Breitling  Navitimer  Watches

Breitling Navitimer: An Iconic Multifunctional Pilot Watch

Among the vast collections of Breitling watches available in the market, the Breitling Navitimer is perhaps the brand’s most famous and most successful collection. This collection of pilot watches takes its name from the combination of the words “navigation” and “timer”, highlighting the watch’s sublime functionality, especially when it comes to aviation.

Boasting more functions than what a typical chronograph can offer, this iconic pilot watch allows the wearer to determine calculations such as fuel consumption, speed, as well as climb and descent rates. Its slide rule bezel also allows for mathematical calculations quite like an onboard computer. The Breitling Navitimer chronographs showcase Breitling’s cutting-edge technology and their stellar reputation for making quality professional watches that people readily invest in.

Price List at a Glance: The Most Popular Breitling Navitimer Watches

How much does a Breitling Navitimer watch cost? 

The Breitling Navitimer offers great value for money, especially considering what the watches in this collection are capable of. This collection is vast and includes models that differ widely in design and the materials used. Because of the wide variety of watches that the collection offers, different models have different prices.

One of the most renowned models in the collection is the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43. This model does not stray too far from the original design, but it includes significant improvements in technical mastery. It comes in a case that is 43mm in diameter along with the recognizable bi-directional rotating bezel and a slide rule. This chronograph, along with the other Navitimer models, also features a tachymeter that measures speed based on the traveled distance and elapsed time. The model comes with the Manufacture Breitling Caliber 01, giving the piece a boost in performance and reliability. Prices vary depending on the exact watch. You can buy a Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 for about $8,275 USD to $21,520 USD. The Breitling Navitimer B01 with a gray dial and an 18K rose gold bezel (Ref. UB0121211F1P1) is a popular model, and it costs $10,300 USD.

If you’re looking for a bigger and bolder version of the Navitimer B01 Chronograph, you can opt for the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46 models instead. These watches have larger cases that are 46 mm in diameter, improving the readability and presence of the watch. The Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46 watches also have a transparent case back that allows you to view the mesmerizing mechanical movements of the chronograph caliber. These watches are available in steel, gold, and red gold, with the 18K red gold version selling for $11,050 USD.

The Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 is another fan favorite — it’s a 43mm chronograph with the same chronometer-certified Breitling 01 movement. It has a 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, a 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock, and a small seconds counter at 6 o’clock. The watch also has a day and date function. This automatic watch has an impressive 70-hour power reserve and a self-winding mechanical movement that uses a unilateral ball-bearing rotor. The Navitimer 8 has a simpler and tidier format than most other versions of the Navitimer. Available in stainless steel or leather straps, you can avail of this watch for around $5,550 USD.

Another popular model is the Breitling Navitimer Automatic 38, a classic watch that’s available in various materials from stainless steel to 18-karat red gold. Although Breitling markets the watch as a ladies’ watch, the style of this model can easily fit the wardrobe of men who love compact vintage watches. This model has a 38mm case with a beaded bezel, and it comes in a variety of colors that appeal to everyone. The Breitling Caliber 17, a COSC-certified chronometer, powers the Navitimer 38. You can acquire this stylish and compact watch for around $4,450 USD.

The Breitling Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante 45 is also an outstanding watch with a highly sophisticated mechanism that’s valuable to pilots. It has a rattrapante function with two superimposed chronograph hands that allow the watch to separately measure two elapsed times. This function allows pilots to measure an intermediate or split time. The watch certainly highlights the innovation of Breitling pilot watches. Aside from its superb functionality, this watch also has excellent visual appeal with its striking red chronograph hand and a red-tipped split-seconds hand. This extraordinary watch changes hands for around $11,750 USD.

Vintage Breitling Navitimer — Is it a good investment?

The newer models of the Breitling Navitimer get better and better as the brand continues to innovate its features. However, vintage Breitling Navitimer watches still circulate in the market because of their undying appeal. Vintage watches from the 1950s (Ref. 806) are particularly favored by vintage watch collectors. 

The Breitling Navitimer 806 models have the signature slide rule bezels that make the Navitimer watches so useful. These watches vary in dials, bezels, and slide configurations, which means that there is a vast array of choices as you look for the right vintage watch. Like many modern Navitimer models, the Navitimer 806 has a small seconds counter as well as 30-minute and 12-hour counters. The functionality is ever-present even in these vintage watches, making them good investment pieces. Breitling also released a newer and more improved version of these vintage watches, the Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 Re-Edition. This reimagined version retains most aspects of the original, now with an improved Breitling caliber B09 movement and a power reserve of up to 70 hours.

Earlier models have unique beaded bezels, and they also had the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) logo on the dial. In comparison, later versions have ridged slide rule bezels and the “Twin Jets” logo. Currently, this legendary vintage watch changes hands for around $4,200 USD to $15,000 USD, depending on the model.

History Behind the Breitling Navitimer

Making its debut in 1952, the Breitling Navitimer is a watch that takes the needs of pilots seriously. The name is a portmanteau of “navigation” and “timer”. Since its debut, the watch collection already had the distinct slide rule bezel that allowed for various essential calculations such as fuel consumption, average speed, and climbing speeds. Although electronic devices in the cabin take care of those necessary calculations nowadays, the Navitimer watches are still useful in case the equipment fails. 

The Navitimer wasn’t the first Breitling watch that made use of a slide rule bezel — that title belongs to the Breitling Chronomat which first featured this bezel in 1942. This slide rule bezel, the creation of mathematician Marcel Robert, could perform complex calculations necessary for aviation. The scale contained standard mileage, kilometers, and nautical miles — three of the most important units for pilots. As Breitling improved on this technology, they released the sophisticated Breitling Navitimer in 1952.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) recommended the Navitimer as a pilot's watch, and the first Navitimer watches even had the AOPA logo on their dials. Although their complex design makes them look rather busy to most people, Breitling Navitimer watches still remain practical tools for pilots today.

In 1962, the Breitling Navitimer showed that it is not a watch that’s just made for the air — it also was a watch that could soar beyond our skies. M. Scott Carpenter, the sixth human and fourth American to reach outer space, wore his Breitling Navitimer during the Mercury-Atlas 7 spaceflight. He orbited the Earth three times, and the famous aviator watch reached another highlight in its rich history.

Reasons to Buy a Breitling Navitimer Watch

1. These watches boast remarkable functionality as chronographs and pilot’s watches, especially with the signature slide rule bezels.

2. The Breitling Navitimer is a brilliant pilot’s watch and perhaps the most recognizable collection of pilot’s watches in the world.

3. Both new and vintage models are highly coveted by watch connoisseurs.

4. Some models, such as the Breitling Navitimer B03 Chronograph Rattrapante, have remarkable split-seconds functions.

5. Breitling Navitimer prices are reasonable, given the capabilities of the watches. This ensures great value for your money.

The Breitling Navitimer and its Famous Patrons

As such an iconic watch, the Breitling Navitimer has found its way on the wrists of many famous personalities. A notable example of this is the American aviator and astronaut M. Scott Carpenter, who wore his Navitimer when he piloted the Aurora 7 spacecraft in May 1962. Carpenter’s Navitimer had a 24-hour scale like many Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute watches that Breitling has produced over the decades. Unfortunately, the original watch of Carpenter sustained damages after the Aurora 7 splashed down in an area northeast Puerto Rico, and the whereabouts of the watch is currently unknown.

John Travolta, best known for his roles in films like Pulp Fiction and Saturday Night Fever, is another famous celebrity known to wear Breitling Navitimer watches. Aside from being a renowned box-office actor, John Travolta is also a skilled private pilot. This further cements the notion that the Navitimer is one of the most famous collections when it comes to pilot’s watches.

Breitling Navitimer watches aren’t limited to pilots, however, because these watches also are prominent among numerous watch connoisseurs. Veteran comedian Jerry Seinfeld is an avid collector of watches, and he has a vast array of Breitling watches in his collection — almost every style of Breitling watches, in fact. Seinfeld’s Breitling watches, especially his Navitimers, get a ton of exposure because he often wears the timepieces on-air, such as in his hit shows Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Final Thoughts: Buying a Breitling Navitimer

The Breitling Navitimer is an excellent collection of pilot’s watches, and perhaps one of the most famous lines of pilot watches in the world. Over the years, the Navitimer has continued to dominate the market — and for good reason. These watches boast a rich history, unparalleled functionality, and great value for money. While staying true to their roots, these timepieces steadily improve and hold their value as Breitling continues to make innovations in these classic and highly sophisticated timepieces.