Breitling Navitimer 806

From Chronopedia

Breitling Navitimer 806

1952: The birth of the Breitling Navitimer

The Breitling Navitimer is an evolution of the 1942 Breitling Chronomat, with its typical slide rule bezel. Breitling decided to improve this highly practical bezel and in 1952, the ‘Navi’ was born. This slide rule bezel was used to calculate complicated operations without any other tool. The 1942 Chronomat came with an out-sourced movement, the Venus 176. It was used by the United States Air Force.

Breitling Navitimer: a mini-computer for pilots

In 1952, the very first Navitimer wore 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 “timer”. The first edition to be sold was the reference 806, powered by a manual chronograph movement with column wheel mechanism, the Venus 178.

Links