Fellows Auctioneers Ltd

Breitling has been known to make timepieces for aviation and sports ever since the late 19th century, when Léon Breitling began to gain recognition for his reliable movements that were manufactured to have a power reserve of eight days.
During a long recession in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, watchmaking was a way of life. Breitling envisioned the fact that the future would advance. One way in which he could help it do so was to innovate better timekeeping.
From a workshop in a bustling square to a factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand became recognisable internationally by the turn of the century for its chronographs’ accuracy of two-fifths of a second and early pocket watch tachymeters under the renewed official company name: L. Breitling, Montbrilliant Watch Manufactory.
In 1914, Gaston Breitling succeeded his father and the focus shifted to wrist watches; creating one of the first wrist-worn chronographs a year later. This was created with a single-pusher which could be used to start, stop and reset the second hand to zero. This broadened the interest in Breitling’s innovations to athletes, physicians and the advancing aviation industry.

Development of Breitling

By the 1930’s Breitling had over thirty-five watch models. Not all of their examples had the snailed tachymeter dials and chronograph functions though. They also featured elegant, simple and classic designs.
During the same period, Breitling also pursued their innovations in aviation time-keeping, creating the Huit Aviation Department. Cockpit clocks were crafted to comply with airline requirements of light weight, accuracy and readability.
They supplied vast amounts of cockpit instruments to the RAF and became an official supplier. During the Second World War, even through a rocky relationship, continued to supply the RAF in mountain meadows during covert meetings.
It becomes apparent that without the Breitling family, chronographs as we know them wouldn’t exist. Willy Breitling had the idea to introduce a secondary pusher at the fourth-hour marker. This allowed the user to reset the stopwatch function. This was then mirrored by many other brands. It is still one of the most recognisable and attainable complications a watch enthusiast can have.

Contemporary Breitling Designs

As we graduate from the 1940s through the mid-century, more recognisable models like the Premier – a model that combined elegance and practicality – and the Chronomat were introduced. Below are a couple of examples of early designs which showcase how much, yet how little has changed since. Whilst the styles can vary through the years, Breitling watches still have fundamental characteristics that stick
With their SuperOcean examples, they factored in even more durability to withstand the depths, later examples like the 2005 reference ensured the readability of the dial with clean, simple dials with bright luminous markers. One last celebrated model, which to me is the epitome of “Breitling” design: The Navitimer.
This watch is more instrument than a watch in its nature, allowing Pilots to calculate speed, distance, rate of ascent/descent and conversion of miles to kilometres or even nautical miles. It is one of the few designs to incorporate a slide-rule bezel which allows the user to make such calculations.
To the average collector or consumer, the design can appear almost intimidating and overwhelmingly complicated – because it is! It was made for a niche market and yet it became a sensation with the average collector too.
Breitling as a brand has adapted itself to the contemporary market whilst keeping true to its practical values. There is a certain ‘solid’ feel to each model and the durability of timepieces has a huge role to play in the watch market in general, never mind for instrumental pieces used by specialists in security, aviation and sea-faring industries.
One thing remained at the forefront of all Breitling watches reliability. You could always depend on your Breitling watch to be readable, precise and to function for a long duration of time whether on land, air or sea.