When the CEO of a world-famous watch brand hands out small chocolate bars in a pilot’s uniform after landing at the exit of the plane, there can be several reasons. There was another quartz shock and the appearance at the exit is part of his new job after the lightning retraining. For example. He could also have accidentally been cut into the wrong episode of “Undercover Boss” as an accidental deep fake. Or the passengers are part of a spectacle that advertising professionals call “immersive marketing”, right in the middle of it instead of just being there. As appealing as the first two explanations would be, the latter was of course the case when Breitling CEO Georges Kern passed around a basket of Swiss sweets on March 29th. After about 30 minutes in the air from Zurich to Geneva. And all this for best UK Breitling replica watches, albeit a very special one.
Few models are associated with so many anecdotes, technical discussions and legends as the “Navitimer”, which Willy Breitling, a grandson of the founder, developed in 1952 for the AOPA, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The 1:1 perfect Breitling fake watches should be easy to read and equipped for the typical calculation and navigation tasks during a flight. Its black dial, heavily inspired by cockpit instruments, with chronograph displays and slide rule functions highlighted in white, was immediately recognizable on the wrist. A true design icon.
Since then, many famous wearers and constant further development of the high quality replica Breitling watches, its movement and its practical usability have increased the fame and respect that surrounds the “Navitimer” to this day. For example, there was a model with an extra wide bezel so that astronaut Scott Carpenter, the fourth American in space, could operate it with his space suit glove. Formula 1 drivers such as Jim Clark and Graham Hill also wore a “Navitimer” in the late 1960s, as did jazz trumpeter Miles Davis, King Hussein of Jordan, actor Tony Curtis and singer Serge Gainsbourg.
Thick books could be filled with the exact specifications of the original model as well as the countless variants that left the manufactory over seven decades – from purchased movements to quartz versions with digital displays to the first calibers from our own production. Which is why one of these has now appeared just in time for the jubilee year: “Navitimer Story: The Epic Saga of the Breitling Chronograph”. It also features Gregory Breitling, the great-grandson of company founder Lèon Breitling, and collector and brand history expert Fred S. Mandelbaum. Since the brand restarted after the takeover by investor CVC Capital Partners and under the leadership of Georges Kern, who joined from IWC, both have been more involved than ever: in representation and product range development as well as the opinionated fan scene around the 1884 in Saint-Imier founded brand.
With such an eventful history, it seems almost bold to expect the “Navitimer” to have a design overhaul at the age of 70, but Kern and his team – above all Creative Director Sylvain Berneron – dared to do just that. And to see the result, around 600 jewellers, watch collectors, press representatives and influencers made the pilgrimage to the hall of piers B01 to B10 at Zurich Airport. After a speech by Kern, who was visibly moved to express his solidarity with the Ukrainian population, who currently have completely different concerns than new chronographs – “We call for peace!” 4500 meters. And there it was then passed around on board trolleys for inspection and for “wrist selfies” on Instagram, the new “Navitimer” collection with two versions each with a diameter of 41, 43 and 46 millimeters. “We’re a happy brand,” Kern announced over the radio from the cockpit, as evidenced by some of the dial designs: mid-blue, rose gold, and mint green. People like to use colors “if they’re the right ones,” added Kern.
In addition to many careful changes in detail, the AOPA logo above the Breitling lettering, with which the modern Swiss made copy Breitling Navitimer watches pays tribute to its past, should particularly catch the eye. Their appearance is now more compact than the original and the combination of brushed metal elements and high-gloss are more modern. Thanks to a slightly more delicate rotor, the B01 manufacture movement with a 70-hour power reserve and COSC certificate is also easier to see through the sapphire crystal back. And the date has moved to the sub-dial at 6 o’clock. But otherwise: Everything like the famous predecessor.
As with the previous revisions of the “Chronomat” and “Premier” lines, Sylvain Berneron, Kern and historical advisors such as Fred Mandelbaum and Gregory Breitling carefully rejuvenated the cheap Breitling Navitimer replica watches. According to Berneron at a round of talks after the landing in Geneva, the cult character of the legend was not to be damaged under any circumstances. “And I could give you a couple of brands that messed up their iconic models with a relaunch,” added Kern. Judging by the reactions of the audience on land and in the air, the feat of a facelift without disfigurement was a brilliant success.
The choice of ambassadors, who are now following in the footsteps of famous bearers from the past, also seems consistent: the exceptional dancer Misty Copeland, the first black prima ballerina of the American Ballet Theatre, and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. At the panel talk, Kern recalled, when a refugee from Nigeria arrived in Greece and sometimes “had to feed himself from the rubbish on the street”. So two personalities who had to fight for their happy ending in life against all odds. Especially in these weeks, the carousel of associations spins faster than one would like.
But what about the sustainability of such an event, some of the guests asked themselves, most of whom drove on to the Watches & Wonders watch fair on the nearby Palexpo site the next day. The Swiss machines, explained Kern, who has been in charge of top Breitling fake watches for five years, are fueled with fuel whose CO₂ emissions are around 80 percent lower than conventional kerosene. The remaining “carbon footprint” would be financially compensated. Apropos: In addition to new materials such as Econyl for bracelets and the radically slimmer packaging of the replica Breitling watches wholesale, the key word “sustainability” is primarily based on the transparency of the blockchain in the supply chains. But all the suppliers and partners involved would have to get involved, which would sometimes take a while.
Finally, Georges Kern was extremely confident when asked about the future of mechanical timepieces in an increasingly digital world. “I think analogue knockoff Breitling watches online site will really boom. If only as a counter trend to Metaverse, NFTs and all that crap. We are not robots, we want to touch things that they can tie around us. Especially in a situation like this, which is perceived as rather unsafe, with a pandemic and war and inflation.”
With this assessment, he could be right, at least in the short to medium term. According to reports, the representatives of Wempe, Rüschenbeck and other important jewelers have placed significant orders for the new luxury Breitling Navitimer replica watches. You could take off again…