The Pilots Chronograph
The Pilot’s Chronograph
By 1952 pilots were regular users of Breitling — the company built onboard chronographs for aircraft cockpits, and Breitling’s Chronomat (released in 1942) was popular in the industry. In addition to its chronograph movement, it had a slide rule that could be used for simple calculations like division, multiplication and unit conversions, making it even more popular among engineers and mathematicians.
With the help of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Breitling created a version, the Navitimer, specifically for pilots. It kept the slide rule of the Chronomat but added a third scale and borrowed functions from the E6B flight computer. The new Navitimer made completing speed and distance calculations quicker and easier, solidifying Breitling’s place as the de-facto watch brand for aviators.
