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拍品专文
With Breitling International Guarantee Certificate and Wakmann fitted presentation box and outer packaging.
The present watch is one of the very first Breitling "Navitimer" models, distinguished by its all black dial with the "wing" logo and the "beads of rice" bezel.
Based on the success of the "Chronomat", Breitling and the AOPA (Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association) decided to develop a revolutionary watch featuring a chronograph and navigation tool, the slide rule, allowing pilots and navigators the easy calculation of speed, remaining distances, fuel consumption etc.
The name was a combination of the words Navigation & Timer and the model was available as of 1954 when the "Navitimer" became the official watch of the AOPA (Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association) and the "wing" logo of the association was added to the dial instead of the Breitling "B". These were exclusively delivered by Wakmann in the U.S. However, it appears that Breitling produced a very limited amount of Navitimers with the "B" logo on the dial around 1955, to be sold in Europe by themselves.
The first models, like the present one, did not have a reference number but only the engraved inscription "Breitling" and logo "B" engraved on the back. In 1955, reference number 806 was assigned and the Valjoux calibre 72 was exchanged against the Venus 178. The dial, including the subsidiary dials, was all black, the bezel was named "beads of rice" because of its shape. The "Navitimer" remained in production with this configuration until the early 1960s when the model was replaced with a new version featuring the white registers that are best known from the general public.
Bearing the import mark "BOW" on its movement, the present watch was delivered to the U.S. like all of the first generation AOPA Navitimer. At the time Wakmann Watch Company Inc. was the official distributor for Breitling in the U.S. and they were also undertaking servicing operations for the same watches.
Preserved in its original condition and accompanied with the original box signed Wakmann, the present watch is an extremely rare find of the early generation of the AOPA Navitimer and it comes along with a fascinating story.
Instructions for the use of the slide rule on this model are available from Breitling - The History of a great brand of watches 1884 to present, p. 121.
The present watch is one of the very first Breitling "Navitimer" models, distinguished by its all black dial with the "wing" logo and the "beads of rice" bezel.
Based on the success of the "Chronomat", Breitling and the AOPA (Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association) decided to develop a revolutionary watch featuring a chronograph and navigation tool, the slide rule, allowing pilots and navigators the easy calculation of speed, remaining distances, fuel consumption etc.
The name was a combination of the words Navigation & Timer and the model was available as of 1954 when the "Navitimer" became the official watch of the AOPA (Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association) and the "wing" logo of the association was added to the dial instead of the Breitling "B". These were exclusively delivered by Wakmann in the U.S. However, it appears that Breitling produced a very limited amount of Navitimers with the "B" logo on the dial around 1955, to be sold in Europe by themselves.
The first models, like the present one, did not have a reference number but only the engraved inscription "Breitling" and logo "B" engraved on the back. In 1955, reference number 806 was assigned and the Valjoux calibre 72 was exchanged against the Venus 178. The dial, including the subsidiary dials, was all black, the bezel was named "beads of rice" because of its shape. The "Navitimer" remained in production with this configuration until the early 1960s when the model was replaced with a new version featuring the white registers that are best known from the general public.
Bearing the import mark "BOW" on its movement, the present watch was delivered to the U.S. like all of the first generation AOPA Navitimer. At the time Wakmann Watch Company Inc. was the official distributor for Breitling in the U.S. and they were also undertaking servicing operations for the same watches.
Preserved in its original condition and accompanied with the original box signed Wakmann, the present watch is an extremely rare find of the early generation of the AOPA Navitimer and it comes along with a fascinating story.
Instructions for the use of the slide rule on this model are available from Breitling - The History of a great brand of watches 1884 to present, p. 121.