Breitling
navitimer aopa pilot vintage - Pearl Bezel

Vintage pilot chronograph Breitling Navitimer from 1960 Pearl Bezel, a transitional edition specially designed for members of AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association). This series of navigation watches was produced between 1960 and 1963. Breitling, riding the success of this model (which archives date back to 1952, although commercial availability is only verified from 1954), evolved the original version (powered by a Valjoux 72) into a model equipped with the Venus 178 movement.

Until the late 1950s, the brand name appeared only on the back of the dial. In 1960, the B logo and “Breitling GENEVE” appeared at the top of the dial above the winged AOPA logo. This Navitimer was produced during this brief transitional period. Later, changes such as the appearance of white subdials, the enlargement of the white bezel disk, and the replacement of the B with a new logo featuring two aircraft flying in formation drastically altered the model’s aesthetic and identity.

Subsequently, due to the economic upheaval of the quartz crisis that shook the watch industry in the late 1960s with the arrival of Japanese quartz movements, Breitling fell dormant and nearly disappeared, outpaced by more agile competitors. The Navitimer tooling was acquired by German manufacturer Sinn. Breitling was later revived by Sicura, marking a successful return to the wrists of many pilots. More than a comeback, this was the rebirth of a new generation of chronographs rooted in the brand’s history and reaffirming Breitling’s strong ties with military aviation. This direction was given by Ernest Schneider, the President of Breitling, who passionately reconnected the brand with the aviation DNA of its golden years (see the article "The Renaissance of Breitling" on our "Brand History" page).

The chronograph presented here is part of this glorious past. The Navitimer powered by the Venus movement and bearing the AOPA logo is a legend of the skies and represents one of the most important historical pieces in the brand’s heritage. In the world of vintage and collectors’ watches, these early models are now extremely rare — so much so that Breitling released a commemorative re-edition in 2019 that faithfully reproduces its original design.