Ever since Willy Breitling’s chronograph, made specially for the US Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). was made available to the public in the mid-1950s, the Breitling Navitimer has been considered one of the greatest pilot’s watches of all time. Likewise, aptly called the “Queen of the Skies,” the Boeing 747 is one of history’s most iconic aeroplanes. Now, as the last of the mighty 747 aircraft rolled off the Boeing production line recently, Breitling has announced a limited-edition Navitimer as a tribute to the legendary jumbo jet that revolutionised commercial aviation.
Limited to 747 pieces, the Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Boeing 747 mirrors the colours found on the original Boeing 747 onto its cream dial with black subdials and red-and-white slide rule with blue accents. The “Boeing 747” name is artfully incorporated into the slide rule’s inner scale. The watch also features the AOPA logo at 12 o’clock in a nod to its heritage as a pilot’s chronograph, and an integrated date window at 6 o’clock. It is available paired with either a black alligator leather strap or a seven-row steel bracelet.
The caseback is transparent, revealing the Breitling Caliber 01 movement that offers 70 hours of power reserve. Around the caseback is the special engravings “One of 747” and the phrase “The Original Jumbo Jet”.
“What better way to remember a revolutionary jumbo jet than with a revolutionary pilot’s chronograph,” says Breitling CEO Georges Kern. “The Boeing 747 brought style to the skies, just as the Navitimer brought the spirit of aviation to style-savvy watch enthusiasts.”
The last, and 1,574th, example of the Boeing 747 was delivered in January this year, nearly 54 years after its first flight. The 747 was the first aeroplane to be called the “jumbo jet” because of its wide-body design. Initially certified to carry up to 550 passengers, it was later upgraded to carry up to 660 passengers.
