Every year at Baselworld, there are a few watch releases that really steal the show. This, I believe, will be one of those. Breitling has been experiencing a lot of change under the leadership of Georges Kern, their new CEO, and has focused heavily on returning to the brand’s roots with its designs and catalog. Continuing on that trend, Breitling has announced the Navitimer ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition, a near-exact recreation of its iconic (yes, I’m using that word) pilot watch that was released 60 years ago, limited to 1959 pieces.
Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition (PPR/Breitling)
Originally released in 1952, the Breitling Navitimer became loved by pilots worldwide thanks to its chronograph functionality and slide-rule bezel, providing a useful tool before electronic instruments took over every cockpit. The Navitimer has long since been a staple in Breitling’s collection, but throughout the years, it definitely strayed far from its original design roots, with changes in size, logo, and decoration involved in its evolution.
Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition and the historical Navitimer Ref. 806 from 1959, from left to right. (PPR/Breitling)
This 1959 Re-Release is nearly identical to the Navitimer it’s based on, featuring a stainless-steel case clocking in at 40.9mm in diameter and 13.43mm-thick. The movement ticking inside is Breitling’s Caliber B09, a hand-winding column-wheel, vertical clutch chronograph movement with nearly 70 hours of power reserve, beating at 28,800vph. The dial is mostly black, with faux patina lume on the numerals and hands — a color mirrored by the slide-rule bezel the Navitimer is known for. Keeping with its vintage inspiration, the 1959 features an acrylic crystal, as well. As far as strap options, the 1959 comes on a vintage-style black leather strap. And just in case you need it, the case is water resistant to 3 bar.
Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition (PPR/Breitling)
In 2018, Breitling brought us the Navitimer 8 collection, one of the first large releases under Kern. This line was meant to harken back to the glory days of Breitling and bring back much of the past design language that so many Breitling collectors loved. Now, we have this 1959 re-release, which, in my opinion, is the best looking Navitimer we have seen from Breitling in a long time. Everything about this works for me: The design is fantastic, the case size is spot on, and it’s powered by a reliable Breitling chronograph movement. Breitling definitely seems to be on the right track the past couple of years, and I hope we will continue to see it develop this classic design language and, hopefully, go as far as to introduce more smaller-cased Navitimers into the collection.
Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition (PPR/Breitling)
We’re still very early on in Baselworld 2019, and I’m sure we will have many surprises come up along the way. But for me, this is already one of my favorites of the show. I think Breitling has a hit on its hands. The Navitimer 1959 ref. 806 Re-Release will be priced at $8,600 and limited to 1959 pieces. Visit breitling.com to learn more.
