The Breitling Navitimer is easily one of the most respected pilot’s watches on the market. First conceived in the 1950s, these watches were no-nonsense tools meant to help a pilot calculate ground speed or fuel consumption on the fly (hah). The Breitling Navitimer 1 Automatic 41 watch was an effort on the brand’s part to blend some of the expected Navitimer features into a highly functional timepiece, all the while maintaining that classic design we know and love. The Navitimer 1 draws much of its inspiration from the Navitimer 806, a simple three-hander released in the 1950s. The Breitling Navitimer 1 Automatic 41 is being released in two different 41mm-case versions. The first is an all stainless steel construction, and the second has a stainless steel case but is accompanied by an 18k red gold bezel. (Previously, these were only available in 38mm, seen here.) The Stainless steel version will be available in one of three dial colors: black, blue, and silver, whereas the red gold bezel version will be available with a silver or anthracite dial. The watch will be powered by Breitling’s chronometer-certified Caliber 17, which ticks away at 4hz and boasts a 38-hour power reserve. The watch is resistant to 3bar (30 meters) and will be available on either an alligator strap or a stainless steel bracelet.
This seems like a nice generation of the Navitimer. It’s firmly rooted in Breitling’s best-known strand of DNA, but has been modernized and sized appropriately in an attempt to widen appeal. Sized at 41mm, it will be appropriate for a wide array of wrist sizes for those who might have found the previous version a little small. The dial layout retains the information-packed aesthetic of other Navitimers but has been balanced well with the date placement at 6 o’clock. I do expect a greater power reserve from an in-house movement from Breitling. It seems to me that 38 hours is particularly low, when 72-hour power reserves are almost becoming table stakes these days. Even the Breitling B01 movement has stretched out to approximately 70 hours.