Breitling Marks 140 Years With Special Editions of 3 Classic Watches

Geneva—In celebration of its 140th anniversary Swiss watchmaker Breitling has unveiled special editions of its three flagship models, the Premier, the Navitimer, and the Chronomat.

Limited to 140 pieces each, the anniversary watches are equipped with the brand’s new Caliber B19 movement, its first-ever exclusive perpetual calendar chronograph movement.

The Premier model debuted in 1943 as “the gentleman’s chronograph,” said Breitling. It was designed to signify good taste, the watchmaker said, while serving as a functional tool watch.

The Premier B19 Datora 42 140th Anniversary is made in 18-karat red gold and features Arabic numerals, contrasting minutes scale, and signature square pushers.

It’s paired with a black alligator leather strap with same-tone topstitching and an 18-karat gold folding buckle.

Breitling’s Navitimer model was the first pilot’s watch to combine a chronograph with the brand’s proprietary wrist-worn circular slide rule.

It was developed in 1952 for members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and in 1962, it became the first Swiss wristwatch in space.

The Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar 140th Anniversary has the slide rule in black on an 18-karat red-gold dial.

The strap is alligator leather with contrasting topstitching and an 18-karat gold folding buckle.

The Chronomat model launched in 1983 as the official watch of Italy’s aerobatics team, the Frecce Tricolori.

Breitling later offered the design to a wider audience, citing the wide release as “instrumental” in restoring the popularity of mechanical chronographs.

The Super Chronomat B19 44 Perpetual Calendar 140th Anniversary features the model’s distinctive design.

It has four raised rider tabs at the 15-minute marks, an “onion” crown, and a rubber version of the Chronomat’s classic Rouleaux bracelet.

It also features ceramic inserts, and, in a first for the watchmaker, a skeletonized dial.

Each anniversary limited-edition timepiece comes with a suede-lined wooden watch box with a drawer for storage, a removable travel pouch, and a display for up to three timepieces. 

Buyers also will receive a deluxe edition of the book “Breitling: 140 Years in 140 Stories,” a commemoration of the brand’s history set to be released this fall from Rizzoli, featuring their selected watch on the cover. 

“The Premier, the Navitimer, and the Chronomat are the most impactful collections in Breitling’s history,” Breitling CEO Georges Kern said.

“We couldn’t single one out to showcase the new Caliber B19 for our anniversary—it had to be all three.”

The new movement features a full calendar and moonphase, and it automatically corrects for leap years and months of 28, 30, and 31 days, allowing it to run for about a century without a major adjustment.

It has a power reserve of approximately 96 hours.

The movement’s solid-gold rotor features an engraving of the watchmaker’s Montbrillant factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, which has served as Breitling’s manufacturing location for more than 80 years and, in a separate wing, housed three generations of the Breitling family.

Breitling produces its own movements.

It launched the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 in 2009 followed by its chronograph calibers—the B02 with 24-hour function, the B03 with split-seconds, and the B04 with GMT—and other innovations.

The new B19 movement is the latest in more than a century of pioneering achievements for Breitling, the brand said. These achievements are the focus of its yearlong anniversary celebrations, collectively dubbed “140 Years of Firsts.”

“With the Caliber B19 and our anniversary limited editions, we’re making history again,” said Kern. “This launch is about being as groundbreaking as our ‘140 Years of Firsts’ demand.”

Festivities began in March, kicking off with a 25th anniversary celebration of the Breitling Orbiter, the first non-stop flight around the world with a free balloon. 

Along with the commemorative timepieces, the brand is releasing untold stories from its history in monthly drops, as well as hosting a pop-up museum in Zurich, Switzerland, and a traveling “Time Capsule” exhibition showcasing vintage timepieces from the brand set to make stops at Breitling boutiques across the globe.

“Celebrating Breitling’s ‘140 Years of Firsts’ highlights our pioneering spirit and groundbreaking achievements, honoring our past while guiding our future. Each event, exhibition, and story this year emphasizes our tradition of excellence and commitment to innovation,” said Kern.