Tag: breitling navitimer 8


Breitling Navitimer 8 Chronograph 43

After several weeks of teasers posted on its official social media channels, Breitling has at last launched the new Breitling Navitimer 8 collection with a variety of models. Today’s Navitimer 8 collection is a nod to that extensive heritage as well as all that the Navitimer is loved for like its reliable movements and masculine case – while the busy dials appear to have taken a lesser role in this new, vintage-inspired spin on the Navitimer. A clear message from new Breitling head Georges Kern is the decision to forego Breitling’s winged-B logo for the older simple B logo. This new collection is made up of five watches: the Navitimer 8 B01; the Navitimer 8 Unitime; Navitimer 8 Chronograph; Navitimer 8 Day & Date; and the Navitimer 8 Automatic. Worthy of note and bordering on sacrilege here is the fact that three out of the five Navitimer 8 watches are not chronographs leading to the question: should this just have been a new collection altogether?
The Navitimer 8 is named after Breitling’s “Huit Aviation” department that Breitling had set up in 1938 specifically to design and produce cockpit instruments and “wrist chronographs” for military use. These included a range of cockpit instruments with 8 days of power reserve, as well as a number of chronograph wristwatches with different scales and levels of complexity to cater to WWII pilots.
We’ve seen many new Navitimer models over the years, and some have stepped away from the original quite spectacularly. The original Breitling Navitimer was launched in the early 1950s specifically with pilots in mind. With it’s prominent “Slide Rule Bezel,” Breitling improved on the Chronomat model with a feature deemed as a “navigation computer” that allowed pilots to track speed, fuel consumption, conversions, and climb rate. It can (and realistically should) be argued that the 1950s original had a seriously busy dial. The new Navitimer 8 collection heavily channels the original concept while also presenting a refreshing modern look. If there is one thing to be said about the Navitimer 8, it’s that it improves on all things legibility and may prove a great first real addition to the Breitling catalog under its new CEO, Georges Kern.
Let’s start going through the collection, starting with the Navitimer 8 B01, which obviously features the in-house Breitling caliber B01 movement that boasts a 70-hour power reserve. Sized at a reasonable 43mm wide and 13.97mm thick, the Navitimer 8 B01 strips away the arguably vestigial Slide Rule Bezel while offering a 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter, and a date window. The Slide Rule Bezel has likely been the most prohibitive factor keeping many, many people (including myself) from considering adding a Navitimer to their collection while the aggressively macho styling of the Chronomat and Avenger kept as many people away on their own.
So, this Georges Kern special is bound to please a lot of vintage design lovers who have been scared off by contemporary Breitlings. My initial take? It’s cool looking, if a bit safe by design. A lot is going to hinge on the execution and how the watch feels in the metal. High-quality finishing on the case, hands, dial, and bracelet could make this a come-from-behind challenge to pieces from brands like IWC (I wonder why). One thing I have to say is that the varying orientation of the date window, hour numerals, and minute numerals all in the same area give me a feeling of knocked over building blocks. I’m just having a hard time unseeing that.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 is going to be available in both steel and gold. There are going to be two steel models, with a blue or black dial available on a bracelet or leather strap. The red gold model will have a bronze dial and will only be available in a brown alligator leather strap. Oh, and all the models will have an exhibition caseback but no images of those yet, sadly.
Next up is the other chronograph in this collection of five new Navitimers, the Navitimer 8 Chronograph. Marketed as the more price-conscious (Breitling’s words, not mine) chronograph, this model uses the less “illustrious” (again, their words not mine) Breitling Caliber 01 movement, which unfortunately for those of us plagued with minds that demand design symmetry has sub-dials at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock. The caliber 01 operates at 28,800bph and has a 42 hour power reserve, which is passable if the value is there.
Measuring the same 43mm wide as the Navitimer 8 B01, the case is a little thicker at 14.17mm wide and water resistance is the same at 100m. You’re not going to get the bells and whistles like an exhibition caseback here, either, as we are told to expect a solid screw-down caseback. In addition to the chronograph sub-dials, there is a day of the week aperture and date aperture at 3 o’clock.

The Breitling Navitimer 8 Chronograph is also going to be available in stainless steel or a black DLC case on bracelet with either a blue dial or black dial.
This is the most simple of the new Navitimer 8 models, the 3-hand and date Automatic version. Inspired by on-board clocks used by pilots, this simple and clean model wisely measures 41mm wide and retains the bi-directional rotating bezel, which has a pointer that can be set to measure time. Using the caliber 17 movement, the Navitimer 8 Automatic operates at 28,800bph with a 40-hour power reserve.
As I mentioned, the case is 41mm wide and 10.74mm thick with 100m of water resistance. Again, the caseback is solid, which is completely fine as this movement is not the best looking (though tried and reliable). As with the other Breitling Navitimer 8 watches, it’s available in a steel or black DLC case with a blue or black dial on either a steel bracelet or leather strap. Overall, the package could come off a little bland to those like myself but the right price combined with the Breitling heritage sans-Air Force Travolta attitude could be a winning value proposition.
Designed with travelers in mind, the Navitimer 8 Unitime immediately recalls a pared-down version of the far overpriced $11,200 Transocean Unitime. Here, the world time indication is used by moving the hour hand forward or backwards via a crown which also adjusts the date window as well as the time. By positioning the city which corresponds to the timezone selected at 12 o’clock, the counterclockwise rotating 24-hour ring allows you to tell the time in each of 24 time zones based on local time. We’ll share this system in action once we get our hands on these watches.
This Navitimer 8 Unitime (named so to stand for “Universal Time” mind you) measures 43mm wide and 14.38mm thick and features an exhibition caseback. The watch uses the Caliber B35 movement which has a 70-hour power reserve. The Unitime comes in either a black or silver dial, but I have to say that the legibility on the silver-dialed model seems very lacking so unless something drastically changes when we get this watch hands-on, I imagine suggesting to go for the black dial.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 Day & Date is the one that least elicits any emotion from me, with a day window at 12 o’clock and date window at 6 o’clock. Measuring 41mm wide and 11.10mm thick, this Navitimer 8 solves the problem that I’m sure must exist for someone out there of a day window being too small. Using the caliber 45 movement, it operates at 28,800bph and has a 40 hour power reserve. The bi-directional rotating bezel has a pointer that can be used to set reminders, as with every Navitimer 8. The caseback is a screwed down steel piece and the watch has 100m of water resistance.
Keeping with the color schemes in this collection, the steel watch will be available with a blue or black dial on either a bracelet or leather strap.

Breitling Navitimer 8

The Navitimer 8 is named after Breitling’s “Huit Aviation” department that Breitling had set up in 1938 specifically to design and produce cockpit instruments and “wrist chronographs” for military use.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 is going to be available in both steel and gold. There are going to be two steel models, with a blue or black dial available on a bracelet or leather strap. The red gold model will have a bronze dial and will only be available in a brown alligator leather strap.
The caseback is a screwed down steel piece and the watch has 100m of water resistance. Keeping with the color schemes in this collection, the steel watch will be available with a blue or black dial on either a bracelet or leather strap. The entire Breitling Navitimer 8 collection will be available Summer 2018.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 is a possible answer to this issue. Smaller, or at least more comfortable on the wrist, less hardcore-aviation-oriented, slightly more modern and more subtle, it is designed (but not only) to gain market share in Asia. In addition to that, the number 8 isn’t completely innocent (8 is a lucky number in China).
The Navitimer Aviator 8 B01 Chronograph 43 SWISS Limited Edition The Navitimer Aviator 8 B01 SWISS Limited Edition is powered by the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01. Created in-house by Breitling, it has become one of the world’s most admired mechanical watch movements, delivering an impressive power reserve of more than 70 hours.
After several weeks of teasers posted on its official social media channels, Breitling has at last launched the new Breitling Navitimer 8 collection with a variety of models. Today’s Navitimer 8 collection is a nod to that extensive heritage as well as all that the Navitimer is loved for like its reliable movements and masculine case – while the busy dials appear to have taken a lesser role in this new, vintage-inspired spin on the Navitimer. A clear message from new Breitling head Georges Kern is the decision to forego Breitling’s winged-B logo for the older simple B logo. This new collection is made up of five watches: the Navitimer 8 B01; the Navitimer 8 Unitime; Navitimer 8 Chronograph; Navitimer 8 Day & Date; and the Navitimer 8 Automatic. Worthy of note and bordering on sacrilege here is the fact that three out of the five Navitimer 8 watches are not chronographs leading to the question: should this just have been a new collection altogether?

The Navitimer 8 is named after Breitling’s “Huit Aviation” department that Breitling had set up in 1938 specifically to design and produce cockpit instruments and “wrist chronographs” for military use. These included a range of cockpit instruments with 8 days of power reserve, as well as a number of chronograph wristwatches with different scales and levels of complexity to cater to WWII pilots.
We’ve seen many new Navitimer models over the years, and some have stepped away from the original quite spectacularly. The original Breitling Navitimer was launched in the early 1950s specifically with pilots in mind. With it’s prominent “Slide Rule Bezel,” Breitling improved on the Chronomat model with a feature deemed as a “navigation computer” that allowed pilots to track speed, fuel consumption, conversions, and climb rate. It can (and realistically should) be argued that the 1950s original had a seriously busy dial. The new Navitimer 8 collection heavily channels the original concept while also presenting a refreshing modern look. If there is one thing to be said about the Navitimer 8, it’s that it improves on all things legibility and may prove a great first real addition to the Breitling catalog under its new CEO, Georges Kern.
Let’s start going through the collection, starting with the Navitimer 8 B01, which obviously features the in-house Breitling caliber B01 movement that boasts a 70-hour power reserve. Sized at a reasonable 43mm wide and 13.97mm thick, the Navitimer 8 B01 strips away the arguably vestigial Slide Rule Bezel while offering a 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter, and a date window. The Slide Rule Bezel has likely been the most prohibitive factor keeping many, many people (including myself) from considering adding a Navitimer to their collection while the aggressively macho styling of the Chronomat and Avenger kept as many people away on their own.
So, this Georges Kern special is bound to please a lot of vintage design lovers who have been scared off by contemporary Breitlings. My initial take? It’s cool looking, if a bit safe by design. A lot is going to hinge on the execution and how the watch feels in the metal. High-quality finishing on the case, hands, dial, and bracelet could make this a come-from-behind challenge to pieces from brands like IWC (I wonder why). One thing I have to say is that the varying orientation of the date window, hour numerals, and minute numerals all in the same area give me a feeling of knocked over building blocks. I’m just having a hard time unseeing that.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 is going to be available in both steel and gold. There are going to be two steel models, with a blue or black dial available on a bracelet or leather strap. The red gold model will have a bronze dial and will only be available in a brown alligator leather strap. Oh, and all the models will have an exhibition caseback but no images of those yet, sadly.
Next up is the other chronograph in this collection of five new Navitimers, the Navitimer 8 Chronograph. Marketed as the more price-conscious (Breitling’s words, not mine) chronograph, this model uses the less “illustrious” (again, their words not mine) Breitling Caliber 01 movement, which unfortunately for those of us plagued with minds that demand design symmetry has sub-dials at 6, 9, and 12 o’clock. The caliber 01 operates at 28,800bph and has a 42 hour power reserve, which is passable if the value is there.
Measuring the same 43mm wide as the Navitimer 8 B01, the case is a little thicker at 14.17mm wide and water resistance is the same at 100m. You’re not going to get the bells and whistles like an exhibition caseback here, either, as we are told to expect a solid screw-down caseback. In addition to the chronograph sub-dials, there is a day of the week aperture and date aperture at 3 o’clock.

The Navitimer 8 Chronograph is also going to be available in stainless steel or a black DLC case on bracelet with either a blue dial or black dial.
This is the most simple of the new Navitimer 8 models, the 3-hand and date Automatic version. Inspired by on-board clocks used by pilots, this simple and clean model wisely measures 41mm wide and retains the bi-directional rotating bezel, which has a pointer that can be set to measure time. Using the caliber 17 movement, the Navitimer 8 Automatic operates at 28,800bph with a 40-hour power reserve.
As I mentioned, the case is 41mm wide and 10.74mm thick with 100m of water resistance. Again, the caseback is solid, which is completely fine as this movement is not the best looking (though tried and reliable). As with the other Breitling Navitimer 8 watches, it’s available in a steel or black DLC case with a blue or black dial on either a steel bracelet or leather strap. Overall, the package could come off a little bland to those like myself but the right price combined with the Breitling heritage sans-Air Force Travolta attitude could be a winning value proposition.
Designed with travelers in mind, the Navitimer 8 Unitime immediately recalls a pared-down version of the far overpriced $11,200 Transocean Unitime. Here, the world time indication is used by moving the hour hand forward or backwards via a crown which also adjusts the date window as well as the time. By positioning the city which corresponds to the timezone selected at 12 o’clock, the counterclockwise rotating 24-hour ring allows you to tell the time in each of 24 time zones based on local time. We’ll share this system in action once we get our hands on these watches.
This Navitimer 8 Unitime (named so to stand for “Universal Time” mind you) measures 43mm wide and 14.38mm thick and features an exhibition caseback. The watch uses the Caliber B35 movement which has a 70-hour power reserve. The Unitime comes in either a black or silver dial, but I have to say that the legibility on the silver-dialed model seems very lacking so unless something drastically changes when we get this watch hands-on, I imagine suggesting to go for the black dial.
The Navitimer 8 Day & Date is the one that least elicits any emotion from me, with a day window at 12 o’clock and date window at 6 o’clock. Measuring 41mm wide and 11.10mm thick, this Navitimer 8 solves the problem that I’m sure must exist for someone out there of a day window being too small. Using the caliber 45 movement, it operates at 28,800bph and has a 40 hour power reserve. The bi-directional rotating bezel has a pointer that can be used to set reminders, as with every Navitimer 8. The caseback is a screwed down steel piece and the watch has 100m of water resistance.
Keeping with the color schemes in this collection, the steel watch will be available with a blue or black dial on either a bracelet or leather strap.

The entire Breitling Navitimer 8 collection will be available Summer 2018. Stay tuned for detailed pricing and our hands-on impressions coming very soon.

Breitling Navitimer 8

The Navitimer 8 Automatic 41 makes a style statement. It is clearly a direct descendent of Breitling’s legendary watches from the 1930s and 1940s. Inside the steel case with its rotating bezel and pointer is the Breitling Caliber 17. With a bidirectional rotor winder, it delivers more than 40 hours of power reserve. Aviator 8 The watches in the Aviator 8 family are the bold new faces of an iconic collection. They are brilliantly contemporary interpretations of the design DNA and technical features of Breitling
The Breitling Navitimer 8 is a new interpretation of an iconic pilot’s watch. Lacking a slide rule bezel, this line is focused on what’s essential: tracking the time. Top models feature in-house calibers with chronograph or world time functions. The Navitimer 8 is named after Breitling’s “Huit Aviation” department that Breitling had set up in 1938 specifically to design and produce cockpit instruments and “wrist chronographs”
The Navitimer 8 is named after Breitling’s “Huit Aviation” department that Breitling had set up in 1938 specifically to design and produce cockpit instruments and “wrist chronographs” for military use.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 B01 is going to be available in both steel and gold. There are going to be two steel models, with a blue or black dial available on a bracelet or leather strap. The red gold model will have a bronze dial and will only be available in a brown alligator leather strap.
The caseback is a screwed down steel piece and the watch has 100m of water resistance. Keeping with the color schemes in this collection, the steel watch will be available with a blue or black dial on either a bracelet or leather strap. The entire Breitling Navitimer 8 collection will be available Summer 2018.
Inspired by on-board clocks used by pilots, this simple and clean model wisely measures 41mm wide and retains the bi-directional rotating bezel, which has a pointer that can be set to measure time. Using the caliber 17 movement, the Navitimer 8 Automatic operates at 28,800bph with a 40-hour power reserve.
Breitling Navitimer 8 Chronograph. Next up is the other chronograph in this collection of five new Navitimers, the Navitimer 8 Chronograph.Marketed as the more price-conscious (Breitling’s words, not mine) chronograph, this model uses the less “illustrious” (again, their words not mine) Breitling Caliber 01 movement, which unfortunately for those of us plagued with minds that demand design …
The Breitling Navitimer Aviator 8 SWISS Limited Edition Watches – Building on an Aviation Heritage Among Willy Breitling’s many celebrated achievements was the establishment of the Huit Aviation Department in 1938. He was aware of the strict requirements for military and civil aviation, and the department’s name – the French word for
The Navitimer 8 Automatic 41mm makes a style statement. It is clearly a direct descendent of Breitling’s legendary watches from the 1930s and 1940s. Inside the steel case with its rotating bezel and pointer is the Breitling Caliber 17. With a bidirectional rotor winder, it delivers more than 40 hours of power reserve. The eye-catching dial is available in black or blue.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 is a possible answer to this issue. Smaller, or at least more comfortable on the wrist, less hardcore-aviation-oriented, slightly more modern and more subtle, it is designed (but not only) to gain market share in Asia. In addition to that, the number 8 isn’t completely innocent (8 is a lucky number in China). …
The Navitimer 8 B01 Chronograph has a very different profile from most modern Breitling watches. Our first glimpse into the “new” Breitling is the Navitimer 8 collection, launched with much fanfare a few weeks ago, as part of a worldwide road show.
The Breitling Navitimer 8 was initially released in five different models with five different movements. One thing that was immediately striking was that only two of the five were chronographs. Of these, the flagship model boasts Breitling’s acclaimed in-house automatic, the B01, a gorgeous column-wheel vertical clutch with 70 hours of power.
8 Breitling Navitimer Alternatives (Homage & Affordable Watch Options) If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Details. The Navitimer Collection by luxury watchmaker Breitling is amongst the most sought after timepieces worldwide. The iconic circular slide rule design made it the go-to watch for pilots …
There are five impressive new models just released, the first new Breitling models to be released since Georges Kern left Richemont and became the CEO of Breitling. Navitimer 8 B01. First up is the Navitimer 8 B01, powered by the in-house Caliber 01, this watch boasts an impressive 70-hour power reserve.
Breitling Navitimer 8 Automatic Day & A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by a watch strap or different type of bracelet, together with metal bands, leather-based straps, or some other form of bracelet. A pocket watch is designed for an individual …
That’s why the Navitimer 8 features a number of elements from Breitling watches produced in the 1930s and ‘40s, like a rotating bezel. The limited edition issued in the summer of 2018, since renamed the Navitimer Aviator 8 B01 Chronograph, was equipped with markers and even-numbered numerals in addition to the existing orientation triangle.

Breitling Aviator 8

Breitling Aviator 8 The watches in the Aviator 8 family are the bold new faces of an iconic collection. They are brilliantly contemporary interpretations of the design DNA and technical features of Breitling
In the continuing retro wave, the Aviator 8 collection reinterprets Breitling’s early pilot watches without simply duplicating them. In this in-depth review from our October 2020 issue, we observe how the newest Aviator 8 model, the B01 Chronograph Mosquito, keeps up in modern everyday life. (Original photos by Olaf Köster.)
The Breitling Aviator 8 Replica Mosquito watch has been designed to tribute the Havilland Mosquito plane, an aircraft made almost entirely out of wood renowned for its speed and manoeuvrability. The plane found success in its many roles as an unarmed light bomber, day fighter, night fighter and photographic reconnaissance aircraft.
In the ongoing retro wave, the Aviator 8 collection reinterprets Breitlings early pilot’s watches without simply duplicating them. In this in-depth recap from our October 2020 issue, we watch the latest Aviator 8 model, the B01 Chronograph Mücke
The combination of vintage inspiration (this watch is loosely based on a reference 768 aviator’s watch in Breitling’s archive), quality construction and performance (this watch is a COSC-certified chronometer), attention to detail (the bezel has 60 positions, letting you line up the engraved arrow with the minute markers to time an event), and wearability (the dimensions make this a great everyday watch option)
Authentic Breitlings can be purchased on the company website and Amazon. There are Breitling watches for men and women, as well as categories based on profession, such as aeronautics, diving, and in-house movement. The current catalog includes all the models mentioned above in addition to new lines, such as the 2019 Aviator 8.
Breitling has gone through more changes in the last couple of years than the weather does during 20 minutes of British summertime. The overhaul has been so radical that I’ve sometimes been afraid to look. After months of therapy, I’m happy to say I’m no longer a heady mixture of furious/incredulous in regard to the Navitimer 8 range being deemed “Navitimers.” What this has enabled me to do is step through the red mist and appreciate the watches for what they are: pretty neat timepieces. The Breitling Aviator 8 Automatic Curtiss 41 Warhawk watch may have a mouthful of a name, but it offers an eyeful of treats to make up for it.
The case of the new Aviator 8 model is lifted straight from the existing Navitimer 8 family but treated with a DLC coating. The images make the DLC coating look a little grayer than it might in real life, but it’s important to remember how starkly the underlying surface finish can affect the appearance of color once the metal has been coated. High-polished surfaces look jet black. Vapor-blasted surfaces look more like a charcoal ceramic. Brushed surfaces, as employed on the Breitling Aviator 8 Automatic Curtiss 41 Warhawk watch, land somewhere in between. It’s a great look when teamed with the military green dial. The result is a rugged tool watch that, with a closed and engraved caseback, looks ready for action.
The case is water resistant to 100m. It features a screw-down crown. The sapphire crystal is treated with a double layer of anti-reflective coating. It’s a pleasingly wearable 41mm in diameter and sports a bi-directional bezel decorated with a red triangle. This feature recalls the classic ref. 768 on which this model is based.
Breitling has been scouring the archives of late. There’s no synthesizing heritage, however hard brands try — but try they do, over and over again. In this instance, some bright spark in the Breitling basement has unearthed the fact that Breitling was producing aircraft instruments for the RAF and other air forces at the same time as legendary aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Wright was producing their most famous plane, the P-40.
The Breitling Caliber 17 powers the Aviator 8 Automatic Curtiss 41 Warhawk. This caliber is COSC-certified, offers a power reserve of 40 hours, and beats at a standard 28,000vph (4Hz). I’m a fan of Breitling’s in-house output. I just wish they had used a display back. Aviation watches needn’t have a closed caseback, and suffice it to say the decoration, however apt, is not particularly exhilarating.