Chronicle of Breitling luxury watches: Striving for the sky and at home at the deepest depths

Like many premium watch brands represented worldwide today, everything begins with a small watchmaking workshop. The 24-year-old Léon Breitling, son of German parents, founded his company in Saint-Imier in the Bernese Jura in 1884 - close to the development of the "normal glider" of the Otto Lilienthal, the first aircraft that went into series production and had (at least) 9 customers. Breitling's plans have been ambitious right from the start: he wants to develop exclusive precision instruments for specialised sectors in industry, research, sport, the military and science. As early as 1892 Breitling moved to larger premises in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland's watchmaker. His time was marked by the awakening passion for rapid pace and sporting competition. However, stopwatches are still controlled by the winding crown. But Léon Breitling will revolutionise short-term measurement. Specialising in chronographs generated the first "Chronograph Bracelet" with chronograph hand and 30-minute counter in 1915, the first independent chronograph pusher in 1923 and a second one in 1934, which finally catapulted time measurement into modern times with the reset option to zero. Breitling now has over 40 different chronograph models in its portfolio, and to date its successful model has set the trend for every modern chronograph.

Titanium of Depth: Breitling Superocean 44

A Breitling of the latest generation: 2000 depth meters can't hurt it, even in the deepest blackness of the oceans, its dynamic dial with its oblique figure applications and the well-balanced play of colours against a black background shows the times most reliably. Pressure differences inside and outside the 44mm gold and steel case are cushioned by a safety valve. With a power reserve of 40 hours, a screwed crown, cambered sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides and a rotating bezel with lock in one direction, the Superocean series is a star under water and on land. The "Breitling made to measure" responds to individual wishes.

Up up and away - Breitling takes off!

Even before Breitling became a producer and supplier to the Royal Air Force in 1936, his passion for on-board clocks and military aircraft instruments was born. But now the time is ripe: the 1942 Breitling Chronomat becomes the official timekeeper of the US Army Air Force. Today, more than 30 civil airlines worldwide place their trust in him. And since the Breitling Navitimer was introduced in 1952 at the latest, the company's reputation as the specialist for pilot watches has been established. And beyond that: On May 24, 1962, the Breitling Cosmonaut and astronaut Scott Carpenter circled the Earth in the space capsule Aurora. In 1969, the first self-winding chronograph succeeds in a - strictly secret - collaboration with Hamilton-Büren and Heuer-Leonidas. A triumph. The groundbreaking creation of chronograph and automatic movement, the "Chronomatic", is enthusiastically received at the simultaneous presentation in New York, Hong Kong, Beirut and Geneva. The Breitling models Co-Pilot Automatic, Chronomat Automatic and Navitimer (e.g. reference AB012012.BB01.743P.A20BA.1) Automatic also have Calibre 11, 12, 14, 15.

The hurricane of the quartz crisis, which swept across the entire watch industry, also shook the foundations of the Breitling manufactory. 1984 - now already under the company name Breitling Montres and with the new company head Ernest Schneider - the Chronomat makes a major contribution to the revival of the chronograph. The Breitling Emergency, a multifunctional chronograph with emergency call transmitter, marks a historic moment in the development of the pilot's watch in 1995. Its signals can be located at the 121.5 MHz frequency valid in air traffic. With the development of the Montbrillant, Breitling honours the historic flight of the Wright brothers on 17.12.1903, which is regarded as the initial spark of aviation.

A very strong character - the Breitling Ego

The winged initial B of the Breitling logos, as well as the unmistakable Breitling watch design, visualizes the company's self-image as a preferred supplier to military and civil aviation. A claim that is taking shape in the Breitling Jet Team, Europe's largest civil aerobatic team. The Breitling World Cup, launched jointly with the International Air Association, is also a tribute to aviation. At the Breitling Academy, candidates who meet the high entrance requirements take a basic pilot course. Breitling continues to focus on spectacular campaigns. Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard circumnavigate the earth in a hot-air balloon with the Breitling Orbiter. From the start on March 1, 1999 in Switzerland and the landing on March 21, 1999 in Egypt without any stopovers!

The watch-titanium likes to flex its muscles: Breitling also sponsors the world's last Super Constellation, which is still certified for passenger flights. And the "Breitling Fighters" squadron he created recreates authentic combat situations at international flight events with military aircraft legends such as Mustang, Spitfire, Kittyhawk, Corsair, Yakoview, Messerschmitt. You can hardly show your passion for aeronautics more offensively. Breitling is synonymous with maximum technical mastery and outstanding design, not only for pilots and divers. Breitling combines extreme and top athletes, screen sizes, racing drivers, astronauts and car manufacturers with watch aficionados who hold the greatest respect for exceptional quality in luxury watches. By the way, pilots are expected to make up a rather marginal group of buyers, accounting for 8% of Breitling sales. The image of daring and pioneering remains with Breitling and is transferred to the wearer.

Breitling & Bentley - British elegance and Swiss summiting

For the first time, the exclusive carmaker Bentley relied on the support of a watch manufacturer for its Continental GT model, which appeared in 2002 - but not just any watchmaker. Of course, it was Breitling who left his mark on the technical instrumentation of the most powerful Bentley model to date. The gold, steel or titanium Breitling for Bentley chronographs that emerged from this collaboration breathe perfection, nobility, beauty and detail. Refined way of life under the sign of the winged B!