Breitling is the foremost aviation watch manufacturer in the Swiss watch industry. Since the Wright Brothers’ first successful manned flight, Breitling watches have been used by pilots as instruments for professionals. The timepieces that are entrusted with the lives of men in the sky are meticulously designed, and their exquisite formative beauty attracts not only pilots but also many other men. In this issue, we introduce Breitling’s charms, features, and popular models!
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What is Breitling?
Breitling, a Swiss watch brand founded in 1884, produces many highly accurate timepieces such as “Chronomat 44” and “Navitimer” based on the concept of “instruments used by professionals.
Breitling has revolutionized chronographs for three generations since its founding
Breitling began as a watch workshop in the small village of Saint-Imier, at the foot of the Swiss Jura Mountains. In 1915, the second generation, Gaston Breitling, developed the world’s first wristwatch chronograph with a dedicated push-button. Willy Breitling, the third generation, created the chronograph reset button mechanism in 1934. Three generations of Breitling father and son’s quest for instrumentation led to the prototype of the chronograph as we know it today.
From left to right: Willy Breitling (1913-1979), Leon Breitling (1860-1914), Gaston Breitling (1884-1927)
Pioneer of aviation watches with the birth of the first ” Chronomat ” and ” Navitimer
In 1942, Breitling introduced the Chronomat, a chronograph with an integrated rotational slide rule, and in 1952, the Navitimer, the world’s first chronograph with an aviation slide rule. These models established themselves as aviation instruments capable of all kinds of flight calculations, and established themselves as suppliers to the air forces of various countries. The brand became popular among pilots around the world, and became famous as a brand that made instruments for professionals.
Products of Ernest Schneider, the current chairman of the board, who saved Breitling from the doldrums
In 1974, Ernest Schneider, the current chairman and then pilot and electronic engineer, took over Breitling. The new Chronomat and titanium-cased Aerospace models he introduced between 1984 and 1985, as well as the ” Old Navitimer “, a revival of a former masterpiece, became popular as instruments with innovative functions, and are credited with rescuing Breitling from the doldrums caused by the quartz shock. It is said to have rescued Breitling from the quartz shock.
Breitling’s declaration of the world’s first ” 100% chronometer
In 1999, Breitling, in its ongoing pursuit of instrument quality, became the first company in the industry to declare ” 100% chronometer-ization “. In 1999, Breitling became the first company in the industry to declare 100% chronometry. In 2001, Breitling developed the “Super Quartz” movement, which is 10 times more accurate than a normal quartz movement, and in 2009, Breitling introduced its first proprietary chronograph movement, the ” Calibre 01 “. From its founding to the present, Breitling has continued to pursue cutting-edge technological development through a variety of aviation-related businesses. Breitling is one of them.
Breitling’s watches are made from a pilot’s point of view
Breitling is famous for its pilot’s watches. It is not an exaggeration to say that the history of watchmaking of this brand has been accompanied by the history of human flight. In the world of aviation, where a momentary lapse in judgment can lead to a serious accident, being able to read the information on the dial instantly is an absolute requirement for professional instrumentation. Breitling’s superior legibility, durability, and measurement functions have earned the utmost trust of pilots.
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The charm of Breitling watches 1 ” Easy-to-grip crown and buttons
The crown and push-buttons are finely engraved so that they can be operated smoothly even by pilots wearing thick gloves.
Breitling Watch Attraction 2 ” Case that withstands intense movement and atmospheric pressure
The case, made of high-quality materials, is durable, corrosion-resistant, and even antimagnetic, and is carefully polished to give the watch a massive shine.
Breitling’s Attraction 3 ” In-house developed movement with a 70-hour power reserve
The movement, created in 2009 on the premise of 100% chronometer, is the culmination of Breitling’s technological expertise. Breitling has an additional factory just for movement production, where 346 components are made up under thorough quality control. All of them are assembled using state-of-the-art technology and skilled craftsmanship. The high-precision movement boasts a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. Breitling’s confidence can be seen in the five-year warranty on this in-house movement.
Breitling Watch Appeal #4: “A Dial Designed for Visibility
The dial is the most important part of a professional instrument, and it is the face of a Breitling watch. For the base coloring of the dial, a ” protective coating ” is used to create a luminosity that is easy on the eyes.
In addition, indexes and graduations are either appliqued or printed with high precision, depending on the application. The three-dimensional emblems are made of 18K gold or white gold, and no care is taken in their decoration. Dial production, including such manual work, involves more than 50 processes and takes about 3 to 4 months.
Other features include a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating on both sides that blocks 99% of reflections even in sunlight at high altitudes. The dial surface is also guilloché-engraved to reduce light reflection. All aspects of the design have been meticulously calculated and perfected for practical use by professionals, resulting in a product of impeccable beauty that is loved not only by pilots, but also by many others.
Breitling overhauls are cheaper when purchased from an authorized dealer! What is ” Club Breitling ” ?
It is a widely known fact that in most cases, parallel imports and overseas purchases are cheaper. However, when it comes to overhauls (disassembling and maintenance), which always come once every few years, many brands are cheaper to purchase through the official channels. In the case of Breitling, the difference in overhaul fees is particularly large.
For example, in the case of the classic models ” Chronomat 44 ” and ” Navitimer 01 “, the overhaul fee is 62,500 yen for an officially purchased watch, but 125,000 yen for a parallel-imported ( overseas ) watch. Breitling has established a membership system called ” Club Breitling ” to ensure the advantage of purchasing an authorized domestic product. Purchasers of Breitling watches through the official domestic channels automatically become members of Club Breitling.
Club members receive an exclusive members’ magazine (issued twice a year) and access to exclusive lounges at directly managed stores. One of these benefits is a special price for overhauls and maintenance. It is reasonable to assume that it costs twice as much to overhaul a non-genuine watch as usual.
Breitling’s official guideline is to have an overhaul once every three to four years for regular watches, and once every five to six years for watches with in-house developed movements. Depending on the model, the price of a parallel-imported watch may be 200,000-300,000 yen or more cheaper. It is a question of whether to purchase an official Breitling watch as an upfront investment in anticipation of an overhaul, or to use the cheaper parallel import route. Of course, another option is to have the watch overhauled by a reputable repair shop or purchase from a dealer with a generous after-sales service, rather than an authorized Breitling repair shop.
Introducing Breitling’s popular models
Breitling ” Chronomat 44 GMT
The flagship ” Chronomat 44 ” model with GMT. The watch has an ingenious specification that allows only the local time display hand to be moved without stopping the seconds hand. The sleek 44mm case, bathed in soft light, exudes a sense of luxury, and the bar indexes and Roman numeral indexes with precision-applied parts are both overwhelmingly legible and beautiful. The red GMT hand, which is easy to catch with the eye, adds an exquisite accent to the design.
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Breitling “Navitimer 01
More than 50 years after its birth, the ” Navitimer 01 ” continues to reign as a symbol of aviation watchmaking. It was the world’s first chronograph with an aviation slide rule and is recognized as an official watch of the Pilots’ Association. The combination of the appliquéd indexes and red seconds hand was meticulously designed to combine legibility and design.
Breitling “Avenger II GMT
This military-oriented collection is ergonomically designed. The familiar red GMT hand, 24-hour scale, and rotating bezel scale allow the wearer to know three time zones simultaneously. This model is capable of demonstrating functionality and precision in any field.
Breitling ” Montbrillant 01
This model was created to pay homage to the collection and development spirit of 1942, when the world’s first chronograph with a slide rule was completed. The case back is embossed with the factory that once stood in Montbrillant. While retaining the classic and refined design of the original model, the new model also incorporates modern-day essentials such as the 40mm case and red GMT hand. The Cal.01 movement, developed in-house, is used.
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