$11,395
Vintage Breitling 40mm Navitimer, Black Dial, Brown Leather Strap, Ref. 806
The Breitling Navitimer must be on anyone’s top ten list of most iconic watches. Designed for pilots, the watch includes a working slide rule bezel, which is in very good condition on this watch. Introduced in 1954, the earliest and perhaps most desirable Navitimers included the wings of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), as seen on this watch. The logo was later replaced by the “twin plane” logo in 1965.
Dated to circa 1956, this early vintage watch includes the small beads on the bezel that adds to its allure. It is powered by the well-respected Venus 178. As expected for Navitimers produced before 1965, this watch has an all-black dial, which is in excellent condition, with clean, unfaded scales and lettering. The raised, gilded AOPA logo is unmarred, and the original lume on the hour numerals is intact, with an attractive patina. A small mark to the right of the number four can be seen under magnification, with some dull marks between the numbers 7 and 8, also not noticeable without a loupe. Note that the hands on the watch are not original to the watch. The case on this watch is in excellent condition, appears unpolished, with sharp edges and the original brushing intact. Vintage Navitimers seldom have cases in such good condition. Anyone with an interest in vintage watches should consider a Navitimer, especially one in this condition from the early era of the AOPA.
Only 1 left in stock
| Band Color | Brown |
|---|---|
| Band Material | Leather |
| Band Type | Strap |
| Bezel | Rotating, Bi-directional, Slide Rule |
| Box and Papers | No Box | No Papers |
| Brand | Breitling |
| Caliber | Venus 178 |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size | 40mm |
| Caseback | Solid |
| Complication | Chronograph |
| Crystal Material | Plexiglass |
| Dial Color | Black |
| Movement | Manual |
| Size | 40mm – 42mm |
| Warranty | 1-Year Watchworks Guarantee |
| Item ID | 0005824 |
|---|---|
| Model # | 806 |
| Model Name | Navitimer |
| Year Produced | ca. 1956 |
| Serial Number | 8XXXXX |
The modern chronograph watch would not function as it does today without Breitling’s influence. Léon Breitling founded the company in 1884 already manufacturing innovative chronographs. After his death in 1914, his son Gaston took control and produced one of the world’s first wrist chronographs with a separate pusher. Gaston’s son Willy introduced the two-pusher chronograph and the iconic Chronomat in 1942, which added a slide rule with a chronograph. In 1952 they produced the Navitimer with a built-in slide rule that became the official pilot’s watch for the AOPA pilot union. Astronaut Scott Carpenter found his Navitimer so useful that he asked Breitling to modify the watch to use a 24-hour dial, which he then wore into space in 1962 aboard a Mercury capsule. To celebrate his 25th anniversary as head of the company, Willy also introduced the SuperOcean diver’s watch with a water-resistance of 200 meters. Clearly, any admirer of chronographs should become familiar with Breitling.
