The Breitling Navitimer was the evolution of the 1942 Breitling Chronomat, with its typical slide rule bezel which was used to calculate complicated operations without the help of additional tools. Breitling took upon itself to improve this highly practical bezel and make it even more relevant to pilots and in 1952, the Navitimer was born!!
1952 was also the year the very first Navitimer adorned the “Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association†(AOPA) emblem on its dial (the typical double-wing logo) and by 1960, a real cooperation with the AOPA began. The “Navitimer†name is the contraction of “navigation†and “timerâ€.
The first Navitimer 806 editions were sold with a Venus 178 manual chronograph movement such as this timepiece. The black gilt dial itself is rare due to the fact that is signed AOPA and Breitling which is only found in the early Ref. 806 reference and initially only sold to AOPA members.
The case of this watch is in excellent condition with it’s lugs still showing their original bevels, and the brushed finish still visible on the case bands. The beaded bezel has preserved itself in similar fashion. Coming in at 41mm, the case was very large for it’s specific time period but fits into today’s tool watch sizing category perfectly.
As the saying goes, the money is in the dial and this black gilt dial has preserved itself amazingly, while remaining in a completely untouched condition. The sub-registers and rotating slide rule are close to a mint condition, it’s only when observed under a loupe can you see the lacquer cracking at some spots.
Moving over to the lume we notice it has aged in a very consistent manner, and has taken a dark tint on the applied indexes and handset which is 100% correct for this reference. The crown is signed with the engraved B as you should expect, and the plexi is free of deep or superficial scratches.
Note that the 12 hour register does not set back to zero properly.
Manufacturer: Breitling
Year: 1953
Reference No: 806
Model Name: Navitimer
Material: Stainles Steel
Calibre: Venus 178
Bracelet/Strap: Black Lizard with Breitling Twing Jet buckle
Case Size:
Accessories:
We do our best to ensure that all our watches are exactly as described. In the event that the watch operates outside of the listed specifications, the Auction house will only accept full returns.
Due to the nature of vintage timepieces we cannot guarantee water resistance. Pre-Owned timepieces may require servicing to perform to specification unless it has been specified. We provide a 24hr/Accuracy reading for reference purposes only.