Steel Breitling 'Navitimer' chronograph wristwatch. Made 1971

Information

• Brand: Breitling
• Made: 1971
• Model: Navitimer
• Reference: 806
• Calibre: 178TS
• Movement: Manual
• Material: Steel
• Features/complications: Rotating internal bezel
• Dial: Black dial with white rotating internal bezel featuring 3 white subdials, baton hour markers and hands with arrow chronograpg hand
• Case Dimensions: 41mm
• Bracelet/Strap: Leather strap
• Accessories: -
• SKU: 1988

Essay

Breitling has long been a pioneer in the development of high-quality stopwatches and chronographs, shaping the design and functionality of these instruments as we know them today. From the 1930's through the 1950's, the brand continued to innovate by producing chronographs with specialized scales tailored to various professions—such as tachymeters for engineers and drivers, and pulsometers for doctors.

The Breitling Genève Navitimer debuted in the early 1950's and black dials with Arabic numerals and matching sub-dials. The second generation introduced silver sub-dials and index markers in place of numerals, while many early examples notably lacked the Breitling logo, displaying instead the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) wings on the dial. The iconic Navitimer 806 is especially renowned for its internal rotating bezel, designed to perform complex mathematical calculations essential for pilots.