After the bomb named MoonSwatch then the tornado of novelties instilled by the Watches & Wonders 2022 place to Breitling. The Swiss house recently unveiled its latest cuvée of Navigateand fasten your seatbelts because the Saint-Imier brand is hitting hard to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its icon with dignity.
70 years of a legendary chronograph
The timing is perfect for Breilting, having faithfully honored the Navitimer heritage at Baselworld 2019 (with the release of the 806 1959 Re-Edition), it is a full range which has just been introduced. The Navitimer, whose “Cosmonaute” version was the first chronograph sent into space (sorry Omega), celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. A great opportunity to offer a wind of freshness while respecting the heritage of this legendary watch. It was developed by Willy Breitling in the early 1950s as a valuable tool, very quickly adopted by a majority of aviation pilots, at a time when on-board technologies were not what we know today. But the Navitimer didn’t stop there, the instrument stood the test of time, before becoming a legend on the wrists of big names such as Miles Davis or Serge Gainsbourg.
A complete new range
We don’t really know where to start. The new Navitimer 2022 is three case sizes (46, 43 and 41mm), in two materials (stainless steel and 18k rose gold), all complemented by no less than 13 new dials ! Note that all of the enclosures presented display a water resistance to 3 ATM, which presents nothing new, but can start to become problematic for a modern watch. In the 46mm, there are steel models with black, blue and emerald green dials, then a pink gold model with a black and silver panda dial. In the 43mm, the steel models feature black, silver, copper, ice blue and mint green dials, as well as a rose gold reference to the black dial with silver detailing. Finally, the 41mm offers blue, silver and mint green dials for the steel cases, and an all-silver version for the rose gold model.
A manufacture movement
All the models in this new line have the same engine, namely the Manufacture Breitling caliber 01. It is an automatic movement with oscillating column-wheel chronograph function at 28,800 vibrations per hourwhile providing a comfortable 70 hour power reserve. Everything is chronometer-certified by the prestigious COSC observatory. Another important detail, this movement now incorporates a date functionhere placed at 6 o’clock.
The good news is that these Navitimer 2022 will not be produced in limited editions, and that they will be available from this month of April. Count between 8,300 and 8,850€ for steel models, versus €18,000 to €35,500 for those in rose gold. Breitling seems to be making the right turn for its historic chronograph, between heritage and renewal, for a boost that does not harm its prestige. Our favourite: the mint green dial which brightens up this outing in a surprising and very effective way.
More information on the official website of Breitling.
