While the rest of the watch world was getting ready to knock back flutes of champagne and swan around Geneva at Watches & Wonders 2022 – the industry’s biggest trade show – Breitling had other ideas.
Instead, the independent Swiss brand held their own ‘do in Zürich: taking over a corner of Kloten Airport and cheekily chartering a few Swiss Airlines jumbo jets to fly journalists to Geneva while presenting their new Navitimer collection in the air a day before W&W ’22, stealing a bit of the fair’s thunder in the process. Genius stuff.
Even more genius is the watch collection itself. Breitling has always been connected to the world of aviation and that’s not changing any time soon, but with this latest incarnation of their most famous watch, Breitling has reminded us that they’re no one-trick pony – and that the Navitimer’s much more than a utilitarian pilot’s instrument, especially in 2022.
Check out the new Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph collection below.
The first thing worth pointing out with the new Navitimer is that Breitling hasn’t thrown the baby out with the bathwater. All the classic Navitimer design features are still intact, like its famous slide rule, notched bezel and piston-shaped chronograph pushers. It’s still unmistakably a Navitimer.
Yet Breitling has introduced a bunch of quality-of-life improvements in this 2022 model that make the Navitimer more beautiful and wearable than ever before. For example, the chronograph subdials are now larger, and the date window is elegantly integrated into the 12-hour totaliser subdial at 6 o’clock. A more flattened slide rule and a subtly domed crystal make the new Navitimer feel more compact.
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Breitling fanboys will be particularly pleased to see that Breitling has brought back the iconic Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) wing logo in place of the Breitling ‘B’ logo Navitimers have rocked in recent years. AOPA, the largest aviators’ club in the world, made the Navitimer their official watch in 1954, and the AOPA logo long adorned classic Navitimer references. It’s a nice vintage touch that really elevates the 2022 Navitimer.
The new Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph comes in a range of sizes (41, 43, or 46mm for particularly big boys), two case materials (stainless steel or 18ct red gold) and a choice of straps (semi-shiny alligator or Breitling’s signature seven-row metal bracelet).
Like some of the last few collections we’ve seen from the brand, Breitling has also brought some rather interesting dial colours to the table with the new Navitimer, too – including ice blue, mint green and a salmon-esque copper dial option.
In short, there’s a new Navitimer for every watch lover, and the Navitimer’s better than ever. What a great way to celebrate the watch’s 70th anniversary. Discover the entire 2022 Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph at Breitling’s online boutique here.
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