Breitling

Leon Breitling developed innovative timekeeping measures predominantly for pocket watches from as early as 1884, based in a small workshop in St-Imier. Soon he built up a strong reputation for his excellent craftsmanship.

Focussed on chronographs which were in demand for industrial, sporting and military applications, the breakthrough was in 1889 when he was awarded a patent for a new, simplified style of chronograph.

Leon’s son Gaston took over the family enterprise in 1914 when his father died and by 1915, had launched a fine chronograph, this time with wrist strap. It was one of the first in the world to be worn on the wrist and featured a push button above the crown.

Gaston Breitling passed away in 1927 but his son Willie was too young to take over so for the next 5 years, an external management team ran the business and the range of models increased to forty. Until 1934, chronographs only featured a single pusher. Once in the business, Willie had set about changing this and in 1934 he filed a patent for the world’s first chronograph with two pushers. In 1938 he set up a specialist aviation department, with models designed exclusively to fulfill military pilots’ requirements, such as luminous hands and markers, an 8-day power reserve and a rotating bezel. He also had commercial contracts in mind and, with WWII looming, large orders duly followed from The Royal Air Force thereby forever linking Breitling Aviation watches with the legendary pilots and bomber squadrons of WWII.

1940 saw the patent awarded for the Breitling Chronomat, featuring a rotating slide rule added to the chronograph for use initially by technicians and specialists but in 1943 with the launch of the Breitling Premier collection the technology was made available to non- military users

The 1950’s and 60’s saw major launches flow thick and fast with the legendary Breitling Navitimer in 1952, followed by a foray into aquatic performance watches with the 200m Breitling SuperOcean and then the Breitling TransOcean in 1958 with anti-magnetic, shockproof and super-sealed properties.

1965 saw the development of the world first micro-rotor automatic chronograph in collaboration with the team at Dubois Depraz and Jack Heuer leading to the unveiling of the Breitling Chronomat is 1968 with the winder on the left, creating a huge sensation at the time.

With ailing health, shortly before his death Willie Breitling sold the company in 1979 to Ernest Schneider who owned and ran the brand through till 2017. Rather appropriately Ernest himself was not just a watchmaker but also a pilot, hence an excellent choice to become custodian of the brand.