The Breitling Navitimer, historically a pioneering tool watch for pilots with its iconic slide rule bezel, is celebrated today as both a functional instrument and a luxury icon.
Although the Navitimer is known for its slide rule bezel, the Breitling Chronomat actually had that feature first, in 1942. The Navitimer debuted in 1952 and has remained an iconic pilot’s watch ever since.
There were a few Navitimers made without slide rule bezels, and even some that aren’t chronographs at all–but the large knurled rotating slide rule bezels are widely considered to be the aesthetic hallmark of the lineup.
Using the Slide Rule Bezel
The Breitling Navitimer’s slide rule bezel is essentially an analog calculator, featuring two logarithmic scales: a rotating outer scale and a fixed inner scale. These can be used to calculate speed, or just multiply/divide two numbers (particularly helpful for unit conversions). We won’t get too deep into why the math works out; we’ll just tell you how to use the watch.
To multiply, look for the desired number with the decimal moved one spot to the right–if you want to multiply by 2, look for 20–on the outer scale. Match that with “10” on the inner scale, then read the result on the outer scale. The multiplication works throughout the scale! For division, simply read it inversely–the inner scale becomes the “result” rather than the outer.
Calculating speed is easy too, as long as you know the distance traveled, and the time elapsed in minutes. Note that the very innermost scale on some Navitimers–the tachymeter scale–has nothing to do with the slide rule. That’s for measuring “distance units per time” using the chronograph seconds hand.
Breitling Navitimer Timeline
- 1952: Breitling introduces the Navitimer, featuring a slide rule bezel for aviation calculations, powered by the Venus 178 movement. It becomes the official watch of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
- 1962: Astronaut Scott Carpenter wears a modified Navitimer, the Cosmonaute, during his Mercury-Atlas 7 mission aboard Aurora 7, making it the first Swiss wristwatch in space. The Cosmonaute features a unique 24-hour dial.
- 1969: Breitling releases the Navitimer Chrono-Matic, one of the first automatic chronographs, featuring the revolutionary Caliber 11 movement.
- 1976: Breitling introduces the LED Navitimer Ref. 9106, its first digital Navitimer with an LED display for time and chronograph functions.
- 1977: The LCD Navitimer Ref. 9416 is released, replacing the LED model with a more energy-efficient LCD screen while retaining the slide rule bezel.
- 1980: Breitling launches the Pluton series, marking a shift to hybrid analog-digital functionality under Ernest Schneider’s ownership.
- 1986: The Pluton 3100 debuts, featuring an improved quartz movement (Breitling Caliber B51) with complications like an alarm and second time zone.
- 1988: Breitling releases the Navitimer Jupiter Pilot Ref. 80975, a quartz chronograph with a bi-directional bezel.
- 1993: Breitling reintroduces mechanical Navitimers with the “Old Navitimer II,” powered by the Valjoux 7750 movement. This marks a return to traditional watchmaking after the quartz era.
- 1999: Breitling achieves COSC certification for all its watches from here on out.
- 2003: Breitling introduces Navitimers powered by ETA 2892 movements, with slimmer case profiles compared to earlier models.
- 2009: Breitling debuts its first in-house movement, the Caliber B01, in the Navitimer 01, offering improved precision and a 70-hour power reserve.
- 2018: Under new CEO Georges Kern, Breitling launches the short-lived Navitimer 8 collection. This controversial line removed the iconic slide rule bezel in favor of a cleaner design inspired by cockpit instruments from Breitling’s Huit Aviation Department. There’s also the 38mm Navitimer 1, a non-chronograph model that retained the slide rule.
- 2019: The Navitimer 8 is renamed “Aviator 8” because it’s, well, not very Navitimer-like. The Navitimer 1 gets a 41mm option.
- 2022: A new generation of Navitimers drops the tachymeter scale on the dials, reducing clutter, as cases become 1.5mm thinner. The Navitimer 1 is now known simply as the “Navitimer Automatic.”
- 2024: Breitling introduces its first perpetual calendar chronograph movement, Caliber B19, in three limited-edition models (Navitimer, Premier, and Chronomat) to celebrate its 140th anniversary. The Navitimer Automatic GMT 41 also makes its debut.
