The year 1884: In St-Imier, the Jura mountain range of Switzerland, Leon Breitling opens a workshop specializing in the making chronograph pocket watches and precision counters for scientific and industrial purposes.

The Year 1892 The young captain of industry created the watch factory G LEON BREITLING SA, MONTBRILLIANT WATCH FACTORY at LA CHAUX DE FONDS Leon Breitling relocates in La Chaux de Fonds, the center of Swiss watchmaking of the day.

The Year 1914: Leon Breitling dies. His son Gaston Breitling takes over the company. Gaston Breitling joined the family firm. Death of his father LEON. 1915: During WWI, Wide Recognition of fast advancements in aviation/need for a precision timepiece for that purpose, Gaston introduces the first wrist-watch chronograph providing pilots with the first chronograph Breitling Navitimer.

Then, in 1915: During WWI, Wide Recognition of fast advancements in aviation/need for a precision timepiece for that purpose, Gaston introduces the first wrist-watch chronograph providing pilots with the first Breitling wristwatch.

Then in 1923: Breitling develops the first independent chronograph push piece. Start and return to zero functions had previously been controlled using the winding-crown. Gaston Breitling inherited a passion for chronographs and systematically works to make the family firm a success story. A special edition, patented with the name VITESSE, was a huge success with the police: it enabled them to time drivers breaking the speed limit. Moving with the times and fashion, BREITLING accelerated the development and production of wristwatches with chronograph functions.

The Year 1932 Willy Breitling, son of Gaston Breitling, becomes head of the Breitling business. Willy takes over for his father as the head of the company.

The Year 1934: Breitling develops a watch with a second return to zero push piece. This invention, made it possible to measure several successive short times with an added function using the first push piece, and gives the wrist chronograph its definitive form.

In 1936 Launched a Breitling chronograph for aircraft cock pits.

1942 Launch of the CHRONOMAT BREITLING, the first watch chronograph equipped with a log scale calculator.

1952 Launch of the BREITLING NAVITIMER with optimized calculator function. Breitling created the Navitimer, a wrist instrument equipped with the famous “navigation computer” capable of handling many if not all calculations called for by a flight plan. This “super” chronograph quickly becomes a favorite among pilots all around the world.

In 1962: The famous Astronaut Scott Carpenter wears the Cosmonaute chronograph during his orbital flight aboard the Aurora Seven space capsule. This was the Launch of the COSMONAUT, with a 24 hr rather than 12 hr single circuit of this dial.

BREITLING chronograph (Cosmonaut) goes into space; worn by astronaut Scott Carpenter on board the AURORA 7 capsule.

In 1969 The brand that used above all, VENUS lauches in its mechanical non automatic hand-wound models, was one of the pioneers of the automatic chronograph developed in collaboration with HEUER LEONIDAS and HAMILTON BREN. With a combined DUBOIS DEPRAZ chronograph module, they created the micro-rotor Chronomat. Breitling introduces the self-winding chronograph. This technical feature represents a total breakthrough for all of the Swiss watches industry.

The Year 1979: Ernest Schneider, from SICURA took over the Breitling firm and registered it under the name MONTRES BREITLING S.A. in GRANGES.

The Year 1983 This was the year of the Creation of the GMT NAVITIMER. Launch of Eric Tabarly products as well.

In 1985 The END OF LIFE system for divers was created (this piece reaches depths of 3300 feet/1000 meters). Launch of the NAVITIMER CHRONOMAT which dramatically increases Breitling prices.

In 1987 Launch of the WORLD model with indicator for four different time zones.

In 1988 Launch of the J-CLASS model specially developed for yachting enthusiasts.

1999 Certification and Control for chronometre norms. BREITLING backed the project of the Swiss and British team, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones, who completed the first non-stop round the world trip by hot air balloon, landing on March 21st after a flight lasting 20 days.

The Year 2003 At the Int’l Automobile Salon in Geneva, Switzerland BREITLING presented 2 brand new models in association with the BENTLEY model. BREITLING was BENTLEY’S partner at the Le Mans 24 hour race.

I hope this time line has been interesting to Breitling enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds around the world. In the future I hope to update the time line to reflect 2004-present.

Cyndi Whittel was a Breitling enthusiast at an early age. She grew up in Southwest Indiana. She is now living in Northwest Montana in city named Kalispell. She, her husband a two energetic children collect Breitling watches and raise horses at their 1100 acre ranch.

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The Chronomat was launched in 1942, which was developed with the first chronographically spherical slide. The “Navitimer” was launched in 1952 and this watch was worn by pilots as it was to them a genuine wrist instrument. The Navitimer has a built-in computer for navigation and thus it became the AOPA’s official watch. Scott Carpenter wore the “Cosmonaute” in 1962 when he flew the Aurora 7 into space bringing further fame to retail of this timepiece.

The Breitling era ended in 1979 following the death of Will Breitling, the grandson of Leon Breitling, whom started running the company in 1932. Afterward, in 1979, the company was taken over by Ernest Schneider, an aviator and watch aficionado bringing along a new age of the Breitling range. Ernest brought in new lines which included ranges for yachting, diving yet concentrating on high class watches for the flying industry. In 1985, the Aerospace was introduced, which is a multifunctional electric chronograph and is made with Titanium. 1995 sees the launch of the Emergency, which a various functional chronograph, including a built-in transmitter which is able to broadcast an aircraft crisis frequency. Three years later the B-1 is introduced and it significantly embodies steps forward in the field of Swiss manufacturing.

The Breitling watch range is commonly known as stylish, strong and precise and is today one of the main suppliers in the Swiss industry for development of high accuracy models. The instrument for the professional is the statement that makes Breitling watches as unique as they are. Breitling is a hard choice to pass on by those who appreciate the more than normal precision watch. All watches produced by Breitling, made in Switzerland possess genuine Swiss mechanisms.

What makes the Breitling range stand out from the rest is that certification is offered on all moving parts, on all of the models. The case of the timepiece is highly well-known known for the eminence of the finish. The Breitling watches are specifically designed to go through rigorous use. The dials were built with the intention to be able to read time at a once off glance. The crystals internally found in the watches are anti scratch sapphire as well as anti glare on either side.

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