New Release: Breitling Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, In Three Flavors

To celebrate its 140th birthday, Breitling is bringing out the big guns by unveiling a trio of perpetual calendar chronograph watches. Meet the Breitling 140th-anniversary Premier, Navitimer, and Chronomat — each fashioned in 18k red gold and furnished with the groundbreaking Caliber B19, which promises a century of precision without major adjustments and 96 hours of power reserve. Perpetual calendar chronograph complications are typically reserved for the upper echelons of watchmaking, so make no mistake, Breitling is here to remind us that aside from sporty pieces and vintage-inspired models, the company is also capable of making incredibly complicated watches. Let’s get into it and discover what these three Breitling Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watches are all about.

Caliber B19 – Breitling Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Movement

The Caliber B19 is Breitling’s first perpetual calendar chronograph movement, fully designed and assembled at the Breitling Chronometrie — the brand’s in-house movement-making facility. The movement features a full calendar (day, date, month, and leap year) and moonphase, automatically correcting for leap years and months of 28,30, and 31 days. As a result, it can run for nearly a century without a major adjustment and benefits from an impressive 96-hour power reserve.

The Caliber B19’s gold rotor is engraved with Breitling’s historic Montbrillant Manufactory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, which served as the company’s manufacturing building for more than 80 years. The COSC-certified movement operates at 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz) and comprises 374 components.

The new caliber makes its debut in three limited-edition 140th-anniversary pieces representing Breitling’s pillars: the Premier, Navitimer, and Chronomat.

The Premier, the Navitimer, and the Chronomat are the most impactful collections in Breitling’s history. We couldn’t single out one to showcase the new Caliber b19 for our anniversary — it had to be all three.

Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling

Learn more:
What is a Perpetual Calendar Watch? 

Premier B19 Datora 42 140th Anniversary

Breitling debuted the Premier in 1943, positioned as a “gentleman’s chronograph” meant to be worn as a stylish piece rather than a tool watch. The 140th-anniversary edition features a 42mm rose gold case, which measures 15.6mm thick and 50.3mm lug-to-lug. The black dial retains the Premier’s characteristic Arabic numerals, square-shaped pushers, and contrasting tachymeter and minute scales.

Model	Premier Datora
Reference	RB19401A1B1P1
Case	18k red gold 42mm diameter 15.6mm thick 50.03mm lug-to-lug
Dial	Black with tone-on-tone counters
Functions	Perpetual calendar with day, date, month, leap year indicator, moonphase Column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second chronograph with 30-minute counter Central hours, minutes Running seconds
Movement	Breitling Manufacture Caliber B19 374 components 28,800 beats per hour 96 power reserve
Water Resistance	100 meters
Strap	Black alligator leather strap with an 18 k red gold folding buckle
Limited Edition	140 pieces
Retail Price	$59,000

Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar 140th Anniversary

The Navitimer was the first pilot’s watch that married Breitling’s proprietary circular slide rule with a chronograph, developed in 1952 for Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) members. Over the following decades, the Navitimer became one of Breitling’s most beloved models, available a wide range of materials, sizes, and styles. For Breitling’s 140th anniversary edition, the Navitimer B19 sports a 43mm 18k red gold case with a matching red gold dial and contrasting black slide rule. The piece is finished with black alligator strap with a red gold folding buckle.

Model	Navitimer Chronograph Perpetual Calendar
Reference	RB19101A1H1P1
Case	18k red gold 43mm diameter 15.62mm thick 49.07mm lug-to-lug
Dial	Red gold
Functions	Perpetual calendar with day, date, month, leap year indicator, moonphase Column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second chronograph with 30-minute counter Central hours, minutes Running seconds
Movement	Breitling Manufacture Caliber B19 374 components 28,800 beats per hour 96 power reserve
Water Resistance	30 meters
Strap	Black alligator leather strap with an 18 k red gold folding buckle
Limited Edition	140 pieces
Retail Price	$59,000

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Super Chronomat B19 44 Perpetual Calendar 140th Anniversary

Breitling launched the modern Chronomat chronograph in 1983 as the official watch of the Frecce Tricolori, Italy’s aerobatics team. A year later, the company expanded the Chronomat collection to great success, which was quite the feat considering these were mechanical chronographs during the quartz era. The Chronomat remains a mainstay of Breitling’s collection, characterized by rider tabs on the bezel, an oversized onion crown, and more often than not, a rouleaux-style bracelet.

The commemorative Super Chronomat Perpetual Calendar Chronograph includes a prominent 44mm red gold case topped with a black ceramic bezel. The gray skeletonized dial is punctuated with black sapphire crystal subdials; it’s worth noting that this is Breitling’s very first skeletonized dial. The black rubber strap with ceramic inserts is molded to look like the famed rouleaux-style bracelet.

Model	Super Chronomat Perpetual Calendar
Reference	RB19301A1G1S1
Case	18k red gold 44mm diameter 15.35mm thick 53.5mm lug-to-lug
Dial	Gray skeletonized dial Black sapphire subdials
Functions	Perpetual calendar with day, date, month, leap year indicator, moonphase Column-wheel, vertical clutch, 1/4th second chronograph with 30-minute counter Central hours, minutes Running seconds
Movement	Breitling Manufacture Caliber B19 374 components 28,800 beats per hour 96 power reserve
Water Resistance	100 meters
Strap	Rouleaux-inspired rubber strap with an 18 k red gold folding clasp
Limited Edition	140 pieces
Retail Price	$59,000

Pricing and Availability

The 140th Anniversary Breitling Perpetual Calendar Chronograph models are limited to 140 examples each, and all are priced at $59,000. The watches are presented in a suede-lined wooden watch box that can be configured to display up to three timepieces, complete with a storage drawer and travel pouch. Breitling will also throw in a Breitling: 140 Years in 140 Stories (Rizzoli, 2024) coffee table book with each purchase.

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