Breitling Navitimer Review: Purposeful Excellence

There’s a reason the Navitimer is one of the most iconic chronographs ever made. Long before many of the chronographs most enthusiasts first think of existed, Breitling established the Navitimer as the definitive pilot’s tool watch. It was equipped with the legendary circular slide rule designed in the early 1950s to aid aviators with calculations in flight. It has remained a pillar of aviation and horological history ever since.

In addition, the Navitimer has some space travel history.  In 1962, astronaut Scott Carpenter approached Breitling with a request. He wanted a Navitimer modified for space flight, one that would allow for 24 hour time to distinguish between day and night while orbiting the Earth. The result was the Cosmonaute, a unique variation of the Navitimer created specifically for his mission aboard Mercury-Atlas 7. On May 24, 1962, Carpenter became one of the first Americans to orbit the Earth, wearing his Breitling on his wrist. This was several years before NASA officially flight qualified the Omega Speedmaster, making the Navitimer one of the earliest Swiss wrist chronographs to travel into space.

Source: OnTheDash

My Breitling Navitimer 43mm

My Navitimer comes in at 43mm. On paper, this may seem quite large. However, the moment you strap it on, you can feel what makes this watch special. Like the Speedmaster, the Navitimer wears exceptionally well on the wrist thanks to its relatively short lug-to-lug distance at 49-millimetre and well-proportioned 43-millimetre case. It never feels bulky or unwieldy due to its relatively thin 13.6-millimetre thickness, and even on smaller wrists it has a presence that communicates purpose without overwhelming.

At the heart of this watch is Breitling’s in-house Calibre 01 movement, and it is genuinely gorgeous. This fully integrated chronograph calibre beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, offers a robust ~70 hour power reserve, and features a column-wheel and vertical clutch architecture. On paper, the specifications certainly put the Navitimer ahead of the Speedmaster. However, I do enjoy the manual wind functionality of the latter. Through the sapphire caseback you can admire the movement’s finishing, including its striking rotor and thoughtful layout.

Aesthetically, there’s just so much to love about the black dial with contrasting white subdials. The crisp, high-contrast layout not only looks striking, it also manages to remain readable despite the sheer amount of information presented thanks in part to the familiar three-register chronograph configuration and red accents around the central seconds hand. 

Where the Navitimer slightly stumbles, in my view, is its bracelet and clasp. For a watch with such a rich heritage and tool watch identity, it’s baffling that Breitling opted for a butterfly-style clasp. It’s not a deal breaker by any means, but it feels at odds with the otherwise purposeful nature of the watch, especially compared with the more straightforward and practical clasps found on many of its peers. On the plus side, the Navitimer is absolutely a strap monster.

Worth the Price?

Whether you go with leather, nubuck, or a sporty rubber, it takes a variety of straps beautifully, and switching them can completely transform the character of the watch.

The Breitling tips the scales at $10,700 at retail, placing it on the top step for price amongst the three chronographs in this article. Personally, I find it hard to justify the $1,700 price difference between the Speedmaster and the Navitimer, and would likely choose the former over the latter if I were in the market for a single luxury chronograph. 

On the positive side, Breitling does not hold its value particularly well, and can be found for much less. For instance, a popular second-hand watch store in Tokyo has my watch on for only $6,300. This is the route I’d personally recommend.