Search results
Being a man of great style himself, Willy Breitling recognized people’s desire for products that reflected the elegance and glamor of the era. Breitling was already producing sophisticated chronographs for personal use, but he took things a step further with the development of the Premier collection, a distinctive new line of watches intended for a discerning and stylish clientele.
- A Surge in Popularity
- The Race Was on
- Project 99
- The Age of Astron
- Under New Ownership
- Instruments For Professionals
- Breitling in The New Millenium
- The Dawn of A New Era
- In Good Hands
In the ’60s, chronographs were becoming quite popular among young people. With a keen eye on appealing to this growing market, Breitling released the Top Time in 1964. Willy Breitling realized that younger people didn’t want the same type of watch worn by their fathers. Instead, as he put it, they wanted “a competition watch with special dials and ...
As most watch enthusiasts are aware, the end of the 1960s marked an important event in the history of horology: the race to develop the first automatic chronograph. By the 1960s, convenient automatic watches had become very popular. Until that point, however, all chronographs had been purely manual-wind. Knowing they could either adapt or perish, m...
The consortium worked secretly on what was known internally as “Project 99” for three years, resulting in the Caliber 11. The group then planned to debut it on March 3, 1969, at simultaneous press conferences in New York and Geneva. Much to the members’ chagrin, however, Zenith announced the El Primero caliber on January 10 of that same year. This ...
Not even the automatic chronograph in 1969, however, could stop the next blow to the Swiss watch industry. The very same year that Seiko released its own automatic chronograph, the Japanese watch giant also released the world’s very first quartz watch, the Astron. Several Swiss brands had been experimenting with quartz technology as well. In the ea...
On November 30, 1982, Ernest Schneider registered the company under the name Breitling Montres S.A. and relocated the company’s headquarters to Grenchen. Despite the fact that quartz watches were dominating the market at the time, there were none yet with an analog chronograph display. In 1983, this prompted the aerobatic demonstration team of the ...
In 1985, Breitling launched the Aerospace. This quartz watch featured an analog time display, two digital displays, a perpetual calendar, dual time zone, and chronograph function. Remarkably, the wearer could control all of these functions via the crown. 1985 also saw the rebirth of the legendary Navitimer, first in a Lemania-powered manual-wind va...
The 2000s were, in general, an era of large, bold, and highly-polished watches for the brand. Breitling was actually no stranger to producing large watches for its day. As far back as 1969, in fact, Breitling had brought a whopping 47mm Navitimer Chrono-matic to market. The brand revived this design, albeit in a smaller 44mm case, in 2006. Then, in...
In 2009, just in time for the brand’s 125th anniversary, Breitling made a historic move. The brand launched its first completely in-house chronograph movement for a wristwatch, the B01. The caliber features a modern 70-hour power reserve, column wheel, and vertical clutch for smooth operation and continuous accuracy, and obligatory COSC certificati...
In 2017, CVC chose Georges Kern, former CEO of 14 years at IWC, to uphold the Breitling legacy. Since then, the brand has done a remarkable job of balancing its offerings. The Avenger, SuperOcean, and Professional lines strictly feature the brand’s largest, most modern, and “toughest,” designs. The Aviator 8, SuperOcean Heritage, Chronomat, Navitim...
Oct 16, 2020 · 1943: The Premier. Breitling. Breitling’s future seemed uncertain when Gaston passed away suddenly in 1927. His son Willy was just 14, so for the first time an external team took over the ...
- JamieAlan.Carson@Hearst.co.uk
Jul 5, 2021 · A golden age. In the first decade following Breitling’s relocation, the manufacturer’s reputation thrived, and its watches surged in popularity. Léon Breitling’s former one-man operation grew to employ 60 people, and in 1893, Breitling patented a stopwatch movement with an 8-day power reserve. In 1896, the brand also patented a ...
Willy Breitling launched the Top Time collection with a clear mission: to suit the needs of “young and active professionals.” Thanks to its elegant yet unconventional designs, that included square cases and graphic dials, the Top Time quickly became the watch of choice for a fashionable in-crowd of men and women equally drawn to the watch’s bold proportions.
With his increasing success, Léon Breitling decided to transform his workshop into a full-fledged watch factory. He moved operations to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the watchmaking capital of Switzerland, and of the world. At the beginning of the 20th century, Breitling’s wide range of top-notch chronographs and timers set the benchmark for the industry.
People also ask
Did Willy Breitling make a watch?
What were Breitling watches like in the 2000s?
When did Breitling start making watches?
Why did Willy Breitling make the top time?
Is a Breitling Navitimer a big watch?
When did Breitling start making chronographs?
Feb 19, 2024 · Breitling has become a household name among fans of Swiss luxury watches. Since its founding some 140 years ago, the brand has reinvented itself a number of times. It first made a mark on the industry with its pilot’s watches, especially from the 1930s onwards. For a long time, it was hard to imagine the world of aviation without Breitling.
