SpotlightOn A Roll: Introducing Breitling Premier, Navitimer, and Chronomat & The New Calibre B19
As part of their “140 Years of Firsts” celebrations, Breitling debuts their first perpetual calendar movement and limited editions of three flagship watches at Geneva Watch Days 2024
May We Recommend
On the heels of unveiling their pop-up museum ‘Breitling Then & Now’ in Zurich as part of their 140th anniversary celebrations, the Swiss watchmaker Breitling have debuted their first exclusive perpetual calendar movement and limited-run editions of their three flagship timepieces at the ongoing Geneva Watch Days 2024. In other words, Calibre B19 now powers three new gold watches, namely the Breitling Premier B19 Datora 42, the Breitling Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar, and Breitling Super Chronomat B19 44 Perpetual Calendar chronographs. Despite the longlist of new launches and all kinds of tribute unveilings by the Breitling this year, the distinct personalities of the watches comprising this trio and their historic relevance that helped professions on land, sea and sky to maintain precision in everyday tasks, will not be lost in the anniversary merriment.
A Masterpiece In Gold: Calibre B19
Before proceeding to the three brand-new Breitlings, it is imperative to comprehend the Calibre B19, a piece of mastery entirely assembled at the Breitling Chronometrie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. In fact, the 18-karat red gold rotor, visible at the openworked caseback, incites a moment of awe, for its engraved miniature of the Montbrillant Manufactory. The west wing of this villa was home to three generations of the Breitling family, and the rest formed the factory, which for over 80 years diligently manufactured Breitling’s watches, and since 2009, a range of calibres. The list of Calibre B19’s predecessors consist of Breitling Manufacture Calibre 01, B02 that offered a 24-hour day/night feature, B03 introduced split-seconds, and the B04 fulfilled the need of a GMT feature.
The Calibre B19 movement powers the star high complication on this dial, the perpetual calendar. There’s a monthly calendar counter at six o’clock and the weekly counter at nine o’clock. The calendar complication does not manual correction to adjust the leap years and months of 28, 30, and 31 days, and is touted to run for nearly a century without any external support. offers an impressive power reserve of 96 hours. Another noteworthy complication is the moonphase, which impresses with its imagery of a full moon overlooking fluffy clouds, contained within a sub-dial at 12 o’clock.
The Trinity Of Beauties In 18-karat Red Gold
Breitling first unveiled their Premier watch in 1943 and addressed it as ‘the gentleman’s chronograph’ for the connoisseur, not necessarily in the business of flying, but from the upper echelons of society and was interested in a functional tool watch. The 2024 Premier B19 Datora 42 gleams with its 18-karat red gold Arabic font hour markers, outer minute track, case with trademark square pushers, lugs and folding buckle. Completing the look is a black alligator leather strap with matching topstitching.
Eight years later, the brand created their Navitimer watch in 1952 with the intention to develop a robust pilot’s watch for members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). It set the record as the world’s first pilot’s watch to combine a chronograph with the patented wrist-worn circular slide rule. Soon, other experts in the business of flying, including astronauts, and of course, celebrities desired to own the watch. It even became the first Swiss wristwatch in 1962 that was worn in outer space. The Navitimer B19 Chronograph 43 Perpetual Calendar, fashioned with an 18-karat red-gold dial and matching folding buckle, pays tribute to the slide rule in black. An alligator leather strap with contrasting topstitch secures the watch onto the wrist.
And lastly, in 1983, Breitling unveiled their first Chronomat, this time in the capacity of becoming the official watch of Italy’s aerobatics team, the Frecce Tricolori. It is said that the Chronomat improved the financial conditions of the company, which like its mechanical contemporary watchmakers, had taken a hit in the Quartz Crisis. The Super Chronomat B19 44 Perpetual Calendar chronograph follows the first issue copy’s four raised rider tabs at the four-time quarters, an onion-shaped crown, and a rubber replica of the original Rouleaux bracelet. There are, however, subtle yet marked tweaks made to this new Chronomat. Like the addition of ceramic inserts on the bezel and a partial skeletonized dial.
Each of the three anniversary Breitlings are available as 140-piece limited-run editions.
