Manufacturer
Breitling
Also recorded as: Léon Breitling
Chronograph and aviation-watch specialist that introduced the independent chronograph pusher.
Léon Breitling founded his workshop in Saint-Imier in 1884 and moved to Grenchen in 1892. His son Gaston introduced a wrist chronograph with a separate pusher in 1915, and his grandson Willy added a second, independent reset pusher in 1934, the layout of most later chronographs.
The Navitimer (1952), with a circular slide rule, became an emblem of aviation. Breitling co-developed the Calibre 11 automatic chronograph (1969); the family sold the business in 1979 to Ernest Schneider.
- Country
- Switzerland
- City / centre
- Saint-Imier; Grenchen (from 1892)
- Founded
- 1884
- Status
- Active
- Key people
- Léon Breitling (1860–1914); Gaston Breitling; Willy Breitling; Ernest Schneider
Innovations & specialities
- Independent chronograph pusher (1915)
- Second reset pusher (1934)
- Navitimer slide-rule bezel (1952)
- Calibre 11 (1969)
Works by Breitling in the catalogue
All 14 records →
Wristwatches · circa 1940's
Breitling Premier, ref. 790, circa 1940's
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · circa 1945
Breitling Premier, ref. 790, circa 1945
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · circa 1970s
Breitling Navitimer, ref. 1806, circa 1970s
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · circa 1990
Breitling Chronomat, ref. b13050.1, circa 1990
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Clocks · circa 1990's
Breitling clock, circa 1990's (Antiquorum Lot 389-18)
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Clocks · circa 1990's
Breitling clock, circa 1990's (Antiquorum Lot 389-20)
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · circa 2004
Breitling Air 04 Limited Edition, ref. A41322, circa 2004
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Pocket Watches · 2008
Pocket watch by Breitling?, 2008
Museum Rotterdam
Wristwatches · Sold in September 2010
Breitling Cosmonaute, ref. A 22322, Sold in September 2010
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · sold in July 2011
Breitling Galactic 41, ref. B49350, sold in July 2011
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · circa 2013
Breitling Chronomat, ref. AB 0110, circa 2013
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · Sold in August 2013
Breitling Transocean Chronograph Unitime, ref. AB 0510, Sold in August 2013
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Linked through the Atlas maker authority list, which reconciles the spellings used by different institutions. Attributions are as stated by each holding institution or auction house.
