SLIDE FOR CALCUL ATOR FUNCTION

Yet another watch designed to help pilots with their complex calculations was the Breitling Navitimer. In 1952, Willy Breitling created a watch that incorporated the slide rule along a watch’s bezel, making it easier for pilots of that era to make quick calculations for their flight. The watch became a hit among aviators as two years later, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) named the Navitimer their official timepiece. In fact, the early Navitimer watches, made to AOPA specification, didn’t even have the Breitling logo on the dial, instead, they had the AOPA one. The slide rule was not a new invention as early versions were already in use since the 17th century. However, it was Breitling that first adapted its functions and put this onto a wristwatch so that Pilots could easily calculate values like average speed, distance travelled, fuel consumption, and rate of climb with a simple twist of the bezel. The design of the Navitimer became so iconic to the brand that even long after computers took over the need for manual calculation, Breitling continued to make their Navitimers and even today stands as one of the signature collections of the brand.

Over the years there have been numerous reissues of this iconic watch, but this year they launched one that took the Navitimer beyond the skies and into the realm of space. As the story goes, Astronaut Scott Carpenter requested a specially modified Navitimer from Breitling, offering a 24-hour dial instead of a 12-hour one to help him distinguish day from night in the darkness of space. His personal timepiece became the first Swiss wristwatch in space when in 1962, Carpenter wore it on his Mercury-Atlas 7 mission. As with the watches of the time, the AOPA logo is proudly displayed on the dial, but this time accompanied by the Breitling logo. C