Instruments for Professionals
Breitling's identity was forged in cockpits. Founded in 1884 by Léon Breitling in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, the company specialized from its earliest years in chronographs and precision timing instruments. By the mid-20th century, Breitling was the official supplier of cockpit chronographs to numerous airlines and military air forces. This was not lifestyle branding — these were functional instruments used by pilots who relied on them for navigation calculations, fuel consumption estimates, and flight timing. That heritage of genuine professional utility gives Breitling a credibility that resonates with collectors who value substance over spectacle.
Navitimer: The Pilot's Calculator
The Slide Rule Bezel
The Navitimer, introduced in 1952, is one of the most complex and distinctive watch faces ever produced. Its defining feature — the circular slide rule bezel — allows the wearer to perform multiplication, division, fuel consumption calculations, rate-of-climb computations, and unit conversions directly from the wrist. In an era before digital flight computers, this was genuinely useful technology. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) endorsed the Navitimer, and the AOPA wings logo appeared on early dials — making those references particularly prized by collectors.
Key Navitimer References
The current Navitimer B01 41 and B01 43 house Breitling's in-house calibre 01, a column-wheel chronograph with a 70-hour power reserve. The movement, visible through the caseback, offers genuine manufacture credibility. Dial options include black, blue, copper, green, and silver, with both steel bracelet and leather strap configurations. The Navitimer B01 41mm, in particular, has been praised for bringing the collection's proportions into contemporary balance — large enough to display the slide rule legibly, compact enough for comfortable daily wear.
Vintage Navitimers — particularly the reference 806 from the 1960s and the "Iraqi Air Force" commissioned pieces — are serious collector watches that command significant premiums. Even more recent references from the 2000s, such as the A23322 and A2332212, offer the Navitimer experience at pre-owned prices that represent exceptional value.
Chronomat: The Modern Breitling
While the Navitimer is Breitling's soul, the Chronomat is its commercial engine. Originally developed in 1984 in collaboration with the Italian Air Force's Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team, the Chronomat established the brand's modern design language: bold, legible, robust, and unapologetically chunky. The current Chronomat B01 42, available with a rouleaux bracelet (an homage to the original Chronomat's distinctive link design), offers a more refined, contemporary proportion than its predecessors while retaining the model's core personality.
The Chronomat Automatic 36 has become one of Breitling's strongest offerings in the women's market — a genuine chronograph (not merely a resized men's watch) that offers both dressy and sporty appeal. Diamond-set bezels and coloured dials expand the collection into jewellery-adjacent territory without compromising the brand's instrument-watch DNA.
Superocean: Breitling Under the Surface
Breitling's relationship with the sea dates to 1957 with the original Superocean. Today's Superocean collection, ranging from 36mm to 46mm with depth ratings from 200 to 2000 metres, covers the full spectrum from elegant everyday diver to extreme-depth professional instrument. The Superocean Heritage, with its ceramic bezel and mesh bracelet, has developed a strong following among collectors who appreciate its clean, vintage-inflected design language — distinctly different from the Submariner-derived aesthetic that dominates the dive watch category.
The Georges Kern Transformation
When Georges Kern became CEO in 2017, Breitling was a brand in need of editorial focus. The catalogue was sprawling, the design language inconsistent, and the market positioning unclear. Kern streamlined the collection into three core "squads" — Air (Navitimer, Avenger), Land (Premier, Chronomat), and Sea (Superocean) — with clear design codes, consistent sizing, and a modernized visual identity. Collaborations with Deus Ex Machina, Norton Motorcycles, and the Breitling Jet Team gave the brand cultural edge without sacrificing its instrument-watch heritage.
The results are visible in the secondary market. Post-2018 Breitling references hold their value significantly better than the pre-Kern era, and collector interest in the brand has surged. For Canadians, this transformation means that buying a pre-owned Breitling from the current design generation offers strong value retention alongside a watch that feels genuinely current.
Value on the Secondary Market
Breitling's secondary market is one of the most attractive in Swiss watchmaking for value-conscious collectors. In-house-movement Navitimers and Chronomats can be acquired pre-owned at 30-40% below retail — a discount that reflects the brand's positioning rather than any deficiency in quality. For Canadian buyers who want a manufacture chronograph with genuine heritage and excellent finishing, Breitling offers more watch per dollar than almost any competitor.
Discover Breitling at Watches Established
From the cockpit heritage of the Navitimer to the aquatic capability of the Superocean, our Breitling collection features authenticated pre-owned timepieces that showcase one of Switzerland's most storied instrument-watch manufacturers. Explore the current selection at Watches Established and discover why Breitling's combination of heritage, technical substance, and value makes it one of the smartest acquisitions in the pre-owned market today.
