction of the Chronomat (1941) with an integrated slide rule and the Navitimer (1952), Breitling set new standards in the luxury Watch segment. The company impressed with high-quality Watches featuring appealing design and technical innovation.

The Most Popular Breitling Watches

Breitling has numerous classics in its portfolio that inspire great collecting enthusiasm thanks to their wide range of variations. The Navitimer is the brand’s flagship. This Pilot’s Watch is a technical masterpiece that enabled pilots to calculate fuel consumption, rates of climb, and average speeds in the cockpit. Today, it is an essential addition to any Watch enthusiast’s collection. The Breitling Superocean Dive Watch is popular for its wide range of variations as well as its different case and dial colors.

The Breitling Colt, which was developed specifically for the military, the Breitling Montbrillant, and the sporty Breitling Avenger are also highly popular.

Erling Haaland and Charlize Theron as Breitling Ambassadors

Breitling relies on famous ambassadors and the Squad Concept for its brand. The Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, and Adam Driver are part of the Cinema Squad, while the All-Star Squad (Sports) features Erling Haaland (soccer), Giannis Antetokounmpo (basketball), and Chloe Kim (snowboarding) promoting Breitling.

Did You Know This About Breitling? 

There are also some very interesting facts about Breitling: The Breitling Emergency contains a miniature emergency beacon (at 121.5 MHz and 406 MHz) that extends an antenna when activated and sends signals to rescue satellites. This has already helped save several pilots.

In the film “Thunderball,” James Bond, played by Sean Connery, wore a Breitling Top Time modified by the Q Branch with a Geiger counter. The Watch was later auctioned for more than £100,000.

Buying a Pre-Owned Breitling

Buying a pre-owned Breitling Watch offers numerous advantages. On the one hand, it provides an opportunity to purchase Vintage and collector’s Watches; on the other, it can also offer the chance to acquire a Breitling in excellent quality at a favorable price. At Zeitauktion, all Watches are checked for authenticity and carefully inspected by experienced watchmakers before being offered for sale.