Breitling Navitimer

Breitling Navitimer

Stainless steel case and bracelet. Silver dial with 3 silver subdials. Selfwinding mechanical movement. Breitling caliber 23. Chronograph measures 1/4th second, 30 minutes, and 12 hours. 42 hour power reserve. 25 jewels. Dial aperture calendar. Bidirectional bezel with slide rule. Non screw-locked crown with two gaskets. Screwed-in caseback. Cambered sapphire crystal, glareproofed both sides. Case diameter: 41.80mm. Case thickness: 14.60mm. Water resistant at 33 meters.

In the 1940s, Breitling added a circular slide rule to the bezel of their chronograph models for use by aircraft pilots. This became the famous Navitimer model. During the 1950s and 1960s, a version of the Navitimer was offered by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association with the AOPA logo on the dial.

In 1961, Scott Carpenter, one of the original astronauts in the Mercury space program, approached Breitling with idea of incorporating a 24 hour dial instead of the normal 12 hour dial. This was needed because of the lack of day and night during space travel. Breitling complied, and produced the 24 hour Navitimer which Carpenter wore on his 1962 space flight. Breitling then proceeded to produce the 24 hour version as the so-called Cosmonaute Navitimer - under both Breitling and AOPA logos.

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