Page 6 - Feb22T

Super AVI Collection
A Look at Breitling
Navigation, Time and Flight
More than 100 years before new-age glass cockpits and portable telephones, a legacy watch company was founded. In 1884, a Swiss-watchmaking firm was started by its namesake founder,
Léon Breitling. From the outset, Breitling has focused on stylish, reliable and durable mechanical timepieces, which at the time were increasingly in demand for industrial, military, and scientific applications as well as for athletic organizations. But it wouldn’t be until more than half a century later that one of its most well-known, targeted product lines first took flight.
Since the 1950s, the brand’s aviation-inspired lineup of wristwatches has been headlined by a flagship timepiece, the Breitling Navitimer. Its name is a combination of the words “navigation” and “timer.” Equipped with the flight-specific slide rule that was introduced with the Chronomat, countless pilots, airlines and aircraft manufacturers have opted for this timepiece ever since. Breitling’s CEO, Georges Kern, further explained the watchmakers’ lasting legacy and continued commitment to aviation.
“Our legacy dates back to the 1930s when our Huit Aviation department established a global reputation for cockpit clocks. In the 1950s, we made this technology wearable with the Ref. 765 AVI, a pioneering pilot’s watch that inspired many more. Of course, the Navitimer was the ultimate pilot’s watch in the 1950s and 1960s and is still a key part of our collection.
4 • TWIN & TURBINE / February 2022
by Grant Boyd
There have been numerous other highlights, including our onboard clocks on international airlines in the ‘60s and ‘70s and even space travel. Today, with the launch of the Super AVI, which was inspired by the Ref. 765 AVI and pays homage to four legendary planes, we come full circle, making it clear that aviation remains a defining part of our DNA.”
Christiaan van Deur, a con- troller at Charlotte ATCT and a private pilot, never flies without a Breitling watch on his wrist. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, his interest in luxury timepieces originated during his youth. His most beloved model he happened across by accident
as a child when searching in the junk drawer of his mom’s dresser. He stumbled upon a small antique box with a winged B logo on the outside. Curiosity took over and Christiaan opened the box and saw a watch that immediately caught his eye and brought the piece to his mom’s attention. Come to find out, the Breitling Navitimer 806 (circa 1967) inside actually belonged to him. It was a gift that his grandfather, a World War II veteran and flight school owner, asked to be given to him when he was older. The watch was one of many personal adornments in the family’s possession as Christiaan’s mom was an avid jewelry collector, leading Christiaan to do the same with watches.
There are few times Christiaan’s wrist hasn’t had a timepiece on it since he first started wearing this watch in middle school. He gradually began to see the
pieces as more than just a way of
keeping time. What he found most intriguing about high- quality watches were “the
art and intri-cacies”
that come to-gether to complete each unique product. Initially, he scouted and acquired any time-tested designs from heritage
Navitimer B01 Chronograph 46