Fasten your seat belts: take a closer look at Breitling’s Navitimer 1 Airline Editions
Breitling brings back the glorious years of air travel with its latest capsule series.
There was a time when air travel was not as tedious as it is today. In a futuristic jet plane directly derived from science fiction, travelers fly over the clouds and fly into the distance. Do they charge for checked luggage and a bag of peanuts? It must not work! This was the golden age of air travel, when airline flights were unregulated and seemed to have no borders. In the 1950s and 1960s, only two watch brands controlled the friendly sky, Breitling and Rolex.
Long before Boeing launched the iconic 707, Breitling had equipped one of their chronographs with a circular slide rule. The mass production model was officially launched in 1952 and was called Navitimer. For decades, Breitling has been the pilot’s preferred equipment. To celebrate this rich history, Breitling launched three Navitimer 1 Airline Editions. Let’s do it!
Pan American World Airlines (PanAm)
Pan American World Airways, referred to as PanAm, is the brainchild of founder Juan Trippe. He once pondered: “Large-scale air travel may be more important to the world’s destiny than the atomic bomb.” Finally, he was right. Since the end of World War II, air travel The rapid development of China has made it possible for supersonic passenger flights, long-distance flights and everything in between. Traveling from various locations to Europe and Asia is now commonplace. However, half a century ago, this was impossible. Pan Am has played a huge role in promoting modern air travel, and this former airline has always existed in folklore.
PanAm’s Clipper aircraft embarked on an arduous transatlantic journey, followed by a beautiful Boeing aircraft, and finally a double-decker 747. To celebrate this legendary airline, Breitling cheap launched Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 43 Pan Am Edition. The bright blue waves of the PanAm logo, called “Blue Meatballs”, run through this stunning new chronograph.
Like other works in the Airlines Editions series, the PanAm version is powered by Breitling’s self-made 01 automatic chronograph movement. The bright blue dial theme contrasts sharply with the bright white sub-register with red accents. On the wrist, the Milanese bracelet is comfortable to wear. Now let’s take a look at PanAm’s main competitor, TWA.
Global Airlines
If you have ever watched the movie “Pilot”, you will understand the history behind TWA. The airline was acquired by billionaire inventor and tycoon Howard Hughes in 1939 to engage in record-breaking business. Distance, speed, and altitude are the names of the game, and the weird Hughes put the money on his lips. PanAm has their Clipper and TWA has Constellation, which is a four-engine aircraft that represents a huge leap in air travel. For the first time, the interior of an aircraft can be pressurized to make it fly into the stratosphere higher than the weather.
Breitling’s Breitling Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 43 TWA Edition features a bright white dial and red accents. Again, the pattern is very similar to the color of the original TWA logo and can also be found on the sapphire crystal back cover. At 43mm in size (like all other airline versions), this piece looks great when sipping Negroni at 30,000 feet.
Although TWA officially ceased operations in 2001, the brand is enjoying a revival in New York, one of the airline’s largest former hubs. The recently opened Global Aviation Lounge on World Trade One brought back the wavering 1960s on the 86th floor of the new World Trade Center. In fact, Breitling used this location when it officially launched the aviation version in the United States. It is indeed a suitable place! Later this year, keep an eye out for the TWA Hotel at JFK. The airline’s former terminal is being transformed into a chic destination for those who wish to disappear into the golden age of travel.
Swiss Airlines
If you don’t pay tribute to Swissair’s “flying bank”, what will this Swiss-made Navitimers series be? For the uninitiated, Swissair has operated for nearly a century, covering everything from heavy cargo to vacationers going to foreign countries. Once upon a time, the airline’s operations were hardly challenged. Because of their financial stability (Switzerland, eh?), they can manage to reach destinations outside of the traditional European liner radar. Although Switzerland is a relatively small country, Swissair has helped a new generation of people open up the sky. Discount watches
Breitling’s Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 43 Swissair Edition is a faithful tribute to this once great airline. This 43mm timepiece features a solid panda dial with black as the main color and a contrasting white subdial. The red pointer and chapter ring perfectly match the Swiss flag. You may notice that all three airline versions pay tribute to airlines that no longer exist. Although Swissair is now technically Swiss International Air Lines, the three former ladies of air travel (Pan Am, TWA, and Swissair) all recalled the glorious years of air travel. In my opinion, every work is a proper tribute.
You will also notice that each product in the Airlines Edition has a different main bracelet base material. PanAm has a smooth Milanese bracelet, TWA has a rough brown leather strap, and finally, Swissair has a soft black leather strap. It is a good feeling that Breitling spends time and energy to distinguish each piece with a unique identity. However, we were told that owners will be able to purchase other strap options for their Airline Editions products.
Although these works are technically “limited”, Breitling CEO Georges Kern added: “We will launch these airline versions in a new capsule series, which will be produced in a limited time, so the quantity Limited, but the watches are not numbered. Through these capsule series, Breitling aims to tell specific stories rooted in the history of its core series. This distinguishes them from our limited editions, which will retain its original intention: limited to a small number of fixed The number of fashion watches.”